Boulderer transitioning to Lead, need some tips
Hey everyone,
I’ve been bouldering for over 9 years (outdoor max 7c+, soon 8a). Recently, I’ve shifted my focus to lead climbing for over a year, going twice a week in the gym and bi-weekly outdoors.
Despite my bouldering strength, I am hard-struggling with 6c/7a lead routes. After a year of rope climbing, I feel like I'm hitting a wall.
The Issues:
Over-gripping & Positioning: I can’t seem to find comfortable "flow." I’m over-gripping everything and when I have the slightest bump my efficiency is even more gone.
Endurance vs. Recovery: My endurance is low, but the bigger issue is recovery. Even when I find a "rest," my pump doesn't fade. After 10 seconds of climbing again, I’m redlining.
Mental Overwhelm: On routes harder than 6b, I feel a bit overwhelmed (and also fearful) by the sequence and hold choices, leading to over gripping and searching a lot. I also have some fear of falling, but it's getting better, but I am also a bit afraid of even trying 7a and above
Current Training:
I recently scaled back to once a week and doing a little break, (and doing some ARC training (20-30 mins of continuous climbing on easy 6a terrain) to do do at least a little bit). I plan to start training again in 2-3 months with the goal of finally breaking into the 8th grade on lead/bouldering this winter.
What am I missing? How do I translate 7c+ power into rope endurance? Should I focus on specific drills for "active recovery" or is this a purely mental/technical pacing issue?
Thanks for any tips!