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Troysfalling
Sep 16, 2010

asur posted:

You can hire a guide if you can't find anyone. It's a little pricy, I think I paid around $250 per day, but well worth it if you don't have another option.

Thanks for the advice. Cheers

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Akion
May 7, 2006
Grimey Drawer
Anyone here dealt with a pinched elbow nerve? I took a fall bouldering last Tuesday, and my arm has had minor pain but mostly just intermittent numbness since then. I didn't let go of a hold fast enough and it kinda jerked my arm straight.

How long am I gonna have to wait for this poo poo to stop?

glynnenstein
Feb 18, 2014


If something lasting more than a day or two involves a nerve you should get it looked at rather than waiting it out. In certain circumstances you risk long-term damage if there's something impinging on a nerve. Not very likely but not worth what you risk. At least call your doctor and describe your symptoms. Have you tried the usual stuff to address inflamation? It could just be something is swollen and pushing on a nerve a little.

Akion
May 7, 2006
Grimey Drawer
Yeah. I've been icing it 2x a day, doing exercises and popping ibuprofin. It seems to come and go, and be aggravated by sitting at my desk which sucks cause that's what I do for work.

If it persists I'm gonna go see a sports doc I guess. I have a physical next week, too.

glynnenstein
Feb 18, 2014


My only elbow injury was a tendon thing playing hockey with no nerve involvement. All I can say is that it's a complicated joint with a lot of stuff going through a small space, so things can take a long time to heal and be hard to diagnose. Good luck!

Akion
May 7, 2006
Grimey Drawer
I've not climbed since last Sunday and it's driving me nuts. I may go in to the gym tonight and get on a 5.6 to see how it feels. I'm pissed about having to take a break since I just started doing 5.10a the day I messed it up.

Awkward Davies
Sep 3, 2009
Grimey Drawer

Akion posted:

I've not climbed since last Sunday and it's driving me nuts. I may go in to the gym tonight and get on a 5.6 to see how it feels. I'm pissed about having to take a break since I just started doing 5.10a the day I messed it up.

A word of unasked for advice, and something you may already know, but:

Injuries aren't something to gently caress around with. I know it's annoying, but properly treating an injury will (in my experience) actually make your time off climbing shorter. I injured my knee last December and didnt take care of it properly and I'm still not fully healed.

When I first started climbing I was pretty casual about pushing myself too hard, but now that I injured myself I'm a lot more cautious about it.

Awkward Davies fucked around with this message at 19:26 on Oct 7, 2016

Akion
May 7, 2006
Grimey Drawer
I know. :(

gently caress it, cutting off my arm so I can get a robot arm.

tortilla_chip
Jun 13, 2007

k-partite
Robot arms are aid.

Mons Hubris
Aug 29, 2004

fanci flup :)


God I could campus so hard with a robot arm

spwrozek
Sep 4, 2006

Sail when it's windy

Tried my first 12a outside today. Amazing route. I think I have all the beta I need and hopefully send it next weekend perhaps.

tortilla_chip
Jun 13, 2007

k-partite
For anyone that knew Kyle, password is KDlove

https://vimeo.com/186119935

SplitDestiny
Sep 25, 2004
We climbed the big rock! We did it!









Business of Ferrets
Mar 2, 2008

Good to see that everything is back to normal.

SplitDestiny posted:

We climbed the big rock! We did it!

Well done! What an accomplishment!

spwrozek
Sep 4, 2006

Sail when it's windy

SplitDestiny posted:

We climbed the big rock! We did it!

Nicely done. Any more details?

SplitDestiny
Sep 25, 2004
Definitely. We arrived Friday morning and fixed three lines to sickle ledge. We then hailed our bags up there and rapped back down to get one last warm meal and sleep on the ground. That's when I realized that I left the car key in the haul bag 500 feet up... fortunately jugging doesn't take too long and I was up and back down in less than an hour, in time for some pizza.

The next morning we woke up at 4am and started jugging back up when I heard a large crash! The compression sack on my sleeping bag had exploded and my sleeping bag fell to the ground! That was just as I was about to toss our third line to the ground too so back down and up I went, dropping the third line to recollect later. Crazy start to the route but we finally started climbing.

Eventually we made it to dolt tower that night ( being passed by a very rude party who demanded we let them pass instead of asking and climbing alongside as is tradition ) That night we realized we were too slow for our three days of water and decided to bail. The next morning, another party that had reached us told us they smashed their water and were also bailing so we offered them ours. Instead, they gave us their water and told us to have fun! So we had a late start that morning but eventually made it to camp iv way after dark. That ledge also barely fits two people and is super sloping so my rope was taught all night keeping me in place.

