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Duh Yi-Shiou

@allenduh88

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Curious about science. Powered by climbing
👨‍🎓 Physics PhD at Stanford
🧗‍♂️ First Taiwanese🇹🇼 climber send V14
👇 Goldfish Trombone (V14) documentary

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✅Goldfish Trombone V14/8B+
1st Taiwanese🇹🇼 send V14

Documentary video with English subtitles. Link in bio.

I am so proud to post my V14/8B+ Goldfish Trombone uncut video and YouTube documentary after Eric sent it. Thank you @climbing.whispers for editing this epic documentary video (With English subtitles edited by @jaames_climbs - YouTube link in bio) to inspire more climbers around the world. Thank you @eric_climbing for teaming up with me on our greatest achievement yet.

After celebrating Eric’s V14 send, our V14 journey came to a happy ending. Looking back after half a year since I sent, the self-doubt and the exhaustion of my soul disappear. What remains is the confidence to keep challenging myself as well as my amazing friend who shares the same mindset and achievement.

Only 4 Chinese/ Taiwanese-cultural climbers in the world have sent V14 outdoors. Far from the statistical norm, 3 out of the 4 climbers are David, Eric and me, the best friends who train together in the Bay Area. We are always motivating each other to train harder and finally reach our goals together. Our value of embracing challenges resonates, leading to our mutual celebration.

Climbing is my belief – pursuing dreams, resisting tortures, rebounding after failures, and enjoying growth. I desire a rough path to an epic goal, not a smooth path to a mediocre goal. In my 27 years of life, I have repeated this process in every stage of my life: winning a science Olympiad gold medal in high school, getting first place every year in university and currently pursuing a PhD in Stanford. After each stage, I gain more experience that turns into unbeatable confidence as I face the next challenge.

V14 will not be the peak of my climbing career. With my grit, I have the courage to face any challenges in life. However, this V14 journey still represents my deepest memory – based on the deepest connection with my best friend during our uncountable indoor training sessions and 30 days of projecting together day and night.

歡慶吳悠也完成V14，我們的V14逐夢之旅終於劃下句點。當半年後再重溫這段旅程，嗑線時的猶疑與艱辛早已遺忘，留下的是挑戰極限的信心與摯友的羈絆！

📷 @dliangsta
#bouldering #outdoor # climbing #climber #youtube #climber #Taiwanese #攀岩 #抱石 #外岩 taken in Happy Boulders, Bishop by @allenduh88

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4 years ago

Hard boulder selection from the Touchstone competition series at Dogpatch.

Recently, I’ve felt lost and disoriented while exploring unfamiliar direction in biology. Just as building muscle begins with soreness, learning technique begins with awkward movement.

Discomfort often means the difficulty is just right.
The important thing is to keep going and to trust that things will find their path.

That optimism gives me the courage to try ideas that might make me look foolish.

On the wall and in science, progress often begins with being willing to feel uncomfortable. by @allenduh88

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2 months ago

Back at my old home gym, Movement Santa Clara.

Five years later, I’m not sure I climb harder grade-wise.
My fingers are weaker.
My power is weaker.
But I climb better.

I used to grab every hold with maximum commitment, sometimes even on V14s, while my arms worked separately from the rest of my body.

Now I climb as one body.
That took me years to understand how to link different part of body.

Santa Clara has an amazing training culture: hangboards, boards, weighted pull-ups, endless ways to get stronger.
But sometimes we overtrain the engine before learning how to drive the car.

Strength only matters if your body knows how to transfer it.
Core tension. Positioning. Balance. Timing.

That’s what my core routines have changed for me.
Build the connection first.
Then train the fingers.
Then train the pull.

Getting better at climbing isn’t always about getting stronger.
Sometimes it’s about needing less strength for the same move.

Thanks @ansonsascents for guest passing me and being my guide to visit boulders you recommend! by @allenduh88

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3 months ago

In my 20s, the drive was mostly to win a competition.
In my 30s, I’m starting to see training differently.

At 9 PM, with one hour left before the gym closes, I wrap up fabrication, rush over, and try to keep this biweekly update alive.

