Record Failed Climbs: Use Tags to Review Your Attempts
Recording only sends keeps your results, but it misses a large part of the practice process. If you want to find problems through your records, unfinished attempts also need to be kept.
These records help you review: which routes keep stalling you, at which part the problem occurs, and what adjustment you can try next.
Failure records need specific information
"Didn't send" and "had a bad day" are hard to use for later comparison. What is more useful is recording what actually happened at the time, for example:
- feet popping off during a foot swap on a slab;
- getting through the first half of an overhang but repeatedly slipping off in the final section;
- trying different hand sequences on the same move and still not finishing it.
You don't need to write a long review every time. A few tags are enough to keep the basic information.
| What to record | Tag examples |
|---|---|
| Route characteristics | slab, overhang, small-holds |
| Where you got stuck | start, foot-swap, final-section |
| What actually happened | foot-pop, hand-slip, missed-hold |
These are examples of custom tags; you don't need to use all of them. Start by choosing a few words you can use consistently and steadily.
Use tags to find recurring problems
A single record tagged "slab, foot-swap, foot-pop" doesn't show that you have a fixed weakness. But if similar situations appear across several sessions, it is worth looking more closely at your foot placement and body position during the foot swap.
The purpose of recording is to narrow "I've been climbing badly lately" down to one problem you can check.
At the same time, distinguish facts from judgments. "foot-pop" is an observation, while "weak-core" is a guess about the cause. Record the phenomenon first, then confirm the cause through later attempts, and avoid drawing conclusions about yourself too early.
Use consistent tags for sends and failures
If only unfinished attempts are tagged "slab" but sends are not, performance under that tag will be underestimated.
The same route characteristic should be tagged on both sends and failures as far as possible. When reviewing, combine gym, grade, and climbing type, and compare records with similar context.
A low send rate under a tag doesn't necessarily mean regression. You may be trying harder grades, or adding practice on an unfamiliar style.
Make your review produce one concrete adjustment
After reviewing your records, you don't need to replace your entire training plan right away. Pick one recurring problem and set a small goal for your next session.
For example, if you find that you keep popping off during slab foot swaps, next time choose a route where you have some margin, and watch your foot placement and body position before and after the foot swap. Keep recording afterward, and check whether the same problem still appears.
Even if you haven't sent yet, getting through a move that used to stop you is worth keeping. Don't judge the whole attempt by the final result alone.
Using this in ClimbingNote+
You can log an unfinished climb as an "attempt" and add tags; log sends with the same tags, then review by tag, location, or grade in Insight.
Recording doesn't need to cover everything, and it shouldn't become a reason to add pointless attempts. Its value is keeping enough information to help you spot recurring problems and check whether later adjustments work.