Improve Your Climbing Through Tracking Every Attempt
I was recently asked by a client if they should only log their hard sends on KAYA or if I’m interested in seeing their attempts too. Maybe the answer seems clear but, even if you’re already logging your attempts, you may not know what to do with that information, or how critical of a role it plays in analyzing progress.
1. Attempts tell the story of your progress
Progress can be measured in many ways but if the goal is to get better at climbing, the projecting journey over time will look like this:
Tracking attempts against your projects will paint a clear picture for your coach and for your own personal quest to send.
Have you ever tried a climb within your achievable grade range but it’s your absolute anti-style? You might’ve tried a few moves and thought that it’ll never go down. But, tracking and taking video of every attempt can unlock moves through beta analysis, sharing with a friend or coach (sometimes we just need an outsider’s perspective) and, as you get stronger and more well-rounded as a climber, you’ll notice that those anti-style projects are taking fewer and fewer sessions, down to maybe a single session, and eventually more frequent sends and even flashes.
2. Analyze your attempt videos
Understanding movement, how much effort you’re actually giving, how close you came to latching the hold is only possible when logging and capturing each attempt. You may notice a pattern in which climbs take more effort and which go down easily. Through keeping a video record, you can look back on which styles, hold types, or zones in the gym tend to give you the most trouble.
If you’re working with a coach, this is where the magic happens! We can provide feedback, give movement drills, and understand what is causing you to come off the wall.
HOW TO UPLOAD AN ATTEMPT VIDEO:
Step 1: Tap the + from the feed
Step 2: Select your media
Step 3: Tag the climb and add performance and climb details. This is where you will need to toggle the “Send” OFF and enter your attempts. Note: Send is toggled ON by default.
Step 4: Add a note or caption
Step 5: Post!
3. Build your ascent pyramid
The KAYA ascent pyramid is a full collection of successful ascents which includes flashes as well as redpoints. The goal is to visually represent what you are able to send easily and often, like a warm up, versus something that you have never flashed, like a project level climb.
If you only log your sends and don’t track your attempts, your pyramid data will be skewed and will appear as if you are always successful on your first attempt.
As a coach, this would tell me you aren’t trying hard enough; you must be working climbs well within your ability and can afford to push the grade higher. It might indicate that you have little experience with projecting and that you either attempt, fail and move on, or you only climb what you know you are capable of sending. This sends the wrong message to a coach but makes it nearly impossible for the climber to track progression.
Upload your attempt videos and tag @kayaclimbing for your chance to be featured in our Instagram Fail of the Week!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jess West, KAYA Community Events Coordinator and Power Company Climbing Coach, found climbing in 2015 at Aiguille, in Longwood, Florida. She knew right away that it would be more than just a hobby. With a BS in Radiology, she found herself on an entirely new career path, coaching the youth team and learning how to set within her first year of climbing. She earned a Masters in Exercise Science and moved several times over the next few years, while her husband pursued his career in route setting. Somewhat settled, she is now a momma, has made climbing her full time career and calls St. Louis home.