Climbing Gymnastics: The German Climbing Team

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Messages 1 - 17 of total 17 in this topic

jgill

Boulder climber

Colorado

Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 20, 2014 - 01:31pm PT

[Click to View YouTube Video]

Kerwin sent me this video. The German climbing team trains in a manner similar to how I perceived bouldering sixty years ago: gymnastic performances using lots of momentum. This is a sharp departure from inching one's way up using microscopic crimps, superthin cracks, or tight squeeze chimneys, although I'm sure the team will get around to those as well. Looks a little like American Ninja!

ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber

extraordinaire

Dec 20, 2014 - 01:58pm PT

I was checking out those Udo Neumann videos of the team the other day - - they do alot of core training and unconventional stuff, but they kick ass on the rocks too.[Click to View YouTube Video]

Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber

Out Of Bed

Dec 20, 2014 - 02:09pm PT

It was the circus video that brought up the second of the two videos here. I mentioned that Craig Berman worked for cirque de sole'. When Craig wasa teenager in the late 80s he and a few other Gunks 'rubber bands' took to jumping. Three step high jump style, there are only two I remember lunatic lunging Dynos. One under Dougs Roof, and one next to Junior.

Happiegrrrl2

Trad climber

Dec 20, 2014 - 03:14pm PT

I think we should forget climbing as an Olympic sport, but Parkour(which the OP video has some moves) seems much more interesting. I would love to see really great freerunners doing courses with some gym climbing holds as part of the thing.

scuffy b

climber

heading slowly NNW

Dec 20, 2014 - 03:45pm PT

only watched the first one so far. It is astounding.

MH2

Boulder climber

Andy Cairns

Dec 20, 2014 - 04:48pm PT

Uh oh. I hope the setters at the gym don't see that. The route starts are already crazy enough.

Gnome reminds me I saw Dan Frieda run up that boulder problem near Doug's Roof at the Gunks. It was very thin and there was no single hold he could use for upward progress, but Dan would start with a jump and tack 3 or 4 holds on the say up, getting just enough from each to top out. It was done too fast to see which mini-flakes he used, but he showed me twice and it was the same holds each time, that much I could tell.

jgill

Boulder climber

Colorado

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 20, 2014 - 05:41pm PT

This is a delightful video. It just looks like so much fun.

Kerwin and I and Pat Ament and probably a few others here were gymnasts, so this resonates.

;>)

mooser

Trad climber

seattle

Dec 20, 2014 - 09:02pm PT

Fantastic find jgill! What a fun video to watch, and now it's got me thinking about some new training ideas...

jgill

Boulder climber

Colorado

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 20, 2014 - 09:19pm PT

Whoops! ^^^^^^^

Sorry, Tami!

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Dec 20, 2014 - 09:34pm PT

What I really like about this is how much fun it looks like they're having!

ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber

extraordinaire

Dec 21, 2014 - 02:30am PT

... probably a few others here were gymnasts ...

My bro in law was.
He introduced me to bouldering with the first moves of Ugly Duckling (10c)@ Swan slab.
Such a cool little sequence right there.

yanqui

climber

Balcarce, Argentina

Dec 21, 2014 - 05:41am PT

Youngsters these days! Actually, jgill, the way you perceived bouldering sixty years ago was to become the natural evolution of the sport; except, maybe, for one difference: crash pads! I've always been too stiff and too static to be a good boulderer but I still enjoy it at least as much as any other form of climbing.

PhilG

Trad climber

The Circuit, Tonasket WA

Dec 21, 2014 - 08:04am PT

John, wasn't Lynn Hill a gymnast before she started climbing? Or am I remembering that wrong?

I know my brother Paul immediately bought a set of rings after he went bouldering with you!

WBraun

climber

Dec 21, 2014 - 08:18am PT

yeah Lynn was gymnast originally I believe.

The German climbing team coach has very good training methods.

Sharp guy making training dynamic and fun instead of repetitious drudgery .......

healyje

Trad climber

Portland, Oregon

Dec 21, 2014 - 08:45am PT

This sort of dynamic monkey business (along with feet-higher-than-hands-as-often-as-possible) is what Southern Illinois climbing evolved to in the mid 70's not long after your inspirational jump-start spin through the area and still retained a lot of that character through the 80-90's even as it moved towards more crimp-oriented sport climbing.

Beautiful to watch folks do tiny crimps, delicate slabs, and unbelievably thin cracks, but personally I was so driven by / for the idea and feel of dynamic (Gibbon-like) movement I could never really emotionally vest in climbs and climbing which basically require you to strangle your inner-monkey to do them.

As a result I never became what you'd call a well-rounded, like-it-all climber, but have absolutely zero regret in that regard.

[Click to View YouTube Video]