Notes from Redpointing with JStar

I signed up for a zoom workshop with Jonathan Siegrist going over redpoint fundementals. Jon in my mind is the great American redpointer. His 8a.nu is absolutely insane. So if there's one thing he know's, it's how to get it done. The call ended up lasting 2.5 hours, and was chalk full of cool nuggets. I think the biggest take aways is that things I consider projects actually aren't that long term. I also really like Jon's attitude towards showing up. I fall into the trap of thinking "eh conditions are pretty bad, I'll try it tomorrow", and doing other stuff that day, vs digging in and getting time on the route. Treating sections as individual pitches on a wall is also a cool trick.

Below are my raw notes, typos and all.

How to pick a project

• Jstar climbed realization in 2014, first 5.15
  • There was a huge mental challenge with breaking through a grade range. Also was difficult going to a trainer, as in a way it says, I'm not good enough, and you have to be vulnerable. It's a big step.
• Pick what inspires you! Something you want to try over and over again.
• Do you have a connection to the climb? Has a friend done it, or is there some history that inspires you?
  • When times are tough, can you look up at the route and say, its worth it.
  • Third Millenium, monastery in CO 13d. Between the history and the beauty of the route, it was really easy for Jstar to be emotionally invested
• It's okay to be motivated by a grade
• Will you be able to get a partner there?
  • There could be a perfect wall, but if no one wants to hike to it, you can't really project it
  • Is it close to you? How long is the season and how many seasons in the year? How many attempts do you?
  • If its a weekend drive, only being able to try a route 5-6 tries in a season might not be enough, especially for something that's truly a project.
  • When Jstar moved to Vegas, he hated the CLC. Chipped holds, anti style. But it had a lot of hard routes, partners were always there, 40 minute drive. Grew to love it. He can go 2-3 days a week for the whole year.
• What grade?? Where do I start?
  • Look at the pyramid - Excellent way to guide, but its not the whole picture.
  • If you have one 12a under your belt, a good project range would be between 12a-12b/c.
  • For best onsight/flash, maybe do best flash + 1
• Aim for a 50/50 split. If you spend a month projecting, spend a month having fun and backfilling. Fill in during the off season, project during the peak. If you climb two days a weekend, project Saturday, have a sunday funday.
• Let your motivation drive you. If you want to project, focus on that hard. Set intention and goals at the beginning of the season. Take the year goal when its kind of windy or your tired, adn remember what's important to me in the grand scale. Go do the fucking project. Basically, if you want to get it done, get it done.

Projecting timeline

• What are some tactics and strategy from the first day until you send?
• You need to know you might not do all the moves on your first several tries.
  • When trying Pachamama, did not do all the moves for several days. Took a long time to get to being able to even feel like he could do all the moves.
  • If other things are going well, have the confidence to carry on, e.g. new link.
• It's likely going to feel very hard, maybe even impossible.
  • Lean into this idea. That's good. Give yourself patience and positivity.