Most people are heading home when I walk in.

And somehow, after 50 minutes shaking on the floor, I feel relieved.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to spend so much of the past ten years climbing. I’ve had the privilege of training seriously, chasing podiums, and letting climbing occupy a huge part of my life.

But lately, I think I understand another side of training better.
Most of us are running through the hustle and bustle of life. Research, work, relationships, responsibilities, uncertainty. Sometimes exercise is not about becoming the strongest version of yourself.

Sometimes it is simply an oasis.

I stop thinking for a moment, feel my body again.

Last night, I told my housemate that I felt like I was about to break. Nothing about my life had changed after training. The science still needed to be finished. The future is still indescribable.

But somehow, I had enough energy to try again from 90% to 100%.

That might be what training means to me now.
Not only preparing for the next competition, but building a body and a mind that can carry me through a long life.

Back to now, here are this week’s new movements :)

They’re challenging and very fun. Hope you find your own little oasis in them. by @allenduh88

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3 months ago

Hi, I’m Yi-Shiou. I started this account to share the core routine I use for climbing, with new exercises every two weeks.

I’ve practiced these routines for more than half a year. What began as extra training has become an indispensable warmup, and one of the most grounding parts of my life.

There is a difference between simple and easy.
Simple means straightforward. Easy means requiring little effort.

Climbing training has become simple because the knowledge is already out there. Most of us know what to do. But doing it consistently is not easy.

The world is full of noise, temptation, and short videos competing for our attention. I felt myself becoming someone I did not want to be.

Last year, I felt trapped in a PhD that seemed to have no end while also going through emotional pain. These exercises did not solve everything, but they gave me something small I could return to.

Again and again, I came back to the floor and finished the movements. That consistency slowly pulled me out of the abyss. My core became stronger and more stable, but more importantly, so did my soul.

Eventually, it helped me earn my first-ever win at a collegiate climbing competition.

Afterward, my coach, Ogawa sensei, told me:
“The most important thing is to keep going. I can show you the direction, but whether you continue depends on you. The talent to continue is something every athlete can build.”

I thought I would perform better at Nationals this year. I didn’t.

But perhaps staying optimistic after disappointment and continuing to work toward something far away matters more than one good result.

A long-term goal is frustrating by nature. It rarely gives immediate feedback. These are bodyweight movements, so there is no number proving I am improving. I repeat them and trust that something is changing.

Graduation, job titles, and income are easy to measure. The quieter milestones are not: becoming more disciplined, rebuilding trust in yourself, and staying on a path even when nobody can see your progress.

I enjoy this quiet time alone, training my core and my soul.
You’re welcome to join me. I’ll share a new routine every two weeks. 💪💪 by @allenduh88

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3 months ago

Optimism comes easy when the reward follows the effort. But when the cycle gets longer and I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, the doubt creeps in — I lose motivation, I feel alone in the upstream battle.
Climbing has always been the thing that clears my crowded mind. Even that got harder these past two months, managing a finger injury, watching friends climb the things I couldn’t.
But I kept training. And this week it paid off: 17-second front lever (PB), sent the hardest boulder in the gym plus a bunch of other hard problems, and unlocked the direction changing dyno.
Looking at the muscle I’ve built, I know I never drifted too far. Strong body, ready for the next challenge — whether it’s the uncertainty of building a company or just the slow, steady work of getting better. by @allenduh88

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3 months ago

Trained in SLC for three days, came home with a fresh mindset. Every time I come home, I’m really preparing for the next sprint. I believe behind every great thing is an almost obsessive desire to chase it. And I’m grateful to be surrounded by friends who embody that, the ones who still grab the crimp on every attempt, even when their body is flying off the wall or they’re at the deepest pump, the point where I probably would have already given up. I was lucky to hear their perspective on their own challenges, and to feel how much winning a championship, or any milestone toward the World Cup, really means to them. Unlike most challenges in life, a championship has a window. You win now, or the moment passes.

