Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
pokchu
Aug 22, 2007
D:

TotallyUnoriginal posted:

Goddamn rain ruining my goddamn Foster Falls trip. Do you chatty locals think it'll be worth a drive up from Florida this weekend? We've already gotten a bunch of bunks reserved at the Crashpad

Some of the stuff at the bunkers stays dry, but with this much water you're probably SOL. You could always come to chattanooga anyway, and spend all your money at the flying squirrel Dan and Max, the owners of the Crash Pad, opened it a few weeks ago. Honestly, the only thing nearby that might be dry is MAYBE the honeycomb roof up in Dayton, and that's only one section of bouldering.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Year of the Monkey
Jun 16, 2013

YourCreation posted:

A 12 year old Italian climber died today after a sling failure 8(
http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=68190

Just read about this. Very sad news. A grim reminder on how important it is to remember to check your gear before you get on the rock.

Sgt. Slaughter posted:

My recommendation for starting bouldering shoes for people is pretty much always the Mad Rock Flash. The Flash 2.0 came out relatively recently and is nothing but improvement on the old model. I've always hated the Evolv Defy with a passion, I really think it's an awful shoe and Mad Rock really gives you bang-for-your-buck with the Flash, which just feels better on all fronts (for me, at least). You can probably find them cheaper than $83 on other sites.

Just chiming in on this one to say that I picked up a pair of Flash 2.0 after wearing through my Defys a couple of months ago and haven't regretted the decision. I'm finding them to be a much better shoe all around although I'm not sold on the heel gel (I haven't noticed it working against me but it seems counter-intuitive to add something viscous between the foot and the rubber, even if it's just in the heel). For some reason I always found edging difficult with the Defys even though they were the tightest shoe I owned at the time. The rubber on the Defys seemed almost slick at times. It may all be a case of personal preference, though, as I've heard a lot of people comment very positively on the Defys.

gamera009
Apr 7, 2005

modig posted:

Any Boulder goons want to get out on Sunday?

Depends on the time but I might. I'm busy until 2pm though. :(

TotallyUnoriginal
Oct 15, 2004

Damnit bob

pokchu posted:

Some of the stuff at the bunkers stays dry, but with this much water you're probably SOL. You could always come to chattanooga anyway, and spend all your money at the flying squirrel Dan and Max, the owners of the Crash Pad, opened it a few weeks ago. Honestly, the only thing nearby that might be dry is MAYBE the honeycomb roof up in Dayton, and that's only one section of bouldering.

Thanks, we ended up cancelling all of our reservations. I was really looking forward to getting out of Florida over the 4th too

Pander
Oct 9, 2007

Fear is the glue that holds society together. It's what makes people suppress their worst impulses. Fear is power.

And at the end of fear, oblivion.



Year of the Monkey posted:

Just read about this. Very sad news. A grim reminder on how important it is to remember to check your gear before you get on the rock.
There are about 20 autobelays where I climb, and when I start doing a circuit of each one during a routine, I get into a rhythm and don't necessarily check the carabiners the best. Kinda a reminder to take the extra 5 seconds and make sure it's not in a locked-open position (these are pretty lovely auto-lock biners). Yikes.

gamera009
Apr 7, 2005

Modig and I went up to upper satellites. Super fun. Super uncharted.

Super "I suck at climbing" session.

Good times.

I'll post pics soon.

edit:

Alas, the only really good picture:



P1020287 by :v:, on Flickr

gamera009 fucked around with this message at 06:03 on Jul 8, 2013

modig
Aug 20, 2002

gamera009 posted:

Modig and I went up to upper satellites. Super fun. Super uncharted.

Super "I suck at climbing" session.

Good times.

I'll post pics soon.

edit:

Alas, the only really good picture:



P1020287 by :v:, on Flickr

One of the many ways we tried and failed on that problem.

Pander
Oct 9, 2007

Fear is the glue that holds society together. It's what makes people suppress their worst impulses. Fear is power.

