Many average climbers wonder what it would be like to possess the dynamic power and finger strength of Daniel Woods.
While most of us will never find out, at least we’ll soon be able to train on a board with Woods’ name on it. Yep, yet another climbing training board is about to hit the market. Daniel Woods has a woody.
The Woods Board — aka the Daniel Woods Light Up Training Board — is a collaboration between Woods and Andy Raether, owner of climbing hold manufacturer Menagerie/Formik Climbing.
The creators have over 40 years of climbing training experience between them, and their combined tick list reads like a catalog of the world’s hardest routes and boulders.
Daniel Woods Board ‘Spray’ Layout
Compared to existing climbing training boards, it appears that the Woods Board will have a dense layout with little space between holds. From the look of it, the Woods Board has more of a spray-wall layout rather than the traditional well-spaced layout of the Moon Board.
Daniel Woods is known for training on a spray wall — so it makes sense that the Woods Board reflects this influence. The layout does appear to be symmetrical, just like a Tension or Grasshopper Board.
Presumably, the symmetrical design will allow users to climb a single sequence of moves on both sides of the board to target strength imbalances.
‘Maximum Fun,’ Hold Closeups, and Availability
Climbers can also adjust the angle to simulate a specific project or work weaknesses.
According to MenagerieClimb.com, “The wall’s layout is purpose-built to ensure maximum fun, creativity, and training ability.” Though most of the Woods Board holds are made of wood, there’s also a smattering of dual-textured plastic holds designed to feel “indistinguishable from the wooden holds.”
To make the most of the space on the board and augment the number of possible sequences, Menagerie says climbers can “comfortably” use footholds as hands. That vocabulary is dubious at best if you’ve ever seen Daniel Woods or Andy Raether climb.
Upon its full release in winter 2022, the Woods Board will have a “custom-built” smartphone app with a top-10 leaderboard, a benchmark leaderboard, and a system for proposing grades for problems that have not yet been sent.
The Woods Board is now available to preorder. Buyers will be able to choose the color of the included plastic holds. We will update this story with additional details as they come.
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