31 5.12 redpoints before i turn 31

Can't imagine leading 5.12 is ever going to be in my future (no matter how 'soft' the crag is), but I will strive towards 43 5.10's before next November. Great idea - thanks for coming up with it!

Great idea! I'm hitting 31 in 4 months and I've not sent my first 12 but I'm setting up a hit wall soon along with a hangboard to help me train at home. I'm aiming for 31 while 31 (or maybe 32 by 32?). Unfortunately the New will be out season in a couple weeks but I think this will keep me motivated to train hard during the off season. Thanks for posting.

Adam Sanders wrote:If you're feeling too old (or young) to use your age as you goal, try this: Last January I set a goal of 20 12's by 2012. Now just tweak it to 20 12's IN 2012 and it works. Then, next year you'll be strong enough to do 20 13's in 2013! I think we'll have to settle for something less catchy in 2014... This goal has been so much fun, and seemed impossible at first, but as you start gaining strength, it starts to move quickly. This was the first time I ever really set a goal in climbing and it is amazing what it can make you achieve. I hope you all have a blast pursuing this!

Thank you for my new goal!!

20 5.12 RPs in 2012

Ten Sleep will be seeing quite of bit of me. Good Luck to all!

This inspired me to set this as a long term goal as well. 30 5.12's before (or during) 30. I will be turning 26 in February and climbing 5.10 in the gym (which is supposedly super sandbagged) but still trying to break through the wall (around 5.8-5.9) where you are climbing as hard as you feel comfortable climbing without falling due to the angle making it mostly no fall situations and climbing steeper stuff where falling becomes an option so right now I basically have to on-sight everything but am trying to start getting on stuff steep enough to have clean falls and thus be able to project. My original goal is an outdoor 5.10 within a year of starting back up after a 6 year break (climbed 5.9 6 years ago before the break) and I think I will get it WAY ahead of schedule like maybe this weekend so its going to be time for a new goal.

Will S wrote:So you've never redpointed a 12, and you're going to send 31 of them in the next 10 months? The term "highly unlikely" comes to mind.

Why do you say that's "highly unlikely"? If I'm already repointing multiple 11+'s within 3 tries then 5.12 isn't a far stretch at all and after a winter of committed training this goal should definitely be achievable.

Glad to help get you psyched, Josh!

I just wrote a blog post with some things I learned during the process - check it out! Its nothing profound, but hopefully some fun reading.

How YOU Can Achieve 5.12 Glory

SkiNowWorkLater wrote: Why do you say that's "highly unlikely"? If I'm already repointing multiple 11+'s within 3 tries then 5.12 isn't a far stretch at all and after a winter of committed training this goal should definitely be achievable.

Right. So you train all winter, and are PSYCHED. Chances of injury or overuse that limits improvement ~40%. This is what I've seen from training in gyms since the early 1990s. They get pysched, they train hard, they don't add volume gradually and they end up with flamed elbows or blow up pulleys. I've done it in the past, I see it all the time.

But we'll assume you make it through the training with no issues. Now it's what, March or April? So you've really got ~5months. If you are weekend warrior, that's ~22 weekends. Now you probably get shitty weather on at least 2 weekends, so call it 20. Now you have to RP 1.5 routes every trip. If there are 31 5.12a routes around, probably reasonable. But now you're climbing at your limit EVERY time you go climbing. Which is also hard on the body, and hard on belayers. Unless you have someone with similar goals, or a very accomodating girlfriend or something, it's one more issue.

So you've got a willing belay slave, soft 12a's close to home, bitchin' weather, and injury free. Now you've got to actually perform. Hard routes can be beta intensive, do you have a partner of similar abilities to split the workload of figuring out the beta? Or do you spent half your energy figuring out the moves, then have to send quickly before running out of gas?

Do you have no life outside climbing such that you will spend ALL those 20 weekends climbing? Are you really motiveated to just tick another shitty route that has a magic "12" attached to it because it's one of the few remaining in your local area that is do-able for you?

Finally, 12d is a lot harder than 11d. I've seen strong talented kids get there (11+ to 12+) in a year. I've not seen slightly above average people get there in 6mo. The point being, you will likely run out of easier 12s on your quest and have to climb harder, or you will be doing a lot of driving.