And at the end of fear, oblivion.



modig posted:

One of the many ways we tried and failed on that problem.

good christ. That's as flat as a kitchen counter-top. How the hell are you supposed to do that short of suction cups on your hands?

evol262
Nov 30, 2010
#!/usr/bin/perl

Pander posted:

good christ. That's as flat as a kitchen counter-top. How the hell are you supposed to do that short of suction cups on your hands?

Side pulls and heel hooking -- exactly the way the image shows. I'm not sure how I'd get over nose (not that great of a boulderer), but it doesn't look impossible.

spwrozek
Sep 4, 2006

Sail when it's windy

Went to planet rock yesterday (in Ann Arbor). It was the first time at a gym in 15 months. I have no idea how I used to climb in michigan. The humidity is brutal.

Had a great time though. Did a few leads and hung out with old friends. Now just to convince them to visit me in Colorado, the bums.

gamera009
Apr 7, 2005

evol262 posted:

Side pulls and heel hooking -- exactly the way the image shows. I'm not sure how I'd get over nose (not that great of a boulderer), but it doesn't look impossible.

This is verbatim what our discussion was and then we tried the problem.

Laughter and crying ensued.

edit: I like that Modig called this problem a V3 when some other climbers stopped by.

gamera009 fucked around with this message at 22:23 on Jul 8, 2013

evol262
Nov 30, 2010
#!/usr/bin/perl

gamera009 posted:

This is verbatim what our discussion was and then we tried the problem.

Laughter and crying ensued.

edit: I like that Modig called this problem a V3 when some other climbers stopped by.

Admittedly, it looks much easier from other angles, though the nose is still nasty

Covert Ops Wizard
Dec 27, 2006

Pander posted:

There are about 20 autobelays where I climb, and when I start doing a circuit of each one during a routine, I get into a rhythm and don't necessarily check the carabiners the best. Kinda a reminder to take the extra 5 seconds and make sure it's not in a locked-open position (these are pretty lovely auto-lock biners). Yikes.

I've been having a lot of people come in to the gym I work and tell me "Oh sure, I know how to belay!" and then look very confused when we do the test and the setup isn't a biner on a party knot attached to a grigri or auto belay. I think making it so easy for people on the safety aspect is foolish, it doesn't make people think about their own safety and rely on devices rather than people. I teach people to check their partners every time for a reason, because beginners gently caress up because they're inexperienced and old pros gently caress up because they're done this stuff so much they stop thinking. Being by yourself on an auto takes all of that support and building trust in your friends and throws it out the window. I think the low "investment" in terms of learning skills in these gyms really hurts climbers and leads to sketchy poo poo like the time my friends met a group of girls climbing on a static rope outdoors because nobody taught them anything beyond how to pull rope through a grigri.

I do love grigris but there's a place and a time for everything, and I really think beginners should learn to be 100% on belay setup and form before moving to the fancy stuff.

spwrozek
Sep 4, 2006

Sail when it's windy

Totally agree. We went through our checks yesterday and guess who didn't have their leg loops doubled back.... All was good since we were checking.

modig
Aug 20, 2002

gamera009 posted:

This is verbatim what our discussion was and then we tried the problem.

Laughter and crying ensued.

edit: I like that Modig called this problem a V3 when some other climbers stopped by.

Every problem is V3, because the parts I can do are about V3, and I can't rate the parts I can't do. :eng101:

Irving
Jun 21, 2003

Covert Ops Wizard posted:

I teach people to check their partners every time for a reason, because beginners gently caress up because they're inexperienced and old pros gently caress up because they're done this stuff so much they stop thinking. Being by yourself on an auto takes all of that support and building trust in your friends and throws it out the window.

Almost all the bad injuries at my gym have come in two categories:

1) Bouldering accidents with inexperienced climbers (or inexperienced at bouldering at least)
2) Auto-belay accidents by people who climbed on them every single day.

Just having an extra person there going "hey, your knot looks weird" makes things. so. much. safer.

Year of the Monkey
Jun 16, 2013

The amount of extremely poor belaying at gyms is frightening. I'm actually surprised that there aren't more accidents. I think the most common mistake I see is people letting go of the brake after taking in. I always feel like an arse for mentioning it but I'd rather not see a groundfall and know that I could have prevented it.

