John Gaskins Profile include "header_root.php

What would you say is your most memorable climbing achievement?

Probably Miroir because of the time pressure that I was under to complete it. We were only there (in Font) for a week and although I did the 8b left to right version in a day I kept falling off near the end of the return trip on the 8b+ version. In the end I did it after 4 days and with 1 climbing day left in our holiday. It was funny because my brother was going through a similar scenario, of falling near the end, (albeit on an easier problem) and we ticked our respective projects within about an hour of each other.
(The above was written before I climbed Kaizen)

Are you not tempted to start competing in some of the bouldering competitions that are currently very en vogue?
No not really. Although I did some competitions years ago I prefer bouldering/climbing outside or training specifically for my objectives. When I was into athletics, and also cricket/football/rugby, competing was important to me but I don't find climbing competitions as interesting or as motivating as an athletics meet or a rugby/football/cricket match which is why I don't do them.

What training methods, if any, have you found most successful over the years?
Firstly I think that it's most important not to lose sight of what you actually want to achieve or get better at. I've always had goals and objectives that gave me something to focus on, this is especially important, motivationally, when you don't feel that you are getting anywhere as regards improving. The vague notion of getting better is, I think, much harder to train for than a certain route or problem that you want to do. For me having objectives gives things to push myself towards, I've always had projects that required that I get stronger, something that remains the case.
Secondly as regards actual methods I've always tended to primarily boulder (using both system style and conventional problems) on my boards, although I have also done power endurance work on them when my objectives required it. Normally this takes the form of repetitions of a problem that is between 17 and 30 moves, depending on how hard the problem is I'd do it between 3 and 9 times.

You have had some of the most radical haircuts in British climbing circles, what are your plans for the next style and also what does the future hold for John Gaskins?
I don't have any plans for the next style, I never planned them as such, anyway.
As regards the future I don't know, there are still things within climbing that I'd like to do. As regards the next phase of my life I'm studying at the moment and as a Christian I believe that God has a plan for me and that at the right time the next step will become clear. Something that has happened previously to bring me to the point that I'm at now. So we'll have to wait and see.

Sponsors?
Boreal
Cairn (for Megagrip, tape and chalk)