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Nah it's in Victoria, very old school though. Glad to hear it's not the only place helping gym rats actually respect a ground fall.
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Oct 13, 2018 04:50
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Yeah, all of the stone gardens used to have pea gravel across the whole gym.
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Oct 13, 2018 05:08
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Oh yeah my gym had a member appreciation event with a dyno contest and one dude was clearly getting tired at the end of his run. He lazily threw himself at one of the dynos, landed on padded floor, and snapped his shin completely in half. Not even sure how he did it but that ended the dyno contest real quick.
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Oct 13, 2018 09:37
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My first expedition TL;DR: Long drive:  Big carry:  Objectives look do-able:  Viene una tormenta. Digging time:  So close. drat crevasses:  Hometime. Wait, where's the road? Where's the bridge?: 
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Oct 13, 2018 10:00
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Mons Hubris posted:Oh yeah my gym had a member appreciation event with a dyno contest and one dude was clearly getting tired at the end of his run. He lazily threw himself at one of the dynos, landed on padded floor, and snapped his shin completely in half. Not even sure how he did it but that ended the dyno contest real quick. jesus christ. i thought breaking my finger doing a small dyno was bad
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Oct 13, 2018 10:21
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Mons Hubris posted:Oh yeah my gym had a member appreciation event with a dyno contest and one dude was clearly getting tired at the end of his run. He lazily threw himself at one of the dynos, landed on padded floor, and snapped his shin completely in half. Not even sure how he did it but that ended the dyno contest real quick. 
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Oct 13, 2018 19:52
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Endjinneer posted:My first expedition TL;DR: Wait, why did crevasses stop you? Nobody brought a probe or glacier travel gear? Also what took out the bridge (and how'd you end up getting out?).
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Oct 13, 2018 20:53
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Rime posted:Wait, why did crevasses stop you? Nobody brought a probe or glacier travel gear? Also what took out the bridge (and how'd you end up getting out?). Also curious about this.
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Oct 14, 2018 04:28
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Rime posted:Wait, why did crevasses stop you? Nobody brought a probe or glacier travel gear? Also what took out the bridge (and how'd you end up getting out?). We'd had about a metre of snow fall on dry ground, it would have been great for hiding the crevasses and useless for bridging across them. The previous 800m of ascent had been a continuous wallow, wallow, crawl, stand, step, crunch, swear, wallow, wallow as the thin sun crust gave way just as you really weighted it. The group kit included wands and a probe, so if we'd been faced with that glacier at the start of the trip we might have tried to force a way through if there'd been no other option. As it was, this was a last day attempt to see how far we could get and we'd gone as light as we could. Nobody had been up there so we had no idea what to expect. We had crevasse rescue gear, an ice axe each and some sweets, basically. The snow that hit us landed as rain lower down and caused a load of floods and landslides which knackered the roads. We initially thought we'd need to be evacuated, but they drive with panache in India and we got through some remarkable sections. There was about 5km that was impassable and we had to walk, plus a load of waiting while stuff was cleared. The locals are good with dynamite and bulldozers though, and most of the bridges are bailey bridges so you can just pull the wreckage to bits and reassemble it where it's meant to be.
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Oct 15, 2018 21:53
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So my husband and I are indoor sport climbers and boulderers. We started climbing about 2 years ago and started to really understand footwork about a year ago. I usually am in the 5.8-5.10a range and he's in the 5.10c-11c range. We took two weeks off in May and it killed us; when we got back, 5.7s were hard again. We just took 6 weeks off (vacation plus a busy month), and after two sessions back I flashed a 5.9! I was surprised I could do it! Any tips on breaking through from 5.9 to 5.10a? I read this thread (I'm on page 40) and I know to just keep climbing and ignore ratings, but I'm struggling on those little crimps and the big dynamic moves. I'm 5'4 and about 135 pounds (trying to lose a few as I feel better around 125). Suggestions for how to approach a 10a thoughtfully would be great. I have finished a few and actually flashed one that was tailored to my skill set (balance and a narrow route), but any advice especially from women climbers would be really appreciated!
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Oct 17, 2018 04:59
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Betazoid posted:So my husband and I are indoor sport climbers and boulderers. We started climbing about 2 years ago and started to really understand footwork about a year ago. I usually am in the 5.8-5.10a range and he's in the 5.10c-11c range. We took two weeks off in May and it killed us; when we got back, 5.7s were hard again. We just took 6 weeks off (vacation plus a busy month), and after two sessions back I flashed a 5.9! I was surprised I could do it! If you're struggling with crimps, hangboarding may be useful . . .remember to remove weight using your harness and go slowly. For dynamic movement try campus boarding, using the rungs that are about the finger width of the holds you plan on grabbing. If your gym has a systems wall, try to find holds/movement lengths similar to the types of movements you are having trouble with.
