TRIPLE TRAINING CHALLENGE

by Caroline Ciavaldini

  

10 minute read

 

 

Le Corridor 8A; La Capelle-Masmolène, FR

 

The Corridor is an 8A boulder in La Capelle-Masmolène, 7 minutes from my home. I have been bouldering there for years and always thought I would never reach the level necessary to tick an 8A in this area. There aren’t many 8A problems in the little forest, and they all are quite difficult, not working towards my strengths. 

 

The Corridor has a crux move with a non-existent slopper which, time and time again, I have tried to hang on to but failed. Clearly, if I ever had the ambition to make that boulder, I would need to improve on sloppers, to be able to hold and lock on that terrible hold. Finally, with a couple of months of lockdown, I decided to focus on working specifically for that boulder. 8A was a big number that I had only reached once before, in Spain, and I really liked the idea of doing a boulder I had been so convinced I would never ever do. Finally, I managed the Corridor, and even the Corridor Extension, and on that day, despite all the days of effort, and my tiny little progress, inch after inch, I was still amazed that it was me on top of the boulder. 

 

 

My achievement wouldn’t come through a grade, though; for a long time, I have realized grades are all relative. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if it is a 9c or 7c; no one cares! It’s only climbing. It can only be for MY pleasure that I decide to put myself through fear, tiredness, and then, hope, and belief, which all turn into a passion. Of course, over the two days that I worked the route, I had quite a few moments where I despaired in figuring out a method. I also went to bed those nights, asking myself why I was doing this. But then, waking up at 5 am to beat the afternoon sun, I itched to put my hands on the rock, savored the idea that I could only rely on myself to get the rope up; this project reawakened the climber that I am.

 

I came home with precise sequences in my head and the knowledge that if I trained, visualized, and prepared, I had a chance to link it all. I knew training would be challenging, especially motivating for another endurance lap through the summer heat. But I was finding myself again, finding my space to be a climber and a good mum. 

 

I returned to the route with James a month later while the grandparents took care of Arthur. Part of me wondered why we were leaving our baby, and we both felt a bit empty without him jumping around the van. But then in the early morning, I put my game face on, James transformed into Mr. Perfect Belayer, and the fun began. In the (8b), I had no idea if I had the necessary endurance, but in a month’s training, I had noticed that it was all coming back quickly. I climbed precisely without a single mistake. I have no idea how it happened–maybe being a parent and having little time forced me to improve my efficiency. The (7b), the first (8a), the (5c) it all went smoothly. Then, in the last (8a), I made a few mistakes. I forgot a few methods, and there was a moment at the very end, where I realized I had to make the right decision very fast, or I would be off, and maybe not have the energy to try the pitch again.

 

 

It is here that I faced my old friend, the fear of failing; every climber has to find a way of dealing with this. When I was a competition climber, I used to tell myself to focus closer on the pleasure of the movements. This time, with my forearms about to explode, and while I was struggling to slow my breathing on a relatively restful tuffa, I could see in my mind Arthur dancing to his favorite music. With that, I realized that falling would be ok; failing was indeed not that sad. Accepting the possibility of not doing it gave me the energy to finish the pitch and scrape my way to the belay. One more (6b), and I had done it, I was again the climber I wanted to be! I had proven to myself that there was a balance between being a mum and a climber. That even the joy of my little one could give me strength for climbing that I hadn’t had before.

 

I'd love to tell you James and I drove back home playing Une Jolie, but that would be too whimsically poetic. After all, ticking the climb for its name or notoriety is not the experience I was after. Plus, James hates the song, but James's story of understanding French poetry, and as I say, “truly” becoming French, is another story altogether.

 

 

Written by Caroline Ciavaldini

 

 

Stage 6- Buoux

We stayed four days at the "Auberge des Seguins," which is a perfect location to go to the crags on foot. They even let us take our dinners outside by the bedroom while the baby was already in Bed. Buoux doesn't need any publicity. It is a unique, incredible crag, and there is a reason for its Fame. Buoux is a Must visit". No matter what your level is, you will find a gem to climb!

