Projecting Tactics for 8c and Beyond with Coach Jen Wood

Ever wonder what it takes to break through the hardest routes? In this episode, elite climber and coach Jen Wood shares the tactics that took her from tough projects to climbing 8c and beyond. Jen breaks down the practical strategies she uses, showing how they can be applied by anyone working on a project, regardless of grade. Whether you’re pushing through the 6s or aiming for 8s, this episode offers valuable insights into building momentum, mastering outdoor sessions, and refining your approach to projecting.

Topics Covered:

Jen shares how consistently climbing outdoors, even just twice a week, has transformed her approach and improved her ability to recognise climbing techniques and tricks.
Jen explains how she has built her climbing capacity and improved her skills on higher grades.
The importance of knowing when to push through difficult moves and how breaking down routes into manageable sections can make hard sends more achievable.
Accessing Try-Hard Mode, and how Jen started power screaming and learning to push her limits.

For more insights into the world of climbing, projecting strategies, and mental resilience, listen to the full episode on all major podcast platforms.

As a thank you for tuning in, enjoy 15% off Lattice Training Plans with the code PODCAST15.

The Lattice jingle is brought to you by Devin Dabney, music producer of the outdoor industry who also hosts the American Climbing Project.

Transcript

Jen & T (00:00)
Are there like misconceptions in getting to grades like all the way to 8c or higher where you just you think people need to remember have certain mindsets and ideas that I don't realize? Well the first thing that springs to mind was I in the past have totally undervalued time on rock. I always thought yeah if you're strong enough you've trained you're fit enough yeah go out try something hard on rock but

I did really notice this year just getting out like twice a week or just keeping it pretty consistent and a few different styles. Just yeah, it massively helped like my approach to rock climbing. I'd like see little tricks sooner. Yeah, I don't know. It really helped. And then like building that pyramid was really good confidence boost, learning how to project, learning when it's like, you know what, maybe I can just pull it off. I'll dig deep and...

Yeah, power screen my way through. Like I don't need to perfect it. Or yeah, when to just try something nails and yeah, hard to say, but that would be the big one. Like consistent time on rock has massively helped. So it's not a lie. I people tell you like, you can train as much as you like indoors, but you outdoor mileage. You need, yeah. Yeah. Cause like I can't hold that too much. And I think you obviously can get somewhere. Like I used to...

not have the time to get outside, like I'd never climb in the UK, but I would always go to Kalimnos basically. So I was getting used to the style still and it would take a few days to get comfy again each trip. yeah, just feeling like you've got a bit of momentum rolling throughout the season. That's huge. Yeah, that's my other one actually, a bit of momentum's useful, like getting a few sends in. So I actually did something this year that I've never done, but.

I, every time I went climbing, I'd like have a focus of, or like a goal of the day was to project something. But I'd always try and get a slightly easier send, like at the end of the day, or as a warmup. So every, every single session I would send something. And it started off like way below my like limit, but you know, pulling it out like second go at the end of a session was, was really tough.

But then you build that capacity, also the, you have to climb it well if you're tired. You've got to learn to climb it the best way. So I'd pick up skills on much easier grades for me. And then just found I could implement them on higher and higher grades. for, I've been climbing outside since June this season it kind of started. So now like.

end of August, my easiest end for the day is a much higher grade than it was at the start of June. I found that has helped quite a lot as well. So if you were to apply this to your average climber, let's say me, right? For example, my goal, if I end up going to ARCO, is to do the 7C that was opened by a few members quite closely, not Excalibur for obvious reasons, you know.

If I'm aiming to do the 70, which I don't think it's gonna be done in a day, I think it's gonna take maybe a week, two weeks to get done, would you say, after warming up a bit so I don't get flash bump, I should be going and doing some sixes, or should I be trying to do a 7A, second or third go that session, either at the beginning or at the end, climbing one? What is the great range we're talking about?

Yeah, I'd maybe just start with a six or something and like just try it as a warm up or at the end. And then as you get a few under your belt, you know, two or three, then what I quite like doing is say getting a warm up route prepped or, so say you had a 7A, you'd like put the drawers in as your warm up, just work out the moves, then have your full session on the 7C. And then at the end of the day, see if you can do the 7A clean when you're tired, but you've got it prepped.

