With Colorado’s stunning peaks, rock formations and striking vistas, it’s easy for rock climbers to find a slice of climbing paradise in this Mountain state.
Meagan Martin is always on the lookout for new rock climbing locations to conquer. Hailing from Lake Mary, Florida, Meagan has completed some notoriously tricky climbs throughout her career, including ‘Death Scream’ in Utah and ‘Mind Matters’ in Colorado, titles that aren’t exactly welcoming.
And to top it off, she’s a real life Ninja Warrior, having starred in the America version of the hit TV a total of six times.
Yet it’s the secretive ‘Whispers of Wisdom’ a V10 boulder nestled in the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado that Meagan calls her most memorable climb…
A COMPLEX CLIMB
The Rocky Mountain National Park is synoptic with this part of the USA, and a popular destination for adventure lovers and climbers alike.
Hidden in the vast state is ‘Whispers of Wisdom’, described as one of the toughest boulder problems in all of Colorado as it requires a certain level of tact in order to complete.
Meagan admits “Whispers of Wisdom took me at least 10 days and plenty of struggle.”
The climb itself entails a series of compression moves, with there being three particularly major maneuvers over the course of the boulder:
- The first move being to get yourself holding onto the boulder and into position on an undercling
- The second move involves stretching yourself far enough to reach and grip the incut crimp
- The third move is moving over the boulder lip and up onto the boulder face above
Conquer the climb, but expect to fail first.
For Meagan this rang true, “It starts with just figuring out how to do all of the moves, then it continues when you think you know what to do, so you try the climb from the beginning, but fail over and over until you do it!”.
MIND OVER CLIMB
“I’ve definitely had moments when I am scared, and have to face my fears in order to succeed.” explains Meagan.
For many climbers, it’s a mental battle as well as physical one. It’s easy to become so focused on just completing the climb, the technical aspect can get lost. Meagan goes on to say “that goal overpowers any fear that I have, so in the moment, I just try to stay calm and execute.”
People are always searching for new challenges and pushing their limits.
Set a gradient target work always work towards hitting it. Harness the inner-depths of motivation through travelling to new places to pursue heights around the world.
Meagan points out “there are so many different styles that you can always improve your climbing abilities. You really have never ending puzzles to solve, which really keeps me motivated.”
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PRACTICE SELF-BELIEF
“When you first start climbing it’s important to take it slow and be patient with your progression.” says Meagan.
Climbers have to face the fear of the drop and have full faith in their ability to complete the feat. And getting used to trusting yourself is one of the hardest aspects of climbing.
Long-time climbers will be familiar with the grievances of the sport. Aches and pains that are naturally associated with scaling such heights.
“Warming up and stretching are fundamentally important. Finger injuries are quite common, so I always pay close attention to warming up my fingers.” reveals Meagan.
Consider these warm up tips for before you head out on your next climb:
- 5 to 10 minutes of cardio to elevate your deep-muscle temperature, which makes muscles more adaptable and less likely to strain or tear.
- Dynamic stretching with rotational movements offers more benefit to muscles by adding an element of momentum to flexibility and by simulating the types of strain muscles undergo while climbing
Hand placement is pivotal as it can be tricky to judge a rock face texture, particularly if it’s out of site. Whispers of Wisdom is no exception, smooth surfaces and hidden crags make the boulder problem particularly tricky to navigate. This is where judging weight distribution can play in your favour and increase the likelihood of a successful climb.
