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How to Climb 5.12
In the sport of rock climbing, 5.12 is a magical grade. Looked upon as the "door" to the elite levels of difficulty, 5.12 is thought by many intermediate climbers to be out of their reach-and that's where How to Climb 5.12 comes into play. This book dispels the myth surrounding 5.12 and teaches average climbers that they can achieve heights previously considered the exclusive domain of the full-time climber. How to Climb 5.12 is a performance guidebook that will help climbers attain the most rapid gains in climbing ability possible. It offers streamlined tips and suggestions on critical issues such as cutting-edge strength training, mental training, and climbing strategy. How to Climb 5.12 is the perfect manual to guide you on the road to mastery-and help make the trip as short as possible.
120 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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177 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
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April 2, 2012The walls to her heart are V9s and I'm just not that good of a climber.
July 27, 2022
(back to writing reviews because it helps me concentrate when reading)
This is a fun little book. Very feminist, as most if not all pictures are women climbing and training! I really like the part talking about mental training, but felt the part about climbing training too casual.
Things I like about mental training
(1) The book has a bunch of mantra on breathing techniques, self-talks, climbing mentality that I personally think will help with climbing. The quotes are good too (I really liked this one; "the best way to push yourself the hardest and do the most amazing things is by having fun -- not going up on something because someone said it would be impressive, but because you can't imagine any other place on the planet you'd rather be" by Peter Croft. What simple truths!)
(2) One point that I really like is similar to having seen another person climbing a route: (on page 113, on taking it to a limit) A large percentage of would-be on-sighters fail because they never truly believe in a route. This is evident by their sloppy preclimb preparataion or their numby-pamby effort ending in a "take" or "I can't do this". Conversely, the best on-sight climbers know it goes, and believ they have what it takes to do it, too. They plan meticulously, climb with creativity and intuition, and, when necessary, push aggressively through questionable moves and ominous crux sections. Bottom line: they succed more often than not on their on-sights. And when they do fail, it's ofet nsudden and with great surprise-- surely they didn't expect to fall, they expected to flash!
(3) A new perspective that I have never thought about is called "reverse paranoid": (on page 152) No matter what problems you encounter, believ that the route wants you to succeed (even if you are currently flailintg miserably). In this way, view each failed attempt as a signpost directing you toward a better course of action instead of becoming obsessed with a single way the route must be done. Many climbers fail on routes they are physically capable of doing because they ignore the feedback that the route is giving them. Don't fall into this trap -- embrace the feedback of your setbacks as clues toward your inevitable success.
This is a fun little book. Very feminist, as most if not all pictures are women climbing and training! I really like the part talking about mental training, but felt the part about climbing training too casual.
Things I like about mental training
(1) The book has a bunch of mantra on breathing techniques, self-talks, climbing mentality that I personally think will help with climbing. The quotes are good too (I really liked this one; "the best way to push yourself the hardest and do the most amazing things is by having fun -- not going up on something because someone said it would be impressive, but because you can't imagine any other place on the planet you'd rather be" by Peter Croft. What simple truths!)
(2) One point that I really like is similar to having seen another person climbing a route: (on page 113, on taking it to a limit) A large percentage of would-be on-sighters fail because they never truly believe in a route. This is evident by their sloppy preclimb preparataion or their numby-pamby effort ending in a "take" or "I can't do this". Conversely, the best on-sight climbers know it goes, and believ they have what it takes to do it, too. They plan meticulously, climb with creativity and intuition, and, when necessary, push aggressively through questionable moves and ominous crux sections. Bottom line: they succed more often than not on their on-sights. And when they do fail, it's ofet nsudden and with great surprise-- surely they didn't expect to fall, they expected to flash!
(3) A new perspective that I have never thought about is called "reverse paranoid": (on page 152) No matter what problems you encounter, believ that the route wants you to succeed (even if you are currently flailintg miserably). In this way, view each failed attempt as a signpost directing you toward a better course of action instead of becoming obsessed with a single way the route must be done. Many climbers fail on routes they are physically capable of doing because they ignore the feedback that the route is giving them. Don't fall into this trap -- embrace the feedback of your setbacks as clues toward your inevitable success.
November 28, 2019
Eric Horst tries to teach how to overcome a plateau in our climbing journey. He assumes the reader has been climbing for a while already and is blocked trying to improve. The book will start helping the reader make a self assessment of their current situation and then cover the three aspects that he consider fundamental when training for climbing (condition, technique and mental strength) and how to improve them.
Most of the advice is nothing extraordinary: Take rests, eat well, focus on improving technique... But it doesn't matter, it's still effective advice and it's still likely the source of the problems. Some of the more specific advice is less obvious: Things like the 4321 training schedule or the HIT workouts were a nice discovery for me. It was also nice to read about how to improve mental strength, a topic often ignored by novice.