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Oct 17, 2018 05:22
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"So how about a season of mixed climbing and ski mountaineering ascents in the Rockies this winter? ", says the text from a kid ten years younger and infinitely bolder than I am. Can't turn down an invite like that. 
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Oct 17, 2018 05:58
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Rime posted:"So how about a season of mixed climbing and ski mountaineering ascents in the Rockies this winter? ", says the text from a kid ten years younger and infinitely bolder than I am. And we never heard from him again.  I finally made it official and signed up for my local gym's starter package. Got a month membership, a harness, chalk, bag, and shoes that fit properly (uncomfortable). Also ordered a nice yoga mat because they have classes every Tuesday and Thursday evening, and I want to climb and then do that twice a week. Let's do this poo poo for real!
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Oct 17, 2018 13:00
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Ubiquitus posted:If you're struggling with crimps, hangboarding may be useful . . .remember to remove weight using your harness and go slowly. Do NOT go campus boarding to do a 10a, you will very likely injure yourself. If you feel like finger strength and and power are your problems, try doing some bouldering. It's the best way to get better at doing hard moves. To do a 10a, try to focus on V2 - V3 level problems. Even if you can't do all the moves, trying hard on them will help a ton.
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Oct 17, 2018 15:06
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My gym taught me about the campus board during the intro to climbing class. It didn't lead to any injuries though, since I'm not even able to hang from the holds, much less launch and catch myself on them. To me, that and the Moon Board are just the barriers to separate the weight room from the climbing walls. It was just kind of strange, because they set lots of easy but still interesting problems, so it's not like it's some super hardcore gym that's forgotten how bad beginners are.
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Oct 17, 2018 16:09
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Betazoid posted:So my husband and I are indoor sport climbers and boulderers. We started climbing about 2 years ago and started to really understand footwork about a year ago. I usually am in the 5.8-5.10a range and he's in the 5.10c-11c range. We took two weeks off in May and it killed us; when we got back, 5.7s were hard again. We just took 6 weeks off (vacation plus a busy month), and after two sessions back I flashed a 5.9! I was surprised I could do it! It's possible your gym is the most sandbagged gym in the world, but if not you just need to climb harder stuff and get used to struggling your way up. 5.9 indoors shouldn't be too hard for someone in acceptable physical shape, and certainly not after two years of climbing. I climb with a circle of women around your height that are all over the weight spectrum and I don't think that's your problem. What grade do you boulder in your gym? My guess is that you've stuck to easier stuff that feels doable and have avoided moves/routes that are challenging or that you haven't learned to do yet. Bouldering is a good way to learn more challenging movements and you can watch other climbers and ask for suggestions if you're struggling on a move. Given that your husband is a stronger climber, what does he think your issues needing focus are?
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Oct 17, 2018 17:24
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AriTheDog posted:It's possible your gym is the most sandbagged gym in the world, but if not you just need to climb harder stuff and get used to struggling your way up. 5.9 indoors shouldn't be too hard for someone in acceptable physical shape, and certainly not after two years of climbing. I climb with a circle of women around your height that are all over the weight spectrum and I don't think that's your problem. What grade do you boulder in your gym? We visited a gym in Florida a year ago and I literally couldn't get on their intro route. If anything the ratings at our gym are too generous. (Earth Treks in Virginia if anyone else has thought about this.) I boulder very rarely, so I can finish most v1s and have finished two v2s. I don't really enjoy bouldering because it feels like little payoff for the effort and I'm afraid to fall. It's also a pretty bro atmosphere at my gym. I thought my progress in 2 years was fine for an unathletic person, honestly. I'm not trying to go pro, but I'd like to be able to climb outside one day. (Tried it about two years ago and had a panic attack.) My husband thinks my main issue is that I'm not great about using the route in "alternative" ways, like smearing and flagging. I tend to want to have 3 or 4 points on the wall at a time and get nervous about slipping off of anything that's not a big jug. Yesterday the 5.9 I flashed was pretty dynamic for me and felt amazing to swing from hold to hold gracefully without freezing up. I'm getting better and more confident, but my climbing definitely suffers when I think "I can't reach that, I'm too short" rather than using my skeleton to swing up, smear, and grab the hold that's 4 inches out of reach. I watch the other women at my gym and it seems like they're more confident and strong enough to pull it off.
