[Blunk]

What level of finger strength must one have in order to succeed on 7c+/V10?

Comfortably one-hand dead hang on a 3/4 inch edge?

Yes I know it all depends on the problem, type of climbing, etc, but there has to be some benchmark power separating V10 climbers from the rest of us. What is it?

My hardest problems have been V9's. I can do pullups on 1/4 inch edges, but cannot one-arm hang anything smaller than 1-1/2 inches wide.

Your input please, especially the V10 crew.

[Doylo]

I would say if you have climbed a few V9s there must be a V10 somewhere out there with your name on it. You can't really judge a grade increase by how long you can dead hang etc.. cos theres loads of other factors involved. If its a non crimpy V10 your after though look no further than Lou Ferrino, in the cave of justice 

[SA Chris]

If you lived in Colorado, would you bother wit the cave of justice?

Must be a soft V10 up in the RMNP Blunk, somthing up your street? Or is it all buried already?

[Doylo]

ha ha , lucky bugger, didn't realise. What you can't climb V10 in colorado 

[unclesomebody]

Why don't you just climb a v10 slab. They don't require any one arm deadhangs. All you need to do is stand on your toes. This suggestion has come from the school of technique (to which I have an annual subscribtion).

[SA Chris]

the school of technique (to which I have an annual subscribtion).

Which reminds me, your school fees are due.

Signed

The Headmaster.

[M.U.L.E]

Please enlighten me uncle, what else do they "suggest" at the "school of technique"?

[unclesomebody]

From this months issue. I hope I don't busted for plagiarism;

[M.U.L.E]

Thank you very much, it seems my heels have been higher than my toes hence not exerting maximum force on the marginal footholds but thanks to you you technical wad i am now a slab monster.
I cant wait until next month's issue! What will you be writing about next month?

[SA Chris]

tut tut. Baggy trousers, schoolboy error. whole foot must be clearly visible at all times.

[unclesomebody]

tut tut. Baggy trousers, schoolboy error. whole foot must be clearly visible at all times.

Come back when you've climbed a v10 slab.   

[Nibile]

i used to think slabs are never more than 7a.

[SA Chris]

tut tut. Baggy trousers, schoolboy error. whole foot must be clearly visible at all times.

Come back when you've climbed a v10 slab.   

Those who can climb v10 climb it, those who can't climb teach it

Write that out 100 times.

[Ballsofcottonwool]

Which V10 slab is that photo of?

[Jim]

probably a v2 slab.
Uncle: how do you manage to climb all these hard slabs in V10's?

[Nibile]

are we talking about climbing V10 slabs or just slabs in V10s?

[Jim]

I recon either way its gonna be v10

[dave]

this has gotta be one of the daftest threads going.

to climb 7c+ you need to be stronger than is required to climb 7c, but not strong enough to climb 8a. If you're already not strong enough to climb 8a then you're half way there.

[Blunk]

Thanks for that remarkably enlightening discussion.

Surely someone has something useful to contribute?

[dave]

sorry if that sounded flipant but it was meant to. fingerstrength is just one factor for sucess, and the amount required will vary depending on the type of problem. there are 7as that require greater fingerstrength than some 8as. asking how strong your fingers have to be to climb a v10 is about as meaningful a question as asking how far you need to be able to hit a tennis ball to win wimbledon. Its a gross oversimplification of the situation to the extent of being almost completely irrelevent, and no answer anyone could give you (wether its the answer you want to hear or not) would have any real meaning or useful application.

If however you've got a specific V10 in mind, then someone whos done that particular problem may be able to shed some insight. possibly.

sorry if this isn't what you want to hear, but otherwise it'll all get a bit rocktalk, with threads like "how dangerous does a route have to be to get E9", or "if i can toprope F6b indoors can i lead E2?"

[John Gillott]

I can do pullups on 1/4 inch edges, but cannot one-arm hang anything smaller than 1-1/2 inches wide.

I read an article by Dave Macleod that that detailed some research he'd done on the relationship between finger strength and max Sport grade. The strength test was a contraption that measured the max load that could be held by one arm using a one inch edge (ie similar to one armed deadhanging taking off or adding some weight as required). He found a very strong correlation among fairly advanced climbers. So clearly, you're onto something... although I suppose there might be more scope for variation on short boulder problems of varying styles.

Am I reading you right that you can't do one on a one inch hold? If I am I must be either technically useless, or freakishly good at deadhanging but weak in some other unidentified area because I'm nowhere near V9 but can do a one armed deadhang for around 8 seconds on a one inch hold.

Is your shoulder failing on the one armer in some way - is that a weakness rather than the fingers?

[fatdoc]

during my rather enforced dead hang / fingerboard / very easy campus focused training that i am now doing (cant climb while ankle ligamants try to heal) i've re evaluated my weaknesses...

i have never dead hanged anything more than a jug on one arm, ever. I've never bouldered V9, in years gone by never redpointed more than 8a+, onsight 7c (once or twice).. at that time could'nt do a 1 arm lock off, cant now either. Can do 1-4-6 max at the mo, interestingly on small and big rungs! best ever would be 1-3-6 in comfort and 1-5-7 once or twice.

I have climbed most of my life, and in periods of non climbing been doing easy high reps weights for my shoulders and a ton or severe anaerobic and aerobic work. I'm a total beginner at pilates - but it does help my core so I persevere...

So, apart from getting the hours in on my beloved moon board - currently 4 reps most of the holds with 2 arm hangs on the crippers of 6 secs max - what do you powerful chappies recomend?? I can obviously move over rock efficently; but to make a break away off my plateau is there anything else i should consider?

 Looking back i've always been one of those climbers who's been weaker than my contemparies - but got the routes / problems done.... now i'm keen to get to and enter the v9 realm something has to change, but what exactly??
I wanna do short sport routes in the summer and hopefully the font7b+ / 7cs that have blighted my psyche both on peak grit and lime in the summer....

[Jim]

I would say if you have climbed a few V9s there must be a V10 somewhere out there with your name on it. You can't really judge a grade increase by how long you can dead hang etc.. cos theres loads of other factors involved. If its a non crimpy V10 your after though look no further than Lou Ferrino, in the cave of justice 

this is the most useful answer here. keep searching, its out there somewhere

[M.U.L.E]

Finger strength is so important and you need to decrease the size of the edge your using to improve if dead hanging. Motivation is a huge factor, the more motivated you are the more you want to improve and the easier it is to train. So keep doing what your doing and slowly increase the volume and difficulty and get in your own little world and train like a monster.

[Houdini]

We've got all the answers you need Blunk, but we're not telling till you start an OLD SKOOL photo's thread, full of pic's like the big one you posted before of you on the boulder problem that's on the cover of a US guidebook (you know the one).

You scored high marks for both Hair and Attire (Frau Houdini found your socks most arresting!).

I can't believe you haven't started an OLD SKOOL photo's thread yet Blunk...