 

Stage 7- Mouries

Mouries is a long way from Buoux, and we had initially planned some extra stops. But the heatwave had begun, and the other planned spots were not as exciting. So, instead of climbing stops, we biked for two days, visited an abandoned troglodyte village (les grottes de cales), and loved it!

 

Mouries again is an old lady, and if you can get away from requiring extremely tough grades and enjoy the technical climbing, you will love it. Mouries is a climbing lesson in itself.

 

Route 1 - Fingerboard

I have always struggled to believe that just by hanging on a hold, you improve on it. Except it does work. I learned this lesson by simply hanging on my fingerboard slopers. This time though, I needed to specifically improve on a very vague sloper, which I could not even hang on at first. As I tried, I began to understand that it would also require core muscles, not that I needed more core, but rather that I needed to understand precisely which core muscles to recruit. 

 

So I began hanging on the worst sloper on my board, with one hand on a lower jug and a resistance band under my feet. I would do 5-second hangs with 2-second rests repeating 5 times for a set. I would repeat this four times. I never pushed hard, but I would do the same exercise three times a week. Eventually, I removed the resistance band, and in time, I had both hands on the bad sloper. 

 

 
 
 

Route 1 - Resistance Band

I only ever use the resistance band to rebalance my muscles to help avoid injuries. To work on this sloper, I not only needed to be able to hold the hold, but I also needed to be able to lock off on it. The move was a left-hand lock with a right toe hook so, I included a few harder right and left-hand movements in my training to keep my body balanced. 

 

To train for this, I attached a resistance band above my head for pull-downs while toe hooking the side of a wooden ladder that goes to a loft. To explain further, if I were doing pull-downs with my right arm, then my right foot would be flat on the floor, I would crimp a ladder rung at mid-torso height with my left fingers, and toe hook a lower ladder rung with my left foot. I would repeat the pull-down movement ten times, continually focussing on how my core muscles felt, which part of the core I was engaging, and imagining how the movements come from the toes to my core. I would repeat this for 4 sets, three times a week.  

 

Route 1 - Visualization

Every morning I practiced little visualization exercises. In my mind, I would place myself on the left sloper with my right toe pulling and my left foot on a hold. Then I would imagine myself doing the movement, pulling hard on the toe and locking everything on my left side while looking straight at the arrival hold until I grab it. 

 

I did this for minutes a few, entirely focused on the task, and then I would move on to my day.

 

 
 
 

Route 2 - Fingerboard

With long exercises on a fingerboard, you can get a semblance of endurance. I begin with four sets of reps that cycled 5-second hangs on the best holds, 2 seconds rest, 5-second hangs. Then I would immediately move on to a smaller hold with the same sequence, progressing until I used the smallest holds on the board. I would repeat the exercise 5 times, resting 5 minutes in between complete rounds of holds. This simulates the movements in a route, replacing the locks with the brief rest each time you switch holds.

 

Route 2 - Resistance Band

For the resistance band, I created a full routine of many exercises to recruit a variety of different muscles. Some exercises required using both hands simultaneously, which helps simulate climbing without locking off. One example I did is an Iron Crosses, where you move the band from low to high and then open and close your arms (you can do this both in the front and back). Other exercises require just using a single arm as the band is attached to a wall; this is also beneficial as you can focus on engaging muscles singularly as you would on a crux section. An example of this would be doing single-arm rows. 

 

 I would find the right distance for a low-intensity exercise, with 10 reps of each hand. I repeated the routine 3 times, with 15 minutes rest in between. Over time, I increased the resistance band's stretch to make the excesses harder and then changed to a harder resistance band. It's important to remember for both of these exercises that you begin in a stable, balanced position, with your hips rotated forward to protect your back.

 

 
 
 

Route 2 - Visualization 

I visualized the route a lot. I would start by running through the whole sequence of movements. Then I would go very slowly and precisely over the first intense sequence. I visualized every detail– hands, feet, breath, where I would chalk up, and where I would clip. I even visualized being surprised because no matter how much you know a route, every attempt will be slightly different, and every time you climb, you will be surprised by a little detail. For example, a hold may feel better than you remembered, and you begin feeling confident, or even overconfident, and then on the next move, reality hits and surprises you with moves that are hard. If you are not ready to be surprised, you will waste many attempts with silly mistakes that are simply the results of your surprise. By imagining the surprises, you can anticipate your emotions and be ready when they happen.

