A serial climb hopper is someone who has numerous projects on the go, they often get to 1 sticky point on a climb and they get frustrated, after a few more attempts they move onto another climbing, rinse and repeat.
Stop hopping
This is a very tiring way to climb. it's very time consuming and often very little progress is made on any single climb. it feels like a plateau and it is. But the issue is not with strength, technique or physical ability. It is often with people’s approach to climbing, how adaptable you are as a climber and the level of mental fortitude or growth mindset that you present during challenges.
Remember, if you are trying something hard, it is a chance to improve and learn. Giving up will not progress you, and topping out will be even more satisfying. Until you display it, your potential is hidden. Don't try too often at the redline and get injured however!
The 6 attempt rule
A great way to add a solution to this problem is to set a goal for the session on a couple of projects. we use the 6 attempt rule, it’s a great way to gauge your fatigue and begin to recognise and measure progress.
Here’s how it works:
Pick a project and your six attempts starts, you do not need to start from the start every time, just start from the move you are stuck on. Plan out your beta and stick to it.
If you fail on attempt #1, that’s fine, work out something different to try, have a good rest (3-5minutes) then have another go.
On attempt #2, change what you think you need to and take note of what worked well for you. If you were further away then rest, adjust beta (move hands or feet in a different sequence? Move hips differently? More or less tension? Breath?)
If you got closer to the hold, even if it was 1mm then your 6 attempts restarts and this might carry on to infinity.
If you get further away for 6 attempts then move onto another move on the climb or another climb entirely.
This system also has the added benefit of reducing the risk of injuries as it reduces the level of fatigue on 1 specific move and spreads out effort over a session. If your performance on a move starts to drop off drastically on multiple attempts, you are likely tired or too frustrated to perform at your best any more.
