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Neely Quinn interviews pro rock climbers, climbing trainers, and other insightful members of the climbing community about how we can get a little better at rock climbing. Subjects include how to train for certain aspects of the sport, how to rehab injuries, the best diet for climbing, and personal stories about climbing.

Dec 8, 2022

In this episode, I talk with Coach Alex Stiger about the tactics she used to send Silky Smooth, 5.13c (8a+) in the Red River Gorge last week without training endurance beforehand. She went into the trip feeling like she had low endurance, in fact, but she used specific tactics to send the route in 7 sessions.

There are a lot of little tips and tricks in this episode, and so many observations that Alex has made over the years about endurance climbing, including:

  • Maintaining Composure
  • Breathing
  • Pump Management
  • Nailing Sequences instead of Winging It
  • Eliminating Fear
  • Managing Discomforts
  • Increasing Confidence
  • Having Patience with the Process
  • Dealing with Cold Weather Climbing
  • Eating for Cold Weather Pumpy Climbing

We actually spent quite a bit of time talking about making climbing in the cold more tolerable, so if you’re a cold-a-phobe like I used to be, this is a good one to listen to!

I learned some things from this episode, and Alex is really good at calling out issues and then making very relatable, useful suggestions that you can put into practice right away.