 

I also imagined arriving very tired at the last hard move but still making an effort to give my everything without allowing space to only think, "that was a good attempt, I am too tired now, but I will still try the move for practice." Instead, I visualize the exact necessities of the move, pulling hard on my toe, locking every little muscle on my right bicep, and looking straight to the last hold. Listening to your body or emotions isn't relevant anymore at this stage of the climb; I find it more efficient to focus on the perfect movement.

 

 
 
 

 

La Théorie des Cordes (8c); ST léger du Ventoux, FR

 

I only recently set my eyes on this route when I searched for a route that would be at my hardest level. I wanted to prove to myself that I was "back to met best" as a climbing mum. It was actually Siebe Vanhee who pushed me to look at it just after he completed it.

 

The route begins as soon as you leave the floor with a very difficult and resistant section. Then you get a reasonably lousy rest before moving into another resistant section that takes you into a very hard move. After all of this, the route closes with a long section where you could still fall if you made a mistake. To complete the climb, I not only needed a relatively high level of pure strength to manage every move, but it also required excellent power-endurance and overall endurance.

 

For this, my training would never entirely rely on a fingerboard and a resistance band, as it is challenging to build up endurance and power-endurance in the forearms with only two tools. Still, I began with these to make sure my body was ready to handle a further training stage. I used the fingerboard to create a base-endurance and finger-power-endurance and the resistance band to build up general muscles.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Une Jolie Fleur dans une Peau de Vache (8b) 300m; Verdon, FR

 

Projecting a multi-pitch as a parent isn't an easy task. You have to find a climbing partner while your husband takes care of your child, or you need a good nanny. Because of this, as I looked for several days for a new multi-pitch project, I wasn't searching for an easy one; I wanted to use my time well, and I knew Une Jolie Fleur dans une Peau de Vache would a serious challenge for me, at 8b max and 3-pitches in the 8th grade, but I went for it. 

 

The first time I went on the route, I had to have words with myself just to be able to finish and reach the top; I was miles away from success. To complete the line, I would need a higher level of overall endurance to swallow all of the hard pitches, along with good lock-off endurance for the crux pitch that was steep, demanding continuous arm locks and a strong core. But I wasn't turned away from this experience–I was amazed at the climbing quality, and every tuffa was perfect. I was far away from finishing the line, but the experience left me ready to work hard for it.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Route 3 - Fingerboard 

I used my fingerboard jugs as my go-to training partner, and we would meet three times per week. I was going for the most painful exercise, but also the most efficient– pull-up endurance.

 

For this, I would do four consecutive pull-ups. The first pull-up, I would go up and lock at 30 degrees for 3 seconds, lower and go up again, locking at 90-degrees, then lower again and go up locking at 120 degrees (chin just above the fingerboard), and then finally finish the set with one last regular pull up. I would then directly start the set again without my feet even touching the floor. If I am fit, I can do the whole thing four times. But it hurts. None-the-less, it works miracles.

 

 
 
 

Route 3 - Resistance Band  

The resistance band was just a background exercise to ready my full body for a big day of climbing. I use this routine or varying degrees often to recruit different muscles. For this route, knowing I had a long day of climbing, I used the same exercise as on  La Théorie des Cordes. Again, I focused some movements on using both hands simultaneously and others on single arm movements. These exercises included Iron Crosses, where you move the band from low to high and then open and close your arms (you can do this both in the front and back) as well as one-arm rows. 

 

For Une Jolie Fluer,  I kept the intensity quite low but aimed for a very high volume to build my muscle endurance. I repeated the exercises 5 times, with 15 minutes rest in between each set. Each week I would do these exercises three times.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Route 3 - Visualization 

I trained mentally by visualizing the three hard pitches, movement after movement, and also imagining myself at the end of the day, with one last 8a to do. I knew I would possibly need several tries to do this final pitch and that I would need to keep my spirits high to have a chance of success. So, I imagined having just fallen off the last section of the 8a and lowering back, settling to rest a bit, drink, eat, and find within myself the strength to have a good go again. I imagined beginning to climb and feeling tired, but giving it all, and being very focused on every movement to be as perfect as possible, and making it to the top.

