Onsighting or Repointing?!!!
Today is the type of day where you think you’ll do well. As always, a voice is reminding you it’s high time you start climbing harder routes and the best way to do it, goddamnit, is to get on a harder route. So unlike days where you might feel a little tired from work, or more like chatting than like climbing, you pick a climb right at your limit. You’ve never technically gotten to the top of this grade without falling, but who knows, maybe today’s the day.
You’re at the 4th bolt.
All the handholds feel tiny and the route setters forgot to add any footholds. You try the closest hold, but it feels even smaller than the last time you slapped for it and you know you’re lying to yourself when you tell yourself you could hold on and make the move. You look down at your belayer who’s laughing with another climber and you imagine yourself splatting on the the mat next to them before they finish the punchline of their joke. So you give one last lurch upwards, better to die trying, and fall two feet before the rope catches you.
Yet another failure.
Did you make it to the top of a new grade without falling? No. Did you learn any new techniques, strategies or information about this climb? No. Did you get physically stronger? No.
This entire drama could have been avoided if you knew the answer to just one itty-bitty question: Am I on sighting or am I redpointing?
(Wow, as I write I feel myself delivering some harsh news. I want you to know I made this mistake countless times over years before I simply stopped avoiding the question and got good at climbing.)
So let’s redo this nightmare scenario so you can be the climber you want to be.
First off, some vocabulary:
Onsighting is when you get to the top of a climb without falling the very first time you try it.
Redpointing is when you get to the top of a climb without falling after one or more attempts where you did fall.
These are two completely different approaches to a climb, and you need to know exactly what approach you’ll be taking long before you leave the ground. You need to answer the onsighting v. redpointing question at the base of any climb you get on, indoors or outside, whether it’s 5.7 or 5.12.
ONSIGHTING
Onsighting requires detailed planning, fierce mental tenacity, a willingness and ability to recognize and undo mistakes in the moment, and frankly a large bank account of technique, muscles and experience to solve diverse problems while getting more and more tired. And you need to know how to REST because your success or failure getting to the top without falling always hinges on your ability to milk every single rest for as long as possible in order to be fresh for additionally hard moves up higher.
Your onsight begins on the ground at least two minutes before you climb as you gaze up at the route collecting information on the sequence, potential cruxes, every single possible rest and the location of any/all secret holds.
Actually, your onsight began the first day you ever climbed because since then you’ve been adding move-by-move to your toolbox of technique.
If you do fall on an onsight attempt, never fear! Just take a long rest, and turn the climb into a redpoint!
REDPOINTING
Redpointing is an act of detective work and dedication. While redpointing you approach the route with curiosity and humility. Your mindset needs to be that of an explorer: I am here for the first time, but it isn’t my last. You must tell yourself, "I need to discover, practice and memorize every bit of detail NOW so that NEXT TIME I can execute this move perfectly.” Redpointing involves falling and taking several times on the same move because you are able to admit to yourself that you have no clue about the best way to do the move, but after trying a couple different options, you’ll have found the best way forward. While in the exploration phase, you take time to find and maximize resting positions and incorporate them into your plan for execution LATER. Each time you attempt the climb you’ll be able to incorporate more of the details you memorized on earlier attempts and after a few noble tries, all the little details will all assemble themselves into a glorious send. Congratulations, you put in the time.
THIS IS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG!!!
How can your next attempt at new grade go better? If you have gotten to the top of at least 50-100 climbs (not an exaggeration) of one grade, then you probably stand a chance of onsighting the next harder grade. If you are in a rush, then your next jump in grade will likely be a redpoint because you don’t yet have enough lived experience, or muscles, or muscle memory, or technique to actually climb a harder grade. So you’ll have to sacrifice a couple attempts at a new grade before you actually get it. (As a refresher, here are links to my Pyramid and Tippy Tower diagrams so you can plan your ascent in grades).
As always, I want to champion your heart for putting in the time outside of climbing (by reading this email) to get better at climbing. And I want to give your ego a big hug for bravely hurling itself at a sport that demands such a high level of self knowledge, self acceptance, patience and humility.