Soaking up that energy, I’m coming home determined to try just as hard in my own arena, the entrepreneurial journey ahead. When the train doors close, the train leaves. My approach in climbing, and in everything, is to polish the small details slowly and patiently. But everything great has a window too, and I’ll be proud of myself for catching this one, with such rich resources and a supporting village around me. The question is simple: do you want it, or not? I do.

So many new experiences, warm conversations, and lessons learned, even with my injured finger. Still managed to send three whites on Day 3, motivated by @ev.orton and some pro tips along the way. Reuniting with close friends @dliangsta @nikkarolides @ryanlevent always feels like coming home.

The biggest climbing lesson of the trip: build the link between glute and toe until it’s second nature. And commit, seriously, to getting my fingers stronger. by @allenduh88

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4 months ago

”Every 10 years, you get one shot at something epic. Miss the train, it’s gone.“
That‘s what my PhD advisor said.

I’m wrapping up my PhD and getting the paper ready to submit. The work sits at a turning point in the field, and that‘s the train I want to run with next, into a company, into the real world. But I’m just as glad I caught a different train since college: climbing.

I have fought for podiums. The crowd was loud, winning felt incredible. This year at US Collegiate Nationals I was still climbing at a high level, around top 30 to 40 out of 100+ college climbers, finals within reach in both boulder and lead.

But it‘s time to stop building my year around comp prep. I’m not quitting climbing. I‘m changing what I’m chasing. I want to build a company, push my research into the world, and climb closer to my own limit. I‘ll still drop into comps for fun, just not as the thing I plan my life around.

I’m not walking away because I lost. I‘m walking away proud. Half a year of preparation: cut coordination training to commit fully to lead, 4 to 5 sessions a week, almost every one starting with an hour of core. Something finally aligned in my body. Cleaner clipping, less wasted movement, better rhythm. For the first time, 5.14+ feels like a real project, not just an idea.

Climbing is how I made friends after moving to the US with broken English. So this year I’m just as happy cheering @kesrith.balistreri and @aj.leigh on to the US national team, and watching @ev.orton put down a flawless performance. Catching up with old friends and meeting new ones across the weekend reminded me why I love this community.

To my coach @ogawatomoko_bouldering , my mental rock, thank you for showing me what it looks like to train and polish the smallest details, day in, day out, year after year. To @eric_climbing and @victor.c.zhou To my climbing friends @adampling0930 @amgassert @ansonsascents @climbing.ryan @nikkarolides @dhkix @elliot.shindo @_gabrielkang @itswarriorgrant @chenmutao64 @bubbletherailrunner @angilee_22 @stanfordclimbingteam @texasrockclimbing. Every session built this.

Still climbing. Still projecting. The podium changed shape. The love didn't. by @allenduh88

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5 months ago

當你已經爬過 V14 的 stand start，卻又連續失敗了三年
你還會繼續去嘗試那條「沒人成功過」的 V17 sit start 嗎？
還是就此成為 Stanford PhD，走進業界開始賺錢？

這大概就是我最近腦子裡反覆打轉的問題。

我知道我其實已經可以畢業；
但我也知道，如果我現在離開，我夢寐以求的技術就不會在這裡誕生，也不會有 V17 的 first ascent。

如果把這幾年的研究比喻成攀岩，那就是：
你必須把所有環節都優化，把每個動作的成功率一點一滴拉高，
才有機會量到那麼微弱的生物訊號。

從 2023 年開始，我不斷失敗。
我常常拖延生物量測，因為我心裡早就先入為主：這次一定又會出問題。
我總得先做好心理建設，才有辦法面對那些看起來像「結果」、其實是雜訊的東西。