 

 
 
 

 

Over the past year with our limited access to climbing gyms and training facilities it has become increasingly difficult to prepare for the climbs that fuel our motivation and imagination. Before the pandemic many of us spent countless hours in the gym climbing and training. As well as, getting tips and tricks on training for specific styles of climbs in person from our communities. In search of a simpler way to train at home, we have proposed a challenge to the Wild Country athletes to help all of the Pure Climbing community refocus your training for when sunnier days allows you to get back to your project.

 

Welcome to the Triple Training Challenge. With only a fingerboard, resistance band, and the use of mental training we have challenged our athletes to devise a plan to prepare for three routes they have projected in the past. They will showcase the significant challenge each route presented to them and how they would have applied this information to prepare physically and mentally for their ascent. You can use these tips to breakdown your own routes and apply the specific techniques to your own training.

 

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TRIPLE TRAINING CHALLENGE

by Caroline Ciavaldini

  

10 minute read

 

Over the past year with our limited access to climbing gyms and training facilities it has become increasingly difficult to prepare for the climbs that fuel our motivation and imagination. Before the pandemic many of us spent countless hours in the gym climbing and training. As well as, getting tips and tricks on training for specific styles of climbs in person from our communities. In search of a simpler way to train at home, we have proposed a challenge to the Wild Country athletes to help all of the Pure Climbing community refocus your training for when sunnier days allows you to get back to your project.

 

Welcome to the Triple Training Challenge. With only a fingerboard, resistance band, and the use of mental training we have challenged our athletes to devise a plan to prepare for three routes they have projected in the past. They will showcase the significant challenge each route presented to them and how they would have applied this information to prepare physically and mentally for their ascent. You can use these tips to breakdown your own routes and apply the specific techniques to your own training.

 

 

The re-learning process

Sitting on the floor of her home bouldering room, Caroline Ciavalidini starts laughing, and exclaims, "I can't believe how hard this feels, I know these moves are easy, but I can't keep my feet on the wall. I'm barely lasting 5 minutes in this manner."

This was the scene 1.5 months after the birth of Caroline Ciavaldini' and James Pearson's first child, aptly nicknamed Mini-Monkey. While she was able to climb through the early months of her pregnancy, she eventually took a forced break due to the natural effect of pregnancies, such as the tearing of abdominal muscles. This break has left her slowly working back into climbing in a way she "equates to coming back from a long-term injury." But the energy and excitement she has towards her current level of climbing rarely falter.

In hopes of helping anyone in the Wild Country community with their own recovery, we asked Caroline for some insights into her approach.

 

"As I returned to climbing, I knew it was going to take a lot of work to get back to any familiar level. I had lost my core strength, my arm and finger strength was minimal, and I had not once in my entire adult life felt this weak. I wasn't deflated, though. I have learned a lot through climbing, and whether I am healthy or not, using this knowledge to stay motivated and enthusiastic is a continual practice."

 

 

 

Goal Setting

To begin, whether you are recovering from an injury (large or small), or in my case returning after pregnancy, goal setting is vital to staying motivated and excited. The level you used to be at might feel as far away as the moon, so instead of focusing on this point, it is essential to set small achievable goals. These goals could be as simple as a few pull-ups, or 5-minutes on the bouldering wall. Set your goals, at the right distance – hard enough, but attainable. In this way, you can celebrate each achievement and continually reset the bar, instead of falling short and becoming disheartened. Of course, the bigger dream - the one of returning to your former level will always be there, at least in the back of your mind. But treat this as a dream, maybe you'll get there, perhaps you won't. What matters, for now, are your small goals.

 

Next, it is important to listen to your body. I know this is not breaking news, but as you begin recovery, give yourself the time to build strength without causing further injuries. This part can be hard, as it is challenging to find the balance between stopping at every odd twitch and working through what is bound to be discomfort. But give yourself the time to start slow. In the beginning, your muscles are weak, your tendons are weak, and often your motivation is high. This combination is the perfect recipe for injuring healthy body parts. Focusing on your small goals can help ensure you aren't pushing past your limits too soon.

