Who's Crushing?

I don't believe we have seen the strongest climbers yet, the catchment is still too small and dare I say, selective.

The sport is dominated by white people and aimed at medium to high earners with time and excess funds to visit centres and travel. There's also the growing cost of shoes, chalk and crash pads. Just in case you're about to pull me up, yes I know, non whites are also in this bracket that fit the archetypal 21st Century climber. But where are they? Second, yes there are non white active climbers, but why so few? I speak here to the western world as I am well aware that the scene in India for example is growing and the standard is already high. I imagine though, that the opportunity for the poor to access equipment, let alone free time, is probably zero.

During my time as an instructor there were many youngsters coming through, some lauded as the "best we have seen" - for the age etc - but the reality, played out over time was just another case of over zealous coaches trying to add clients to their growing list of Private Prodigies. The centre I worked at, had all sorts of extra training clubs that the kids could attend - at a cost. One to Ones were also available - at a higher cost. Not once did we run a group aimed at under privileged children, despite me asking to do it. The Home School Group, made up of Tarquin's and Philomena's, and not an ounce of commitment between them, showed up regularly, en masse and paid in full. 
I grew up in a rough neighbourhood, and my friends were white British, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, African British, African American, Jamaican, Vietnamese, Chinese, Half Italian and Polish. We were a melting pot and everyone was equal, except when it came to Kung Fu, when I always had to be Chuck Norris, who famously looses to Bruce. Although I've moved away from the area, I know that none of these people climb and are unlikely to do so. Maybe climbing doesn't appeal to them, maybe they've had no exposure...
While coaching, I had the pleasure of training, for free, a young black kid who came from one of the less affluent areas, he was good. Great technique and very strong. This I thought, is a glimpse of the future. We ignored NICAS for a while and just trained and went bouldering. At some point I looked at his Log Book. I was stunned to see that he had been ignored! Stuck on Level 1 while bouldering 6c and Leading 6b with ease. WTF! Discovering that the general attitude was one of indifference, I went to the person in charge of NICAS at the centre, "I don't like him" was the reply. I spoke to the centre Manager, he would look in to it...
Speaking to the lad's mother, she wasn't surprised and said his brother had quit due to the same attitude. A few months later, just before I left the job, we ran a Lead Comp. In the final, our subject, lets call him Lad, went first and was clearly looking strong. Near the top, a hold broke and he fell. The hold was quickly replaced, and Lad had to go again, from the ground. A little shaken and pumped, he fell off halfway and was scored for that high point! End result ?
Third for Lad, Second and First for the two Private Prodigies, trained by the Squad Coach and the regular Guest Setter/Coach.

The full extent of the potential genepool that exists is yet to be tapped, bouldering has a long way to go in terms of its reach. It is easy to forget that there are inner cities within the Inner Cities, areas that are almost hidden from view. I know these places and the people are often lean, fit and strong and often in dire need of something positive and beneficial to focus on. Being an expert Marijuana grower may have local kudos and put food on the table but there is little genuine employment opportunity, they need more options and a different set of hero's.

Many years ago a derelict section of our local Park was transformed into snazzy tennis courts, it was great for playing football but the intention was lost on all of us who couldn't afford racquets, which would have been confiscated by the older thugs in any case, but the courts were supplied by a Foundation set up by no less than John "you can't be f*%king serious" McEnroe. Maybe one of the major wall builders, who seem intent on owning indoor climbing, can devise a fireproof and vandal proof bouldering wall and get on board?
Or collectively invest in a Program to expose youngsters to bouldering and seek out the genetic freaks who will push climbing into new areas of difficulty. Inner city rents are cheap, staff can be semi transient as part of their NICAS training. The whole thing can self feed.

For sure we have already seen amazing feats of strength and climbing talent, we've had Gullich, Richard, le Menestrel, Moffet, Nicole, Graham, Webb, Hukkataival, Megos and Ondra, all superhuman in their eras, but I know a guy from the SW of England, works in a shop and puts up and repeats as many circa 8b/+ boulders as the pros. He gets free shoes and a snazzy tooth brush.

Enter the ladies...
Women have crushed rocks for years. It's a fallacy to think #girlsclimbingstrong is new. Only the hashtag is new. The ladies have taken to the crags in a deliberate way since at least 1799, when Miss Parminter apparently "got on" Le Buet in the Alps. No small challenge given the costumes of the day. Certainly Marie Paradis, an 18-year-old French woman, climbed Mont Blanc in 1808 and set a precedent. In more recent times many women have appeared on the scene and shown us what's possible with a slight frame and 100% commitment. My girlfriend regularly cranks so hard on rock that I have to remind myself that I might not be trying hard enough. A year or so ago I discovered Kaddie Lehmann, she had just climbed the Kryptos boulder graded 8c and around the same time Margo Hayes climbed a route graded 9a+. Go to almost any bouldering gym and you will see female climbers giving it everything and often there are a few who beast the boys. Times are changing and so is the popularity of bouldering, televised World Cups have helped and gradually more and more female athletes will get involved, inspired by the likes of Janja Gambret and the ever impressive Akiyo Noguchi. 

Enter the anomalies ...
Characters pop up every now and then, it's synonymous with the sport, that seem to break all the previous molds and forms of possible. Let us consider briefly the man known as Bare Foot Charles. It seems incredible to be bouldering so hard bare foot, but our feet are as miraculous as our hands and he is showing us this. Years of bare foot climbing helps of course, but recently he put up No Kpote Only at an astonishing grade of V17. Consider that Burden of Dreams, (previously known as The Lappnor Project) is also V17 and took Nalle 4 years wearing climbing shoes. It could take the house hold names four years to catch up, which means a new approach to discovering climbers and/or the way we train is required if the envelope is to be pushed further, further than what most already thought was impossible. 

What's the answer.
The millions of dollars, euros and great british pounds, that are being made off the back of climbing can be fed back into the sport at a grass roots level. And not in the form of Think Tanks and Middle Management, but in the form of group sessions and fully funded bouldering centres in the areas that really need a boost of positivity. They don't need to be huge or Insta Savvy set ups. Covid has shown us that we must begin to live differently, a more holistic approach is required immediately. Walking through one of my old inner city haunts recently, I sensed a new kind of danger, the boredom mixed with reproach, of everything, was palpable. Our youth need an out let and bouldering is certainly on option and in the process we might discover the next level of attainable difficulty.

Boulder Blogger