It basically at that point is just like a bit of endurance and a bit of a battle, like can you do it? And obviously there's like caveats, if you're, you don't want to be getting trashed every day, like this works in the UK because I probably won't climb back to back days outside. So I can then have a bit of a rest or like lower the intensity of my training the next day if I've really got tired. But yeah, I did find it super useful.

and it got a lot of momentum going, you get to go home and like log something. It's nice, isn't So it's not just a mileage thing, it's like a confidence thing that then reminds you that you can tick, can like send stuff in a session. It doesn't have to be at your limit. Yeah, exactly. And you get a little boost, a little kick. Yeah, just thought it was nice. And yeah, maybe it sounds like I just get kicks from sending, but I'd be shocked if no, like if...

there wasn't a climber that didn't get a kick from a little send and it helped them. Yeah, and it's demotivating going to crags and not sending. Like when I was in America for like seven weeks, you know, every time, because I was bouldering, not sport climbing there, I got really shut down because I had been training so much. really wanted to, as you know, do my first like V10 in America as well as sight. And I got so focused. Like I think I spent the first.

Not even first week. I spent like the first like three weeks just trying really hard climbs. then I just went down in tears one day. was like, I can't climb. I'm a S -H -I -T climber. Like, this is horrible. Why'd I even bother? And my partner was like, you know, like you've never climbed in this crag before. You're just no offense. Like wasting time on these really short boulders. I'm also scared of high balls in America's mainly high balls. So he was like.

just work your way through. And then I spent like another three weeks probably just going through, I think, literally all the way from like V2 to V7, V8. Just like going my way through them and just having to do stuff in a session. Or like in the day I had to like, at least have one take. So I could go home and be like, I've done something. And it sounds really like egotistical in a way, but it really is a motivating.

going to crag spending your whole day there or like after we're going and not coming home with anything. So I think I get where you're coming from and I'm definitely going to try and apply that to sport climbing. I think it helps. Definitely with the motivation and like a bit of scrap, know if you know you can do something, you'll just scrap to do it. You'll be like, well, I did all the moves earlier. This is a grade I can do or something. Yeah, I'll just fight. And then it gives you like the access to that try hard. But yeah, in like a...

a lower sort of mental level. That's good. I'll take the advice in. I recommend everyone takes that advice in. And then when you were saying you started, you know, power screaming and stuff to push to that extra limit and like really push hard. Did you not power scream before? And on top of that question, what are other things you've done to really go in and really proper give your all? Because I personally, and I don't know if listeners do as well, I have a really hard time.

Like this year and last year I think I've told you personally, I don't think I've given my all. Like I think there's something missing and I don't know how to get that out and start pushing as hard as I used to. I just think that when I do something, I'm like, yeah, I think I could have done it Yeah, I think it is like a switch, isn't it? Like accessing that try hard. I know when mine's like on and when it's off.

And it can be pretty frustrating if you're like, my gosh, I am not trying as hard as I can, but it's really difficult to switch it on. think, yeah, I'd say for me, you've got to break it down into something simple and extremely achievable. So I often say I've got a route dialed, but there's like three hard moves. And so, yeah, this was the top of dalliance actually in Kilnsey, one of the routes I did this season.

was like I'd done the bottom so much and I could just get there like pretty smoothly. And then the top was just really hard, four move bolder for me. But I was like, well, it's four moves I can do. So just do them. Like, I know it sounds really Just try hard. Yeah, I know it sounds simple, but like I really broke it down to four moves. So I just get there, get to the little shake out, be like, right, it's four moves, come on. Like it'll be quicker just to try hard and get them done.

And you've just broken it to something that is so achievable and it's not like, my gosh, I've got a 30 -move route and I've got to try hard at the top. It's like, no, just this tiny section, give it everything. So that really helped. And then with the power screaming, like I had power screaming before, but it surprises me every time it comes out. It'll just come out, like you're not expecting it, it just comes out.

I mean, I have to be really trying and like on like tensiony moves or something. But yeah, I've shocked myself quite a few times, but then it's so satisfying. Wow. Like I did try hard. That's interesting. Fair, fair point. I haven't power skimmed in my life. I think I just go like, I don't know if I even went through the mic, but that's literally how I probably sound. Yeah, that doesn't count.