[TheTwig]

When I see the top athletes writing about their early days and how they just went to a climbing gym one day, climbed all week every week without getting injured and made it to 8b or whatever it just seems impossible to most of us, no matter how much you tinker under the hood of the training/lifestyle

I always think it more likely that they are simplifying their experience. IMO there's no way you can go through progressive stages of improvement without stumbling across various forms of injury at some point - most folk I know have injured themselves in various ways as they've progressed and then learnt to manage their training and listen to their body so that these injuries do not keep reoccurring.

Granted, those that make it to the higher echelons have doubtless been lucky and have a natural dispensation for swift recovery.

eh?! you kinda just agreed with me. It seems on the whole to be really really good you have to be young. I don't think anyone could seriously argue against 10 years climbing spent age 10-20 or 15-25 vs 25-35 in terms of the gains you would get out of it. I think Malc has a famous quote about building a foundation of finger strength young?

[Sasquatch]

eh?! you kinda just agreed with me. It seems on the whole to be really really good you have to be young. I don't think anyone could seriously argue against 10 years climbing spent age 10-20 or 15-25 vs 25-35 in terms of the gains you would get out of it. I think Malc has a famous quote about building a foundation of finger strength young?

First define "really good".  If 8B is what you're talking about, then I haven't yet seen very many "genetic" issues stopping most people.  Poor training, poor overall health management, lack of sufficient dedication, etc. tend to be the culprits I see in most people starting in their 20's. 

I would strongly argue that the difference is in how fast you get the gains.  The strength curve is steeper at a young age, but the technique/body awareness tends to lag.  Starting in your late 30's/early 40's and trying to get "strong" would be a big ask though. 

Someone earlier in the article pointed out that many late comers to climbing who end up excelling have other sporting backgrounds.  I would guess that there are two parts to this.  1 is that they may have some positive genetic traits which help them at sports-reflexs, coordination, etc.  2 is that they have learned to try hard, and to "train"-at least they understand that not everyday is a "performance day",  you build up to performance. 

[TheTwig]

eh?! you kinda just agreed with me. It seems on the whole to be really really good you have to be young. I don't think anyone could seriously argue against 10 years climbing spent age 10-20 or 15-25 vs 25-35 in terms of the gains you would get out of it. I think Malc has a famous quote about building a foundation of finger strength young?

First define "really good".  If 8B is what you're talking about, then I haven't yet seen very many "genetic" issues stopping most people.  Poor training, poor overall health management, lack of sufficient dedication, etc. tend to be the culprits I see in most people starting in their 20's. 

I would strongly argue that the difference is in how fast you get the gains.  The strength curve is steeper at a young age, but the technique/body awareness tends to lag.  Starting in your late 30's/early 40's and trying to get "strong" would be a big ask though. 

Someone earlier in the article pointed out that many late comers to climbing who end up excelling have other sporting backgrounds.  I would guess that there are two parts to this.  1 is that they may have some positive genetic traits which help them at sports-reflexs, coordination, etc.  2 is that they have learned to try hard, and to "train"-at least they understand that not everyday is a "performance day",  you build up to performance.

Well I guess the problem is pinning down exactly what is due to genetics and what is due to upbringing/lifestyle etc, but there are some things that are irrefutable surely? E.g. ratios of different muscle fibres to an extent, variations of tendon length/insertion point, things like that.

I agree with you about the learning to try hard bit though. Plenty of anecdotes from other sports too of top-performers switching sport and getting to an elite level ridiculously quickly.

[Pako]

When I see the top athletes writing about their early days and how they just went to a climbing gym one day, climbed all week every week without getting injured and made it to 8b or whatever it just seems impossible to most of us, no matter how much you tinker under the hood of the training/lifestyle

I always think it more likely that they are simplifying their experience. IMO there's no way you can go through progressive stages of improvement without stumbling across various forms of injury at some point - most folk I know have injured themselves in various ways as they've progressed and then learnt to manage their training and listen to their body so that these injuries do not keep reoccurring.

Granted, those that make it to the higher echelons have doubtless been lucky and have a natural dispensation for swift recovery.

eh?! you kinda just agreed with me. It seems on the whole to be really really good you have to be young. I don't think anyone could seriously argue against 10 years climbing spent age 10-20 or 15-25 vs 25-35 in terms of the gains you would get out of it. I think Malc has a famous quote about building a foundation of finger strength young?

Didn't Malc start climbing when he was 15? Fairly late by modern standards.

[TheTwig]

Maybe we should have a UKB 'what age did you start climbing' and 'whats your best sport/trad/boulder grade' mini-survey? someone who knows how to do it, do it!