Spray Wall Training
Looking to gain endurance or work on a specific move?
Use a densely-packed area to train spray-wall style.
What’s a Spray Wall?
You may have noticed that as our setters are rotating through the resets, our walls are being set more densely than they were when we opened. This is especially apparent on our back wall by the lounge area (designated on Vertical Life as The 40). We did this intentionally so that area can be used as a “spray wall” for those looking to add an extra layer to their training.
While the Kilter Board is a great tool on its own, we wanted to offer another tool closer to what’s called a “spray wall” in other gyms. A “spray wall” is a wall that is packed densely with holds (almost like they were sprayed on with a hose), which allows climbers of all levels to create their own climbs that help them hone their climbing abilities according to a specific plan. For example, a climber may want to work on endurance to help train for outdoor lead climbing. To train for this, a climber would stay on the spray wall, climbing sideways, up, and down, for a set amount of time, repeating as needed. In a similar vein, climbers can work on their power endurance by stringing together multiple big, powerful moves for as long as they can.
What Can It Help Me Achieve?
A spray wall can also help climbers focus on specific holds or movements that give them difficulty. If a climber is struggling with pinches, for example, a spray wall offers climbers the opportunity to practice moving into/out of that type of hold without having to wait for our setters to set more climbs with pinches. Climbers can either try to string together multiple pinches in a row, or create an easier climb with one or two pinches thrown in the middle to increase the difficulty.
Spray Wall Games
Don’t forget that one of the greatest aspects of climbing is how social we can be while training. “Add-on” can be a great game for stamina training. In Add-on, climbers take turns adding one move at a time, linking all the moves together into one long boulder problem. Just like with the stamina training mentioned above, climbers can move in any direction and use any holds they like. Climbers are eliminated as they fall, and the winner is the last climber who is able to complete all the moves. Climbers can agree on any extra rules ahead of time (like no crimps or dynos) to make the game more or less challenging. Once the game is over, climbers can debrief to address any weaknesses that they may have discovered in each others’ climbing abilities, and can walk away with a better sense of what they need to work on.
Whether you’re an outdoor lead crusher or an indoor jug hauler, at Evolution Boulders, we want to help you evolve into the climber you want to be. If you want some tips or a bit of guidance for figuring out the first steps to using a spray wall, our staff is prepared to help you meet your goals. Come check out the new set and spray away!
(For more tips on how to train for outdoor lead climbing, keep an eye out for an upcoming video series/class offering)
