The Short Beta series on CBJ helps youth coaches support the core clientele of a competitive youth program: the climbers on the team and their parents. Originally published on The Short Beta website, the essays in this series cover myriad topics that are relevant to youth climbers and their families, from the non-physical side of climbing to redpoint/onsite comp formats and isolation. We encourage you to read, print and share these resources with your team; all we ask is that you give proper credit when doing so.
Intro by Naomi Stevens
For athletes who have qualified for Regionals, going from redpoint-style bouldering competitions to the onsight format—also known as Isolation—can be a big transition. It also comes with the added pressure of being watched more closely and trying to qualify for Divisionals or Nationals. Coaches and parents can play a vital role at this juncture, supporting youth athletes through their questions, concerns, pre-competition jitters, and by helping them build a plan of action.
This year’s bouldering Regionals is coming up for a lot of athletes, which means it’s crunch time for perfecting onsight competition techniques. Jason Chang has compiled a list of tips to help young climbers get through the next onsight competition, beginning with the days before the event and ending with the weeks afterward. Specifically, this article covers recommendations for waiting in Iso, mental game techniques, boulder attempts, time management, and more. Like other articles in this series, it was originally written for youth athletes, but as a coach you can make sure these tips get into the hands of the climbers on your team and their parents. With these tips by their side, we hope your squad crushes your next onsight bouldering competition!
Tips for Bouldering Onsights
Authored by Jason Chang
[Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article was first published on The Short Beta website in 2019.]
If you’re planning on climbing at Regionals, some of you may be thinking, “At last, no more chaotic modified redpoints!” And some of you might be dreading the competition because of all the pressure and (perceived) eyeballs that will be watching you. Fear not! We’ve compiled a bunch of lessons learned over the years for you to consider, as you get ready to do your best at your next onsight bouldering competition, whether it’s Regionals or a different event.
A Few Days Before the Comp
Get good rest. Dial back on the video games, wind down early, and get sufficient sleep.
Eat well. Lay off the junk, sugary and fatty foods.
Be happy, positive, confident. Visualize yourself doing well at the event.
Check your gear.
Is your shoe rubber in good shape, or is it time to get some new ones to give you every possible…edge (pun intended)?
Make sure your chalk bag is topped off.
Wash your team shirt and your send-pants/send-shorts.
Check your Iso call time so you know how long you’ll be in there.
Pack your Iso survival kit, so you come out ready to crush. (We’ll talk more about Iso strategies, specifically, in a separate article.)
Don’t go swimming or hot tubbing—you’ll ruin your skin.
Comp Day
Eat a good breakfast.
Try to poop. It can help you feel better in your body and feel less anxious.
Check in at least 15 minutes before Iso closes. Do not arrive after isolation closes; if you do, you will not be let in, and you will forfeit your spot. You can cry, scream and yell, but they won’t let you in. Plan ahead, arrive at the venue early, and don’t risk being late.
Be prepared for a long time in Iso, which can vary by region and event. In Southern California, Iso times of 4+ hours are possible at Regionals. Know the rules and what to expect ahead of time.
Don’t be surprised if your toilet facilities are limited to port-a-potties. Sometimes isolation areas aren’t near the restrooms.
Once you’re inside, you cannot have outside contact with family or friends.
Do not bring communication or wifi-enabled devices.
Mental Game
Expect your anti-style. If you hate slab—and my guess is a lot of you do—try to get amped for some slab, so you’ll be mentally ready.
Every attempt is a new attempt. Clear your head after each attempt. Don’t get tilted. Even if you’re having a hard time making progress to the top of a climb, stay calm. For all you know, you might have the high point because all the other athletes struggled even more. You just don’t know, so don’t let it get to you.
Close your eyes for a second and picture yourself doing the crux move.
Take two deep breaths before you start each attempt to clear your head and get that oxygen flowing.
Don’t take too many attempts. Watch the clock and plan your last attempt with around 1:00 to 0:45 left on the clock.
Before Attempts
If they do previews, where everyone comes out to look at the climbs and talk beta together, be aware that climbers 1 and 2 need to bring their gear with them because they will go straight to the seats at Climb 1, not back to Iso.
Follow your normal routine. If you read beta, brush, chalk, then climb in practice and when projecting, do the same thing in the comp. It’s just another day on the wall…with a clock.
Read the climb. So many athletes skip the beta read, which drives coaches nuts. Take the 30 seconds and do the read and maybe cut down on attempts. Every one of them matters.
Wipe your shoes on a towel, on your pants, on your chalk bag, on a judge…okay, maybe not the judge.
Don’t touch any holds except those that are marked for the start. It’s okay to touch the wall as long as it’s not beyond the black tape.
Ask the judge questions if you’re not sure about something. (“Is that volume on?”, “Is that arête on?”, etc.)
Chalk up. Not chalking up also drives coaches nuts.
On the Wall
Every attempt matters, so every attempt has to be 100%.
You can learn from failed 100%-effort attempts. You might not learn if you’re confusedly doing a half-hearted move.
Red tape on a problem: You can flag past and touch the wall, but you can’t use any holds beyond.
Black tape on a problem: Do not cross with any part of your body.
If you have a hold spin on you, tell the judge. This is called a “technical” and the clock stops for you, while the hold gets tightened down. Read the remaining time out loud, so you and the judge know how much you have left for a future attempt.
Start holds require four limbs to be established on them. Look for the four pieces of tape designating which holds need to have a limb assigned. A toe tap is sufficient for the fourth limb, and away you go.
Control of a zone requires you to make some kind of practical use of that zone hold. Did you use it to stop your momentum? Did you use it to gain new movement? Are you weighting it so that if it were to magically disappear, you’d fall? Then you have control. This is a bit of a judgment call by the judge, so make sure you clearly use the zone.
Don’t rush your tops. Show control. If you can, look the judge in the eye and get their confirmation that you have the top. Climbers have matched the wrong hold before and jumped off before getting confirmation of a top.
Celebrate the small victories. If you want to fist pump or give the wall a nice little slap after a top, go for it. Just celebrate after you get confirmation of the match—not before.
Time Management
If you’re giving 100% effort on every attempt, you’ll need more rest between attempts, but you’re also likely to top the climb in fewer attempts and create a longer rest period for yourself.
When the clock gets down to 20 seconds or less, really think about whether another attempt is worth the effort, or if it’s better to save it for the next climb.
Post Comp
Talk through each climb with your coaches, parents or teammates. Learn from the climbs you didn’t finish or didn’t feel clean on. Identify weaknesses to work on.
Encourage others—it doesn’t matter if they’re on your team or not. Give them a fist bump and some encouraging words. That comradery is one of the things that makes our community great.
Celebrate what you did well with your family and friends. Celebrate others.
Didn’t do as well as you hoped? That’s okay. It’s a process. Keep putting in the work, set goals, and chase after them. Success will come.
