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I asked Emil Abrahamson about that and I was lucky to get an answer, but in the end I didn't get what he really meant by that. I'm going back to my country in a month and I'm already 16 so I really want to improve as quickly as possible, and I think having a coach in person would really help.

But since I got this reply that having one online is better I've been considering it more, and in my city there are some comp kids and they usually train together with some of the gym coaches, and I'll probably have access to that class with the different training plans in my gym. And the only problem I find with having a coach online is that it is expensive, right now I'm working with a really nice coach but I think that to take my climbing to the next level it would be nice to start being coached by paradigm climbing, it's something I've been considering for a while, maybe I could start working with them next year or even 2028 because it is just too expensive.

But anyways I imagine that having a coach in person would be almost equally as expensive.

What are your opinions about that?

https://imgur.com/a/GsoxPOP

Reddit

Hi all

Throwaway here because I’ll probably be identified - see video above.

Any suggestions on how to get better at catching small crimps that you need to throw for / move somewhat dynamically to? (see video for example)

My Stats:

5’8”, 165lbs, +0 ape. Indoor climbing anywhere between v4-v6 depending on the gym, typically flash v4 and project v5-v6 at standard gyms but at softer gyms typically flash v5, day-send v6, and project v7. Have only sent a single v7 but have been one move away from sending on a bunch. Highest outdoor grade sent is v4 but I’ve only climbed outside 4 times now.

My thoughts on the issue:

I think I kind of really fucked up. I used to weigh ~215 for most of my climbing career and as a result was terrible at crimps, being unable to even get practice on them because I wouldn’t even be able to hold onto anything crimpy even with amazing feet. I also kind of avoided them as a result. Then I lost a bunch of weight last year and it felt like my technique was ahead of my crimp strength - so I started closed hand full crimping everything I could to make up for it. As a result my closed full crimp strength skyrocketed - and now I can hang ~10 seconds on a 15mm edge with +35 lbs with a full crimp, can do weighted pullups on 15mm edge full crimp, etc. For comparison, I maybe can hold ~8 seconds with +0lbs on a 20mm edge half crimp. Currently my pull-up 1RM is ~165% BW.

Since you can’t really throw to a crimp and catch it in a full closed crimp position, I think my weaker half crimp significantly limits me on these types of moves. Most of the v7s as well as outdoor climbs that I’ve been shut down on have been due to a similar move - throwing to a crimp. Blocked crimps also give me trouble because I can’t do a closes full crimp on them. Maybe my analysis of the situation is all wrong - who knows, but that’s why I’m here asking for help.

PS - Please don’t lecture me on injury risk from full crimping, I am trying to get away from it as I think it is limiting me and likely the source of my problem. I know its a risk but also I spent 80% of my climbing career weighing 50lbs more than I do now, have been full crimping everything possible for a year+, and have never even tweaked a pulley (knock on wood) - as a result my fingers are probably more resilient than most.

Hey all - I’m planning to build a 12 ft tall × 8 ft wide Tension Board 2 on the top floor of my A-frame house and wanted some advice on both the structure and the spacing.

The roof pitch is 45°, and ideally I’d like to attach the board directly to the existing rafters rather than build a freestanding frame. The rafters appear pretty substantial - roughly 9 in × 3.5 in - and seem structural, but I’m not sure whether mounting directly to them is a bad idea with the dynamic loads from board climbing.

The other thing I’m trying to sanity check is whether the space will feel too cramped.

I’ll be using 6 in pads, so the wall has to start 6 in off the floor/wall intersection. That reduces the usable space from about:

• 10 ft 3 in vertical/horizontal clearance to
• 9 ft 9 in clearance

Because the ceiling slope is 45°, that leaves me with about 13 ft 8 in of sloped ceiling length, which seems like enough room for a 12 ft board.

If I also add a 6 in kicker, I’d need to move the wall another 6 in inward, leaving roughly:

• 9 ft 3 in vertical clearance
• 9 ft 3 in horizontal clearance
• about 13 ft 1 in of sloped ceiling length

Does that still sound workable for a 12×8 TB2 setup, or am I cutting it too close? I don't want to hit my head on the other side of the A frame on a dynamic move.

