New Source for Climbing Research
The Beta Angel Project is a platform designed to inspire and present research on this developing sport.
Research is integral to proper training. Over the last 40 years, climbing has seen a transformation from an outdoor recreational activity to an Olympic Sport. Though free climbing has been around for over a century, the introduction of competition climbing in 1986 accelerated its growth dramatically.
Until the 1980s, climbing was daring and defined by technical prowess instead of athletic power. Athletes such as Jerry Moffatt and Wolfgang Güllich pioneered a new age of hard rock climbing with their modern strategies. Not only did they add fitness to climbing, they changed the literal rules by which people climbed.
Bolted routes became common across all western countries and allowed athletes an infinity of attempts on the most difficult portions of their climbs. Though bolts were revolutionary, it would take the evolution of ethics to allow climbers isolated attempts on these ‘crux’ sections. Routes no longer required the athlete to try from the ground every time they wished to pull onto the wall. Suddenly climbers could solve problems quickly and complete routes faster than before.
In addition to the changing ethical landscape of climbing, Moffett’s introduction of physical training in addition to climbing had real value. Pull-ups revolutionized the sport and blazed the way for Güllich’s Campus Board in 1988.
The introduction of competitive climbing also increased the demand for new training tools. These tools paired well with bouldering, and supported its popularization. Though bouldering had also been around for over a century, the modern discipline allowed for climbers to explore the limits of finger- and grip-strengths. Today, climbers have become so strong that that flashes of V14 and 5.15a have occured.
Though difficulty has increased by virtue of training, the science behind climbing is still relatively new. Companies such as Lattice Climbing and C4HP represent a new age of information-based coaching, each completing their own research in their pursuit of strength. They are not alone. In fact the last three years have seen an increase in the number of publications regarding climbing training.
The Beta Angel Project has curated a collection of these papers, each designed to educate climbers. According to their website, “The Beta Angel Project stems from a vision to inspire more rock climbing research, provide a platform for new ideas, translate research into practical application, and provide a view into the academic world of the climbing community. The project is supported by individuals who are putting their time and energy into growing the rigor behind rock and competition climbing.”
A collection such as this indicates a strong future for climbing.
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