In this interview, we chat to Premium Plan client, Ulf Fuchslueger, all about living and training on the road. Ulf has been travelling in his camper truck with his wife for over 6 years, balancing work and training from the road. Having recently sent a 5.13 project, Ulf speaks to us about how he’s finding his training, hitting goals, and his best advice for you.

Can you tell us a little about your recent climbing successes; what/where were they, and how did you feel for achieving them?

I recently finished my first 5.13a, which has been a goal for quite a while and was one of the reasons that I started training with Lattice. The route I chose is located in a big and steep cave called El Chonta in the state of Guerrero in Mexico (https://www.thecrag.com/climbing/mexico/area/2567357517). The route is called Guerrera Cosmica and has a distinct technical crux in the first third to half of the route, followed by endurance climbing to the anchors after a good knee-bar rest. It is about 32m long. I worked the crux that I couldn’t do at all in the beginning, according to Cam’s suggestions, as a linked boulder problem (even though it is so steep that it is hard to get back to the wall) and made rapid progress. It took me about 12 tries once I had solved the crux to finish the route. As always it was a great feeling to finish it, I wasn’t even pumped at the anchor! It also helped that I had a great crowd to support me at the base of the cliff on my send and the most successful attempts before.

How long have you had this goals to climb 5.13a, and when did it first seem attainable?

I finished my second 5.12d earlier in the year, so I felt that climbing 5.13a wasn’t too far away… I believe in the importance of the pyramid, which is why I track all my ascents (even failed ones and attempts) on the Crag (profile here: https://www.thecrag.com/climber/rouletout).

Could you tell us a little about what you do for work, and how you fit your training around day-to-day life?

I have been travelling with my wife in a camper truck for almost 6 years, so I usually have time to train but not the facilities to do so. Also, we do not spend extended times at individual crags (typically a max of 2 months) which requires us to adapt all the time to new climbing styles. Our travel blog is here: www.rouletout.ch. On top of travelling. my wife and I work for theCrag.com in marketing and business development which is a great fit for what we do!

How do you feel from your training with Lattice?

Honestly at the beginning, I struggled a little to build a daily schedule out of the weekly plan given, and combing the right exercises. However my coach, Cam, is always a great help and answers all my many questions in great detail. I think the plans I get are well adapted to my needs and the limited equipment we have on the road. The plans also adapt nicely to our times on and off the rock, which vary quite dramatically depending on where we are travelling.

I also really liked the aspect of training on a climbing day, even though this seemed completely impossible when I heard it first. Finishing off the day (before a rest day) with some exercises definitely helped me feel better for the next attempt!

What are your future goals and how do you hope to achieve them?

Obviously the goal is to climb my first 5.13b / 8a – I’m positive that with Cam’s help, I can achieve that as soon as we arrive at another great climbing location!

What are the best pieces of advice you would give to others with regards to training towards their goals?

Stick to the plan!  Sometimes it is hard to motivate yourself to start the training session, but once you have started, it always feels great. In my first 6 months of training, I only skipped one session. Persistence is what helps me.

See more from Ulf at: https://www.thecrag.com/climber/rouletout