[Matt002]

I have often hear experienced climbers say that you can boulder at about 7A simply by climbing as much as you can.
Was wondering how far UKB member got grade wise with this approach. 
For those that would say they do 'train' at what grade did you start and why?
Thanks
edit
training for this purpose being defined as anything more structured that climbing as much as you can

[Nibile]

Immediately.
When to stop training? Never.
 

[i.munro]

By that definition I never started. Climbing anywhere near as much as I'd like seems to result in overuse injuries.
 I've been stuck at 7A-ish for 20 30 odd years.

[Sasquatch]

7b+/7C and 7c after about 5 years of climbing, then stuck there for close to a decade years.  I did a short spell of training in 2004 and jumped to 7C+ and 8a+, then back down to 7B+/7C after stopping training.  I climbed hard though and focused on bouldering.  Loads of development, which meant we were constantly experimenting with technique and trying new things, and I came from a high level athletic background. 

Then about 4 years ago (Jan 2011) started training again, and have gone up about a v grade a year to maybe 8Bish this last fall.

[lagerstarfish]

did you do anything particularly hard this last fall?

[Nibile]

I think I started something that got out of my control...
It feels good.

[Sasquatch]

did you do anything particularly hard this last fall?

Not that I can think of...

[andy_e]

What about Mandala? You climbed that and that is pretty hard.

[rginns]

I have often hear experienced climbers say that you can boulder at about 7A simply by climbing as much as you can.
Was wondering how far UKB member got grade wise with this approach. 

I'd say that's not far off...
I've puntered for years, but not even really climbing as much as I could. Last year, I started climbing more, no real training and climbed to 7A, then after a couple of months of climbing at every available opportunity I managed to scrape up a 7A+.
But I suppose that's with 10 years of general puntering, so not a bad base.

I reckon I could climb 7B with a bit of focus and not really much training, but beyond that I think would require more structured sessions.

I do think though it really depends on what style of problem you choose, and where it is. If I chose a problem that suited my style and could get on it lots I may be able to push further. Not really science!

[Nibile]

I started training specifically for climbing two weeks after going climbing for the first time, so I'm not going to be of much help for the OP.
I still think about what I could have achieved, hadn't I lost that two precious weeks right at the start...

[Nibile]

did you do anything particularly hard this last fall?

Not that I can think of...

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!! AND HE MISSES THE PENALTY KICK!!!

[Sasquatch]

In my experience with Coaching, watching others, and myself, I'd say that most new climbers should climb as much as possible, and in as many varieties as possible for the first 2 years of climbing.  Boulder, sport, trad, steeps, slabs, slopers, crimps, etc...  After a few years, you generally get a pretty good feeling for what you like and don't like, which naturally lends itself to focusing on more specific goals. 

Years 3-4 should be some structured training, but still mostly focused climbing on your specific aims.  If you're really into sport, do loads of sport of all types and varieties.  Structure your climbing to make sure you're targeting the right intensities and such.  IF you have specific physical weaknesses, then you can start to work on those, but don't get too caught up on them.  By year 5, it seems like most people have reached the popint where they're either really inclined to improve, or mostly content with where they're at.  If you've the inclination then work on it. 

Years 3-4 are probably the most tricky.  It's fairly easy in the early stages (years 1 and 2) to just go climb a bunch.  You're psyched and keen to just climb.  In years 3-4 though, it seems like most people will plateau unless they start to structure their climbing days better.  Start off with experimenting with your warm-up.  I know guys who've been climbing and training for 15-20 years who still don't understand the need for a proper warm-up.  Once they actually test it out a few times, they start to get it.  There are quite a few tactics and strategies to pick up during this period.  Learn about skin care, condition management, weather planning, etc.  all of these are small things the top guys are incredibly good at, but so many people just don't realize make a big difference.  Part of it is that they don't matter at 3-4 grades below your limit, so until you're actually operating close to your limit you don't have to care as much.

[moose]

I used to boulder F7b+/7c; no training - just a spell of going out on the grit whenever I could - generally 3-4 times a week.  Perhaps being unemployed is the best coach you can have!  That was years ago though.  I now have a job and took up sport climbing (albeit with a lot of indoor bouldering over the winter).  Still not training (unless unstructured flinging myself around on the steep board at the Depot counts) - just climbing whatever I fancy on holidays and weekends up to f8a/+ (mainly after shortish RP campaigns - so could feasibly climb a grade or so harder if I found a project worth serious long-term devotion). 

[tim palmer]

I think if you have a good quality modern bouldering wall which you can go to regularly (3 or more times a week) and have good quality sessions, no other climbing specific training is necessary to climb at any grade. 
A bit of cross training for weight control might help but not too much as it will be to the detriment of your climbing. 

[Sasquatch]

My local wall, (i'd consider it a good quality modern bouldering wall) only sets up to v9/10 max.  So how exactly do you propose I get to v14 from with 3 good quality sessions? 

[tomtom]

Eliminates

[Fultonius]

I guess is depends on what your mean by "training". I have twice started keeping a log on Powerclub and failed within about 3 weeks. I do "think " about what I need to do to get better. I have dabbled with fingerboards, campus etc. But really, I just fuck about and climb. My best ever period of  bouldering was when I was getting down to Dumby a few times a week and indoors when the weather was crap. 7B was my limit.

