Author Interview Part 1: Vishaal Agartha
This was an interview conducted by Vikas on Vishaal. He asked questions that he deemed relevant to Vishaal’s story and provides some background about him.
What are some sends that stand out as landmark moments in your bouldering career thus far?
Double Dragon
This is probably the hardest problem I’ve ever done. It’s a crimp endurance line with a funky topout involving a delicate toe-heel cam. It took me an overall 4 sessions to bag this problem even though I had gotten to the very last move on my first session. I honestly thought I was going to beat Vikas to sending this problem. I punted the top at least 6 times before finally bagging it - and I don’t even think I ‘figured it out’ and could replicate it 100%. I simply got lucky.
The lesson I learned here is the value of rolling the dice. There are simply so many variables in climbing - conditions, skin, fatigue, etc. Sometimes, when working at your limit, you have to just get lucky. I considered backing off of this problem out of frustration and go back to the old mantra ‘get stronger’, but I continued to roll the dice and things just clicked one time - and that’s all it takes.
Powerline
The lesson I learned here is the importance of conditions. For those who have been to this block in Donner Summit know that it is extremely condition dependent and get’s sun 90% of the day. It took me 3 trips to do this problem and the one I was success on was not the one where I was freshest, had the best skin, or the most psyche. I had to wait until the end of the day to tackle this problem after having worked 3 others earlier. At 6 PM, the sun sets over the north side of Donner Summit, casting a shadow on the brutal slopers. Holds felt sticky and I sent first go.
Logic Probe
Not a super proud or cool line. The reason it stands out to me is because it is such a one-mover. I normally despise one move problems from both a training and outdoor climbing perspective. Previously, I had the perspective that if the move doesn’t go within the first 30 min, then it won’t go.
Logic Probe is a one move jump catch to a sharp right hand crimp. Afterwards, it’s a maybe v4. I spent at least 2 hours working the jump with at least an hour of just jumping off the ground and grabbing it to practice the deadpoint. I thought I had no hope of sending it (especially after 2 hours of thrashing) but got lucky once and proceeded to top it out.
Smooth Boy Slim
I hate the cold. It’s the one thing that makes outdoor climbing a misery to me. It’s always been a mental blocker for me and I’ve never felt recruited or able to try hard.
I sent this problem late at night in the middle of Tahoe’s winter. It was probably sub 30 degrees - a temperature I never thought I’d do anything in. But I managed to bundle up and I think the conditions may have even helped me through the sharpness of Burnside Lake’s crimps. This problem convinced me that performing in the freezing cold is not only possible, but even beneficial.
The Pugilist
This one came to me one of my climbing lows. I had been feeling down on myself for a lack of sends and went to Yosemite with the intention of just having a good time a climbing a lot. I almost set myself a rule that - “Okay, nothing above V7” to force myself to do more volume and enjoy the sport.
The weekend DID primarily consist of volume; I did 4 V6’s and 3 V7’s, as opposed to working one or two V8’s. However, after struggling on Silly Roof in Ahwanhee for a while, I decided to put some work into The Pugilist. I worked out all the moves, took a 10 minute rest, and somehow lucked out on the send. I think I learned the importance of a volume pyramid combined with trying something hard on outdoor trips. That way, you’re still motivated by your success coming out of it, regardless of whether or not the hard something went down.
What are your expectations for your outdoor bouldering 1 or 2 years from now? What would you define as “success” vs “failure”?
I’m currently aiming to establish myself as a double digit climber. I would consider myself (or anyone) established once they’ve sent 10 problems of the grade, so that is my main focus.
I hope to achieve this goal over next 1-2 years with my eyes set on some ‘real’ 10’s (AKA not PJ Tight or Girls on Film Sit). The ones I aim to do, more specifically are:
Global Warming sit
Soul Train
Agony
Ecoterrorist
Secret Weapon
Across The Tracks
Respawn Sit
What have been some of the biggest breakthroughs in bouldering (mental or physical)?
Board climbing - I originally was someone who would just go through the gym doing problems. Then, Vikas introduced me to board climbing on the GWPC woody. At that time, I think I may have been too much of a novice/weak to utilize it properly, but I think I’ve learned to use it better and better.
Scum position - through board climbing I learned the value of scumming and scumming in the same/correct position. It provides an immense of stability for me that can make deadpoints monumentally easier
4 to 3 - often board climbers swear by ‘square’ climbing with 3 points of contact. In reality, you have an infinite number of feet options outside and learning to use an extra foot for power, but come off of it is extremely useful.
Progression holds - this was a huge help during the pandemic when I had my own wall. Can’t do a move? Move the hold 4 inches closer or make the hold better. Successful reps build confidence and translate to clearer progression
Adding a weight vest - Adding a weight vest (4-8 lbs) can take a flashable problem into a project.
Conditions - Problems can feel grades easier depending on conditions.
Skin - I have super dry skin that tends to split extremely easily. I also tended to have a habit of ‘going to the death’ on the skin. Learning to treat my skin has been a rough and still is a work in progress, but this is what I’ve landed on.
Keep your skin smooth and avoid any bumps or dry spots using a sander + razor
Take a look at your skin every time after/before you pull on. Gauge where you might tear and act accordingly, whether it be taping or sanding.
IF you do split - Rhino Skin Split cream + Tegaderm all the way until your next climbing session. Do not worry about ‘grease’ or wetness.