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Oct 17, 2018 19:00
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Gotta get over that fear of falling. A lot of moves teeter on that edge of balanced and peeling off the wall. Climbing and failing a bunch is really the only way to develop the confidence that falling isn’t a big deal. If your only sticking to juggy holds then yea I can see you not progressing in two years time. Also lol no one accidentally goes pro in anything. It’s like someone resistant to lifting weights because “they don’t want to be a body builder” Pick up the book “Self Coached Climber” and give a read through. It’ll help with things you can practice technique wise for balance and strength while climbing and goes a bit into the mindset to adopt to conquer that fear of failure.
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Oct 17, 2018 19:17
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Betazoid posted:We visited a gym in Florida a year ago and I literally couldn't get on their intro route. If anything the ratings at our gym are too generous. (Earth Treks in Virginia if anyone else has thought about this.) I boulder very rarely, so I can finish most v1s and have finished two v2s. I don't really enjoy bouldering because it feels like little payoff for the effort and I'm afraid to fall. It's also a pretty bro atmosphere at my gym. I had similar issues to you when I started climbing, it took me a long rear end time to start developing further than the first plateau I hit a few months after I started. I probably spent about a year where I didn't improve my grade at all, mostly due to not climbing frequently enough (I was doing less than 1 session a week on average) and generally being excessively timid. There is little useful advice anyone can give you at your current level other than having someone coach you on specific shortcomings in your technique (presumably your husband should be able to do this as his grade is significantly higher than yours) and you need to force yourself to climb stuff that you're not really comfortable with otherwise you'll never get the confidence to climb harder. When you go for a climbing session do you typically climb until you're completely exhausted? I found it a lot easier to build up confidence and ability by padding out my sessions at the end with fast climbs of easy routes. If you only try easy stuff you don't get better, but equally if you do nothing but throw yourself at routes that are beyond your limit (or very close) then you spend a lot of time hanging rather than climbing which can be bad especially if you're still at a level where you have a lot of room to improve the fundamentals. In my experience the "ideal difficulty" for routes in terms of getting better is for the general difficulty level to be somewhat uncomfortable but achievable, with one or two moves which you might need multiple attempts for but if you're fresh or practiced enough you'll get them first time.
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Oct 17, 2018 19:34
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Fellow lady climber here! I have a huge fear of falling that can really affect my mental state when it comes to over hangs and bigger moves so I know the feeling. I usually need someone to yell at me that I'm strong and got this, maybe you can ask your climbing partner to yell some encouraging things at you when he sees you freezing.
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Oct 17, 2018 22:48
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Boulder for a bit or learn to lead climb. It's really easy to unconsciously use the rope to stay in your comfort zone forever.
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Oct 18, 2018 12:48
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Autobelay might also work, if you have them? To me those feel like nothing is there until you fall/jump, much closer to bouldering psychologically
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Oct 18, 2018 13:42
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Betazoid posted:We visited a gym in Florida a year ago and I literally couldn't get on their intro route. If anything the ratings at our gym are too generous. (Earth Treks in Virginia if anyone else has thought about this.) I boulder very rarely, so I can finish most v1s and have finished two v2s. I don't really enjoy bouldering because it feels like little payoff for the effort and I'm afraid to fall. It's also a pretty bro atmosphere at my gym. I am also a short (5'2") woman who climbs at ETCC and think their route grades are generally soft. Recent setting has been really off though. To me your problem sounds like fear of falling/swinging more than anything else. Most 5.10a's at our gym are all jugs and you definitely don't have to smear at this grade. I doubt you will get much out of hangboarding or campusing. I'm always looking for more women to climb with so let me know if you're interested in meeting up!
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Oct 18, 2018 17:52
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Betazoid posted:I don't really enjoy bouldering because it feels like little payoff for the effort and I'm afraid to fall. It's also a pretty bro atmosphere at my gym. Climb the dynamic stuff you enjoy. When you're sure you're happy with that graceful flowing movement and you're having thoughts like "I'm going to make this move gigantic because I'm so sure of the next handhold I don't care if my foot pops off" try to take it onto smaller holds. Build confidence by enjoying what you're doing, not by picking a fight with a route that makes you nervous. You'll need that flowing movement and the "alternative" ways (skill) to get past moves that tall people just reach through, like you've seen the other women at the gym do. Maybe ask them for tips? You might get a new climbing partner out of it and a few friendly faces might help ignore that bro atmosphere? Once you get outside where the routes are set by nature and there are myriad different ways to move upward, those alternative ways will serve you far better than long arms.
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Oct 18, 2018 19:37
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And if the atmosphere at ET Crystal City is too bro-y for you, you can always come climb at ET Rockville.  I've found the grading a bit soft at ET in general, at least compared to the old bouldering gym I visited in Pittsburgh and SR Alexandria to an extent. I agree with most of the advice here - do stuff that makes you fall and that is outside your comfort zone.
