Why the Best Sport Climbers Dominate Bouldering Too | ft. Adam Ondra

More like a 5000 metre runner competing in a 1500 metre run, not so different physiologically from one another. Sport climbing and bouldering are obviously very similar types of fitness and skill.

Ondra noted that hard climbing is less analogous to track and field because technique plays so heavily into climbing, which seems correct. a little deeper explanation might be the difference between a V13 boulderer and a V17 might not NECESSARILY be anaerobic/anaerobic conditioning than it is the ability to be precise in your movements down to the millimeter-- whether it's placement of hands, feet, or even hip/shoulder/core positioning, as well as coordination between different points of contact/core tension etc. power endurance factors in here because it will afford the elite sport climber the ability to gain an edge in kinesthetic awareness and movement efficiency over time. in short: precision over power.

I think one explanation could be that a lot of people who boulder enjoy it for the simplicity, lack of need for consistent partners to belay you on a project, and the mental barriers to climbing routes vs boulders. Bouldering is objectively simpler to do logistically, a lot of boulderers don't own the gear for climbing sport outdoors. Most sport climbers could easily tag along with a climber who has a pad or two, not as easy to find with boulders who have no sport gear. My point is it's just so much simpler to get into bouldering and stick with it I think that's honestly a big reason why you don't' always see boulderers climbing hard sport routes. To a sport climber, boulders can just be a casual addition to what you do in climbing. Takes a bit more effort, money, time and finding partners to get into sport if all you do is boulder and own crash pads and shoes. Which frankly now days is probably the majority of the climbing community. Might not be 100% related to skills/strength/etc but more so related to logistics of it all. I think it's fair to say it's objectively more work, time and overall effort to project an average sport route, than it is to project the average boulder.

Leadclimbing takes more experience especially when you are on sighting, bouldring is a lot about looking at others and copy. Also it's a scarier to leadclimb and it's a lot harder to perform when you are scared. Ofcourse bouldering can be scary but you can avoid the scary boulders.

I feel like for the current generation, if they were trained as comp climbers first, then they would have been trained in both from the start. Also, I'd consider will bosi as an example of the other way around, a boulderer who's also good at sport climbing, not a sport climber who's also good at bouldering.

Cause finger strength has a huge genetic component. And it's also the main strength you need for bouldering AND rope climbing. So of course, if you're good in one, you will be good in the other one too if you train for it. Really not that insane

ye idk a 3k runner can also be a good 10k runner, it depends how different the sport

because sport climbers dont sit around boulders smoke weed and drink beer all the time

Because sport climbers are more fit and efficient. After 5 hard moves, they still got 95% juice left in the tank.

I think the sample size may just be too small to draw any actual conclusions on the topic. Janja Adam and Jakob may just be dominate in both because they are just the best climbers on the planet and not because of any sport climbing specific training that is somehow better than what boulderers do for bouldering. who knows though :)

delulu

I really want to do ropes more but there’s only a bouldering gym near me 🤧