KILDARE, IRELAND (Irish Climbing Coaching)
Hi all!
Firstly, welcome to the new site and we hope to supply you with some interesting notes while you’re here!
Well to start this site off (and in the interests of people checking in regularly 
, I thought I’d start off with the concept of goal setting in climbing.
Since it’s early January, and mid-winter, now is a great time to be considering your goals and ambitions in the coming year. And that’s not just in climbing, feel free to adapt this to whatever you do in life!
With a couple of months before the dry(er) seasons arrive, it’s worth getting some thoughts into your head regarding what you aim to get out of this year.
Climb a new style of route? (sport, boulder, trad, ice, aid?)
Visit some new areas? (Europe, USA, etc.)
Climb a new grade?
Become more consistent at a grade?
Climb more routes in a day?
Stop getting panicky and scared above gear?
Climb with more people to improve my technique?
While just thinking about the aims for the year isn’t going to give yourself the results you’ve wished for (if only! , it’s definitely a big step in the right direction towards reaching your ambitions! By just putting them on screen or on paper, you’re making that conscious decision to persue your aims.
If you’re feeling even braver, why not even publish them – we’re interested to hear everyone’s thoughts!
So go on, stick your neck out and throw down the gauntlet to yourself (it’s only going to matter to you) and write down your climbing goals for the year in the comments below. Looking forward to seeing them!
I’ll even add mine in to get the ball rolling. Trust me, I get uncomfortable myself putting these in the public domain!
Note: no, neither myself or Nige are in the photo above , but this is the best example (with a photo) of goal setting. I met John (Canada) while in Siurana in Spain in November. He’s in his early 50’s but had set himself a goal to climb 5.13 (that’s 7c+!). You know what, he pulled it off easily….
Update: Don’t forget to check our continuation on this series, Goal Setting: Ins and Outs
Well, I’ve put the idea in people’s minds so I’ll follow through!
Aims for climbing in 2008:
Sports Climbing:
Minimum of 3 8a’s.
Re-try an 8b+ that I practised the moves of in Monstant.
Traditional Climbing:
Climb at least 10 new routes at each crag I’ve been to (easy to repeat the old ones I’ve done around Ireland!).
I do have some other longer-term ambitions (and nearer term ones), but I’ll keep those for another entry…..
Climbing Goals 2008,
Well, 05 was a fallow year, I’m hoping that 08 will be a bit more stable.
My main goal is to get back to where I was in 2004 when I had begun to redpoint 7a and was generally in pretty good all-round shape. I don’t think I’m going to get sport climbing this year, so my goals reflect this. Any way, here they are:
Misc.
Get my weight back down to 80 kg (currently at 85.5).
Get a driving licence.
Build a small training board in house.
Make at least 10 weekend trips in the UK to various crags.
Sport.
indoors do a f6c+. I don’t know if I am going to get sport climbing outside this year.
Trad.
E2, or harder on Grit (this is an ambitious goal at the moment, I onsighted an E1 last year, but my other routes on Grit and trad were a good bit below this level)
Bouldering.
Well, my best effort was about font 5c last year, I’d like to get a font 6a this year in font, perhaps La Marie Rose.
I have a number of problems waiting for me at L’Elephant and at Bas Cuvier, so I am going to say that I would like to tick 5 red problems on my next trip to Font.
thanks for the comment Ian, great to see some input.
Sounds like you’ve got a well sorted out list – they’re all incremental improvements which makes sense. Look forward to hearing how you progress through the year!
This is a fantastic new site! Definately something that climbing in ireland needs! I’ll be following development with intrest.
Anyway, my 2 cents….
Trad Climbing:
-Onsight lots of E1s
-Climb at least 3 E2s in Dalkey, hopefully The Ghost, The Gnasher and Holymoac Direct
-Get a move further on an E5 project
Bouldering:
-Climb at least 1 7a problem outside
-Go to doolin more often
Misc:
-Hold a one arm deadhang on my fingerboard
-Go on a sport climbing trip at some stage
Cheers,
Paul
Thanks,
We are only just getting started, it WILL get better still. Lots of useful content on the way.
Thanks for all the feedback,
Spread the word!!!
Nige
Ah goal’s got to love them
Trad:
- Solid @ onsight E2, mainly a mental block with this one.
- Onsight British 6a, probably a mental block here too.
- Break into E4.
- Onsight at least one E4.
- Contemplate E5
- Headpoint an E6 I recently got all the moves on, on TR.
- Live in The Burren/Fairhead/Muckross for a week (each).
- Do something on grit.
- Get my head in gear.
Sports:
- Onsight 7a
- Redpoint 7b
- try something even harder and realise it’s not too far beyond me.
Bouldering:
- Actualy do some
- Chillax
- Make more progress on the sit start to Andy’s Arete.
Training:
- Put up campus rung/fingerboard in my room.
- Actualy use it every day.
@P. Thanks for the thoughts on the blog – we’ll hopefully start some momentum for everybody here.
Great to see you thinking about aims for the year – keep it up. Only advice is a simple one – set yourself a goal of the number of E1’s to do in a year. It’s a more concise and an actual objective other than to ‘climb more’. Best of luck with them though, and make sure to keep us informed on how you’re going!
@Steve McG:
Interesting read and respect for putting them public. We’ll be touching on some of the stuff you mentioned in the future. Stay tuned!
Cool site boys. Actually I must set some goals. Diving is eclipsing everything but I’m a climber at heart
Haa! Great concept lads… i’ll be following it with interest!
Dave’s wish list:
redpoint 8b
onsight 7c(+)
Onsight more long E6’s
Headpoint an E8
Find and work a boulder project that just shuts me down (V10 would be nice)
Move house into the mountains
Run a sub 16:30 5km
Run more than 70 miles per week
Spend more time with Friends
Write a little and often
save some cash
Get my year 11’s to pass their GCSE’s!
Better get started then!
Cheers for the comments Dave, will look forward to keeping an eye on those goals myself
Flash Left Wall on the Cromlech…….this has been a goal for about 20 years, but I have always been scared of not flashing it! – stupid really………..
I suppose this means I need to be solidly onsighting E2+……….lots of time needed at Fair Head then!
I reckon my other goal would be to try out this bouldering lark and try to understand bouldering grades!
Good idea with the “bouldering lark” Trevor – you’ll find it’ll help your climbing confidence a bit as moves get a bit easier!
As for long-term goals, well the route will always be there – but how long do you want to put it off…….