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Verviticus
Mar 13, 2006

I'm just a total piece of shit and I'm not sure why I keep posting on this site. Christ, I have spent years with idiots giving me bad advice about online dating and haven't noticed that the thread I'm in selects for people that can't talk to people worth a damn.
ehh you're probably doing fine. if you're on the wall for 15-20 minutes and you're feeling pumped, thats good. doing it wrong would be either being unable to sustain it for 15 mins or just getting no pump out of it at all

edit: got some shoes resurfaced last week and man, i think they must have either used thicker or harder rubber than what the shoes came with originally because some problems that were a little annoying/painful in them before are a lot nicer now

Verviticus fucked around with this message at 21:23 on May 10, 2021

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SwashedBuckles
Aug 10, 2007

Have at you!

Verviticus posted:

ehh you're probably doing fine. if you're on the wall for 15-20 minutes and you're feeling pumped, thats good. doing it wrong would be either being unable to sustain it for 15 mins or just getting no pump out of it at all

edit: got some shoes resurfaced last week and man, i think they must have either used thicker or harder rubber than what the shoes came with originally because some problems that were a little annoying/painful in them before are a lot nicer now

To piggyback on this a bit, has anyone ever resoled their shoes with non-OEM rubber and if so, how did you like it?

I’ve been thinking of resoling my instinct VSRs with stealth rubber since it’s supposed to be a bit more durable, and since this is my older pair it would be my warmup/mileage shoes.

armorer
Aug 6, 2012

I like metal.

SwashedBuckles posted:

To piggyback on this a bit, has anyone ever resoled their shoes with non-OEM rubber and if so, how did you like it?

I’ve been thinking of resoling my instinct VSRs with stealth rubber since it’s supposed to be a bit more durable, and since this is my older pair it would be my warmup/mileage shoes.

I've resoled many shoes with XS Grip or XS Edge, in 4 or 5 mm. Never had an issue if it wasn't the same as the factory compound.

Hot Diggity!
Apr 3, 2010

SKELITON_BRINGING_U_ON.GIF
Speaking of resoling is rockandresole still the go-to?

SwashedBuckles
Aug 10, 2007

Have at you!

Hot Diggity! posted:

Speaking of resoling is rockandresole still the go-to?

That’s who I always use.

Niyqor
Dec 1, 2003

Paid for by the meat council of America

Hot Diggity! posted:

Speaking of resoling is rockandresole still the go-to?

I've mostly used Yosemite Bum because the turn around has been much faster for me.

Ubiquitus
Nov 20, 2011

All anecdotal, but I don’t trust anyone but rock and resolve right now. I’ve seen people get shoes back in useable states from more local places (at least in AZ)

Sab669
Sep 24, 2009

I bought some new shoes (Butora Endeavor) like 2 weeks ago. They felt like they fit perfectly, immediately felt improvement on slab despite them being more aggressive than my Evolv Kronos that I was wearing.

But now I'm starting to develop a real nasty blood blister on the 'inside' of my big toe (like pressing against my other toe). I was thinking of suffering through climbing with socks on to hopefully stretch 'em out a little bit, but other than that is there anything I can do? It's like if they were just half a centimeter wider or something they'd probably be perfect.

George H.W. Cunt
Oct 6, 2010





Yea I don't think there is really much more you can do until the shoes and feet are broken in to each other.

My new Vapor laces are working out great. I loved the Vapor V's but my dumb wide feet always felt slightly off in them. Lace version however owns.

artism
Nov 22, 2011

Sab669 posted:

I bought some new shoes (Butora Endeavor) like 2 weeks ago. They felt like they fit perfectly, immediately felt improvement on slab despite them being more aggressive than my Evolv Kronos that I was wearing.

But now I'm starting to develop a real nasty blood blister on the 'inside' of my big toe (like pressing against my other toe). I was thinking of suffering through climbing with socks on to hopefully stretch 'em out a little bit, but other than that is there anything I can do? It's like if they were just half a centimeter wider or something they'd probably be perfect.

Don’t know if they’re gonna stretch all that much more since they’re not leather. I’d just return them after two weeks of discomfort (assuming you’ve climbed more than twice in that time)

armorer
Aug 6, 2012

I like metal.
Looks like they have a leather upper when I google for them? If it's a leather upper, the leather will stretch with time. The rubber coated part will not though, which may continue to squeeze your toes since it extends up the sides a bit.