 

It is also important to pay attention to your psyche. I have found that getting fresh mentally can be the best part of recovery training! If you are feeling drained and your motivation is low, take a break. This will pay off tenfold in the end. Whereas forcing your training can quickly lead to lost motivation.

 

 

YOUR TRAINING METRICS ARE IRRELEVANT
 CAROLINE CIAVALDINI'S FORMULA TO RECOVER BETTER, HEALTHIER AND MORE MOTIVATED

5.0 minute read

 

 

Expectation Setting

This next part might be the most essential practice in my recovery - remove any expectations that you have around what your climbing should be. Think back to when you first began climbing. You didn't have any expectations, right? You didn't pressure yourself to climb at a specific level or meet a certain standard. You just wanted to progress as much as possible, you set goals one after the other, you learned, and you absolutely enjoyed it. So now, why don't you approach it as if you were a beginner? Remove your previous expectations and be curious to see where you will get each day. But of course, you now also have a secret weapon that will help you improve faster – your knowledge of climbing techniques.

 

Lastly, use your recovery training as an opportunity to remind yourself that strong in climbing is relative; difficulty depends on your style, your strengths, and your weaknesses, so solely chasing numbers is not a very accurate goal. Instead, focus on working specific strengths or weaknesses to help you return to the climbs you enjoy. For example, in the past, I chose climbs not off-grade or newsworthy ascents, but routes that draw me in with beautiful lines, curious movements, and above all, a particular historical aura. To be able to once again dedicate myself to these projects, my goal isn't fixed around a specific grade. Instead, it is on being fit, being able to project, try hard and focus on a route. This requires fitness but also on being mentally prepared and motivated.

 

 

Training Plan

To help you better understand some of my small goal setting steps, and I mean really small steps, I want to show you what I focused on for my strength training and the routines I put in place to accomplish these goals. 

 

1st Goal Routine

One week after Mini Monkey was born, I began a series of arm movement exercises as one of the few things I could safely do. My goal was to work on the different stabilizer muscles in the shoulder, bicep, and triceps at low intensity. I did 6-reps of Butterfly movement with a 0.5kg weight, resting 2-minutes between each set. It was taking about 20-minutes to complete, and if possible, I would do this 2-times per day. 

 

2nd Goal Routine

When I got the green light from my doctor that I could start climbing, about 1.5 months post-birth, I began a small routine on my home wall. My goal was simple, stay on the wall for 5-minutes doing movements. If I felt up to it, I would try to do this for 5-sets with 10-minute breaks between sets. I mostly climbed on the less steep parts, but occasionally, I ventured onto the steep wall for a few short moves. Overall, this recruited all of my bodies muscles and really got my core started again. My core was so weak that at the beginning, this was difficult to do.

 

3rd Goal Routine

When I began to feel solid again around 4-months post-pregnancy, I started a pull-up, pushup, and dip pyramid routine. My goal was to allow myself the time and space to start simple, and I began with pushups on my knees and pull-ups with an elastic band. I strived to flow between each exercise, working my way up to 6-reps and then back down again. Each number increase was a set, and I would rest for 2-minutes between sets. Eventually, I could do the routine without aids and worked my way up to 10-reps, which left me very satisfied!

 

 

The Final Stage

It has been one year since the birth of Mini-Monkey, and this has added a beautiful addition to my learning process. As for my recovery training, I feel strong. Just as with any goal, though, my idea of strong is about setting expectations. I am pretty sure I won't be returning to my competitor's level; I won't be able to do finals and podiums in Lead World Cups, and that is fine by me! I am not interested in training 5-hours every day anymore, and mainly, other goals make me dream big!

 

A current goal I am working on is to explore more bouldering. For sure, this is the most accessible climbing discipline with a baby. But also, I have never made the time to focus on bouldering. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time, and I have a lot to learn; it is exciting! So this is where my climbing goals are right now.

I hope you have found some of these tips helpful, and always remember, be patient with yourself and enjoy your climbing; it should be fun. After all, isn't that why we do it?

