Stu Littlefair said:
I believe that your dislike of training has held you back almost as much as a blindspot for technique has held back others. Maybe that's fine by you, but might you exceed your own aspirations with some deadhangs and a few laps on Powerband?
That is exactly the point I made regarding to Mr. Long’s naivety- although Stu is a bit more diplomatic.
It seams Adam that even you will accept an imbalance in abilities is not the way forward. Whilst you/ amongst others are happy to believe that people who are strong and have poor technique are the village idiots, surely the same goes for those who have a great technique but are as weak as kittens?
I have climbed with most of the world class climbers currently on the circuit, and not one has a poor technique. It may be right to say, with some of them at least, their power is maybe better than their technical ability, but the foundation of technique is pretty damn solid. Dai Koyamada for example, has solely campussed and deadhung for the last 5 years, but watch him climb and he uses his feet obscenely well, almost like hands; hooking and grabbing everything he can. But if you ask him his way to progression, he would always say power.
Myself, as another example, although I'd be the first to admit my level of power does exceed my technical ability by approximately two grades (i.e, my hardest stuff will be power orientated), that still leaves my able to climb routes/boulders of a technical nature up to French 8c/ font 8b. Can you honestly argue that this level of technique is not sufficient? Even though I have spent the last three years campusisng? You must remember Adam, that whilst I am a power orientated climber, things such as Careless Torque are so far beneath my top level, that even though they do not suit me, I'm afraid to say they are still pretty easy.
Obviously there are some that have no technique and vice versa, but it is important to understand that these guys will never be world class, just like the ones who have great technique but no power.
Regarding the school, every world class climber from Britain, bar one, has regularly used the school room. Can you honestly say that there are better ways to get to a world class level, in any way of climbing? Thus making all the climbers that used the school lucky, It is important to understand that anyone in Britain who tried other methods, have not succeeded in becoming one of the best. Now I’m not particularly good at Maths, but even I can say this is a sound assumption.
As much as you like to believe Leo and Ben learnt to climb purely on the rocks, have never stepped a foot indoors, do not even know, nor need to know what training is and are by far the best climbers Britain has ever produced. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Both of them spent there youth hood climbing comps, training indoors building up a solid foundation of climbing and physical ability, Ben still does now, and is also regularly seen climbing at Raven Tor- another of your ‘chosen’ places. Most importantly, I believe neither are world class climbers in any style (feel free to correct me). So how can you justify your beliefs, when, quite simply, things just don’t quite add up.
Ps, sorry for typo's/ errors, i am in a great rush.