We hit camp vi the next day and enjoyed a good night sleep before topping out. On our last few pitches, we got passed by a day team that was at 3 hours 20 minutes... amazing.

It was crazy tiring but super fun.

Bud Manstrong
Dec 11, 2003

The Curse of the Flying Criosphinx
Goddamn that's amazing. Bucket list. Congrats.

spwrozek
Sep 4, 2006

Sail when it's windy

Sent my first 12a this morning! Took 6 attempts. Very happy!

Fly Low 5.12a

Ravenfood
Nov 4, 2011

spwrozek posted:

Sent my first 12a this morning! Took 6 attempts. Very happy!

Fly Low 5.12a
Nice!

I've mostly been a bouldering gym rat with some top-rope, but in the last year I've been trying to boulder outside as often as possible and finally decided to go roped climbing outside, so a friend took a few of us and taught us how to lead-climb. That poo poo is fun. Did a 5.8 at Breakneck in SWPA and felt pretty comfortable with all of the lead stuff, including cleaning the draws, but I definitely need to get better at clipping in smoothly. I really want to get out leading/roping again. Bouldering is great, but drat do you get a nice feeling of accomplishment looking down from the top of something. Is it usual to drop several grades from gym to outside and toprope to lead? I'd been stretching to 5.11c and v3/4s inside, but that 5.8 gave me a few rough spots, including climbing up higher to be able to clean it. But then, some of the outside V1s give me issues too, so I was putting it down to the differences in gym and rock.

And where do I start with gear?

e: Don't worry, I'm not about to start leading without more experienced people around for awhile, I definitely need more practice with it and with belaying, too.

Ravenfood fucked around with this message at 01:54 on Oct 17, 2016

gamera009
Apr 7, 2005

Ravenfood posted:

Nice!

I've mostly been a bouldering gym rat with some top-rope, but in the last year I've been trying to boulder outside as often as possible and finally decided to go roped climbing outside, so a friend took a few of us and taught us how to lead-climb. That poo poo is fun. Did a 5.8 at Breakneck in SWPA and felt pretty comfortable with all of the lead stuff, including cleaning the draws, but I definitely need to get better at clipping in smoothly. I really want to get out leading/roping again. Bouldering is great, but drat do you get a nice feeling of accomplishment looking down from the top of something. Is it usual to drop several grades from gym to outside and toprope to lead? I'd been pretty comfortable on 5.11c inside, but that 5.8 gave me a few rough spots, including climbing up higher to be able to clean it.

And where do I start with gear?

You start with what you're comfortable with. Ask Bud about spending a few weeks at the beginning of every season getting lead head back again.

For gear, just look on Steep&Cheap for sets of draws, or visit the REI garage sale. Sometimes you can score incredible deals.

Some people knock it, but I like a rechargeable compact walkie-talkie set for super windy multi pitch.

MacMillan
Dec 21, 2013

You're just the afterbirth, Eli. You slithered out on your mother's filth. They should have put you in a glass jar on a mantlepiece.
Do you guys know of any proper sites or resources where I can sell some shoes? I manage a climbing gym and plenty of people would love to sell their shoes both new and used. A lot of these guys buy online deals and don't realize the challenges of fitting climbing shoes.

Side question -- any of you guys looking for specific shoes between 5.10/sportiva? We have a lot of returns, mostly used once. I'll let you know what we have in stock.

no broccoli please
Apr 20, 2007

no broccoli please you are nice here is a Nathaniel Hawthorne avatar

MacMillan posted:

Do you guys know of any proper sites or resources where I can sell some shoes? I manage a climbing gym and plenty of people would love to sell their shoes both new and used. A lot of these guys buy online deals and don't realize the challenges of fitting climbing shoes.

What about selling them in the gym? My gym does a sort of consignment thing with used shoes. Nice way for newbies to get shoes a little cheaper than retail.

Business of Ferrets
Mar 2, 2008

Good to see that everything is back to normal.

MacMillan posted:

Do you guys know of any proper sites or resources where I can sell some shoes? I manage a climbing gym and plenty of people would love to sell their shoes both new and used. A lot of these guys buy online deals and don't realize the challenges of fitting climbing shoes.

