For many, this list of accolades and accreditation would be enough to pretty much write whatever he likes but Feehally really doesn’t seem that sort and while he states that he never intended to write a book filled with academic citations, it is clear he’s done his reading. Take the History section in Chapter 1 for example, where Wolfgang Gullich gets equal billing alongside the academic studies of Eva Lopez. This book goes beyond the obvious yet never forgets it. Now, before I get in trouble, I should mention that this is not a review or endorsement of Feehally’s book, which is called Beastmaking and seems like it’s probably great. The simple fact is, I don’t have a copy yet, so no comment. Instead, this is a review and endorsement of a short film by Wedge Climbing in which Feehally outlines his approach to training and recommends his book. So what’s the film like? Climbing Away offers general information about thousands of climbing areas around the world. It also sells a handful of digital guidebooks for sport climbing areas mostly in France. An example of those views: “Personally, if I’m climbing well, that’s when I enjoy it the most. So I train a bit, get a little better, and enjoy it more.” Admittedly, Beastmaking doesn’t scrimp on the word count but nor does it mince its words. Throughout, the message remains clear and the overriding theme is that you’ll still need to put the effort in to make any gains. Right from the Introduction, Feehally makes it clear that “the benefits of simply owning a fingerboard are fairly limited” and simply buying the book and expecting to suddenly climb harder is no different.

Beastmaker’s Ned Feehally has become a pillar of climbing’s international training community. Between both his 1000 and 2000 models, Feehally has co-produced the most popular brand of wooden fingerboards in the world. Although Beastmaker continues to build and rebuild training equipment, Feehally has more recently focused his efforts on a training book. This is Beastmaking. Ned Feehally on his wall Definitely go wooden. New resin fingerboards at home are awful on the skin. Without the traffic that holds get at a commercial wall, resin holds will stay very rough for a long time. A wooden board can be trained on when your skin is thin and won't make your skin any worse. Resin holds will make your skin worse and will be painful when your skin is thin. Don't add skin issues as a potential reason to not train. For climbers that need a hangboard to take anywhere, this one offers an excellent hold set for training on the go Plastic boards tend to have more creative shapes and holds, but they are rougher on the skin due to the added texture needed to create friction. Boards that are rough on the skin can be helpful for building calluses but also require some healing time after a workout. If you are warming up for your climbing day on a hangboard, consider wood over plastic to help keep your skin in top shape for the day. If you value variety in your holds, plastic boards may be worth the cost of some skin.At the end of the book, there are interviews with Alex Puccio, Adam Ondra, Jerry Moffat, Melissa Le Nevé, Tomoa Narasaki, Alex Megos, Alex Honnold, and Coxsey. Questions range from “What is your five-second maximum one-arm hang on the Beastmaker 2000 middle edge?” to “What is your advice for climbers who want to improve?” One thing I missed was an in-depth discussion of periodization and strength training. Feehally does touch on some of those aspects, briefly, but not as much as some of the nerdier training enthusiasts (me) might want. To be fair, Feehally purposely left all the nerdier stuff out. The beastmakers are good. The 1000 is easier to warm up on and has a better selection of smallish edges. The 2000 is better for (assisted) one arm hangs and hard slopers (the 45 degree slopers are HARD).

Boulder Trainer is a customizable hangboard app. Choose your hangboard of choice, select a pre-programmed workout or create your own, and train your fingers into oblivion. I find the lattice rung to be even kinder on the skin than the beastmaker. It is harder though (especially if, like me, you are stronger in a half crimp than a drag). This was my first attempt at any 7a so it was a bit of an eye opener but a really good one because it felt extremely hard and that's what I want. But honestly, I'm nowhere near achieveing it at the momemt. I could try find another 7a that better suits my strengths but I feel this is the point at which I really need to work on my weak lower body flexibility.

Reviews

Overall: If you’re a fan and a user of the Moon Board, this app is stellar. It’s interactive, immersive, and well-designed. Once you figure out the setup, icons, and search features during your first session, it becomes a breeze to use.

Fantastic, thank you. Knowing someone else up'd their grade by focussing on flexibility is great. Over the past week or so I've been trying a couple of follow-along routines on youtube for lower body flexibility- lattice and hoopers beta. So I shall keep at it though it does take some sacrifice time-wise to prep space etc. I'm a dad and a husband so my time is usually tight... just like my hips. Beastmaking by Ned Feehally is designed to provide normal people – like you and me – with the tools we need to get the most out of our climbing. With insights from some of the world’s top climbers, including Alex Honnold, Shauna Coxsey, Adam Ondra, Alex Puccio and Tomoa Narasaki is this the book you need to push your climbing goals further? Pete Edwards takes a look... Alongside simple messages like this scattered throughout the book are regular references to Olympic climber Shauna Coxsey, although once you realise that she is married to the author, it seems very logical to include UK climbing’s wonderful poster girl. And seriously, who else could you possibly ask for as the perfect exemplar of what can be achieved by successfully incorporating a good training plan into your climbing? (Oh and for anyone now shouting Ondra, Jerry or Megos, there’s a Pro Tips section with these names and more in Chapter 18 towards the end of the book too.) Yet, as is so often the case with something simple, there was much confusion how to use this new equipment properly and to its full extent. Indeed there still is for many people and clearly, Ned Feehally has realised this issue by writing his new book Beastmaking: a fingers-first approach to becoming a better climber. If that is in itself good news then the better news is that he’s done it really well. Cons: Like the Boulder Trainer app above, Beastmaker offers no supplemental content on the app itself. It’s basically a purpose-built timer with some hangboard workouts programmed in.

The book is incredibly comprehensive in this department. It begins by outlining finger and flexor anatomy, then talks about what finger strength actually is ( differentiating between active and passive strength), and finally provides an intro to finger boarding, grip types, forms, and exercises. (I personally found his breakdown of the benefits of one arm vs. two arm hangs particularly interesting.) Pros: Unlike Mountain Project, which features user-generated and sometimes unreliable content, Rakkup gives you the comfort of a pro guidebook in the palm of your hand. These are the same guides that have been researched, crafted, and published by dedicated climbers. The only difference is the guide exists in your phone. Additionally, the app’s interactive map feature has an advantage over any map printed in a book.