Jannette Pazer getting lots of slab mileage at Red Rock Canyon Open Space. Photograph © Stewart M. Green

It’s spring again and time to start getting in shape for the summer climbing season. If you’re like me, you’ve been thinking all winter about your summer tick list—where to go and what to climb. To make those dreams come true, you’ve got to get out on the rock and start climbing. Cranking in the gym doesn’t cut it, doesn’t prepare you for swinging leads, for ropework, for setting up belays, for climbing fast and efficiently.

I’ve already been climbing a lot this year. As of April 1 I had done almost 100 pitches. After getting back from the canyon country last week, I decided to kick it into a higher gear. To that end, last Wednesday Brian Shelton and I met at noon at Red Rock Canyon Open Space on the west side of Colorado Springs with the goal of climbing all the routes on The Whale, a long hogback of salmon-colored sandstone. Over the next four hours we cruised 28 pitches, each averaging about 90 feet in length, and ranging from 5.5 to 5.10c. That’s a lot of mileage, a lot of belaying, climbing, and lowering. I called it our “El Whale Cap” day since distance-wise it was like climbing El Capitan in Yosemite—although a heck of a lot easier!

If you’ve got big plans for the summer—and who doesn’t?—then now is the time to start climbing lots of pitches. Nothing’s easy. Especially climbing. It’s up to you to make your rock fantasies become realities. If you haven’t been climbing much this winter, then do like I do and climb a lot of pitches. It'll make you stronger, faster, and less scared when you're on the sharp end. Top-roping and sport climbing are both good ways to go climbing and accrue frequent flyer miles. Read here about Essential Sport Climbing Gear and the three skills to Build a Safe Top-Rope Anchor.