Eric J. Hörst (pronounced "Hirst") is an accomplished climber of 30 years, and he is recognized internationally as a leading authority on climbing performance. Eric has been a training products design consultant for NICROS since 1994, and he now serves as the Editor of the NICROS Training Center .

A student and teacher of climbing performance, Eric has personally helped train hundreds of climbers, and his training books and concepts have spread around the world to climbers in nearly 50 countries.

He is widely recognized for his innovative practice methods and training tools, and Eric has written several books on the subject including the classics How To Climb 5.12 (1997),and Training For Climbing (2003). His latest books are Learning to Climb Indoors (2006) and Conditioning for Climbers (out Nov. 2007). A learning-to-climb DVD is planned for 2008.

[Photo: Eric Hörst on the first ascent of Logotherapy (5.13a/b), New River Gorge, WV.]

Photo by Eric McCallister.

He has written over 40 magazine articles on the subject, appeared on numerous TV broadcasts, and his techniques have been featured in magazines such as Climbing, Rock & Ice, Outside, Muscle Media, Men's Health, Fortune, Men's Journal, Alpen, Mountain, and National Geographic Adventure. Eric also produces twice-monthly Training podcasts for Podclimber.com; these podcasts are available in the NICROS Training Center.

Driven by his passion for adventure and challenge, Eric remains active at the crags despite his advancing age (43). He has established over 450 first ascents, primarily on his home cliffs in the Eastern U.S., and he has authored two guidebooks, Rock Climbing: Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia (2000) and New River Gorge: Bubba City Climbs (2003).

Media requests for interviews or editorial content, please contact Eric using the NICROS TC "Ask Eric" question form (which emails directly to Eric).