In my particular case, I started reading this book after being blocked trying to pass from V5 to V6 in bouldering and from 5.11 to 5.12 in top rope for a little more than a year. After putting the advice given by the book in serious practice, I was able to make that leap in less than two months. My only criticism, is that it's sometimes too vague about (for example, how can you exactly improve technique? What exact exercises can I do? I had to look for that elsewhere).
I highly recommend it. Great book and gives what it promises.
Most of the advice is nothing extraordinary: Take rests, eat well, focus on improving technique... But it doesn't matter, it's still effective advice and it's still likely the source of the problems. Some of the more specific advice is less obvious: Things like the 4321 training schedule or the HIT workouts were a nice discovery for me. It was also nice to read about how to improve mental strength, a topic often ignored by novice.
In my particular case, I started reading this book after being blocked trying to pass from V5 to V6 in bouldering and from 5.11 to 5.12 in top rope for a little more than a year. After putting the advice given by the book in serious practice, I was able to make that leap in less than two months. My only criticism, is that it's sometimes too vague about (for example, how can you exactly improve technique? What exact exercises can I do? I had to look for that elsewhere).
I highly recommend it. Great book and gives what it promises.
October 30, 2021
Divided into 6 chapters, coach Eric hands u the keys to get to 5.12 or as we say in europe 7a+/7b. Of course the true key lies in yourself and the motivation, dedication and sacrifice u are willing to make. But the bottomline is true, many climbers who get stuck in 5.11/6c grades, don't break plateaus anymore because they just do something without really knowing what they do, and hope to continue progression by a trial and error approach. As an avid climber I can only recon this, to get to 7a you'll need to get some important structure in your workouts.
It's complementary to Horsts 'Training for Climbing' as it focuses on breaking the plateau from 6c to 7a, therefore you should consider it as a welcome 'extra' to T4C.
It's complementary to Horsts 'Training for Climbing' as it focuses on breaking the plateau from 6c to 7a, therefore you should consider it as a welcome 'extra' to T4C.
August 5, 2018
Some great advice that will be useful to implement in my climbing. I need to read it again in parts and let it absorb in. (Suddenly I can climb v15s!) A lot of basic knowledge and very basic nutrition knowledge. Written well but didn't wow or grab me.
September 3, 2018
This book is wonderful! I’ll use the 4 day climbing cycle and the pyramid for my project. All the stretching, aerobic cool down and conditioning are so helpful!
January 26, 2021
Useful for taking my climbing and training to the next level. Easy to read and put into practice.
June 26, 2023
I'm following along with the recommendations in the book more or less and now successfully climbing 12s in the gym! Looking forward to getting outside to put it to the real test.
June 25, 2024
Got my motivation back and a lot of handy tips!! This book has hopefully helped future me to minimize injuries
March 17, 2025
Solid training manual for someone looking to improve their climbing.
November 2, 2022
This is really just a hype book to get you excited about training. Horst’s training for climbing is where there is actual information on how and what to train.
November 4, 2011
I think the book was a good read!
I guess you may be wondering why I gave it a 3. Well, it wasn't really like the greatest book ever read, nor did it really change my life. But the 3 also doesn't mean it was written poorly. It just means it was a good, instructional read. I learned plenty from it, and I'm glad I read it! It has plenty of tips and bits of knowledge that will help any new climber to move up another grade (whether that's 5.9 or 5.13).
Also, the book should be judged by the title. This book is not here to teach you how to climb. It's here to give you wisdom that specifically relates to climbing 5.12. It won't tell you how to heel hook, or flag a foot, but it will tell you things you can do to get stronger, and it also helped me to learn some important steps to avoid injury.
I think the easiest way to convey how this book is helpful is through an example:
I think most climbers go to the gym 3x a week, and when they go, they probably have the same goal in mind every time: "Climb at my upper limit. If I can't get it, I need to climb more, get stronger, and then go and try it again".
This isn't 100% wrong, but HTC (this book) points out a few helpful strategies you may not have thought of. "Getting stuck? Well, take 2 days rest off after tough days. If you're a guy, check your feet, odds are your footwork could use a lot of work. The way to to work that is down climb (which works surprisingly well). If you're a girl, don't be afraid to go for it, odds are you can already make the move if you don't hold back. Are you solving the problems yourself or are you asking the best climber there what to do? If so, stop, figure things out yourself. Are you climbing sport every single time? If so, switch it up. The variety will help you improve. Think about the move you can't make. Can you even imagine yourself doing it? No? Well how are you supposed to do it in real life? Visualize your routes on your off days.
Etc...
A lot of that stuff is kind of like: "Well, yeah, I mean, duh...." But when you actually have someone tell you: "TAKE A MONTH OFF ONCE A YEAR. I know it stinks, I know you'll lose strength, but it'll be worth it long term" it just helps in a way common sense doesn't always do...
And that's why I like this book!
So yeah, Hope this helps you decide!
