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
The key factor that separates the Woods Board from other training boards on the market is its hold density. Rather than the traditional 20cm grid spacing introduced by the Moon Board, the holds on the Woods Board are only 10cm apart. This tight spacing allows for more holds overall. Raether told us that the Woods Board hold set will include over one hundred more holds than competing boards of the same size and scale.
Ultimately, the Woods Board aims to combine the core creative spirit of a spray wall with the symmetrical layout and global network of existing training boards like Tension and Grasshopper.
Daniel Woods is known for training on a spray wall — so it makes sense that the Woods Board reflects this influence. 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.”
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To make the most of the 12′ x 12′ board and augment the number of possible sequences, Raether says climbers will be able to “comfortably” use footholds as hands. That vocabulary is dubious at best if you’ve ever seen Daniel Woods or Andy Raether climb.
Still, Raether told us that he has already created “hundreds” of problems in the beginner to intermediate range of V0 to V4. Though many of the holds appear to be thin and crimpy from afar, Raether says the board is comfortable and approachable for climbers of all levels.
Upon its full release in winter 2022, the Woods Board will have a “custom-built” smartphone app with a top-10 leaderboard, a standards leaderboard (similar to Moonboard’s benchmarks), and a system for proposing grades for problems that have not yet been sent.
For more information about purchases and preorders, contact Raether via MenagerieClimb.com. Buyers will be able to choose the color of the included plastic holds. The first Woods Board is installed and open for business at The Pad Climbing in Henderson, Nevada. Several more are already in production.
