Breakdown
Climber: Sebi Krzaczek 5’10/-2
Wall angle: 10° Overhang > Flat
Holds: Cheeta Boomerangs, MW Base R75
RIC: Risk 5, Intensity 4, Complexity 2
This boulder was constructed to test the user's footwork and body positioning. Risk peaks on this boulder because of the insecure foot placements needed on the volumes. Their direction and sloping nature create a multitude of fall points. Intensity is high because of the physicality required to shift and hold body positioning throughout the climb. Complexity is present because optimal foot placements can initially be difficult to find.
Influence/Aesthetic:
The theme for this boulder was insecure feet and weight shifting. The volumes are grouped to create a focal point for the climber to view and climb around. The sequence guides the user to the left of the volumes which makes their surfaces usable as footholds once the climber is above them. Holds have distinct directions and compact pairings to encourage climbers to find correct oppositions to control and move through them. The usage of all of the holds and volumes from the same sets creates a visual motif.
Hold Selection:
The set of Cheeta Boomerang holds was chosen for this boulder because of their versatility in grip positivity. Specific handholds need to be forgiving to allow for proper body adjustments on the unforgiving footholds. However, more challenging holds are used in between for contrast and to maintain difficulty. This keeps climbers engaged on the wall because they become wary of the positivity of subsequent holds. The volumes were chosen to give the climber large but tenuous feet to step on. This promotes maintaining essential tension between feet and hands for multiple movements.
Hanging Horizontal
Sebi starts by kicking his right foot up. This creates tension against his hands letting him establish on the start.
To begin moving his body out of this horizontal position he begins bumping his right hand up. This shifts his weight over his right foot.
Once high enough, Sebi uses his back leg to balance and match, bringing his body back to a more vertical position.
Twists and Turns
Sebi brings his left foot up to square his body. Having both of his feet creating pressure allows him to cross overhead to the next right hand.
The distance from his right hand to his right foot is so far it makes him unable to pull his weight fully into the undercling.
Bumping his right foot up creates more opposition against his right hand, allowing his body to move leftward.
Mounting Tension
Straightening his legs while moving his left hand puts his weight directly below the undercling. This lets him match it and stabilize.
Sebi is now free to move his feet because of how positive the matched hold is. He begins walking them up the volumes to create tighter pressure against the undercling.
Once high enough, he can lock his arms in to bring his torso towards the next hold and reach it with controlled movement.
React and Readjust
Sebi bumps his right hand up to release his constricted position and square his body. This lessens the pressure on his feet and he can begin moving them.
Crossing his left foot in brings his torso higher, but his right leg is still far below his center.
Taking the Top
Bringing his right leg farther out brings his right leg in line with his left arm. This provides a more equalized position to move out of.
Due to the constricted position of his left leg, Sebi performs a dynamic bump to the finish hold.
He shifts his weight rightward to create more tension against the left-facing hold and brings his right hand up to match.
Final Thoughts
While comfort is a key aspect of successful commercial routesetting, presenting climbers with discomfort is an integral part of improving their processes and abilities. Creating problems that are not initially intuitive can encourage climbers to dive deeper for solutions and tap their resources. This opens the opportunity to introduce more complex movements as users become adjusted to overcoming these adversities.