[nik at work]

I agree Andy. I also think people tend to talk about technique like it's some mystical art that you attain by contemplating your navel for six years in a trance state. It isn't, it's just physics (working out what is going to be the most efficient method of movement) and proprioception (having the awareness to move your body in that way).

You can successfully work technique indoors in my opinion, but I accept that I may be in the minority with that view.

[El Mocho]

As saltbeef said above Malc says he had small boards in the past and got good at doing smaller moves off minging crimps but felt big moves were his weakness so decided to train that. You can do big moves and drop knee but as you are using good technique the moves will be bigger and you will fly past the top of your board and hit the ceiling (at least on my board)!

My weakness is crimping, so on my new board I plan to climb crimp/semi crimp a lot. Most of the holds I am stronger on open handed but plan to crimp them to built up that area of strength which will then lead to me climbing Mutation and not even finding it hard but hopefully still being able to drag stuff and also not have injured fingers. I am not going to try to crimp my way up the Ace as I know I have a better chance of doing it by dragging.

I find when I am climbing outside I really work on my technique (ie I try to get up the problems) but don't find it such a good way to train power, the board is the best place to focus more on the basic skills but not forgett about technique completely.

I would like to point out I know fuck all about training, and will never write a book about it.

[Jim]

Stick to dragging holds Ben, it looks better and you seem to burn us all off while our knuckles are white

[Bonjoy]

I think people are working with an old-fashioned view of technique here, e.g. slabby, smearing, aretes, thin walls etc.

Watching videos of the Woods, Robinson, Landman etc. generation I'm constantly struck by how differently (and well) they climb, using the whole body and a huge repetoire of techniques (compression, all kinds of hooks, bicycling etc.) to use very poor holds to cross very steep ground. For someone who's been climbing for a very long time its clear they climb in ways unimagineable even relatively recently. This sort of technique is patently trainable on boards.

This is totally true, but a lot of this is steep rock technique and not that applicable to most of the routes and bouldering we have locally available in this country. I doubt Switzerland has as many climbers honed for UK bouldering as we have climbers honed for Swiss bouldering. It's a bit crazy when you have to travel half way accross europe to apply the techniques you've aquired at the local wall. Obviously I know this a big generalisation.

[a dense loner]

i haven't climbed on the grit for prob 2 years, the limestone a lot longer. why? i work for the man, the man in this case being the bee, the job takes it out of you etc. so i go to the wall, where i don't have to rush to climb while its still light, i can drink coffee etc to get warm since i've been outside all day. the other important reason being i no longer get the jollies going to burbage north refining my footwork for the nth time. my priority has now shifted to training for going abroad to places i like to climb, this is now the thing in which i get my jollies

[dave]

It's a bit crazy when you have to travel half way accross europe to apply the techniques you've aquired at the local wall. Obviously I know this a big generalisation.

Its bad enough having to travel half way across the peak.