Also curious if anyone here has mounted directly to rafters in an A-frame and regretted it (or had success with it).

Edit: Room Width is incorrect in image, it is 12 feet wide, not 10ft 3in.

Edit 2: I will remove the backwall on the right to have full width of the A Frame room

Bill Ramsey just climbed his 2nd 5.14 at 65 and I was reminded of the deep conversation had with him recently

In his mid-60s years he is still going after 5.14s. He's not just good for his age, he's legitimately good and climbs harder than most.

His experience and love for this sport resonates through his body and it's clear as day. In his own words he says that "You're not going to be the best climber in your sixties, but there are still other ways to push yourself"

No amount of training advice hits harder than just having a solid mindset. I think a lot of athletes struggle with that shift in age. In your 20's or 30's it's all about progression, getting stronger, climbing harder grades, setting bigger goals. Then all of a sudden, you start to realize that staying in the game matters more. Being able to still do what you love past a certain age ends up your priority.

Bill still trains long hours while teaching Philosophy at the University of Nevada and still takes meticulous notes on his training and expresses his childlike glee discovering new ways to move.

“These climbs have so many secrets… trying to unlock all those little Easter egg things on the climb is so enjoyable.”

And that's just a beautiful way to look at it. While he was joking about age as he talked about hip replacements, slower recoveries, aching joints and tendons he muttered "I'm NOT gonna take up shuffleboard"

It's clear that Bill loves this sport and theres something really powerful about seeing someone age without becoming cynical or disconnected from effort.

He doesn't chase youth, he refuses to stop participating, and continues to care deeply about this sport for decades.

Would love to hear from all of you here what changed mentally for you as you got older in climbing?

INJURY: January 2026, chronic overload reasons, I m not a climber but for other previous injuries reasons I used to train a lot straight finger/lumbricals exercises position, so in a session I started to feel that pain on the base of the index in the ulnar side, then the other symptoms, probably aside from pure overload the cause was lot of rotation/torque load.

AREA OF PAIN:

Both hands, index ulnar side, PIP and MCP collateral area

SYMPTOMS (Initial): pain and soreness, weird sensations and fingertip numbness if loaded, I read same experience about this numbness in some old posts, fortunately now it s solved. No laxity with sidebend forces or catching feelings. No swelling visible generally but pip collateral ligament of left hand index seems bigger than the right one. Left mcp moves a bit "rusty", bones grinding....in my opinion it has become too mobile in ulnar side rotations and tight in parallel flexion.

REHAB DONE: grip strenghtening with grip rings tools

gradually increase the volume, then the intensity. Generally every other day, sometimes rest 2 days.

For the 2-3 months of rehab pain has gradually reduced, experienced minor soreness (pip side area) after exercises or the day after, especially when intensity increased, that use to subside in 24-48 h. Numbness gone, other symptoms gone.

In April it seems like the fingers were healed (at least for daily life loads or low weight, still some time for full heal)

But the straight fingers load is still painful. It gives a dull ache on mcp side while doing it...and it s the 2nd time it cause a sort of relapse: pain, ache, big discomfort on mcp side, plus a bit of pain on pip, that require me to scale back with rehab.

I understand that it s the rotation of the index finger that cause this torque force that probably I should avoid.

(The problem is that I need this exercise for strenghten/activate the thumb base muscles, because I ve a thumb pip joints irritation problem, often caused by smartphone usage, that goes away if base of the thumb muscles are strong and active.)

So now I am writing this post asking if I am missing something.

Is it a collateral ligament injury or maybe synovitis capsulitis or inflamation of some collateral structures?

The pain/relapse by torque forces is normal? Is it too early...or should I avoid these positions?

Maybe I could strenghten the straight fingers load movement but with full control on finger rotations, mantaining index parallel and avoid torque at all cost?

Aside from flexion, Should I strengthen the finger adduction and abduction with rubber band too? Because I ve read opposite opinions about that, and, in this case, should I strenghten ulnar deviation or radial deviation, or both?

Finally about strenghten or activate thumb base muscles, which exercises can I do that dont aggravate index?