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Oct 19, 2018 01:23
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Suicide Watch posted:I'm realizing my sport rack of all the same length draws isn't cutting it--how do you guys do alpine draws? Do you buy premade ones or do you just swap the dogbone on old quickdraws for a sling when they go bad? For these slings, what thickness, length, and material should be used? Would a dyneema/nylon mix be better than a pure nylon one (I know they have different stretch properties) My fav alpine draws have a tiny top biner to make it easier to fit a bunch on your gear loops, sling with a bartack that won't snag when extending and a bottom biner with keylock to make extending them easier. Edelrid 19, Mammut Contact 8mm and Petzl Ange is probably my fav combo and a finished draw weighs in under 60 grams. A 60 cm can easily be set to 20, 30 and 60 cm length and should give you plenty of options. Some (mostly old school guys) also use 30 cm slings but they are obviously less versatile. Nylon slings are good in alpine environment as they can survive a few accidental ice axe swings and can be manipulated with your gloves. Dynamic extension isn't that important as you always have a dynamic component in your system (the rope). If you just want one for sport climbing, I would suggest using the biners you are most used to and preferably they will not be of the kind that easily flips upside down on your gear loops. Also, it's a good idea to also have a qd with a longer dogbone than the rest of your set. Some routes have poorly placed bolts where the bottom biner ends up on an edge when using a regular 12 cm draw. Or you might just want a slightly easier clip for the redpoint. Sigmund Fraud fucked around with this message at 11:18 on Oct 19, 2018 |
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Oct 19, 2018 11:10
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Seeing Free Solo tonight and was climbing today on a wall next to Alex Honnold an hour ago. Pretty good climbing day for me.
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Oct 20, 2018 00:59
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Anyone climb at Stone Gardens in Seattle? I signed up for their climbing 101 class for this Sunday (I've never climbed before). I'm in the process of losing weight/getting in shape, currently down 55 lbs, but still pretty heavy, 6'1" @ 255 and I'm concerned about going to this class/starting climbing. Will someone be able to belay a guy my size?
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Oct 20, 2018 02:44
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Starkk posted:Anyone climb at Stone Gardens in Seattle? I signed up for their climbing 101 class for this Sunday (I've never climbed before). I'm in the process of losing weight/getting in shape, currently down 55 lbs, but still pretty heavy, 6'1" @ 255 and I'm concerned about going to this class/starting climbing. Will someone be able to belay a guy my size? One can belay a person twice their own weight without special accommodations.
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Oct 20, 2018 06:58
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I just found this series filmed in 1947-1952 featuring some pioneer climbers in Virginia and Maryland. Sweet old school techniques and folksy yodeling ahead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZgBDDWaR6o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODnoKwF29_c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ide2iu4pZc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rguTBMwZ3FI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Yrlt7lnuQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7Dx1ekykK8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ngvhCfk7RQ
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Oct 23, 2018 05:22
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Those are really cool. The PATC was by far the best trail club on the AT and that area. Everyone I came across was very nice and the trails/shelters were in tip top shape.
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Oct 23, 2018 16:25
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Hivemind: I want to get some quickdraws to begin sport climbing. After some insomnia reading last night, it seems the go-to is the petzl spirit xpress. I found them on gear express for like $17-18 which seems great, only a few bucks over the Djinns. That being said, is there any real reason to get anything else for sport? I think trad is a long while off and I'd likely just rather have great sport and great trad stuff separate in the long run I wager. Also, what lengths do I want to get? A friend was suggesting just getting some alpine draws for longer needs. Do I want 6 shorter 6 longer, 8 and 4, etc? Also: rope. For basic beginner sport do I care about dry? I figure it's not necessary and adds a ton of cost. Suggestions on length and a go-to good rope?
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Oct 23, 2018 18:01
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My perennial advice for sport gear is: 10 of whatever draws from a major manufacturer that are on sale 2 single length slings 1 double length sling 70m rope (unless you consistently climb shorter routes), non dry, I like Mammut but any major manufacturer is fine. A few lockers and a few non lockers PAS - either a daisy chain or slings or whatever 12" (?) of 6mm cord for an autoblock Rappel gloves With that, you are equipped for leading many/most routes and cleaning. If you're not doing multipitch, the slings and biners can become alpines ad necessary (rarely for me) The double length can either turn into an anchor for TR or a seat/stirrup for hanging belay on multipitch. In general, I think that cheap climbing gear is great. As long as it's rated, it doesn't matter if your draws cost $15 each or $7 each, they will still catch a fall. If the cost is worth it to you on account of smooth actuation or aesthetics, well, that's a personal choice. Happiness Commando fucked around with this message at 18:26 on Oct 23, 2018 |
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Oct 23, 2018 18:24
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I think that's pretty solid advice. I would add - get a middle marked rope if it doesn't increase the price too much. It's quite handy for multipitch rappels. Also, get keynose carabiners for at least the rope side of your quickdraws (the spirit express are keynose, so if you go with those this is already covered). I personally have a set of sport gear and separate set of trad gear, and I don't use my sport gear when trad climbing.