我能理解身邊的夥伴從一開始的期待，到慢慢失去耐心。
我很感謝那些仍願意相信、也願意跟著我的同伴。

2024 年的我很迷茫。
博士一晃眼七年多，很多過去的夢想都變得不再具體。
媽媽在電話裡一再叮囑我：不要害怕孤獨
舒適不會帶來成功，孤獨才會。

習慣一個人在實驗室，或一個人在攀岩場的比賽牆上嗑線，
讓我重新找回那個迷茫的自己。

石の上にも三年。
不求急功近利，不玩花拳繡腿。
擦乾眼淚，繼續跟我最敬愛的教練做核心訓練，
和那個想放棄的自己對抗。

我也慢慢學會接納那個賴在床上、不願意挑戰的自己——
因為我知道這件事是真的又難，又沒有盡頭。
而我仍然沒有放棄自己，這讓我很欣慰。

也因此，在關鍵時刻我能一週工作 100 小時、訓練 10 小時；
寒假學校空城，我依然每天奮鬥，甚至感到快樂。

最近的我，好像真的看見了隧道盡頭的光——
而且好得有點離譜。
我開始感嘆：這幾年的人生，值得了。

我也想起自己爬掉 V14 時，站在石頭上說的那句話：
I think I can do anything, as long as I never give up.

After sending V14 from the stand start—then failing for three straight years—
would you still chase a V17 sit start that no one has done?
Or would you take the Stanford PhD, step into industry, and start making money?

That’s been my question lately.

I could graduate now. But if I leave, the technology I’ve dreamed of won’t be born here—
and neither will a V17 first ascent.

Research feels like climbing: you optimize everything, raise the success rate of every move,
just to catch a faint biological signal.

Since 2023, I’ve failed again and again. I delayed experiments because I assumed something would break—
and I had to build myself up to face “results” that were really just noise.

I get why people went from excited to impatient. I’m grateful to those who still believe and stay.

In 2024 I felt lost—seven-plus years into a PhD. My mom kept saying: don’t fear loneliness. Comfort won’t make you win.

So I kept showing up: alone in the lab, alone on the wall. No shortcuts. No flashy moves. Just core work and consistency with my best coach.

Lately, I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel—almost too good to be true.
And I remember what I said after V14:

“I think I can do anything, as long as I never give up.”

Thanks ChatGPT for brief translation. by @allenduh88

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10 months ago

Women up finals 👸🤸‍♀️👩‍🎓
Really enjoy this recent thoughtful competition in @pacificpipe and I appreciate many strong women in the sport and in the life (I.e. @the_explaura) bring in more warmth and perspective. This is the farthest Lache in my life also. So happy to still remain strong in both traditional style and new school style 💪😊
#womenup #bouldering #climbing #lache by @allenduh88

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a year ago

2025 Taiwanese National Championship

Grateful to have competed at Nationals this year—still chasing my dream of reaching the World Cup. The results don’t fully reflect the effort I’ve poured in, but I know how much I’ve grown, especially by correcting many of my bad habits.

I’m disappointed for skipping a quickdraw in the lead semi-final—especially because I felt I had a real shot at the final. I placed 23rd in lead and 19th in bouldering. The results seem distant from where I hoped to be. Some people have even wondered if I’ve lost my passion. Honestly, I did lose some confidence after a pulley injury in March and after losing every competition since. But I believe these results just reflect my current challenges: less power, and not enough time training comp-style.

Looking back, I’ve been frustrated with my performance these past few months—but never with my love for the sport. Losing is part of this journey. It’s okay to spend 7+ years pursuing something—whether it’s difficult research or tough competitions. What matters is staying patient, training hard, and continuing to believe. Losing hurts, but it's part of the path to winning.

Thank you to all my friends who encourage me to push myself and support me every time I fall. I still love the process of improving, especially with my warm coach and the amazing support crew around me. Even if I never win a championship, I know I’ll keep growing—faster—if I just stay in the process. by @allenduh88

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a year ago

Send my first 1Qx2 in @bpump_ogikubo 🇯🇵
A humble gym where half of people climb better than me. Nothing can boost my confidence before the Taiwanese National more than getting two coordination V6s in their comp wall. I really appreciate the setting because it expose all my weakness and bad habits. For example, I correct my wrong posture of Lache swing, paddle dyno concept, slab jump engagement and wrong orbit on dynamic move. Because the setting is so subtle so I have to keep practice until having a perfect technique to actually learn the technique. This lifetime learning is exactly why I never get tired of climbing at any age. Thanks for friends climbing together💪
#bpump #ogikubo by @allenduh88

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a year ago