Petey
Nov 26, 2005

For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?
1) What's the best way to clean the bottoms of climbing shoes?

2) Anyone in the Boston area been to either the new Watertown or Somerville gyms yet? I've been loyal to Metrorock, but one of the new ones is less than a mile from my house...

spandexcajun posted:

For content, I was in St. George, Utah visiting relatives a few weeks ago. I have driven though Zion national park a few years ago and wanted to go back so... I hired a guide and took my son and myself canyoneering! It was awesome, we technically were not in Zion as the park does not allow guided trips (sounds dumb, but whatever). We did two canyons, a total of like 10 repels and a bunch of downclimbing and slot squeezing. It was amazing, like nothing else like I have done on rock. Our guide even put up a top rope for us, we did not have shoes but climbed a few easy, fun routes nonetheless.

This is the only pic I have handy, my son got better ones:



I would love to go out and do more someday, those guys do some crazy stuff. Any canyoneers in this thread?

I was in Europe last week and came across a place that does this in the Pyrenees. Looked awesome but couldn't fit it into my schedule. Good to know they have something here in the states!

Petey fucked around with this message at 03:58 on Jul 9, 2013

gamera009
Apr 7, 2005

modig posted:

Every problem is V3, because the parts I can do are about V3, and I can't rate the parts I can't do. :eng101:

This is a philosophy I can get behind.

The two guys that came after us were working on Yo Adrian after we left and looked very very confused. :haw:

armorer
Aug 6, 2012

I like metal.

Petey posted:

1) What's the best way to clean the bottoms of climbing shoes?

I am kind of confused by this question, because they are generally just a flat slab of rubber. I've never actually had to clean (or even contemplated cleaning) the bottoms of my climbing shoes.

YourCreation
Jan 4, 2004

A little creative surgery helps turn a few sick pets into a new and improved friend!

armorer posted:

I am kind of confused by this question, because they are generally just a flat slab of rubber. I've never actually had to clean (or even contemplated cleaning) the bottoms of my climbing shoes.

Climbing on sandstone can dirty them up pretty good, as general outdoor wetness. I wonder if he meant cleaning while climbing? I usually just rub them against my pant leg before I hop on the wall.

dewer
Sep 2, 2011

Petey posted:

2) Anyone in the Boston area been to either the new Watertown or Somerville gyms yet? I've been loyal to Metrorock, but one of the new ones is less than a mile from my house...

The new watertown gym is awesome. Really nice, much less crowded than metro. Better bouldering and lead.

The Somerville gym isn't open to general public yet, only people who prebought memberships.

armorer
Aug 6, 2012

I like metal.

YourCreation posted:

Climbing on sandstone can dirty them up pretty good, as general outdoor wetness. I wonder if he meant cleaning while climbing? I usually just rub them against my pant leg before I hop on the wall.

When climbing outdoors if there is a meaningful amount of muck on them, I generally just lightly brush the soles against the rock and/or my pants leg before I climb. I guess that could be what he was asking.

Covert Ops Wizard
Dec 27, 2006

Irving posted:

Almost all the bad injuries at my gym have come in two categories:

1) Bouldering accidents with inexperienced climbers (or inexperienced at bouldering at least)
2) Auto-belay accidents by people who climbed on them every single day.

Just having an extra person there going "hey, your knot looks weird" makes things. so. much. safer.

For sure.

My gym has recently implemented a policy of teaching people how to fall when bouldering, because we've become weary of seeing people turning their ankles inside out on what I would call baby drops. It's typically the only kind of injury we get, lovely mat placement and terrible falling skills/instincts share equal blame. I once had a climber twist her ankle falling off of a roof...a cave roof that was maybe three or four feet off the ground. How does one go from horizontal to vertical from that position in that little space to get enough weight on that foot to twist it? And why the gently caress would you fall like that?