Sab669
Sep 24, 2009

artism posted:

Don’t know if they’re gonna stretch all that much more since they’re not leather. I’d just return them after two weeks of discomfort (assuming you’ve climbed more than twice in that time)

Yea I've probably had like 5-7 sessions in 'em. Last night I had the thought to leave the lower velcro undone, maybe that'll help? And or take them off if I'm not climbing; I tend to just leave them on all the time.

No idea what my gym's return policy is :thunk: I guess I'll ask next time I go.

Endjinneer
Aug 17, 2005
Fallen Rib

Sab669 posted:

I bought some new shoes (Butora Endeavor) like 2 weeks ago. They felt like they fit perfectly, immediately felt improvement on slab despite them being more aggressive than my Evolv Kronos that I was wearing.

But now I'm starting to develop a real nasty blood blister on the 'inside' of my big toe (like pressing against my other toe). I was thinking of suffering through climbing with socks on to hopefully stretch 'em out a little bit, but other than that is there anything I can do? It's like if they were just half a centimeter wider or something they'd probably be perfect.

Might seem obvious, but have you cut your toenails close? Drain the blister too. I reckon even fully synthetic shoes stretch out a bit. A brutal half hour in front of the telly with the boots on over thick socks can force the matter.

KingColliwog
May 15, 2003

Let's go droogs
I did my first outdoor lead today :dance:. We did that 5.11b which is pretty much the highest grade we ever top roped outdoor. There was this stupid run out to the 4th bolt (jug fest part, but still looking at the bolt far below was quite the rush). And the last third was a slab with the sketchiest clipping positions.

Being scared to death is so enjoyable. :confuoot:

KingColliwog fucked around with this message at 19:08 on May 15, 2021

Sab669
Sep 24, 2009

Endjinneer posted:

Might seem obvious, but have you cut your toenails close? Drain the blister too. I reckon even fully synthetic shoes stretch out a bit. A brutal half hour in front of the telly with the boots on over thick socks can force the matter.

Yea the nail is pretty short. It's just annoying that the right foot fits perfectly, but the left one is just slightly no bueno.


Anyways, enjoy this fail comp from today's session at Rimrock in Pennsylvania :) The guy at the end did eventually send it, but I didn't have my camera rolling unfortunately. Although I think someone else did. But that's going to be a good long term project for me. It's an incredibly cool looking arete thing in person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hugNjwo2T9w

kntfkr
Feb 11, 2019

GOOSE FUCKER
How do you guys deal with callouses? I'm good for about an hour and a half but after that it feels like things will rip off my hands and I get nervous and stop climbing.

KingColliwog
May 15, 2003

Let's go droogs

kntfkr posted:

How do you guys deal with callouses? I'm good for about an hour and a half but after that it feels like things will rip off my hands and I get nervous and stop climbing.

Indoor or outdoor? How long have you been climbing?

Callouses are kind of bad. I will sandpaper mine off. You want thick leathery skin, but no callouses. Callouses will rip off and it really sucks. Take a file, emery board, sandpaper block or whatever to them to remove them and then keep climbing. You can use some good moisturizer (I personally make mine myself but O'Keefe working hands works ok too and if you don't mind spending stuff like climb on is great) right after climbing and/or before bed to help the skin heal. I don't do it anymore, but when I first started and/or when I take a long break it makes a big big difference.

Other than that, skin getting raw is just going to happen and skin can often force you to stop. Outdoor especially, some rock will just destroy your skin really really fast. Ideally you stop before it's too raw, especially if you want to climb the next day or the day after. If you have like 2 days off or something you can abuse your skin more. Try to stop before you get cut/splits/flappers though because that can take a while to heal.

Sigmund Fraud
Jul 31, 2005

Climb smaller holds! Once you move on from jug hauls your calluses will disappear :)

jiggerypokery
Feb 1, 2012

...But I could hardly wait six months with a red hot jape like that under me belt.

Jason Kehl's youtube channel doesn't get nearly enough love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsiGq8nkPJs The man is a true legend

Verviticus
Mar 13, 2006

I'm just a total piece of shit and I'm not sure why I keep posting on this site. Christ, I have spent years with idiots giving me bad advice about online dating and haven't noticed that the thread I'm in selects for people that can't talk to people worth a damn.

kntfkr posted:

How do you guys deal with callouses? I'm good for about an hour and a half but after that it feels like things will rip off my hands and I get nervous and stop climbing.

grab one of these or something similar from a drug store. i file them while watching a show or something

Mons Hubris
Aug 29, 2004

fanci flup :)


ClimbOn lotion bar also works pretty well to keep your calluses hard but not painful in my experience.

