Stefano Ghisolfi Interview: Finger Strength, Training & Projecting

Today’s guest is one of the best climbers in the world right now. He’s redpointed 3 9b+’s and 7 9b’s, and won multiple IFSC world cups. Yes, it is the one and only Stefano Ghisolfi! The journey that this athlete has taken in the sport is a remarkable one, not simply because his incredible grades, but because he has so many relatable actions that many of us can also deploy in our own climbing pathway. Sure, we may not all reach 9b+ or Olympic selections in our life, but at our own personal level there are strategies that pay off ... big time. 

Those key strategies discussed come down to:

1. Playing to your strengths and understanding how you can work on your long term (changeable) weaknesses.
2. Building a solid grade pyramid of performance, experience and skill. 
3. Appropriate methods for making a change in performance metrics. What strategies actually work for the thing you're trying to alter. 
4. Working on your fear and mindset in a performance setting.

Around these topics, we discussed - amongst other things:

1. His first competition at 14 and how only 3 years later he’d got a podium and also competed in the Senior world champs and placed 10th in combined. 
2. What his early journey in climbing looked like. How quickly did he go through the grades?
3. His first 9b Lapsus. 
4. His views on repeating some of the world’s hardest routes like Change, Bibliographie, Perfecto Mundo. How important is this process/goal?
5. His repeat of Bibliography and proposed 9b+ grade vs 9c.  
6. How much bouldering does he do compared to sport climbing? Does it change at different times of the year?
7. How does he fit in fingerboard work and other forms of more 'basic' S&C?
8. His fear of heights, falling and exposure. 
9. How does he identify what he wants to work on each season?

The Lattice jingle is brought to you by Devin Dabney, music producer of the outdoor industry who also hosts the American Climbing Project.

The Lattice jingle is brought to you by Devin Dabney, music producer of the outdoor industry who also hosts the American Climbing Project.