AriTheDog
Jul 29, 2003
Famously tasty.
While I love my gym, and the staffers are great, there isn't any safety instruction given for bouldering. Yes, absolutely zero safety instruction. There are some informational signs here and there, but if you pay the entry fee you're good to go. Seems pretty crazy to me.

idiotsavant
Jun 4, 2000
Re: keeping my hand strength up if I'm taking a break for a month or so. Just get a hangboard and hang? Get some crimps or a campusing board set up and campus?

M. Night Skymall
Mar 22, 2012

AriTheDog posted:

While I love my gym, and the staffers are great, there isn't any safety instruction given for bouldering. Yes, absolutely zero safety instruction. There are some informational signs here and there, but if you pay the entry fee you're good to go. Seems pretty crazy to me.

I've never seen a gym give safety instruction for bouldering. Climb at your own risk I guess.

Year of the Monkey
Jun 16, 2013

HiggsBoson81 posted:

I've never seen a gym give safety instruction for bouldering. Climb at your own risk I guess.

One out of the four bouldering places around here has a mandatory induction but even that's pretty rudimentary. "Bend at the knees when you hit the pad and don't stand under someone who is climbing" is pretty much all I remember. We were also given some impromptu spotting advice by a staff member after a friend split her head open on a plywood corner whilst bouldering (eight stitches!).

pokchu
Aug 22, 2007
D:
UVAs bouldering area requires a 45 minute intro class before they will allow you on.

canis minor
May 4, 2011

At my wall (UK) you're required to get a training on how to tie rope knots, spot your partner and do assecuration of unexpected falls (basically - how to loosen the rope and where to keep your hands). They don't do anything related to free climbing - everything is padded, though I guess it's noticeable when falling down, from, I guess, 2m. Having no frame of reference I don't know what you should really be taught and when it becomes expected(?) for you to know these kind of things. Although I must say that I feel a little apprehensive when somebody is even on hands reach (I just find myself different problem), or, worse yet - reaching their hands as if to catch me if I fall (even if I fall, it's not the height that I will do something to myself; I'll try to avoid hitting you anyhow, and that's why I'll probably fall in weird way); maybe that's why people hurt themselves even when falling from small heights - it's sort of trust thing?

Dumbdog
Sep 13, 2011

YourCreation posted:

Climbing on sandstone can dirty them up pretty good, as general outdoor wetness. I wonder if he meant cleaning while climbing? I usually just rub them against my pant leg before I hop on the wall.

Clean rubber is vital for getting your feet to stick well. Plus any dirt on the shoe polishes the rock faster. I put a tiny bit of water on the toe of my shoe and rub it with my hand till it squeaks and all the craps come off. I do this at least at the beginning of every session at least.
Just got back from parisella's cave for the first time. Cave climbing kicks my arse, its nothing like the peak district limestone im used to. Cant wait to get back.

Stangg
Mar 17, 2009

eithedog posted:

At my wall (UK) you're required to get a training on how to tie rope knots, spot your partner and do assecuration of unexpected falls (basically - how to loosen the rope and where to keep your hands). They don't do anything related to free climbing - everything is padded, though I guess it's noticeable when falling down, from, I guess, 2m. Having no frame of reference I don't know what you should really be taught and when it becomes expected(?) for you to know these kind of things. Although I must say that I feel a little apprehensive when somebody is even on hands reach (I just find myself different problem), or, worse yet - reaching their hands as if to catch me if I fall (even if I fall, it's not the height that I will do something to myself; I'll try to avoid hitting you anyhow, and that's why I'll probably fall in weird way); maybe that's why people hurt themselves even when falling from small heights - it's sort of trust thing?

Falling injuries from bouldering indoors come from people stiffening up when they fall and sticking out a limb to break it. All the gyms I've climbed at (also UK) offer an optional but recommended induction for bouldering and from what I've seen it's general safety as well as getting people to jump off and land in a relaxed way. I think a lot of beginners don't do this and somewhere down the line they do something harder and when they fall have no idea what it feels like and just panic, regardless of height.

Petey
Nov 26, 2005

For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?

armorer posted:

I am kind of confused by this question, because they are generally just a flat slab of rubber. I've never actually had to clean (or even contemplated cleaning) the bottoms of my climbing shoes.