Ubiquitus
Nov 20, 2011

I use rhino performance pre-climb, climbon and rhino repair nights directly after climbing outside, and only rhino repair the day after

Aramoro
Jun 1, 2012




Is this the right thread for gym climbing, if not is there another one? I've gotten really into gym climbing recently and really loving it. I live near the EICA Ratho in Scotland which has a bunch of top rope climbing there.

I'm very much a beginner, I kinda top out at 6a for walls so I think I need some lessons does anyone know anyone near Edinburgh they would recommend? My wife is also interested in lessons as well.

jiggerypokery
Feb 1, 2012

...But I could hardly wait six months with a red hot jape like that under me belt.

Ratho is a world class climbing gym and has really high quality instructors available.

One of the guys who grew up in the Ratho climbing team - Will Bosi - recently became one of only 6 people in the world to climb 9b+. Safe to say they know how to teach!

Aramoro
Jun 1, 2012




jiggerypokery posted:

Ratho is a world class climbing gym and has really high quality instructors available.

One of the guys who grew up in the Ratho climbing team - Will Bosi - recently became one of only 6 people in the world to climb 9b+. Safe to say they know how to teach!

I'll need to enquire more as Edinburgh Leisure seems slightly bemused by the idea of lessons outside the safety courses you must do. That might just be because of the current situation mind you.

jiggerypokery
Feb 1, 2012

...But I could hardly wait six months with a red hot jape like that under me belt.

https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/venues/edinburgh-international-climbing-arena/coaching#EICAAdults

Looks like improvers stage is what you are after!

Sab669
Sep 24, 2009

I think it was this thread that turned me on to it, but Neil Gresham's Masterclass Climbing on YouTube was immensely helpful when I first got started 2 years ago

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWaOhPVOdoYG4MW76FOOqMilM4wuCgPeZ

I watched it a few times, lots of good techniques shown there.

Aramoro
Jun 1, 2012





I'll give them a call, I've just been speaking to folk when I've been there. Be good to get some instruction before my undoubtedly terrible habits get too ingrained.

Endjinneer
Aug 17, 2005
Fallen Rib

Aramoro posted:

I'll give them a call, I've just been speaking to folk when I've been there. Be good to get some instruction before my undoubtedly terrible habits get too ingrained.

Ratho is a magnificent wall and even better when the haar gets in and makes it drizzle inside. Nothing could be more Scottish. The term you're looking for is coaching sessions rather than lessons maybe? I think that's cause there's loads of formal qualifications for safety but not much for actual climbing, so people don't want to hold themselves up as a teacher. There'll be a notice board in the wall and there might be some advertising on it.

I wouldn't worry too much about bad habits either. Most climbing you can learn by watching and copying. It's not like skiing or golf where some subtlety of pressure or a gesture too quick to see makes all the difference, at least up until the hero grades.

Alternatives you might consider are:
Falkirk Community Trust. They do heavily subsidised coaching and training in outdoor activities. They might do indoor stuff as well but the programme is currently on hold due to the pandemic.
Join a club and make friends with some more experienced people who you can learn from. The Jacobites are an Edinburgh based climbing/hillwalking/mountaineering club who meet in a pub once a week to plan a weekend trip and I think they have a weekly wall session too. I've gatecrashed a few of their trips over the years and climbed with 5 or 6 of them. They're a friendly bunch. http://www.jacobitesmc.co.uk/
Sorry if that's a bit more outdoor orientated than what you're looking for, but my god Scotland is such a good country for it.

Aramoro
Jun 1, 2012




Endjinneer posted:

Alternatives you might consider are:
Falkirk Community Trust. They do heavily subsidised coaching and training in outdoor activities. They might do indoor stuff as well but the programme is currently on hold due to the pandemic.
Join a club and make friends with some more experienced people who you can learn from. The Jacobites are an Edinburgh based climbing/hillwalking/mountaineering club who meet in a pub once a week to plan a weekend trip and I think they have a weekly wall session too. I've gatecrashed a few of their trips over the years and climbed with 5 or 6 of them. They're a friendly bunch. http://www.jacobitesmc.co.uk/
Sorry if that's a bit more outdoor orientated than what you're looking for, but my god Scotland is such a good country for it.

I do pretty much everything I can to stop going back to Falkirk in general. I'll check those things out though, thanks!.

quote:

I think it was this thread that turned me on to it, but Neil Gresham's Masterclass Climbing on YouTube was immensely helpful when I first got started 2 years ago

These seem good, give me something to watch when i'm 'working from home'

kntfkr
Feb 11, 2019

GOOSE FUCKER

KingColliwog posted:

Indoor or outdoor? How long have you been climbing?