1. Do all the clips, do all the moves. We are learning the holds, movements, and character. Prioritize reaching the top even if it means skipping moves or sections. Ideally over your first sessions, aim to do all the moves and clip all the bolts. On paper if you do that, you just need to string it together.
   • Maybe if you've done a route 10-20 times and there's a move that feels utterly impossible, maybe its time to move on and come back when stronger. But if that move is at the top and you can get all the way there all the time, you just need to do the move once.
   • You need to the clips, because it changes the character of the route and could be part of the crux of the route.
2. Identify the rests, the cruxes. Try to break the route into 2-4 digestible sections. Think about the route in terms of sections between rests.
   • Maybe write down the sections, what they're like, and what the rests are like.
   • Need to make impossible things feel more possible and digestible. If you can link section 1 and 2, that's good. Sections can be thought of pitches on a big wall.
   • Helps you have graded targets by knowing the section grade, e.g. I know I can do v8, and this is a v5 section. "Every day I do this section, I'm doing a 14a!"
   • It can also help you prepare for future efforts if the current campaign is not successful.
3. Now it is time to start doing links.
   • Some climbs have intro/outro sections. Get those super dialed. Prioritize having sections on command.
   • For a 15a project, it was a 14b route with a 15a extension. He would skip the whole bottom section and go straight to the 14b anchor, then go. Can use the bottom section as a warmup, but its okay to pull on draws and what not. Working a route is taxing, so be cognizant of where you're putting your effort and skin.
   • e.g. second burn, just skip the hard parts on the bottom section and then try the top.
4. High point/low point. We've made the links. Climb as high as you can from the ground.
   • Use this to tweak and reduce the number of hangs.
5. Time for the big effort. Don't make the mistake of waiting for perfection. Don't wait too long to make your first redpoint try. Redpoint attempts inform what you still need to learn.
   • One redpoint try per day once you know the moves is good. "If I can visualize the whole route, then I'm ready for full blown redpoint efforts". If you can name all the moves, then you can climb with minimal hesitation which means it's time to make physical adaptation.
   • Full effort redpoint try is the most valuable training you can do.
   • Chris Sharma learns the route, and once he knows it, he goes al muerte 2-3 times a day. If your goal is to climb a route, you have to go at it like a banshee.
   • During first redpoint sessions, even if you fall, always go to the top. Give attention to the whole route. Get to the anchor once or twice a day.
     • Once you get to one hang territory, you can stop going to the chains.
   • Which try should be the al muerte try? Second try can be al muerte after first try you use to refresh beta, brush, warm up.
6. One hang. Work until you reduce the number of hangs until you reach only
   • One hanging means you're so close and you're really in there. You're not there, and sometimes its less than half the battle, but you know the route well enough and you're climbing well enough.
   • It means you'll do it if you stick with it.
   • Very fatiguing, can feel like a plateau
   • Tips for one hang fatigue:
     • Experiment with different links, low points, etc.
     • Low points help us create overlaps.
     • Deeply wire the finish (above the hang spot) to improve confidence. If you know you can do it at the end of day tired every time, and you get through your bolt, you'll be like, hell yeah I can do this.
     • Consider coming down after falling to save energy for another try. (only if you're one hanging every single time)
     • If you make it beyond your highpoint, trick yourself into believing you're not on a redpoint attempt. Say to yourself over and over "okay, it'd be cool to get another one hang, just gotta do this and get another one hang". He has sent but not knowing if he actually sent.
     • When you don't know whats going on, you just have to surrender and show up.
     • Use video. Off the dog, you might do something slightly differently than climbing through.
     • ask your belayer what you did different what you should do different.

Timing strategy at the cliff

• How to warm up?
  • Super personal, jstar likes to have several routes of different styles wired for warming up.
  • 2-4 routes for warming up in a similar style to goal route.
  • Supplement with ground exercises/hang board.
  • Don't be afraid to start very easy.
  • At areas where the project is the easiest route, you can still find warmup routes. E.g. the first 6 bolts to a 12d might be 10- climbing.
• How long to rest between tries?
  • Short time on the wall requires less rest
  • As a rough starting point, multiply meters by 2 to get resting time, e.g. a 20m route is a 40 minute rest. Or if you only climbed 5 meters to the third bolt, fell, and lowered, multiply that by 2 and wait 10 minutes till your next rest.
  • Adjust based on perceived exertion. Add more rest if you went to complete failure, remove some rest if you fell off unexpectedly.
  • Wait till your a 5 or below RPE before you even think of getting your shoes back on. If you can't get below a 7, you're just smoked for that day.
• How many times to trie each day?
  • Bouldery 10m routes: 3-4 tries
  • Pumpy 35m routes - 2 tries.
  • During the beginning of the try, aim for quantity, but as we move towards proper redpoint stage, we should aim for quality tries and reduce the number.
  • Aim for two days per week on the project, considering adding one low pressure day per week. Try different schedules
  • Go on the bad weather days, go on the days you're tired, put in the effort for learning the route. As long as you're in the learning stage, you can't be picky.
    • Aim for quantity of tries on the route during these days.
    • Once you get into one hang territory consistently,then you can get picky about conditions.

• Multi season projects

  • When do I give up?
    • Never! But if the season is ending, or you have gone many days without progres despite rest and condies, it might start be time to start planning for next seasion.
  • When you're aiming for your limit, you won't be finishing a project in a single season. We're lifers, and projects can take a few years.
  • Plan for next season: Take notes about everything: beta, details, sections, preferred temps, sensations during the climb, what you're eating and what makes you feel good, thoughts about training. What's hard, what's easy?
    • Do this while its fresh on your mind.
    • Take videos of your final days trying. When you get to the redpoint days and your beta is dialed, you don't want to forget what that looks like.
    • Take a voice memo to spray beta.
    • Make a list of hold types for training purposes.

Sending

• Enjoy the sensation! Remember the process
• Once you send, go try all of the easier stuff in the area! You're done with your proj, go have fun. You'll feel a huge weight lifted and you'll be climbing lightly.
• On trips, always go to the anchor the first few tries. Speed up the process. As soon as you can start working on some links, and practice visualizations when you're not at the route. Start taking video of the climb on the first few tries and watch it when you're at home.
• When you're feeling meh, remember how much time and effort you put into getting the route done. Honor the you that put in the days and time. Get it done.
• Mantra: "All you can do is try". When you're tying in, the only thing you can do in that moment is try the best you can. You have to surrender to that idea. I'm here to show up and try.