Are max hangs all they are cracked up to be? What metrics really matter? aNd how much?
Project Direct coaches take a statistical dive into the strength tests and surveys of 600+ climbers and find some groundbreaking results.
managing rock and winter climbing goals
As October moves into November, the questions that will guide my decisions to get on rock, head to the drytooling crag, or hit up early forming ice are…
“What will I learn the most from?” and
“What do I need the most right now to achieve my goals?”
I’ve found that keeping these questions in mind keeps me focused. They also allow me to approach my objectives with purpose, reduce FOMO, and get closer to my goals then doing what is “cool” in the moment.
The most simple and powerful tool - feedback loop size management
Your feedback loop size is the time between a decision you make and when you will be able to evaluate the quality of that decision ⏰
Your power is that your in control of that feedback loop size.
Sport to trad - Close the logical loop
…it is important to differentiate between trad climbing and crack climbing - one is a safety system and one is a physical skill. They both come together while climbing but can muddy the water of understanding what is holding you back.
half dome: MOre than 1 way to climb fast
You are six pitches from the top, the sun is setting, you are exhausted and hungry, your feet hurt, and you are contemplating becoming cannibalistic since your partner got you into this mess in the first place.
You could learn how to rope solo if you needed to right? Okay, maybe the last part is a little extreme, but how do you properly plan for a big wall so that you are off in time to catch a drink in the valley with your friends?
Let's talk about the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome…
the Original route on the rainbow wall
“I felt the pump building and estimated I had about 20-30 seconds to pick something and just go for it.
I hit the pod, engaged my shoulder as powerfully as I could, but was a little too low in it and I felt my finger lock slipping out…
But fuck man, I was screaming for it. I was psyched. I gave it everything in that moment and my smile wasn’t going anywhere.”
patrick cooke sends call of the wild (wi6) at lake willoughby!
“The route is Call of the Wild (wi6), which is a variation of Mindbender at Lake Willoughby. The climbing is steep, even before you gain the hanging curtain. It requires 170 or so feet of WI5+ just to set up for the traverse…
While the physical training definitely paid off, the most noticeable training effects were from the mental training and applying those lessons.”
headpoint training graduate: hayley mckinney
“I read The Rock Warrior’s Way, attended clinics ran by professional climbers, and took all the advice I could from others who wanted to see my overcome my challenges. Nothing worked.”
Headpoint Training Graduate Hayley Mckinney and I sit down to chat about her transformational experience. Very proud of your hard work Hayley!
Project Direct Contributor - Nic Manship
Nic Manship (graphic designer, climbing, pit viper model) was the very first contributor to Project Direct. Under the pavilion at Ten Sleep Rock Ranch, he started with dozens of ideas and refined it all to create the project direct logo - all while I watched in awe.
Project Direct Contributor - Jenny walters
Climbing offers us a distinctive space to meet people and let relationships naturally grow over time, under different circumstances, and on top of different rocks. Until they eventually stand on their own - rocks or no rocks. while These relationships are initially stitched by the commonality of climbing culture, the special ones grow into a place that exists beyond the allure of stylish sends.
When the Goal becomes a Stepping StonE
Then, when I got to the top out, it was less than ideal, it was totally delaminated and unattached from the rock, and water was flowing underneath it….
red rock canyon - drifting
Detailed route report of Drifting in Pine Creek Canyon (Red Rock Nevada). Pitch break down, gear, and rappel info
in the midst of failure
We share less about our experiences in the midst of a failure. And if we don’t go back and succeed, maybe we never share our experience at all… but I want to change that….
moving through expectations on mothmonsterman
I was pitching off the first crux – a dead-point side-pull that you catch with two fingers – over and over. I had resigned the evening to be another progress session, but one of my climbing partners encouraged me to get on it one more time…