Don't mistake me, I'm not saying you can't do it. I'm saying it is highly unlikely for the reasons above. Personally, I hope you do it, big goals are cool. Again, I rec putting American Fork on your list. The climbing will yield well to gym-training (as opposed to techie sub-vert granite, or enduro fingerstack/ringlock cracks), the routes tend to be short, there are lots of 12s, and lots of chalk/beta.

Saint George is 4 hours away. He can start redpointing this weekend; why wait until March?

i am the one who originally posted this 'goal', and all the replies have been great, and helpful...but i think a few of the newer post may be missing my point...it is not 'ticking' of the magic .12...certainly not. It is about setting a really hard goal for oneself and working it out. One of the main objectives in climbing (or anything else in life for that matter,) is the effort put forth with the willingness to fail, and not being too attached to a certain outcome.
It is about opening your eyes to the possibilities around the self and w/in this silly reality of life, and making something worth even more.
Again, thanks for all the post...i have taken something away from every one...for those who are interested i will keep you all informed of my progress...thank you, and keep being kind...

lewisslc wrote:i am the one who originally posted this 'goal', and all the replies have been great, and helpful...but i think a few of the newer post may be missing my point...it is not 'ticking' of the magic .12...certainly not. It is about setting a really hard goal for oneself and working it out. One of the main objectives in climbing (or anything else in life for that matter,) is the effort put forth with the willingness to fail, and not being too attached to a certain outcome. It is about opening your eyes to the possibilities around the self and w/in this silly reality of life, and making something worth even more. Again, thanks for all the post...i have taken something away from every one...for those who are interested i will keep you all informed of my progress...thank you, and keep being kind...

Amen!

Where is everyone at? Lets hear it. I like big goals and New Years isn't far off. I like the age idea. I turned 32 on September 15 and actively haven't been trying to climb thirty three five twelves but I have been getting after it. Its Shelf Road season here in Colorado and I think I can get a bunch of twelves in before it starts getting hot down there. I am going to set a short term goal for shelf.

I will redpoint EIGHT routes graded 5.12 or harder by April 30th. This would put me at 23 since my birthday. I would have May-September (5 months) to do ten more. Two a month! This might be attainable.

I will do 20 new (to me) 5.13s before 2013.

JJNS wrote:Where is everyone at? Lets hear it. I like big goals and New Years isn't far off. I like the age idea. I turned 32 on September 15 and actively haven't been trying to climb thirty three five twelves but I have been getting after it. Its Shelf Road season here in Colorado and I think I can get a bunch of twelves in before it starts getting hot down there. I am going to set a short term goal for shelf. I will redpoint EIGHT routes graded 5.12 or harder by April 30th. This would put me at 23 since my birthday. I would have May-September (5 months) to do ten more. Two a month! This might be attainable.

I don't turn 31 for another month, so haven't started yet; it's ski season right now. I have been in the gym 3 times a week training and working on strenth and especially my technique, which I think was a limiter for me last year and hopefully will lead to improvement for next year.

4 climbs done towards my very humble goal of 43 5.10's by Nov 2012. It has been a fun project so far, and hopefully it will help me start breaking into the 11's next summer.

I think this is a great idea! Before my accident 1.5 years ago I was breaking into the 12s. I think I'm getting close to that level again. I'm gonna set my goal at twelve 5.12's in 2012.

I think it'll be several months still before I bag my first one, but I'll post back here when I start making progress on it!

I would like to have easier bowel movements. How can I train for this?

bergbryce wrote:I would like to have easier bowel movements. How can I train for this?

More ab workouts and more fiber.

This idea is to great to not join in on, after reading through the forum you certainly do see what climbing is truly about. Keep out the negative vibes and bring in the positive, don't listen to anyone doubting you, and that goes for everyone in this forum.

I pledge to climb 19 5.10's on lead trad and sport before September 23 2012

Started the ball rolling this weekend, 1/20 down.

Bell Curve
Bell Curve 5.13a

Sweet! I'm at 7/31 so far. I was able to RP three 12a's and one 12a/b this past weekend. Looks like all that winter training is paying off! Time to start getting on some 12b's!