Route Reading 101 || How to with Louis Parkinson

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[@michaelevans1690]

Would love to have a part two about how to figure out body positioning for best pull direction or keeping balance

[@CatalystClimbing]

Lovely idea!!

[@Dave1507]

The "use all the holds" is only semi-helpful in the lower grades, where the setters might throw in a couple of extra holds just to make the climb easier for more people (heights, flexibility, reach, etc.)

[@chickenflair7977]

But if you do advanced route reading you are probably climbing at least 6b+ or 6c I think

[@Dave1507]

@@chickenflair7977 yeah, i know, and in the advanced boulders there are not many holds to spare, unless you can do the tall person beta ;) I just wanted to let the beginners know they don't have to use every hold, that's all.

[@zacharylaschober]

This is usually a good mark of higher end route setting as well where intermediate feet and hand holds or especially options for feet, say a row of three chips, are added for accessibility. I appreciate seeing holds which are intentionally set with the option to use, in particular the feet cause foot options outside are much more varied.

[@jay_stne]

I'd say that using every hold is a good practice, especially for beginners. It'll put you in more positions, and likely encourage better footwork than reaching for the furthest hold and pulling yourself up with your arms.

[@donalddarko3676]

In my gym the good routes versus the ones i hate are the ones that have multiple holds that seem to have no purpose or make the route harder.

[@rantsnwhatnot]

Omar knows what the people want! As Louis was wrapping up, I was thinking "After all that, he's not gonna climb it?" And then Omar told him to climb it :D

[@MiguelClimbs]

Best climbing teacher on the planet.

[@dankzvr]

Miguel is everywhere at all times - best climbing commenter on the planet 👏

[@MiguelClimbs]

@@dankzvr 🤣 I just turn on the notification bell for all my favorite climbing accounts 🔔

[@CatalystClimbing]

Thats a massive compliment thank you!!

[@davehughes7332]

My favourite game, which I've seen World Cup competitors play, is break the beta. Once you've climbed a route, try to work out how you'd skip a hold or even an entire section. This often makes huge use of features on the wall, and is usually significantly harder than the original. But every now and then you work out a way that completely changes the nature of a problem. Even trying to work out how you'd get the "wrong" hand onto a hold can be useful.

[@CatalystClimbing]

Yesss its so fun to find new and fun ways to climb things differently!

[@EntropicEcho]

A fun thing my wife and I often do at the climbing hall is climb a significantly easier route, but using as few holds as possible. It's fun to make it a bit of a contest.

[@Mike-ko6mf]

Another nice tip is to look for the chalk imprint of the thumb. This allows you to see how other climbers approached the hold and which hand they used.

[@CatalystClimbing]

Oooh lovely tip! Absolutely top!!

[@RomanGuro]

best tips that work for me about route reading. 1. Touch the holds, check them, try to hold them. 2. Divide and try to solve the puzzle by part

[@limbolegs]

Really love your comparison to chess as this is something i do myself! I am not the strongest climber so its super important for me to think really hard about what i am doing to not fall off or gas out. Lots of climbs I’ve done in the gym where i realize “this move is really identical to one i had on a different route a while back” and this just makes me think about chess puzzles. Pattern recognition is super helpful and certain positional motifs will re-emerge from the back of your mind the more you climb (or play chess, very fun game)

[@CatalystClimbing]

The strongest thing a climber has is their brain!! Lovely to hear that the comparison resonated ❤️

[@Acetatemonkey]

Thanks Louis. If you're ever stuck for a vid then more of these 'how you read it, how you would climb it' would be appreciated. With my limited imagination and experience this is something I really need my mirror neurons to practise. As ever, great content, thanks 🙂

[@buckhum55]

Yes, or some short clip series of one route - different betas.

[@maximedelmas]

Great tips! Honnestly, the best way to get good at route reading is to have climbed alot. Because it is also about feeling the position: after a certain point, you know when looking at a problem how each move would feel, and thus choose the optimal ones.

