Engaging in longterm climbing projects can be an extremely rewarding undertaking that enables you to climb the hardest routes and boulder problems you are capable of.  On the other hand, projecting can also be extremely frustrating and full of mental pitfalls waiting to sabotage your efforts.

One of the best ways to avoid stagnation and frustration in your projecting is through choosing your climbing projects wisely.  After all, since you are going to be investing a substantial amount of time and effort into whatever climb you choose, you better make sure you are picking the correct route or boulder.

To help you figure out how to choose your next climbing projects, here’s an article by climber and trainer Alli Rainey that outlines some important considerations about which climbs to choose and how to approach them throughout the projecting process.

“For a dream project to work for me, I must absolutely love the climb from start to finish. No moves that I loathe or dread – even the hard moves are amazing and fun. Because we’re going to have such a long relationship, I feel that it’s important to love a project like this.” – Alli Rainey

Alli Rainey’s Guidelines for Choosing Your Climbing Projects

Ultimatley, because the motivations behind choosing projecting a particular climb are very personal there aren’t necessarily right and wrong choices in a general sense.  However, if you are going to enjoy the process of projecting, then choosing the right climbs for you personally is really important.  Here are Alli’s general guidelines:

1. Sample what’s out there before choosing
2. Have mulitple projects: both shortterm and longterm
3. Avoid boredom and injury by trying multiple projects
4.  Don’t put expectations about when you should send
5. Have projects that work your weaknesses and those that play to your strengths
6. Don’t feel obligated to stick to a project
7. Have fun and do what’s motivating on any given day

Click through below to read the full article.  Alli describes all of these tips in greater detail.  If you have never projected a route or boulder before, this article is a great place to start.

Full Article: Choosing Your Climbing Projects with Alli Rainey

(photo courtesy of allirainey.com)

Other Articles You Might Like:

• The Process of Projecting by Jamie Emerson
• Ethan Pringle’s 10 Tips for Sending Your Project
• The “10-4 Rule” – A Guide Line for Projecting
• TBP 012 :: Alli Rainey on Training, Cardio, and Body Weight