Need a boost in your climbing? Want to be a little stronger? Great Western Power Company's system wall offers the perfect opportunity to train harder with HIT strips.

Over a decade ago, climbing training author Eric Horst developed a program to greatly increase grip strength. Hypergravity Isolation Training (HIT) utilizes high intensity exercise, identical finger holds, and climbing with weight.

In this video, accomplished boulderer Sam Schwartz demonstrates how to affectively use the HIT strips.

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By Amanda Robinson 

I found myself on the car ride back from my post-Thanksgiving Joshua Tree trip with a little bit less skin, a lot less pride, a lot more dirt, and just the right amount of necessary introspection. 

Let me explain.

Climbing has always been a multifaceted sport for me, as I must assume it is for many of those that spend their holidays, weekends, and free evenings partaking in it. No other sport pushes me in so many aspects; after a good climbing session, I am mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted.Most of the time I just leave it at that – I like climbing because it requires more than brute strength. Climbing requires more than technique. I’ve always known that, but what I learned this past weekend is that I love climbing because it is honest.

Once again, let me explain.

 

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It's well known that the Touchstone Bouldering Competitions are a great chance to get some amazing climbing in, but they also act as the social event of the season. After TBS 8 hit Berkeley Ironworks and The Studio in San Jose, the fun continued at MetalMark Climbing and Fitness in Fresno.
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Climbing involves more than just rocks. The areas we climb in are important too. Climbers can make a significant impact to help preserve the areas we climb in.

On October 31st, the Bureau of Land Management reported that vandals removed four petroglyphs from a sacred Paiute site in the Tablelands area of Bishop, California. The vandals defaced a fifth with deep saw cuts, removed and broke a sixth petroglyph during the theft and scarred other ancient Indian art with hammer strikes and saw cuts.

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Bouldering season is in full effect. In between weekend trips to Sonora and Bishop, the gym provides a great place to train. The campus board provides an ideal training surface.

In this video, Touchstone's Sam Schwartz provides instruction on how to effectively use a campus board.

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One of Touchstone's founding principles is supporting local communities. All our gyms regularly open their doors to local schools and organizations to give kids a chance to climb. In December a group of children from Guadalupe Elementary School visited Mission Cliffs in the city and had a great time climbing with their teacher. Donna, the manager of Mission Cliffs, was trilled to receive the following Thank You letters in the mail. 

Here are some of our favorite excerpts from the thank you letters we received. 

"After a few climbs I got enough confidence to climb those walls 40 feet high!" -Alex

"I had a great time rock climbing at Mission Cliffs today. And thank you for belaying for me too. This is so far my favorite field trip of all time." -Raul 

"Thank you for being our volunteer. You gave us some really hard walls to climb. Nothing that I couldn't handle. I want to make rock climbing a hobby of mine. I really loved those two hours of my life." -Kevin

"Thank for for being my belayer. Thank you for not letting me fall. Well I did fall because I was tired, and then you told me to stand up. Thank you because you did not let me give up." -Ruby

"Before we got to Mission Cliffs I was really shaky and scared. The first 2 walls were really scary and I coudn't climb to the top. Then I got confident and on the last 2 walls I got to to top! Thank you for belaying me." -Ingrid

"Thank you for beleying for us. Without a belayer I would have been dead." -Jonas

"Thank you for letting us rock climb at the gym. If you wouldn't have let us climb I wouldn't have had my first experience. Now my life is rock climbing." -Carol

"When I went climbing indoors I felt scared going down but determined going up." -Raymond

 Teaching kids to climb for the first time is such an amazing experience and we're so glad to be a part of the community in the Misson. If you've brought a group to one of our gyms, please share your photos or stories with us!