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Oct 23, 2018 18:32
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Happiness Commando posted:My perennial advice for sport gear is: cool i know what like 3 of these things are so time to read more about poo poo i have to buy. but in all honesty thanks for the feedback and assistance.
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Oct 23, 2018 19:00
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ShaneB posted:cool i know what like 3 of these things are so time to read more about poo poo i have to buy. 2 single length slings - slings are just closed loops of webbing, and a “single length” is 2 feet 1 double length sling - 4 feet A few lockers and a few non lockers - carabiners PAS - either a 12" (?) of 6mm cord for an autoblock - the cord is pretty self-explanatory, an autoblock is putting the cord on your harness/the rope in such a way that it will stop your rappel if something goes horribly wrong
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Oct 23, 2018 19:58
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The vast majority of sport routes are intentionally bolted for standard lengh quick draws. I personally wouldn't buy or carry slings unless there is a specific reason to do so. For the same reason I'd avoid buying very many if any different length quick draws as in my experience it's more likely to either be equivalent to the standard length or end up in a bad position than help. Best option would be to talk to people that climb where you plan to and find out what's needed, but barring that I'd buy standard gear. 10 draws also seems on the low side, but is dependent on where you climb.
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Oct 23, 2018 21:53
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ShaneB posted:I moved to Denver, joined the new climbing gym with the tallest walls in the country, got shoes and a chalk bag, and am going bouldering tonight for the first time. I am also in my late 30s with bad flexibility so I am prepared to suck. ShaneB posted:Hivemind: I want to get some quickdraws to begin sport climbing. After some insomnia reading last night, it seems the go-to is the petzl spirit xpress. I found them on gear express for like $17-18 which seems great, only a few bucks over the Djinns. and down the rabbit hole we go
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Oct 23, 2018 22:24
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ShaneB posted:Hivemind: I want to get some quickdraws to begin sport climbing. After some insomnia reading last night, it seems the go-to is the petzl spirit xpress. I found them on gear express for like $17-18 which seems great, only a few bucks over the Djinns. The Spirit draws are great. Ergonomic clipping, and with a wide, stiff dogbone you can pull on when pumped and most important they have keylock noses and wont snag. That being said, they are pricey and a bit heavier than the rest of the field. I'd say the Spirits are excellent for projecting. For onsighting longer routes I prefer something a little bit lighter like the Djinns. Regardless of which brand you get I'd recommend getting one longer draw (17cm dogbone). If a bolt is awkwardly placed the bottom biner might hang over and edge and a longer draw would be preferable. Plus it's a good to have a longer draw if you're redpointing and a clip is just a little bit too high up to be comfortable or you risk rope drag. Get however many draws you need for the longest routes at your local crags + two extra + 1 longer. I generally don't bring slingdraws when sport climbing. Should I need a long draw I just chain together sport draws (Top biner-dogbone-bottom biner-dogbone-bottom biner). They hang heavier and make for easier clipping. Plus the bottom biner won't risk rotating like a slingdraw. Dry treated ropes tend to have lower friction meaning easier clipping and less wear on the rope. I never get non-treated ropes. Get whatever length you need for your local crags plus 15 meters. That will allow you to cut the worn ends of the rope 5 or so times. Ropes get the most wear 2-3 meters in from the ends when you take lead falls. I'd recommend atleast a 9.8 mm rope as any lower diameter will greatly reduce the life of the rope. If possible, try out the rope in store before buying and make sure it's sufficient flexible and not stiff.
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Oct 23, 2018 22:31
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Sigmund Fraud posted:The Spirit draws are great. Ergonomic clipping, and with a wide, stiff dogbone you can pull on when pumped and most important they have keylock noses and wont snag. You’re like the third person who’s specifically mentioned the Djinns as being lighter weight and recommended them for that reason, but according to manufacturer specs. the Spirits are actually about 10% lighter than Djinns. Is this a generational thing in their lineup or a weird lingo thing I’m not getting or... ?
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Oct 23, 2018 22:52
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