Weidner: Eight ways to stay psyched and climb harder in 2009

Now that we're one week into 2009, you've surely thought about specific ways to improve your climbing this year â right? And you've no doubt selected some appropriate climbing goals, too.

Well, just in case you're not quite finished, here's a list of eight things you can do to stay motivated, get stronger and make this year the best one you've had on the rock:

Climb with motivated partners.

Partners are the sine qua nons of any climbing excursion. Whether you're on a mountain in Pakistan or on a break from work at the gym, your relationship with your climbing partners sets the tone for the entire experience. Plan ahead to train and climb with friends who are psyched to try hard and have a fun, focused send-fest.

Know what you want out of each workout.

No matter how hard you climb or how seriously you take it, be conscious of what you want to get out of each climbing day. Perhaps you want to climb a certain number of pitches, or climb a route or boulder problem of a particular grade. Maybe you want to climb for half an hour longer than you did the last time, or lift weights for a change. Or maybe you just want to have fun and be social. In any case, you'll squeeze the most out of your workout by allowing a couple of minutes beforehand to make a plan â the more specific the better.

Vary your climbing and training.

Climb indoors. Climb outdoors. Boulder, sport climb, trad climb, ice climb, bag peaks. Variety, more than anything else, is crucial to your motivation and climbing success. Mixing things up will also stress your body in different ways, aiding recovery and warding off injury.

Treat yourself to a new pair of high-end rock shoes.

A vacuum-tight pair of kicks is the only equipment that will actually improve your climbing performance. Try on different brands and styles, and several sizes of each to ensure the perfect fit you're looking for. Even if you're a seasoned tradster used to comfy shoes for everything, try something new. A skin-tight, almost-comfortable pair of shoes will dramatically improve your footwork on any type of climb.

Write down 10 challenging but attainable climbing goals for 2009.

What do you want to accomplish as a climber this year? Dream big. You're not scrawling a mandatory tick list, but rather establishing a framework of goals that will guide your climbing during the year. Of the 16 climbing goals I wrote down in 2008, I achieved nine of them â that's 56 percent, a little more than normal for me. If I had ticked them all off, I wouldn't have been aiming high enough, but it's important to set goals that are within the realm of possibility. Thankfully, I reached my most important goal for the year: Stay alive while climbing. Treat your goals however you'd like, but know that the thought process of setting goals is, in itself, invaluable.

Plan a dream climbing vacation to somewhere you've always wanted to visit.

Life's short â do it!

Explore local cliffs you've never been to.

When was the last time you roped up at the Cadillac Crag in Eldo, Vampire Rock in Boulder Canyon, the Flatirons south of the Third, or South St. Vrain Canyon? All of the above, plus dozens more semi-obscure, four-star cliffs, pepper the hills surrounding Boulder. Check¤'em out!

Buy a membership to a climbing gym.

Face it: Climbing outside regularly this time of year is the domain of the obsessed. Plus, the fast track to fitness dwells within ... within the confines of a climbing gym, that is. There's no better training than a good, hard workout on plastic, and Boulder's indoor climbing scene is top-notch. The Spot, the Boulder Rock Club and CATS offer several different types of memberships, including punch cards. Discover what's best for your training, your schedule and your budget â then ante up. No excuses. Get after it!

Contact Chris Weidner at cweidner8@gmail.com.