Stuck at V4 or V5? Why climbers plateau, and what helps

First, is it really a plateau?

Kris Hampton of Power Company Climbing points out that being stuck at a grade for a few weeks isn’t a plateau. Progress always slows as you get closer to your limit. He suggests asking yourself honest questions about whether your routine still fits the climber you are now, rather than the one who made the plan.

Why it happens around V4–V5

• The newbie gains run out. In your first months or years, just climbing makes you better. Around V4–V5 that stops being enough on its own.
• You climb what you’re good at. Sticking to the styles that suit you means your weaknesses never get trained.
• You don’t really project. Lattice coach Jen sees climbers give a hard problem one or two goes and move on, or spend half an hour at a boulder mostly chatting.
• Your movement wastes energy. Readjusting hands and feet, pulling the wrong way on holds and rushing foot placements all cost strength you need on harder climbs.
• You keep changing plans. Trying a training idea from social media for two weeks and then switching never gives your body a steady stimulus.

What helps

Project properly. Pick a climb at your limit and give it real attempts. Jen suggests setting a 20-minute timer and trying hard for all of it, and working single moves or the top section instead of always starting from the bottom. Once you know the moves, rest fully before a committed go from the start: Louis Parkinson suggests about four minutes.

Repeat what you’ve sent. Climb a hard problem again until you can do it twice in a row. Then make it harder, for example by climbing it with one leg or eliminating holds, to force new movement.

Place each foot once. Louis tells climbers stuck at V4–V5 to put each foot exactly where they want it the first time instead of shuffling it into place, and to drill this on easy climbs. Two more fixes from the same session: finish a mantel or rockover completely before reaching, and on slopers, move your feet and hips until you can pull from the best angle.

Train your anti-style. If you avoid slab, climb slab; if you avoid steep climbs, go steep. Expect the first tries to feel clumsy. Louis suggests judging a session by small goals, like holding the start or sticking one position, rather than send or fail.

Try harder climbs, and take breaks. Josh of Suck at Slab suggests trying a few problems above your max just to practise the moves, adding some rope climbing for endurance, and stepping away from a stubborn project. He worked one for a month, left it for two or three weeks, and sent it within a couple of sessions of coming back.

Get stronger, carefully. At some point technique isn’t enough. Emil Abrahamsson’s plan for V5–V8 climbers includes weighted pull-ups, max hangs on a 20 mm edge and drills like climbing boulders without feet. These are hard on fingers and shoulders, so build up slowly and always warm up properly.

Film yourself. Stephen Tvedt credits filming his climbs with spotting habits like readjusting on holds. Watch one attempt, pick one thing to fix, and focus on just that next session.

A month to try

Putting it together, a simple month might look like this:

• Two or three sessions a week: one projecting at your limit with a timer, one of easier volume focusing on precise feet.
• One climb in your anti-style every session.
• Repeat each new send until you can do it twice in a row.
• Film one attempt per session and pick one thing to fix.
• If something hurts, rest. A week off costs less than a finger injury.

If you’re newer and wondering what’s normal, see how long it takes to climb V5. For what these grades are in other systems, look up V4, V5 and V6.