Hoofmaker cream otherwise throughout the day to build up skin.
Before climbing, moisten your hands by using some sandpaper and water. I even keep a wet cloth next to me indoors.
Nutrition - Oh boy. I could go on about this one. Typically people will say “oh I started cleaning up my diet” or “stopped drinking beer at the crag”. I’m on the other end of the spectrum. I was and am super conscious about my nutrition, having come from an intermittent fasting background. Until recently, I trained fasted because I liked to feel ‘light’ with a solid dose of caffeine to keep me going. I stopped doing that recently and feel less jittery, calmer, and more powerful. No matter how much energy you feel like you have, if you don’t have some source of carbohydrates to fuel you, you’re going to perform suboptimally.
What are your outdoor sending tactics?
Of course there are the basics that everyone will say - chase conditions, shade, stick brush, etc. Nothing new here
My personal tricks:
Start with the topout - Often, boulders start with an initial crux that can be intimidating and stifling to do. Instead, build confidence by doing the topout. This helps me build momentum and trick myself into thinking, “if I just get to that holds, it’s over”
Ladder - I’ve seen so many extremely experienced and strong climbers give every burn from the sit. This astounds me. Why are you simply wasting skin, energy and psych on moves you already know how to do just to get to a sequence you’re not sure you can execute? Bring a ladder that allows you start halfway up and figure out your beta
Roping up - This takes the previous point to the next level. A ladder can take you only so far, but a ladder can literally let you test moves without having to budge.
Stop doing linkups - this is kind of a new one for me. Originally, I used to have to do every linkup and gradually build confidence prior to a send. Stop. Take a breath, rest, get psyched and just burn it. You can surprise yourself.
Speaker/headphones - If you’re solo, I can find it kind of weird/hard to get psyched in the middle of the woods. This may not be for everyone, but music really turns me on and I feel like I’m back in the gym/home wall.
The right partner - find the appropriate partner/partners who will
Bring the psyche
Is at your level (doesn’t flash your project)
Takes their time and works methodically
Is willing to spot even when their finished
How do you deal with the mental challenges of bouldering?
High frequency - whether it be inside or outside, don’t put too much weight on a single session. If you don’t send. It’s okay. You’ll be back the next day to roll the dice again. (As a side note, I think this also reduces chance of injury. You’re never ‘maxing’ out, but more ‘greasing the groove’)
Weightlifting - I think I have some kind of exercise anxiety. Like if I’m not trying to get better in some way, I’m not improving. If you’re not feeling climbing, have bad skin, or feel tweaky I find it really fun to just go to the gym and get a solid pump. Plus, in a sport unlike climbing where progress is so undefined and hard to see, weightlifting is very concrete. You can easily see the 5 lbs you add to your lift week to week and helps maintain psych.
Thoughts on the role of social media in bouldering?
This is a tricky one. Obviously, I try to climb for myself, but I’m definitely a vain individual who loves getting videos of climbs. Yes, I post on Instagram and YouTube, but this is more than anything a journal of my progress. I love waking up in the morning and rewatching my weekend sends and scrolling through my Instagram to see how far I’ve come. It also helps you connect with the climbing culture/community, which I think is very important in a sport that is mostly done solo.
I don’t think it’s unhealthy to want/post videos of climbing either! We’re doing really cool/brave things out in beautiful places.
The one thing I would say is to not let it take away from the experience. I’ve been extremely anal before about getting footy, especially when climbing with others and that just takes away from the group’s psych. I’ve also had times when I’ve spent too much time thinking about my video - struggling to get the right angle, getting concerned about whether it’s recording, etc. If this gets in your head, drop it. It isn’t worth it.
What does training mean to you? What does it consist of?
Training primarily consists of board climbing to me. I usually climb for 2-3 hours/day on indoor days consisting of 3-5 move boulders on 45. I find adding additional moves to be unproductive. If I can’t do a boulder outside, it’s rarely because I’m lacking endurance. Additionally, you can often bypass lack of endurance by improving your movement on the rest of the climb.
These problems are meant to emphasize tension, technique, and power on skin-friendly wooden hods. I don’t like crimping too hard inside and believe finger strength is something gained through frequency and time. Strong tendons are developed over years of consistency - not bearing down as hard as possible to the point of tweakiness in the short term.
Outside of board climbing, I do some prehab/rehab with finger curls. This is primarily about training different finger positions and emphasizing the concentric of closing an open hand into a full crimp. I find that I often catch holds uncomfortably in an open hand and the ability to close down into my strongest grip essential.
As stated above, I also do some lifting. These are mostly compound movements with some goals I have in mind:
1 arm chin
Full front lever
2.5x bodyweight deadlift
1.5x bodyweight bench press
Note that I’m not by any means saying that aiming for these goals is something everyone should strive for and will benefit your climbing. It’s just what I want to achieve because I want to.
How do you see your growth trajectory in climbing? What are you short/long term goals in climbing?
Honestly, I don’t know what my potential is. I want to climb as hard as possible for as long as possible, but know that I don’t want to dedicate my life to it. I enjoy software, my plushy Bay Area home, and other hobbies. In other words, I don’t think I’ll ever quit my job, buy a camper van, and dirt bag from crag to crag. I hope to climb V13 one day and sincerely believe I can reach that level. Anything beyond that would just be sublime.