Not trying more, but trying differently. How I work my projects and what actually moves you forward.
A project is a boulder you can't flash yet, but one you believe you'll send eventually. That's what sets it apart from a problem that's simply beyond your level.
Projects take several sessions. You come back, you try again, you get to know the boulder move by move. That's the heart of project work: not throwing power at it until it goes, but understanding why it doesn't go yet.
Phase 1, deconstruction: you break the problem down into individual moves. Which move is the key? Where do you lose power? Which foot position are you missing? You do this from the ground, with your eyes, not your hands.
Phase 2, isolated training: you work the crux moves one at a time. Not the whole boulder from start to finish, over and over. Instead: moves 4 and 5 until they're dialled. Then moves 3 to 5. Then 1 to 5.
Phase 3, linking and sending: once every move works on its own, you work the links. How do you reach the crux still fresh? How do you keep holding on at the end when your arms are already pumped? This is the most interesting phase.
On my trips I see two types of boulderer: those who 'try more' and those who 'try differently'. The first get tired and frustrated. The second get better.
What makes you better: conscious feedback after every attempt. What didn't work? Was it power, technique, body position, a mental block? You can only improve what you've actually recognised.
What doesn't make you better: starting from the bottom every time, full power, without thinking. That trains endurance, but it won't move you forward on the problem you're working on.
I have boulders I've worked on for several weeks. Sometimes months. That's not failure, that's simply the process.
What I've learned: projects need an end date in your head. Not because you need pressure, but because open-ended projects fizzle out. I tell myself: 'This season.' If it works out, great. If not, I take what I've learned and start next season smarter.
The send usually comes once you've stopped grabbing and started flowing. It sounds mystical, but it's true. Trying while tensed up gets in the way of the good attempt.
On my trips, especially in Fontainebleau, we don't just work our way from boulder to boulder. We look at what each participant needs.
When someone is stuck on a particular move, I take the time. We look at the biomechanics, we try different body positions, we talk about footwork. It's not a lesson, it's figuring it out together.
That's why I take a maximum of eight people. With more, I can't give everyone what they need.
I recommend a notebook (or the Notes app) with one entry per session: What did I try? What didn't work? What's my plan for next time?
It sounds pedantic, but after 10 sessions you won't remember what you worked out in session 3. The log is your memory. And it shows you progress, even before the send arrives.
Three fields are enough: the problem, what didn't work, the next attempt.
“I always tell participants on my trips: the send is nice, but you learn more from the process. Once you know why a move doesn't work, you're already better than 80% of boulderers who just keep pulling.”
Daniel Dörr
I coach every participant one on one. Nobody sits on the bench.