Side question -- any of you guys looking for specific shoes between 5.10/sportiva? We have a lot of returns, mostly used once. I'll let you know what we have in stock.

I've had good experiences both buying and selling on geartrade.com

The site takes a commission but the process couldn't be easier.

You have any TC Pros banging around? Not sure what my LS size would be.

Bud Manstrong
Dec 11, 2003

The Curse of the Flying Criosphinx
I could always use another pair of Mocs.

Nifty
Aug 31, 2004

I just bought shoes on ebay and it went fine. Thats the way everyone else sells stuff person to person online

gamera009
Apr 7, 2005

Bud Manstrong posted:

I could always use another pair of Mocs.

Pythons. Oh god please be selling pythons.

Bud Manstrong
Dec 11, 2003

The Curse of the Flying Criosphinx
spwrozek needs to hurry up and post about what he's been up to already.

ConspicuousEvil
Feb 29, 2004
Pillbug
I'm always looking for sportive solutions, swamis, speedsters, futuras, geniuses, or oasis in my size, 40-40.5!

spwrozek
Sep 4, 2006

Sail when it's windy

Bud Manstrong posted:

spwrozek needs to hurry up and post about what he's been up to already.

.... Yes I will do it tomorrow.

Short story is Yosemite and it was loving awesome.

P.S. You guys would love the bouldering there, just crazy good looking.

MacMillan
Dec 21, 2013

You're just the afterbirth, Eli. You slithered out on your mother's filth. They should have put you in a glass jar on a mantlepiece.
Hey all, I'll get stock of what we have tomorrow in terms of returns.

spwrozek
Sep 4, 2006

Sail when it's windy

So last weekend I got to go get humbled by the 5.8 and lower climbs of Yosemite Valley. If you have never been to the Valley...well...why the hell not? Haha, seriously though it is a pretty amazing place. Climb all day watch El Cap from the meadow as the sun sets, get thoroughly inspired, etc. I never had a super desire to go there but when the opportunity presented itself I had to give it a shot.

A buddy of mine is down in LA for work right now and really wanted to get back to the Valley so I said "sure I will go". I flew into LA on Thursday night and we alpine started our way to the Valley. We rolled up about 9:30 AM and checked out the situation at Camp 4 (although we knew it would be rather not good). No spots open with *maybe* 27 opening the next day. We decided to ponder our choices while we went climbing.

We decided to get a feel for the rock by going to Lower Yosemite Falls. The first route we jumped on was The Regular Route 5.5. It had some interesting movement and one neat part on pitch 3 but overall it was pretty easy. The highlight may have been my belay at the top off my harness straddling a bush since we ran out of rope. After walking down we hopped on the first pitch of Jamcrack 5.7 which is a beautiful crack. I managed to lead it decently but due to my poo poo rear end crack climbing skills it was a not a smooth affair.

That night we decided to slide out of the park and see what we could find for camping in El Portal. There is a nice pull off across from the motel and since my buddies truck is setup to sleep in the back we rolled with that. Decided it was not worth getting in the camp 4 line at 2 am and just spent the trip sleeping there. 20 min to the Valley and free and good pizza and beer across the street.

Day 2 we tried to link up a 5.6 into a 5.8 for a good day of climbing. We started on Munginella 5.6 which we put together into 2 pitches. I led the first pitch which went really well. There was an awesome finger lock that was one of those moments that I felt like I knew how to climb cracks.

My lead on the first pitch:


Buddy following pitch 1:


My buddy took off on pitch 2 and flowed through the 5.6 corner and decided for the 20' don't even think of falling traverse to a 5.7 finger crack variation. He pretty much crushed it.

Him leading:


Me following in the 5.7 section:


So then we tried to link it into Selaginella 5.8 where I promptly screwed the pooch on the first pitch by getting off route. The topo made it look like you should go straight up 90' then into the corner. In reality you were supposed to go about 35' up and into the corner. So instead of going into the corner I went straight up on this heinous offwidth with a finger crack down to tips in the back for protection. In hindsight I should have realized that this thing was much much harder than 5.8. But my stupid rear end just kept going. It was probably one of the hardest and funnest routes I have been on. Not sure of the grade but my buddy just aided up to me after the start. I would say low 10's but what the hell do I know. Near the top I blew it and took my first fall on gear. Fell on a #1 BD Cam and everything was good. A fun clean fall, I was about 5' past the piece and 2 seconds from a rest... Great to get that out of the way though. Unfortunately we realized without some R climbing to get back online we were not going up. Decided to bail and replaced my anchor with a couple nuts and we rapped off. Luckily I stopped at about 105' and we were able to rap with our 60 M without any problems. Bummer to lose some gear and it is the first time I have got shut down on a multipitch climb and had to bail. I fell like I learned a lot though.

Why did I not go left?


My buddies feet were hurting so instead of trying the proper route and finishing in the dark we walked off.

Day 3 started with an attempt (successful) at After Six 5.7. I got to lead the 1st pitch which was super fun and pretty burly. I am sure I took too long but it felt good to lead it clean. My buddy took pitch 2 and 3 (a nice hollow flake on 3). I went up pitch 4, basically a face climb with little protection, a fun run out! My buddy tackled pitch 5 with an awkward lie back off width section. I went for it on the last pitch and ended up getting to this spot where I was basically thinking "you have got to be kidding me...5.7..." I am standing on this small pillar with a .5 at my feet and a .4/.3 offset eye level to the left. The only way to go is a 15' traverse right with no hands and one small foot chip to smears... great. Tired and heart pounding I make the step through with my left, slap my right foot out and smear until I can get a hand. WOO I made it and didn't whip with a huge swing into a wall. I got in a piece and topped out. Great climb.

Pitch 1 leading:


Pitch 1 buddy following:


Pitch 4 buddy following:


Pitch 6 buddy following (either just before or just after the traverse moves):


Me on top:


Monday morning we planned on climbing The Grack but heavy rain over night made us change our minds. We rolled back to LA, got some tacos on Venice Beach, and I flew back to Denver.

All together a great trip that everyone who climbs should take.

I am already thinking of plans for next year. Hopefully a trip to Cirque Du Towers but we will see!

SplitDestiny
Sep 25, 2004
Nice. Selaginella is especially stout for 5.8 if you aren't used to offwidth and awkward chimneys or squeezes. After Six is the toughest 5.6 in the world on that first pitch.

The only sad thing is you were so close to nutcracker which is sooooo good.

spwrozek
Sep 4, 2006

Sail when it's windy

SplitDestiny posted:

Nice. Selaginella is especially stout for 5.8 if you aren't used to offwidth and awkward chimneys or squeezes. After Six is the toughest 5.6 in the world on that first pitch.

The only sad thing is you were so close to nutcracker which is sooooo good.

When I am back I will be sure to get on Selaginella proper. Probably try to link it with commitment.

My buddy had climbed nutcracker and there was a party about to start it as well. Next time though we might give it a go.

Endjinneer
Aug 17, 2005
Fallen Rib
Awesome photos! Well earned tacos - Yosemite is awesome.

Mons Hubris
Aug 29, 2004

fanci flup :)


Just had a big anchor building class today so hopefully I can buy some gear and climb some drat rocks soon

ploots
Mar 19, 2010
I know you're not supposed to climb on sandstone after rain... have any of you heard similar rules for granite?

My local bouldering area has had a couple of prominent problems break in the last two weeks. It could be completely random, or the fall season thermal swings, or just wear and tear from people ripping on them. But we've had a ton of rain recently too.

Baronash
Feb 29, 2012

So what do you want to be called?
I've got a quick injury question. I was climbing today and at some point my index finger began to hurt between the first and second knuckle. It's a really minor dull pain, but when I clench my fist hard I get some (still not terrible) shooting pain. Searching around suggested that it might be a tendon pulley injury, and I just wanted to see if that's what it sounds like to you guys, especially since it was my index finger and I wasn't working with crimpy holds today.

ploots
Mar 19, 2010
That sounds a lot like a pulley injury. Take a few days off and see if it gets a little better. When you come back, warm up slowly and carefully avoid anything that stresses it for a while. They take a long time to heal. Icing the finger a little could help if you want to do it.

It doesn't have to be a crimp that sets off the injury (though that's probably the hold type that causes it most frequently) - you could have slipped off of a route/problem and shock loaded that finger more heavily than the rest of your hand a week ago, then irritated it more through normal climbing.

SplitDestiny
Sep 25, 2004
My rule of thumb for that kind of thing is to warm up thoroughly and if it still hurts after that then more rest, otherwise more climbing. Fingers are weird.

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ploots
Mar 19, 2010
Anyone have experience or opinions about climbing in the southeast US? Tell me about cool places to boulder.

I have thanksgiving week off of work and I want to get out of new england.

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