 

Written by Caroline Ciavaldini
Photos by Raphael Fourau & Tristan Hobson

 Keith Pike on El Matador, Wyoming, 1998

 

Revolutionising rock protection

At a transitional point in the history of climbing, Mark and Ray were among a small handful of pioneers and innovators that enabled the sport to evolve and become the popular, fun and safe sport it is today. As Mark built up Wild Country, he refined and improved the Friend. In particular, by working with Ray to perfect the original constant camming angle to 13.75 degrees and, later on, introducing the flexible stem. This specific angle has defined camming devices ever since, helping climbers to climb harder routes more safely and push the limits of what’s possible. Mark Vallance sadly passed away in April 2018 and will always be remembered for his vision and perseverance. To find out more, read his autobiography: "Wild Country – The man who made Friends".

 

 Keith Pike on El Matador, Wyoming, 1998

 

Revolutionising rock protection

At a transitional point in the history of climbing, Mark and Ray were among a small handful of pioneers and innovators that enabled the sport to evolve and become the popular, fun and safe sport it is today. As Mark built up Wild Country, he refined and improved the Friend. In particular, by working with Ray to perfect the original constant camming angle to 13.75 degrees and, later on, introducing the flexible stem. This specific angle has defined camming devices ever since, helping climbers to climb harder routes more safely and push the limits of what’s possible. Mark Vallance sadly passed away in April 2018 and will always be remembered for his vision and perseverance. To find out more, read his autobiography: "Wild Country – The man who made Friends".

 

 

Wild Country: How Wide got Wild

Mark, who had mild dyslexia, was reading about the new route "Wide Country" in the beautiful Eldorado Canyon State Park in Colorado, US. After re-reading he realised he'd misread the name and "Wild Country" was born. The original typeface is based on the style that the US National Park Service used for its signs and trail markers.

 

The sight of the rising sun

While he was over in the US, Mark set out early one morning to drive from Las Vegas to Snowbird, to meet up with friends and go skiing. Leaving his motel in St George before dawn, he watched the sun come up over the desert. He was so inspired that he immediately decided to use the image. The rising sun intersected by two thin bands of cloud has been the Wild Country logo ever since.

 

 

Wild Country: How Wide got Wild

Mark, who had mild dyslexia, was reading about the new route "Wide Country" in the beautiful Eldorado Canyon State Park in Colorado, US. After re-reading he realised he'd misread the name and "Wild Country" was born. The original typeface is based on the style that the US National Park Service used for its signs and trail markers.

 

The sight of the rising sun

While he was over in the US, Mark set out early one morning to drive from Las Vegas to Snowbird, to meet up with friends and go skiing. Leaving his motel in St George before dawn, he watched the sun come up over the desert. He was so inspired that he immediately decided to use the image. The rising sun intersected by two thin bands of cloud has been the Wild Country logo ever since.

 

Wild Country historical logo on a harness

 

Adventure goes on

Right from the outset, Wild Country had close links to leading climbers. Today, we work closely with a team of international athletes, such as Caroline Ciavaldini, James Pearson, trad crack specialists Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall, and Belgian climber and globetrotter Siebe Vanhee. Wild Country relocated to Bolzano, Italy – the city known as the gateway to the Dolomites – to another world-class climbing area with a long history of bold, clean, free climbing and classic routes.

 

We carry with us the spirit and experience of all those who have climbed with our products over the years, travelling the world in search of new lines. The story that began with making Friends goes on as we continue to innovate and create new, cutting-edge products.

 

Wild Country – Born in the UK and raised on adventures from around the world

 

Wild Country historical logo on a harness

 

Adventure goes on

Right from the outset, Wild Country had close links to leading climbers. Today, we work closely with a team of international athletes, such as Caroline Ciavaldini, James Pearson, trad crack specialists Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall, and Belgian climber and globetrotter Siebe Vanhee. Wild Country relocated to Bolzano, Italy – the city known as the gateway to the Dolomites – to another world-class climbing area with a long history of bold, clean, free climbing and classic routes.

 

We carry with us the spirit and experience of all those who have climbed with our products over the years, travelling the world in search of new lines. The story that began with making Friends goes on as we continue to innovate and create new, cutting-edge products.

 

Wild Country – Born in the UK and raised on adventures from around the world