[@althejazzman]

I appreciate the lower caffeine levels for this video! Also this helped me realised I'm definitely not a beginner as I've pointed out similar signs to other climbers.

[@CatalystClimbing]

Toned it down just for you! 😉 you're a route-reading master already!

[@Hypericus2]

Another great video. When counting holds you may find it better to count in a different direction each time. To encourage fresh thinking, count the holds ordered by the direction you are counting. Maybe try a diagonal for variety.

[@CatalystClimbing]

Thank you and great idea!

[@chrisembryclimbing]

Awesome tips. And like how you worked in questions of how the body will react and tied it together with the typical climbing questions you always mention. Terrific video, you're awesome Louis. And thanks to Omar too.

[@CatalystClimbing]

Thank you for this awesome feedback Chris!!

[@mikehayden7691]

Gotta get Louis on a national tour giving workshops in people's local gyms! Would be fun to watch even if you couldn't get a coaching session.

[@CatalystClimbing]

He actually does do workshops on occasions in differing gyms outside of London! Keep and eye on his insta for when they come up/persuade your gym to have us in 😉

[@skillen19]

@@CatalystClimbing Would he ever consider going as far as Amsterdam?!

[@risingxforce]

Great video. I'd love more videos like this. I started climbing a few weeks ago so anything to improve as a beginner is really helpful! Thanks

[@CatalystClimbing]

Awe amazing! Welcome to climbing!! Be sure to follow us on instagram as we also have training tip videos there too!!

[@ghinwamoujaes9059]

Feels like route-reading is the hardest thing to learn yet so useful. Great video :)

[@erimsee]

The first Video that shows me what I can practically do when it comes to reading a route. Great Stuff. Thx.

[@knkimbler]

Would be great to see you work with different levels of climbers on their route reading skills specifically for onsight attempts, close to their max onsight ability. I think this is where many of us starts to see a breakdown in our route reading even if we have been practicing.

[@Rickdegraaf]

Love the regular uploads! Just got back from my 2nd 6c+ top, it was a hard crimper and I am really good at those, need to work on my comp style though!

[@navy8663]

the counting holds tip is actually so good, i have trouble focusing when it comes to taking note of all holds plus visualizing after that is even harder but im pretty sure i can count so ill give it a go

[@Angriest_Bartender]

I think the hardest part for me is comparing my body size to where I'll be when I'm actually on the climb. Any tips or is that just something that comes with practice?

[@diamondisgood4u]

If I were you, I would get on the wall and see how many bolt holes you are tall/can reach. Then when you’re reading a route on the wall you can use the bolt holes to guesstimate if you can reach something or not

[@Angriest_Bartender]

@@diamondisgood4u Oh, brilliant! That makes total sense.

[@CatalystClimbing]

The tip given below is absolutely top! Also try the same move but going off of a different hold nearby can help!

[@goose3197]

@@diamondisgood4u that’s a brilliant idea, thank you! I have poor depth perception and judgement of distances due to being blind in one eye and will absolutely use this!

[@Ant-I0W]

I think this is a really user friendly guide. Keep it simple and realistic to use. Thanks

[@neologisticzand]

Always learn something new from your videos! Thanks for such great content

[@CatalystClimbing]

Glad you haven taken something from it!!

[@CatalystClimbing]

Glad you haven taken something from it!!

[@innok5032]

I love the content! For me I just like to take a quick look and then I start climbing and hope for the best! I don't like wasting time, although you may say that it isn't a waste but altogether time equals money! And it works for me, maybe not for everybody!

[@postmanpat3244]

Thx Captain - this is a huge problem for me. I've literally got no idea how to 'read a problem' so these tips hopefully will go some way to overcome this for me :)

[@valef.3075]

I love this kind of video. I hope new similar videos again.

[@jacobpolak]

Supper helpful as usual Louis! I love these videos!

[@you_tuber]

As always, thanks Louis 👍

[@gavvo888]

Love the chess analogy.

[@carlplayer1714]

I love this tips! Thank you! :D

[@Jan.Bouldering]

I really should start counting all the holds... 😂😂 Good advice 😄👍

[@jonnes__4657]

Many people I see are missing foot holds. .

[@Jan.Bouldering]

@@jonnes__4657 I'm one of them :D

[@jonnes__4657]

@@Jan.Bouldering I also some times do, if I'm not focused.

[@CatalystClimbing]

Let us know how it goes for you!!

[@lucyschmidt2241]

Great tips🎉

[@RimshotKiller]

Been climbing for about 9 months now and am still so bad at imagining myself moving on the wall. I always try to read the problems only to realize that when I'm actually on the wall, my body takes up way more space than I had envisioned it to...

[@user-jr8ee1dc6t]

very nice stuff. Visualising the movements and how hard they might feel is almost impossible haha. Still can't tell exactly how hard specific positions might feel like after climbing 1.5 years

[@borisgrozev2289]

Great video! Why is it useful to categorize holds into hand holds and foot holds? In other videos you talk about thinking of your hands and feet as interchangeable limbs and I really like the concept. In the same spirit, wouldn't it make sense to think of holds and features in a more generic way -- things that we could use with any of our body parts. In my very limited experience I sometimes see holds with lots of rubber which turn out to be useful as hand holds. Maybe that's the case just in easier grades, though.

[@LoveAndClimbing]

I was sitting here reading the route and the only way I could see if I was right was if you climbed it. Then there was that moment where it seemed like you might not climb it and I almost died.

[@spanktheplum]

From one weird old man to another.... HELLLLOOOOOOO AGAIN

[@bijin_yt]

Wait louis do you also count the number of holds and read the routes like the way your explaining during competitions

[@CatalystClimbing]

Yup yup!

[@still4683]

3:09 i love using mostly great big jugs !

[@jonnes__4657]

I would have read it similar. 👍👍 .

[@portentouslad5051]

Van you creative a fake fude with the rest of the Bobat Team fighting over Omar?

[@BoulderingBobat]

I'm so here for that we do with some traction on the channel lol

[@CatalystClimbing]

Captain Cutloose: Civil War

[@CurseofPhoenixHP]

good tip but i ve never seen someone doing this. The falling and wondering is much more fun when u dont have to do it competitivly

[@markrabinovich3763]

Does anyone know why Louis does push-ups after a climb sometimes? Just wondering if I missed an explanation

[@Dave1507]

As a "punishment" for jumping down instead of climbing down. He explained it in an older video, and mentions it in several others.

[@markrabinovich3763]

@@Dave1507 cool, thanks for the explanations I just started watching him after seeing his fun competition with bobats. I should do that too haha

[@Dave1507]

@@markrabinovich3763 Yeah, Louis is great fun to watch, and very good at teaching too (from what i've seen in his videos) I do the downclimb most of the time, unless i'm too pumped from the current problem, then i jump down :)

[@CatalystClimbing]

Hey Mark! If you go onto our instagram we have a whole video on it!

[@aprildanae7487]

Completely unrelated but something ive ‘heard’ is since climbing is using so much back/biceps and ‘pulling’ muscles it’s good to work chest/triceps (like pushups) to help stave off muscle imbalances.

[@flamebeard10339]

Yes....but what are the patterns?

[@CatalystClimbing]

Moves which you have seen set before on a new climb etc!

[@flamebeard10339]

@@CatalystClimbing no I understood that, I'm asking if you could show what the common patterns are.

[@DIYToPen]

I can't count above 11, unless I take my shoes off

[@Jagknorr]

Did Omar leave the Bobcats and join Louis CK?

[@CatalystClimbing]

I do both ❤️ - omar

[@lui5gif]

7:41 didn't really like how you just glossed over the choice of *how* to use the holds. That big hold doesn't look at all like it's meant for the right hand, and yet you didn't explain why it might be a better choice

[@rugward]

Has Louis got a damn ASBO around his neck?

[@Eva-ww8kx]

Hello, weird old man!

[@johnmorsley]

Drop the music, it's soooooooo distracting! I literally couldn't watch :(