From starting climbing it took me about 5 years an absolutely no "training" to get to 6C+ and another 2 years to get to 7B (remember that I have always been more of a trad & winter climber who did a bit of sport and bouldering). Had a great trip to Font that year with 2 x 7A+ and 3 x & 7As.

I still have never really got round to training.   

I also climbed a Fr8a sport route with no training, but then, that's no Mandala. 

[jwi]

My local wall, (i'd consider it a good quality modern bouldering wall) only sets up to v9/10 max.  So how exactly do you propose I get to v14 from with 3 good quality sessions?

Downclimb all problems in the gym barefoot wearing a head band and bell bottomed jeans? That should work.

[Sasquatch]

So that was about my own experience, and what I've seen with loads of people. 

Just going climbing, whether down the wall or outside, will get most people to about 7B+/7C with some goal setting, working problems, learning technique, etc. if you start young enough and with a decent active background. 

Eliminates

Did that work for you? 

I guess is depends on what your mean by "training". I have twice started keeping a log on Powerclub and failed within about 3 weeks. I do "think " about what I need to do to get better. I have dabbled with fingerboards, campus etc. But really, I just fuck about and climb.

So this is what I was meaning in that 3-4 year range.  You actively think about improving, with some degree of follow through. 

[Sasquatch]

My local wall, (i'd consider it a good quality modern bouldering wall) only sets up to v9/10 max.  So how exactly do you propose I get to v14 from with 3 good quality sessions?

Downclimb all problems in the gym barefoot wearing a head band and bell bottomed jeans? That should work.

Damn it all.  If only I had known......  That sounds way more fun than all this FBing and other training crap.  I'll give that a go for a few weeks and let you know how it goes.  How long do you reckon it'll take to hit v14?  3, 4, or 5 weeks?

[tim palmer]

My local wall, (i'd consider it a good quality modern bouldering wall) only sets up to v9/10 max.  So how exactly do you propose I get to v14 from with 3 good quality sessions?

I would say it probably wasn't a very good wall to be honest (for hard climbing), if there is no board to set your own problems on and there is no enthusiasm for harder problems then I think progressing will be very hard.

[tomtom]

So that was about my own experience, and what I've seen with loads of people. 

Just going climbing, whether down the wall or outside, will get most people to about 7B+/7C with some goal setting, working problems, learning technique, etc. if you start young enough and with a decent active background. 

Eliminates

Did that work for you? 

I've never been good enough to fully test a walls capabilities :p

Is that like being able to drink a pub dry? :D

The only times I have really trained with purpose (as opposed to going on the beastmaker / wall to keep myself in some sort of nick when I can't get out) was when I was trying to do a one armer (and gave up!) and some core training when trying the Keel (side planks seemed to really help)...

So my training is mainly climbing.. though I structure my outdoor climbing to work different things. EG if I go out three times a week, I'll often go to one place that is crimpy twice, and another overhanging and larger holds the other time... so whilst not as structured as training ~ there is some thought about the content of my sessions...

[TheTwig]

I have often hear experienced climbers say that you can boulder at about 7A simply by climbing as much as you can.
Was wondering how far UKB member got grade wise with this approach. 
For those that would say they do 'train' at what grade did you start and why?
Thanks
edit
training for this purpose being defined as anything more structured that climbing as much as you can

To be honest the two main things for me are:

Access to quality climbing wall / ability to get out on actual rock on a regular basis. I live down by the southern sandstone which has a shit climbing season, I'll get maybe 10-15 sessions there a year and always with big gaps so I never really really get used to the style, and I live 50 mins from a good wall.

how prone you are to injury My elbows seem to be fucked from too much computer use when I was younger, and I'm trying to shake off a bad case of tennis elbow in both arms. Fingerboarding etc seems to the only way I can improve my finger strength without destroying my arms. 'just going climbing' at the intensity I feel comfortable at just leaves my body wrecked :\ (hopefully this will change!)

I've only just started really training, and even then it's only fingerboarding (starting some campusing, some weights work etc this season). Got to climbing v5-8 (apparantly  ) at the bouldering wall within 3 years of starting climbing. I was weak as a kitten at first and was falling off v0's at the local 'hard' wall so there you go.

[Fultonius]

I guess is depends on what your mean by "training". I have twice started keeping a log on Powerclub and failed within about 3 weeks. I do "think " about what I need to do to get better. I have dabbled with fingerboards, campus etc. But really, I just fuck about and climb.

So this is what I was meaning in that 3-4 year range.  You actively think about improving, with some degree of follow through.

Yeah, that would apply. I just realised that I'd skipped over your first post when I skimmed the thread.

I guess when I was on top sport climbing form I was structuring my wall session much more - a mate and I would do up-down-ups (I always preferred the continuousness of that over lowering and retying; we were lucky that our wall had just the right difficulty of routes to be able to do that.)

S'pose that was training but we didn't really think of it as such, it was just making a 12m wall a bit longer ha. 

[Matt002]

very interesting, thanks all.
I reached a 2 year plateau after 3 years of climbing.
I started training (based on the rock prodigy stuff) and have been progressing again for the last 2 years.
I think the main differences, as mentioned above is that training has been a focus which I didn't have when I just climbed.
Also, I climb/train far less but at a higher intensity now.
My hardest boulders are now 7A but I think I could have achieved the same by applying the principles above but to my climbing rather than by fingerboarding, weights and campus training. 
I think I will try this approach for a while an see if I can maintain progress in this way.