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Comment by salty_biscuits | Hacker News Reader

5.12d is pretty hard. Seems beyond intermediate to me (but maybe I'm just soft).

Absolutely, it's not just pretty hard, it's pretty damn hard. Most climbers will never climb this hard (maybe ~1-5% of climbers reach this grade with lots of practice and training).

Even fewer will get to a point where they might conceivably flash or onsight 5.12d (<0.5% of climbers if I had to guess)

I doubt there are more than 10,000 people alive who would consider free soloing 5.12d at all, and I don't think anyone else has free soloed a 5.12d big wall route.

I agree with you for sure. I don't think 12d is unattainable to a typical fit person, it just takes a lot of training and focused desire to get to that point. It isn't a grade you can reach in a year or even five (except maybe children with their crazy power to weight ratios) but normal 2-3 days a week climbing over time will get you the strength and technique to climb a 5.12d.

Style matters too. Are you good at steep overhung routes, slabby vertical routes that require lots of balance, crack climbing, or even off widths. It is all kinda relative. I am a tall guy so powerful long moves are my preferred style. I have friends a foot shorter than me that can crack climb way better than I can. It is a great sport and there are accomplishments to be made at every grade and every step of your climbing journey. Try hard and people with respect you regardless of the grade.

Speaking from experience, 2-3 days a week of just climbing isn't enough for everyone to reach 5.12d. Many people would also need focused training and deliberate nutritional support at 3 days a week. It's entirely possible younger people (teens to early 20s perhaps?) could get to 5.12d with less work, but that's not generalizable to the general population of climbers.

For me, 5.13 is my life goal with climbing. I tend to agree that nutrition is a huge component. When I am more focused on training, not just climbing for fun, and eat right I make strides towards that goal. All that being said, my hardest red point outside is 12b. There is a lot of work to still be done.

This is true, but there are only a few points on the entire route that are this hard. I don't mean to diminish Alex's accomplishments, just sharing things has said in said interviews. But 5.12d is definitely advanced

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