Breakdown
Climber: Chris Feghali, 5’10”/+1
Wall Angle: Flat
Holds: Cheeta BoomJump, Teknik Screw-On Incuts/ Teknik No Shadow Tip Toes, Urban Plastix Changing Corners Slopey Pinches
RIC: Risk 5, Intensity 3, Complexity 3
The focus of this boulder is the risk factor. I wanted to place the climber in the position where they would have to commit to doing multiple moves on the first insecure left foot. If the climber falls on the first coordination move, it is quite easy to get back onto the boulder and learn the nuances of the move. Intensity and Complexity are both ranked at 3; This is because the boulder becomes less physically intense once the move is learned and there are few variations on the intended sequence.
Influence/Aesthetic
The idea for this boulder came from a boulder that Ryan Henderson (@ryan___henderson) uploaded. I wanted to take the idea he used for a competition-setting workshop and make it more accessible and commercially friendly. The move that was important to replicate was the toe hook catch, followed by the climber navigating through the off-balance position that put them in. All of the large features were turned upside down to give a sense of visual uniformity. Grouping holds/dividing the climb into distinguished visual sections can help work to a modified rule of thirds for routesetting.
Hold Selection
The first three fiberglass holds were chosen because they are positive enough for the climber to generate momentum off of, but their backsides are tapered enough to require body tension to stand on top. Additionally, they have enough surface area underneath to be toe hooked. The cluster of blocked screw-on holds encourages accuracy and the sloping finish hold makes specific positioning needed to complete the climb.
The Toe Hook
Frame 1: Chris leans his body weight back to prepare to gain momentum. His left foot is already placed, but he is unable to weight it fully until his body is positioned above it.
Frame 2: Once motion begins, he is able to begin weighting his foot as his body weight shifts over the hold. However, the hand he is grabbing is not situated directly under the left foot, and he is moving too quickly to stop his momentum.
Frame 3: Chris catches the handhold and brings up his right foot underneath the start hold to stop his body from continuing to swing to the left. This neutralizes his momentum and squares his body to the wall.
Repositioning
Frame 4: He is now “stuck” in this position and needs to get the toe hook out. Bringing his right hand downs allows him to stabilize, which makes it so he can bring his right foot out from underneath the start hold.
Frame 5: Chris is still generating tension between his left foot and left hand. Once he removes his right foot this begins to pull him leftwards again causing him to bring his right foot up to catch the hand above the start.
Frame 6: Chris catches his foot under the 2nd handhold. This releases some of the tension that was holding him back from moving, which progresses him to the next sequence.
Moving Up
Frame 7: Chris brings his right hand back down to stabilize and remove his right foot again, similar to frame 4. Now that his foot is closer to him, he is able to release tension without being pulled off the boulder to the left.
Frame 8: Matching his feet lets him shuffle his left foot underneath his left hand so he is more balanced. He still uses his palm for stabilization.
Frame 9: He moves his left foot up and left to remove the tension that was created by his left foot and hand being offset. He is now able to move his right foot freely and can step to the top of the 2nd handhold while still using his palm to maintain balance.
Taking the Top
Frame 10: Once Chris steps his foot up he is able to move his hand freely. This allows him to pop off his left foot and straighten his right leg to bring him closer to the finish.
Frame 11: He aims for the Teknik Tip Toe screwed into the far right of the next hold; It creates a small lip that will allow him to press harder with his palm than if he were to hit any other surface on the hold. He also is able to position his body directly over his feet, which will create more pressure between his feet and hands when pressing.
Frame 12: Chris’ previous steps allow him to create enough force between his hands and feet to stabilize and match an otherwise impossibly sloped finish hold.
Final Thoughts
Imitating others’ boulders can be a good way to get inspiration and try new movements. After seeing Ryan’s boulder, I knew there would be parts that I wanted to replicate directly and others that I wanted to put my own spin on. The initial toe hook catch came out almost exactly the same, but the following sequence differed quite a bit. It is also important to contextualize the situation each boulder is being set in. Ryan’s boulder was designed for a competition training camp, while this boulder was designed for a commercial customer base. It is still possible to create a similar experience, but certain aspects can be changed for higher success rates. If every move of a boulder is low percentage and high intensity it can be discouraging for climbers and they may see little progress. However, if risk is spread more evenly throughout a boulder it can help promote a more positive mental and physical approach.