Enjoy
-Chris
I guess you may be wondering why I gave it a 3. Well, it wasn't really like the greatest book ever read, nor did it really change my life. But the 3 also doesn't mean it was written poorly. It just means it was a good, instructional read. I learned plenty from it, and I'm glad I read it! It has plenty of tips and bits of knowledge that will help any new climber to move up another grade (whether that's 5.9 or 5.13).
Also, the book should be judged by the title. This book is not here to teach you how to climb. It's here to give you wisdom that specifically relates to climbing 5.12. It won't tell you how to heel hook, or flag a foot, but it will tell you things you can do to get stronger, and it also helped me to learn some important steps to avoid injury.
I think the easiest way to convey how this book is helpful is through an example:
I think most climbers go to the gym 3x a week, and when they go, they probably have the same goal in mind every time: "Climb at my upper limit. If I can't get it, I need to climb more, get stronger, and then go and try it again".
This isn't 100% wrong, but HTC (this book) points out a few helpful strategies you may not have thought of. "Getting stuck? Well, take 2 days rest off after tough days. If you're a guy, check your feet, odds are your footwork could use a lot of work. The way to to work that is down climb (which works surprisingly well). If you're a girl, don't be afraid to go for it, odds are you can already make the move if you don't hold back. Are you solving the problems yourself or are you asking the best climber there what to do? If so, stop, figure things out yourself. Are you climbing sport every single time? If so, switch it up. The variety will help you improve. Think about the move you can't make. Can you even imagine yourself doing it? No? Well how are you supposed to do it in real life? Visualize your routes on your off days.
Etc...
A lot of that stuff is kind of like: "Well, yeah, I mean, duh...." But when you actually have someone tell you: "TAKE A MONTH OFF ONCE A YEAR. I know it stinks, I know you'll lose strength, but it'll be worth it long term" it just helps in a way common sense doesn't always do...
And that's why I like this book!
So yeah, Hope this helps you decide!
Enjoy
-Chris
March 21, 2011
“How To Climb 5.15” should be required reading for all novice, intermediate & advanced Rock Climbers. This book outlines everything you need to know and includes valuable first hand, tested experience in developing your skills, preventing injuries and getting the absolute most out of climbing.
I am a novice climber and have been climbing for just over around seven months. Within the first couple of months of climbing this book was recommended to me numerous times. I kept “meaning” to get around to reading it but always found reasons to put it off. Now, after finishing this most excellent well of knowledge, I wish I had listened earlier. Not only would this book have ensured I progressed quicker and more efficiently as a climber but it would have aided me in avoiding a six week, doctors orders rest from climbing and physio-therapy because of an overuse injury a few months ago.
My only reservation with this book is the nutritional information and guidance it provided. While the advice provided within this book is inline with the generally accepted health & nutrition guidelines, I have also recently read a book named “Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It” by Gary Taubes. In my option, if one was to replace the health & nutritional advise provided in “How To Climb 5.12” with the knowledge provided in “Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It”, this book would be perfect.
I am a novice climber and have been climbing for just over around seven months. Within the first couple of months of climbing this book was recommended to me numerous times. I kept “meaning” to get around to reading it but always found reasons to put it off. Now, after finishing this most excellent well of knowledge, I wish I had listened earlier. Not only would this book have ensured I progressed quicker and more efficiently as a climber but it would have aided me in avoiding a six week, doctors orders rest from climbing and physio-therapy because of an overuse injury a few months ago.
My only reservation with this book is the nutritional information and guidance it provided. While the advice provided within this book is inline with the generally accepted health & nutrition guidelines, I have also recently read a book named “Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It” by Gary Taubes. In my option, if one was to replace the health & nutritional advise provided in “How To Climb 5.12” with the knowledge provided in “Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It”, this book would be perfect.
January 2, 2012
This book, by a local MD climber, really shook up how I train and climb, and led to me climbing better (and enjoying it more) than ever before last season. Great advice on the foundations (work on skills, not strength) and injury prevention and the mental game. A lot of principles that apply across sports or in other areas of life.
March 1, 2011
Good book. Helped with mindset and preparedness. Good info about nutrition and exercise programs. I'm basically doing everything wrong is what this book is telling me. Have my work cut out for me.
February 11, 2014
Pretty good book which gives solid advice for getting better at climbing. Has both work out schedules and general advice for how to focus your practice to maximize improvements.
One thing I'll probably immediately start doing is some of the pre-hab exercises in effort to reduce chance of injury.
One thing I'll probably immediately start doing is some of the pre-hab exercises in effort to reduce chance of injury.
May 25, 2009
Recommended - this guy has some very useful ideas on getting into shape for climbing.
June 30, 2012
There are some great principles to follow in this book.
November 1, 2013
I thought this book gave some useful tips for training both mentally and physically, giving me a different aim for my focus when training and when climbing. Excited to see where it takes me!
Currently reading
February 21, 2009Specific advice, routines, workouts, and more to jump start your climbing!
February 2, 2012
Great guidelines for climbing harder.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews