🧗 Politics is Changing Climbing 🤦

Howdy. FlashPumped here. We’re kinda like the Postal service, bringing you news, stories and even memes. But only once a week 👀

Here’s what we got today:

• Policy Proposals Threaten US Climbing 

• Concern for Climber Nutritional Health Before the Olympics

• Lasse von Freier Repeats Off the Wagon sit V16

• Make Climbing Easy as a Beginner 

• Descending Climbs 101

• Must-Have Tips to Master Flagging

Let’s dig in!

Two Policy Proposals Could Change US Climbing As We Know It

A recent article in the Alpinist overviews the two significant policy changes all US climbers must be aware of in 2024. 

The National Park Service (NPS) and US Forest Service (USFS) are considering changes in how rock climbing is managed on their land. 

Their proposals would prohibit fixed anchors in designated wilderness areas, and existing fixed protection would be subject to review. Climbers then would need to:

1. Submit formal applications to replace old anchors and add new ones

2. Justify any fixed anchors on existing routes

Then, the anchor must pass the multi-step minimum requirement analysis (MRA), which varies according to location. 

These changes demonstrate a shift in how administrators interpret the Wilderness Act of 1964, which had no mention of climbing hardware. The new proposals would classify fixed anchors as “installations,” which the Wilderness Act prohibits. Traditionally, installations were only seen as infrastructure, such as bridges and fences. 

This one-size-fits-all approach severely limits the ability of climbers and cavers to install necessary protective equipment and update existing climbs. The severity of the impact on climbing communities the proposals have has caught the attention of the Access Fund and the American Alpine Club. 

Both organizations have been mobilizing efforts against these policies for over a year. 

Learn how to help protect American climbing areas by checking out the whole article.

Can Eating Disorder Regulations Help Protect the Next Generation of Competition Climbers?

As competition climbing has gained momentum in the last few decades, climbers have been using unhealthy approaches to dropping weight.

A recent article in Reuters overviews how Kai Lightner’s experience with disordered eating has led to him and others speaking out about eating disorders and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). 

Leading up to the Paris Olympic games in July of this year, this group of elite climbers is pushing for the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) to prevent unhealthy athletes from competing. 

The IFSC has traditionally left these regulations up to national federations, but that may change. 

As awareness around disorder eating and RED-S spreads through competition climbing communities, more can be done as they catch symptoms early. 

The Medical Commission suggested measuring climber CMI throughout 2023 to narrow down the pool of climbers needing to be screened for RED-S before competing. 

Any athletes that require immediate treatment would be prevented from competing. 

The issue is that any regulations surrounding RED-S, especially by the IFSC, must withstand legal challenges. The IFSC has previously lost court cases, preventing them from pushing forward policy changes. 

Lasse von Freier Repeats Off the Wagon V16 with New Beta and One Less Foot Hold

German climber Lasse von Freier completed Off the Wagon V14 as a stand start back in 2019. Now, in 2024, von Freier completes the sit start of Off the Wagon V16. 

In an Instagram post, von Freier reviewed some of the challenges he faced while projecting this boulder, 

“In my second session, I broke off a foothold doing the crux move. This hold was also mandatory for the first move. For that, I had to work out a new beta, which felt slightly harder.”

Despite this, he continued projecting, and on the last day of his trip, he sent the sit start, allowing him to skip a grade as he moves up grades in the bouldering world. 

Off the Wagon, V16 was first tried 20 years ago by Chris Sharma and is now one of the most climbed V16 boulder problems in the world. While Off the Wagon sit has 11 ascents, Sleepwalker has 14.

Scared to Start Rock Climbing? Don’t Be! 

Every sport has a learning curve, and many beginners may be intimidated to start because of the inherent risk associated with climbing. 

That’s why we put together a guide to help you work through any fears and myths associated with rock climbing as a beginner. 

First, what exactly is intimidating about rock climbing?

1. Physical Difficulty 

2. Technical Knowledge 

Modern climbing has allowed beginners to ease their way into the sport with indoor climbing gyms, access to climbing instruction, and classes for every climbing skill. 

What climbing gyms offer beginners: 

• Auto Belays

• Bouldering Walls

• Education Opportunities

If you’re looking for ways to improve your climbing skills or get outside for the first time, climbing gyms are an excellent place to start. You can hone your skills and build your strength, and there’s always the opportunity to meet new people and potential climbing partners. 

Learn more about how intuitive climbing can be in our recent blog post.

How Do You Safely Get Down from a Climb?

Most climbers are primarily concerned with getting up a climb, but what about getting down?

While there is inherent risk during all stages of rock climbing, the descent is well-known for being one of the most dangerous parts. 

There are three primary forms of descending a climb: 

1. Walking Off

2. Lowering 

3. Rappelling 

How you descend a climb depends on the type of climbing you’re doing. Either descent option may be possible for single-pitch and multi-pitch climbs. Traditionally, multi-pitch climbs are more difficult to get down from than a single pitch, so practicing these skills is essential. 

When walking off a climb, tidy up your rack and know where the walk-off ends. 

Lowering off a climb requires two people and communication between the climber and the belayer. This is a skill that is easily practiced in a climbing gym. 

Finally, rappelling may be the only option for many outdoor climbs, especially multi-pitches. 

Considerations for rappelling: 

• Close your system

• Know the location of anchors

• Extend the rappel with a friction hitch 

Remember, the summit is only halfway. Master the art of descending a climb safely in our recent article.

Elevate Your Climbing By Mastering Flagging Technique 

A big part of improving your climbing is improving your climbing technique. Flagging is one of these rock climbing techniques that can help you ascend more challenging routes and boulder problems efficiently.

Flagging is a footwork technique in which you use one foot as a counterbalance to help you maintain your position and be able to perform the next move.

Knowing when and where to flag is one part of the equation, as well as the types of flags you can use: 

• Outside flag

• Rear flag

• Inside flag

We’ve included several tips to help you master flagging techniques in our recent article, alongside common mistakes climbers make when learning to flag: 

• Using the wrong flag

• Smearing poorly with the flagging foot 

• Not keeping hips close to the wall 

Pair our recent article on flagging technique with some climbing instruction at your local gym, and you’ll be well on your way to properly flagging on your next climb. 

Bacon & Waffles

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That's it for today. See y’all next week!