As a Student

I'm in a funky spot, as I often get touted as that "kid" who is simply riding his talent through the grades, perhaps accused of not earning my progress. However, I am also empathetic with these individual's cries because I did not start climbing at x months old. I will never feel the satisfaction of flashing your project in my diaper, or using your crimp as a full, 3-pad jug. "Kids these days", they say. Sure, I'm young, but the only difference in how that crimp on your proj feels to me vs you is the difference in our finger strength, because my fingers are the same size as yours. And this finger strength - I might add - I've worked damn hard to cultivate.

What the majority of my days consist of - falling.

Let me start by saying what follows has been developing inside of my head for quite some time. I do recognize that I've made quick progress. I also realize there are others that have made quicker progress. I'm certainly not the best, but I'm not convinced that anyone is. However, I believe there is a fundamental difference between becoming a stronger climber and becoming a better climber.

I consider myself a student of climbing. I am helplessly yet gratefully in love with the act, the lifestyle, the "sport", whatever - climbing. And I believe this is the reason for my success or progression. I'm excited to learn. And the key, folks, is that your stoke to learn has to exceed your stoke to send.

Don't get me wrong, I'll tally my points, post my victory gram, and swear like a boulderer in bad conditions if I fall. I love to send, but as cliche as it may sound, the process is where the difference lies between strong climbers and good climbers.

An early learning experience in the realm of flaring offwidth. The Quest (10+)
"The hardest 20 feet of your life" said the guidebook.

I often catch myself doing exactly what I'm about to encourage you not to. My high school literature teacher once told me the difference between 2 authors (their names escape me...) is that one will say just what he needs to say in the bare minimum amount of words needed, and the other will spew on for 4 chapters just to describe the context of the point he is finally going to start making. I am the latter. If you give me the chance, I will drown you in beta - not because I have an impulsive need to share it or because I want to showboat. I do it because I genuinely want you to succeed. I want the odds stacked in your favor, and I feel privileged when I can help enable these successes and milestones for you.

Mid-betaspray!

But oftentimes, I'm hurting you more than I am helping. My best friend John recently tried a notoriously difficult 12b called Movie Star. He pulled the crux off the hang with my beta, but with some trouble and serious doubt about pulling it from the ground. He went back without me, and discovered a new sequence which, though unorthodox, worked substantially easier for him. Boom. He stuck it from the ground that session. Sorry John...

I'd say generally, when you sacrifice this learning process in exchange for friends' beta, video beta, easier routes, etc., you'll up the grades, you'll send my former projects in half the time. But you'll do it without learning. Why did you place your foot on that low smear instead of the huge ledge 4 inches higher? Why was your knee pointed in that way, and why was your heel hook placed at just that angle? Why did you shake your left arm last? 

This brings me to my final comparison: the student versus the fan. A student of climbing will understand, or try to understand, why all of these details matter. A fan of climbing - someone not devoted to learning but to performing - might have all of this beta from a video, a friend, a guidebook, but it will only work for this one route/problem. They may even understand why these details help them on their project/send, but that will be the extent of it.

As a student however, I will move on to the next unknown route, and apply my understanding of how to move well and read a sequence in order to make quick work of it independently, sans beta. Here lies part of the difference between being a good flash climber and being a good onsight climber. I enjoy both, but I certainly hold more respect for a good onsight climber.

A final note is that there is value in being a strong climber. If the "process" isn't your thing, I suppose you're learning a different art.  And if performing well is as fun as climbing well, then by all means - do your campus/hang/moonboard link-ups and whatever else is in style for beefing those digits. I respect it. If I had access, I'd do it all too.

An example: I'd watched a video of this route being done with an all-points-off left hand dyno. I finally was convinced to try going off of a different hold and throwing with my right hand - voila! Easy, and keeping one point of contact! Be open.

Keep in mind every sentence here could be started with "In my opinion". I'm not claiming facts, I'm expressing my thoughts. Hope you guys can connect with them!