Mine - which are 6 years old at this point - seem to be permanently dusty / chalkdusty to the point where the traction seems to be suffering. However, if this isn't a straightforward question, then there may well be something wrong with my shoes as opposed to them being dirty / dusty / etc.

dewer posted:

The new watertown gym is awesome. Really nice, much less crowded than metro. Better bouldering and lead.

Great, thanks. I'm going to go check it out as soon as I can. I'm pretty sentimentally attached to Metrorock (and my climbing buds and yoga instructors), and I just reupped my 6 month membership two weeks ago, but it will be pretty hard to forego a really nice gym a mile from my house, especially if I can use their lifting facility to replace my gym membership as well.

Reformed Tomboy
Feb 2, 2005

chu~~

Petey posted:

Mine - which are 6 years old at this point - seem to be permanently dusty / chalkdusty to the point where the traction seems to be suffering. However, if this isn't a straightforward question, then there may well be something wrong with my shoes as opposed to them being dirty / dusty / etc.

To answer your question, water (and maybe some mild soap) is usually enough to clean soles. However at 6 years, they could also be getting worn out. Clean them first and see how they do. Otherwise get them resoled or replace them.

spwrozek
Sep 4, 2006

Sail when it's windy

There are a couple of cool shots in ESPN body mag of climbers. It includes Sharma and daila ojeda. You can see them on ESPN.com. nothing like a naked chick climbing...

remote control carnivore
May 7, 2009

spandexcajun posted:



I would love to go out and do more someday, those guys do some crazy stuff. Any canyoneers in this thread?

A couple days late - I used to do a lot more when I lived out on the Western Slope; mostly climbing now that I'm in the Springs. It's a freakin' amazing sport. Go to Zion. You won't regret it. There's some fair stuff to be had around Moab, too. The really good stuff though is at Cedar Mesa.

Year of the Monkey
Jun 16, 2013

Petey posted:

Mine - which are 6 years old at this point - seem to be permanently dusty / chalkdusty to the point where the traction seems to be suffering. However, if this isn't a straightforward question, then there may well be something wrong with my shoes as opposed to them being dirty / dusty / etc.

You have a pair of shoes that have lasted you six years?! Have they been re-soled during that time? I go through at least a sole a year! I know I'm a bumbly but I didn't think I was being that careless. How long do shoes last for everyone else?

Re cleaning them: I just use soap and water where appropriate. It's pretty understandable if you're climbing outdoors a lot.

Covert Ops Wizard
Dec 27, 2006

eithedog posted:

At my wall (UK) you're required to get a training on how to tie rope knots, spot your partner and do assecuration of unexpected falls (basically - how to loosen the rope and where to keep your hands). They don't do anything related to free climbing - everything is padded, though I guess it's noticeable when falling down, from, I guess, 2m. Having no frame of reference I don't know what you should really be taught and when it becomes expected(?) for you to know these kind of things. Although I must say that I feel a little apprehensive when somebody is even on hands reach (I just find myself different problem), or, worse yet - reaching their hands as if to catch me if I fall (even if I fall, it's not the height that I will do something to myself; I'll try to avoid hitting you anyhow, and that's why I'll probably fall in weird way); maybe that's why people hurt themselves even when falling from small heights - it's sort of trust thing?

If someone needs to spot you while bouldering at the gym you're at the wrong gym. The bouldering area should be padded and huge pads provided. Spotting is for pushing someone away from an outcrop onto a 3x3 pad, there's no need for that in a gym setting. One of the worst things I've seen at a comp was a guy who was a favorite to win fell backwards off the wall, and had some dumbshit spotter push his head into his knee. Concussion, bloody nose, out of the game. There was no need for it, he would have landed on that 5x7 pad completely fine otherwise. So yeah, I would nicely tell them not to do that.

idiotsavant
Jun 4, 2000
Spotting big overhangs to make sure someone isn't landing on their neck or crashing out into people isn't a horrible thing at the gym.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Stangg
Mar 17, 2009
This is happening at the moment in London, 6 female climbers scaling the shard to protest oil drilling in the arctic.

http://iceclimb.savethearctic.org/?fbshare

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply