[Fiend]

Any general tips for training / improving corner climbing ability?? Obviously more for routes but pro-tips for Micro Corner / Green Death Direct are fine.

I tend to go to pieces on smoother bridging corners. Physically due to the calf / foot / leg strain, mentally due to the unnervingness of not having conventional holds. One of the many things I could do with improving.

A few ideas:

Groin stretching
Groin stretching with torso / hip twists
Calf-raises (obviously)
Dips for pushing strength
Some kinda of wide squat type things?

Anything else??

[dunnyg]

I've seen pliet  squats recommended for improving flexibility in that sort of orientaton (not sure if thats the spelling but that ballet thing), along with hip flexors (mine are generally too tight though). Must be quite a lot of technique really, but not sure how you train that other than fall off similar problems?

[mrjonathanr]

Cobbler stretch. Do it a lot, gently. Knew  a yoga instructor who could not do padmasana/lotus so he resolved to only sit in that position for a year. It worked. His tales of chatting to people at parties whilst sat on the kitchen floor were quite unusual.

[dunnyg]

When we hear tales of a strange angry man sat at the bottom of chosserly quarry in that position, we will know who it is

[SA Chris]

I've seen pliet  squats recommended for improving flexibility in that sort of orientaton (not sure if thats the spelling but that ballet thing)

plie - i had to look it up after someone said there was a plie move on a problem.

Agree a good choice though. I always get a cramp in my glute doing sustained wide bridging, warming up and stretching well seems to be critical

[Fiend]

When we hear tales of a strange angry man sat at the bottom of chosserly quarry in that position, we will know who it is

Very likely to happen as I do the cobbler stretch - well, working towards it - a lot, almost habitually if there's a flat wall to sit against. Cheers jr.

Plie squats look good too, would be a nice part of a general warm-up too.

[thekettle]

Anything that addresses hip mobility and ankle dorsiflexion could help:
I find a slant board Jefferson curl really effective for my ankle mobility, you can improv the board out of a chopping board and some books or buy an adjustable one for about £25. Start them without holding any weights! Even just standing on a slant board or forward folds for 2 mins a day can be really effective.
For hips the 90/90 stretch for external rotation and the half pigeon for internal rotation are great, and horse stance (with weight if needed) is great for the groin abductors, check out Emmet Louis' website for a good side splits progression - it will include these.

[Fultonius]

Where's Hazel Findlay when you need her 

I often struggle with calf pump, but getting over my hatred of running has helped a lot with that. It's by far not my forte!

It's such a subtle balance of different forces and body positions, that it really requires a lot of trial and error. I would have thought you'd be alright at it fiend?

[tomtom]

Go commando.

[SA Chris]

FWIW I don't remember Micro Corner being that leg bridgy, more a whole body bridge but might need to swing out to leg bridge a move or two if you can't get the good hold. Assuming you mean the Slipstones one?

[MischaHY]

I often struggle with calf pump, but getting over my hatred of running has helped a lot with that.

This. I've had some really surprising strength gains from running, especially in roof climbing weirdly (heels and toes stick where they never would have before) and bridging is obviously way more stable. My active range of motion (i.e. real flexibility) also improved quite dramatically as well which I never expected but was a very pleasant surprise.

[seankenny]

I often struggle with calf pump, but getting over my hatred of running has helped a lot with that.

This. I've had some really surprising strength gains from running, especially in roof climbing weirdly (heels and toes stick where they never would have before) and bridging is obviously way more stable. My active range of motion (i.e. real flexibility) also improved quite dramatically as well which I never expected but was a very pleasant surprise.

How much running are you guys doing to get these not-inconsiderable benefits?

[MischaHY]

I often struggle with calf pump, but getting over my hatred of running has helped a lot with that.

This. I've had some really surprising strength gains from running, especially in roof climbing weirdly (heels and toes stick where they never would have before) and bridging is obviously way more stable. My active range of motion (i.e. real flexibility) also improved quite dramatically as well which I never expected but was a very pleasant surprise.

How much running are you guys doing to get these not-inconsiderable benefits?

Depends on the week but nothing dramatic, 2-4 8-10km rounds with 100-300 height metres plus the occasional alpine rock mission. I do adapt very quickly to training stimulus though.

[andy popp]

It's such a subtle balance of different forces and body positions, that it really requires a lot of trial and error.

Improvisation and keeping moving! All the things close to pure bridging I've done have always seemed to involve a blur of movements it would be impossible to ever reduce to something resembling a sequence.

[SA Chris]

And if you did it half an hour later, you'd do something totally different.

[TobyD]

I'd second the suggestion of running as a benefit to sustained corner climbing,  but more on the scale of Yosemite or Utah smooth featureless corners where you need to avoid lactate build up in your legs. For British routes,  it's rare that you need anything like that so flexibility is probably more of a benefit, balance is pretty important. 

[Fiend]

Cheers. Good point Andy, I will meditate on that.

Running makes sense apart from the fact I almost certainly can't do enough for it to be beneficial. I'm happy keeping up with general leg-work though.

[tomtom]

I’m with Andy on this. All my corner trad memories involve a whole mix of moves. Edges on toes, outside of feet, back on one wall feet on other, laying away and any sort of combination that worked. Sometimes a footlock in a corner crack too.

I’d suspect that only if you’re sailing up a very clean dihedral corner you might end up using the same moves time after time.

I generally found slate slabs the worst for calf wearing out... general stretching (like trying to do the splits sideways) made some big gains in flexibility in a short time. But I’ve stopped now so probably back to my desk based range

[Fultonius]

I often struggle with calf pump, but getting over my hatred of running has helped a lot with that.

This. I've had some really surprising strength gains from running, especially in roof climbing weirdly (heels and toes stick where they never would have before) and bridging is obviously way more stable. My active range of motion (i.e. real flexibility) also improved quite dramatically as well which I never expected but was a very pleasant surprise.

How much running are you guys doing to get these not-inconsiderable benefits?

Not loads. Last year I did a bit more (sometimes twice a week!)_as I had signed up for the Ring of Steall, but a lot of what I  did was just slow jaunts int he hills, 3-400m height gain and 7-10km.  Obviously this is way OT considering Fiend's leg related issues!

[Fultonius]

I’m with Andy on this. All my corner trad memories involve a whole mix of moves. Edges on toes, outside of feet, back on one wall feet on other, laying away and any sort of combination that worked. Sometimes a footlock in a corner crack too.

I’d suspect that only if you’re sailing up a very clean dihedral corner you might end up using the same moves time after time.

I generally found slate slabs the worst for calf wearing out... general stretching (like trying to do the splits sideways) made some big gains in flexibility in a short time. But I’ve stopped now so probably back to my desk based range

Note: most of the bigger corners I've struggled onw ere longer pitches on granite, I'm still yet to climbing grit... (excluding a wee boulder in some northumberland grit a few years back)

[Dexter]

On a less leg related note, shoulder strength, mobility and flexibility seems pretty key on some corner climbing. I think it is one of those things you only really notice when it's poor but can make a real difference.

[Fiend]

On a less leg related note, shoulder strength

Got this!

, mobility

Errr what's this?

and flexibility

And this??
Nope. Alien concepts to my shoulders.... Point taken.

[TobyD]

I’d suspect that only if you’re sailing up a very clean dihedral corner you might end up using the same moves time after time.

I generally found slate slabs the worst for calf wearing out... general stretching (like trying to do the splits sideways) made some big gains in flexibility in a short time.

I did El Matador at devil's tower years ago, worst calf pain I can remember.

[SA Chris]

Worst calf pump I had was on Sacre Couer. At one point when i had two decent handholds i had to lean on my knees and shake out both feet.

[mrjonathanr]

Are you psyching up for The Quarryman Fiend?