In this page I share some examples of how I use the plots to analyse my climbs. You can use the index below to navigate the page. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via e-mail (myclimbz at outlook.de). We have also created a subreddit ( r/myclimbz ) to discuss the app and your experience with it.
Statistical analysis is a complicated topic and requires some thought. With this tool you can plot many things, but not all are meaningful. Many factors play a role here: your progress throughout the years, the weather, etc. Still, assuming you have accurately logged your climbs, and the sample size is large enough, you can validate your assumptions and learn about your climbing style and tendencies.
I started climbing indoors in 2019. I had been wanting to try for a while, but the gym membership was too expensive. That year, the company I worked for offered a discount, so I decided to try it out. Needless to say, I got hooked. Almost two years later, I tried bouldering outside for the first time. It was in Chironico, Switzerland, and it was a blast.
Figure 1 shows the number of climbs I've tried over the years. There is a big gap between 2022 and 2023, where I started climbing outside more regularly. Also, a couple of my earlier trips did not make it into the Google Sheet I initially used to log my climbs. Still, the trend is clear: I'm climbing more and more outside. I definitely prefer it to indoor climbing and, as I gain experience, my appreciation for it grows.
Figure 2 shows how many attempts I made each year. Naturally, this plot is similar to the one above, as more climbs translates into more attempts. An interesting difference, however, is between the last two years (2023 and 2024). The difference in attempts between these two years is larger than the number of climbs. This matches my experience: I've spent more time projecting climbs this year than previously. I can also plot the avg. number of attempts I've spent on each climb. The avg. for 2023 is 4.6, while for 2024 it is 5.4. I expect this difference to grow in the next years, as I focus more on projecting, something I only started doing this year.
Grades are a controversial topic. Most climbers take them too seriously, but they are still a good way to track progress. The point is that they are easily plotted. Figure 3 shows the max. grade I sent each year. As I only started climbing recently, there is not much to discuss here, but it will be interesting to see how this plot evolves over the years. I don't have a particular goal in mind; I just like climbing at my limit, and my limit will likely improve over time. The question is how it improves, and how it relates to other variables, like the avg. amount of attempts per climb discussed above.
Climbing trips are one of the best things about our sport. Especially nowadays where cultural tourism on big cities is saturated, visiting the small towns beside climbing areas is a great alternative. And, of course, being outside is always a plus. Different areas have different styles, mostly depending on the rock type, but also on the developers.
Figure 4 shows the number of attempts I've had in each area. I've visited several of the most popular crags in Europe, like Chironico, Albarracín and Fontainebleau. Bahratal is a sandstone area close to where I live, which I go to whenever the weather allows it. In the future I would also like to add some questionnaires about areas to myclimbz, as I'm curious about other climbers' experiences. Areas can differ so much, and be attractive for different reasons. For instance, Albarracín is my favorite purely in terms of climbing, and Zillertal the most beautiful. There are many others worth mentioning in every aspect!
Visiting different areas can teach us different movement styles, and also to appreciate how subjective grades can be. Figure 5 shows the max. grade I've sent in each area. In my case, Fontainebleau is a great example of how confusing grades can be. I've sent 7A in several countries, but in Font I find 6Bs already very challenging. I believe this is the case for two reasons: the style differs to what I'm used to, with the bulgy top outs and the polished foot holds, and because the lower grades are renowned for being sandbagged. I had a similar experience in Uliveto, a limestone crag in Italy.
Becoming well-rounded is a goal for most climbers. This plot can be helpful in that regard, but I feel it is often misleading because the grades differ so much from one area to another, especially in the lower grades, where the developers have a hard time grading climbs that are so far below their limit. In myclimbz, climbers can give their own opinion of the grades, and those are the ones shown in the plots. Therefore, if you learn how to grade consistently and according to your morphology (but not your strengths!) this plot can help characterize your style. Also, keep in mind that places where you haven't climbed often cannot be assessed properly here. Your evolution as a climber should also be considered when analysing these plots. Filtering out climbs you did a long time ago can help account for this.
Grading is challenging and requires a lot of experience. Plotting the avg. number of tries it takes you to send each grade could be helpful to assess the accuracy of your grades, as harder climbs should take you longer. Figure 6 shows the min. attempts needed to send each grade. I've only included areas in Spain, because I find their grades comparable. As I'm still a beginner, I often take the grade of the guide book, unless I find it way off. Assuming the sample size is large enough and the grades are accurate, the steepness of this curve shows how well I climb at my limit, and may also say something about my tactics. The results for grades above 6C are not reliable, as I've only sent 4 climbs in that range. I can see that by plotting Grades against "Climbs: total sent".
The grade pyramid is a useful tool to assess your balance between exploration and projecting, as they teach you different things. Figure 7 shows the number of climbs I've tried per grade in 2024. It is not as balanced as it should be: I've focused too much on my projects, although there are still many easier climbs around that I haven't tried. Changing the y-axis to "Attempts: total" shows an even greater imbalance. This is to be expected, as climbs well below my limit take me less attempts.
Comparing this plot to that of other years also reveals interesting insights. This was the first year were I focused more on projecting. In my first years climbing outdoors I focused mostly on trying a lot of climbs. The plots resemble a pyramid much better than this year's plot. It makes sense, as I was still learning the basics. Projecting is something I have done less, and there's a lot for me to learn.
Logging climbs can also tell us about our preferences. Figure 8 shows the number of climbs I've tried per inclination. Clearly, during the last years I have favored vertical climbs. My explanation for this is, as a beginner, overhangs were usually too hard for me, and slabs are scary. Still, I would take an overhang over a slab any day. I've also had great experiences with slabs, and hope to balance this out in the future.
There are many other variables that can be plotted here, such as the height, the safety of the landing or the weather conditions. They can all tell us something about our style and preferences. Sometimes, it is also useful to filter out climbs that bias the results. For instance, if I am evaluating how fast I can send climbs depending on the inclination, removing those with bad landings, or the ones I tried when the conditions were bad, can make the results more reliable.
Figure 9 shows the number of sessions I've spend on each boulder. As I mentioned before, projecting is something I started doing recently, and this plot confirms it. I've spent more than one session on very few boulders, and never more than three. In fact, I've only spent three sessions on three boulders, and I've sent them all. I have two projects which I've spent two days on, so this plot will change soon. Hopefully I keep my streak of sending on the third day!
For each climb you've tried, you can select cruxes. These are the most difficult aspects of the boulder for you. Figure 10 shows my success rate for each crux, and it tells a lot about my style. I often send when confronted with dynos, compression and pinches. On the other hand, I find crimping, lock-offs and my mental game the most challenging. Crimps are also my most frequent crux, followed by power and tension. Power used to be a problem in the first years, but mostly because of my poor technique, which made me rely on it too much. Recently I started focusing more on my feet and hips, and identify tension as a crux more often. Its meaning is still something unclear to me, but I attribute it more to technique than physical strength.
This list of cruxes is my best attempt at categorizing boulders, but it's not perfect. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.