A brief recollection of four years of climbing and how it changed from an adult recreational playground, to a passion in self-improvement. Presented by Michael Dang at SF Learning Night on November 18th, 2015.

1. Climbing Steps: From
Casual to Competitive
Michael Dang

2. Why Rock Climbing?
• Loved to climb higher
1. Climbed a tree?
2. Did monkey bars in jungle gyms?
3. Walked the higher ledges along sidewalks?
• Climbing Firsts
 First time climbing at university 40 ft. wall
 First gym was Seattle Bouldering Project in Seattle, WA
• Wanted to be join a consistent after-work sport
 Not interested in weight lifting gyms
 Breakdancing was too far and hard to schedule
 Climbing has V-Scale and new problems weekly!

3. Milestones (Mileage May Vary)
• Power/Weight Ratio
• General Fitness
• Movement and Physicality

4. Starting Point
• Athletic background
 Breakdancing
 Hip Hop Choreo
 Parkour
 Skinny
• V2 to V3ish range
Lessons
• Watched competitions and technique videos every day
• Watched better climbers do their thing
 Elegant and slow
 Static
 Purposeful movements

5. First Two Weeks:
V2 Consistent, V3-ish
• “Climbed” every day for 2 weeks straight
• Movements
 Short
 Locked arms
 Hopping feet
• Session Status
 1-2 hours
 Lots of flappers and blisters
 Weak tendons
 Quickly “pumped” arms
 Sessions end with sore body, no grip

6. First Month:
First V4, Overhang V0-V1
• Movements
• Session Status
 2 hours
 Fewer flappers
 Sessions end when grip disappears
Heel Hooks Drop Knees High Steps

7. Second Month:
First V5, Overhang V3-ish
• Movements
 One finger-pad crimps
 Slopers more accessible
 Open hand
 Extensions
 Dead hangs
• Session Status
 2 hours
 Slower warmups
 Very few or no flappers
 Sessions now end when skin is feeling raw

8. Fourth Month:
First V6, Overhang V4-V5
• Movements
• Session Status
 3 hours
 Fingers starting to tweak
Campus’ing Dynamic Movement

9. First Year:
First V7
• Climbed outside for the first time at Goldbar, WA
 No coloured holds, feet, nor ergonomic
• Movements
• Session Status
 3-4 hours
One-Two’s Bicycles

10. Second Year:
First V8
• Movements
 POGOs
 Breathing
 Visualization
• Session Status
 4 hours

11. By Fourth Year:
First V9
• Logging climbs with MyClimb
• Competing in CA Comps:
 Touchstone Climbing Series,
Planet Granite Bloc Party, Vertex
Climbing, Bridges Boulder Bash
• Started Training
• Movements
 Step Dyno
• Session Status
 4-5 hours

12. Transition to Competitive Scene
• Goal to climb competently at nationals
• Styles
 Redpoint
 Onsight
• Strategies
 Warming up
 Watching others climb first
 Finding your flashing level
 Pacing, especially for placing in finals

13. Training + Results
• Beginning to plateau
 Good movements
 Single-move blocks
 Crimps + Pinches + Lock-offs
• Weighted hangs
 High Intensity Interval Training
 Crimps + Pinches
• Campus board
 Power + Lockoffs
• Redpoint practice
• Gymnastic rings and weights
• Rice bucket
Results
TCS: Ironworks – 19th
TCS: Metalmark – 8th
PG Bloc Party: Sunnyvale – 13th
PG Bloc Party: Belmont – 10th
Vertex Climbing – 10th
TCS: Pipeworks – 9th
PG Bloc Party: San Francisco – 18th
Bridges Boulder Bash – 9th
TCS: Dogpatch – Saturday, Nov. 21st

14. What I’m Currently Doing
• Training for the final competition
• Nationals in January (maybe)
• Aiming to hit first V10 by the end of the year
• Outdoor Climbing
 Yosemite
 Bishop
• Planning a trip to Hueco Tanks next year!

15. What I Appreciate About Climbing
• Universally Accessible
 Age
 Country
 Economic status
 Biological sex
 https://youtu.be/t_2udXmARoQ?t=49

16. Q & A