Hörst - How to climb 5.12!

An accomplished climber of more than thirty years, Eric J. Hrst (pronounced hurst ) has climbed extensively across the United States and has established hundreds of first ascents on his home crags in the eastern United States. A student and teacher of climbing performance, Eric has personally helped train hundreds of climbers, and his training books and concepts have spread to climbers in more than fifty countries. He is widely recognized for his innovative practice methods and training techniques, and since 1994 he has served as a training products design consultant and online Training Center editor for Nicros, Inc., a leading manufacturer of climbing walls and handholds.

Eric is author of Training for Climbing, Conditioning for Climbers, Maximum Climbing, and Learning to Climb Indoors, all of which have foreign translations. His articles and photos have been published in many outdoor and fitness magazines including Climbing, Rock and Ice, Dead Point, Urban Climber, Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Mens Health, Muscle and Fitness, Experience Life, and Mens Journal. Visit Erics website, TrainingForClimbing.com, for training articles and information on all his books, or to schedule a training seminar, an editorial interview, or a speaking engagement.

Eric currently lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Lisa Ann, and his sons, Cameron and Jonathan.

How to Climb 5.12

Praise for How to Climb 5.12

How to Climb 5.12 packs a lot into a slim book... a great first training book and a good addition to any training junkies book shelf.

Rock & Ice magazine

Its been fifteen years since the first edition of How to Climb 5.12 and the content of this new third edition remains as powerful and relevant as it was back then. While climbing standards have skyrocketed during that time, 5.12 still stands as the benchmark of high-performance climbing. Erics clear and concise book remains the gold standard for covering the fundamentals of taking your climbing to the next level.

Mike Williams, editor,
Dead Point magazine

To my brother, Kyle, for introducing me
to this most amazing sport!

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FALCON GUIDES

Copyright 1997, 2003, 2012 by Eric J. Hrst

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permit ted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

FalconGuides is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.

Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris Book Publishing, LLC.

Photos by Eric J. Hrst unless noted otherwise

Illustrations by Sean Michael

Project editor: David Legere

Text design: Casey Shain

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is on file.

ISBN 978-0-7627-7029-8

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Warning: Climbing is a dangerous sport. You can be seriously injured or die. Read the following before you use this book.

This is an instruction book about rock climbing, a sport that is inherently dangerous. Do not depend solely on information from this book for your personal safety. Your climbing safety depends on your own judgment based on competent instruction, experience, and a realistic assessment of your climbing ability.

The training advice given in this book are the authors opinions. Consult your physician before engaging in any part of the training program described by the author.

There are no warranties, either expressed or implied, that this instruction book contains accurate and reliable information. There are no warranties as to fitness for a particular purpose or that this book is merchantable. Your use of this book indicates your assumption of the risk of death or serious injury as a result of climbings risks and is an acknowledgment of your own sole responsibility for your safety in climbing or in training for climbing.

Globe Pequot Press and the author assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.

Tony Yahn sending Bobcat Logic (5.12c), Wild Iris, Wyoming.

Its been fifteen years since I wrote the original edition of How to Climb 5.12, and so I want to begin by thanking the countless readers who have contacted me with feedback and success stories. Hearing your stories of barriers broken, dreams accomplished, and great routes sent (of any grade) is the most gratifying compensation for this author. So I extend my sincere appreciation to each and every one of you who has relayed this valuable information to meand I invite readers of this new edition to similarly follow suit.

Next, I want to cast a wide net by thanking the dozens (likely more) of folks who have in some way contributed to the production of each edition of this text, as well as the foreign translations. This includes friends and family who provided early read-throughs and feedback, the many photographers and artists who participated in making this and previous editions so visually impactful, and all the good folks at Falcon Publishing and Globe Pequot Press who have brought this book to life and put it on bookshelves in stores around the world.

More specifically, I want to thank the individuals who contributed to this new color edition of How to Climb 5.12. First up are the photographers who provided the stunningand inspiringimagery. Kudos to Keith Ladzinski, Andy Mann, Eric McCallister, and Dan BrayackI wish I could shoot photos as great as all of you do! My props also go out to Sean Michael for the stellar illustrations. Im similarly appreciative of the climbing gyms and climbing models who enthusiastically helped in producing the instructional photos: many thanks to Aimee Tetreault, Crystal Norman, Jessica Rohm-Cantagalla, Anne Groff, L. A. and Mark Himelfarb, as well as Reading Rocks, Vertical Endeavors, and the Philly Rock Gym. And to the companies that support me and my effortsLa Sportiva, Sterling Ropes, Nicros, and Verveyou are all great!

Finally, I want to thank Jeff Batzer, my original 5.12 climbing partner in the early 1980s, for the great times and inspiration he has gifted me. And to my wife, Lisa Ann, and my sons, Jonathan and Cameron, thanks for the love, support, and all the great times both on and off the rock!

Jim Sullivan, an Arizona-based forensic neuropsychologist, punching up Heretic Wisdom (5.12a) in the Utah Hills.

For many readers the goal is to climb 5.12, while for others it may be 5.10 or 5.14. The numbers really dont matter; its pushing your boundaries that counts... and gaining that must-experience-it-to-understand-it climbers high.