Callouses are kind of bad. I will sandpaper mine off. You want thick leathery skin, but no callouses. Callouses will rip off and it really sucks. Take a file, emery board, sandpaper block or whatever to them to remove them and then keep climbing. You can use some good moisturizer (I personally make mine myself but O'Keefe working hands works ok too and if you don't mind spending stuff like climb on is great) right after climbing and/or before bed to help the skin heal. I don't do it anymore, but when I first started and/or when I take a long break it makes a big big difference.

Other than that, skin getting raw is just going to happen and skin can often force you to stop. Outdoor especially, some rock will just destroy your skin really really fast. Ideally you stop before it's too raw, especially if you want to climb the next day or the day after. If you have like 2 days off or something you can abuse your skin more. Try to stop before you get cut/splits/flappers though because that can take a while to heal.

Indoor at a Gravity Vault in NJ. Flappers sound bad. Started climbing in '18 but on and off and took a long break because of active addiction and covid. Just started back up recently and have been going 5x a week. I love big jugs. :(

I will try sanding them down and using my wife's hand lotion at night. Thanks for the tips goons!

KingColliwog
May 15, 2003

Let's go droogs

kntfkr posted:

Just started back up recently and have been going 5x a week.

I think your problem is right there.

Building thicker skin takes time so if you started again recently your skin is going to need time to adapt.

5x a week is a lot (as in too much unless you have really really short sessions)

KingColliwog
May 15, 2003

Let's go droogs
Help a bro out. This kind of move is probably what I suck at the most. Campusing/cutting lose/holding a swing are all things I'm terrible at. Can you guys see anything obvious I could do better?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AysAWkxiamA

I think I should lock off higher while cutting lose and possibly bringing my right leg closer to the end position before letting go of the left hook.

armorer
Aug 6, 2012

I like metal.

KingColliwog posted:

Help a bro out. This kind of move is probably what I suck at the most. Campusing/cutting lose/holding a swing are all things I'm terrible at. Can you guys see anything obvious I could do better?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AysAWkxiamA

I think I should lock off higher while cutting lose and possibly bringing my right leg closer to the end position before letting go of the left hook.

Where are your feet going after the swing? That will make a difference in what's best to do.

Couple things to try in general though to better control a swing:

Bringing your knees in to your chest as you cut feet can significantly reduce the pendulum swing, and then at the other end of the swing pressing your feet straight back out to the target hold. (As opposed to swinging with your legs extended.)

On the other hand if the goal is to swing hard right and throw a heel hook up to the right of your hands, then the momentum of a full pendulum swing becomes your friend and it can help to think about throwing your hips to the side as you swing to increase your momentum even more.

KingColliwog
May 15, 2003

Let's go droogs

armorer posted:

Where are your feet going after the swing? That will make a difference in what's best to do.

Couple things to try in general though to better control a swing:

Bringing your knees in to your chest as you cut feet can significantly reduce the pendulum swing, and then at the other end of the swing pressing your feet straight back out to the target hold. (As opposed to swinging with your legs extended.)

On the other hand if the goal is to swing hard right and throw a heel hook up to the right of your hands, then the momentum of a full pendulum swing becomes your friend and it can help to think about throwing your hips to the side as you swing to increase your momentum even more.

After the swing you campus right hand to the crack and then right foot goes at the bottom of the crack. I just need to hold the swing and then campus up. Swinging up to a heel hook at the bottom of the crack is also possible, but makes the whole thing harder

armorer
Aug 6, 2012

I like metal.

KingColliwog posted:

After the swing you campus right hand to the crack and then right foot goes at the bottom of the crack. I just need to hold the swing and then campus up. Swinging up to a heel hook at the bottom of the crack is also possible, but makes the whole thing harder

In that case I would try pulling your knees in towards your chest as you cut feet. It'll dampen the swing somewhat.

Edit: Another thing that will dampen the swing is if you keep your torso tight as you cut feet. It's hard to explain (and to do) but if you think that instead of cutting feet you are doing a controlled, sideways crunch while hanging from your hands, that's kinda what I mean.

armorer fucked around with this message at 19:29 on May 21, 2021

kntfkr
Feb 11, 2019

GOOSE FUCKER

KingColliwog posted:

I think your problem is right there.

Building thicker skin takes time so if you started again recently your skin is going to need time to adapt.

5x a week is a lot (as in too much unless you have really really short sessions)

Like 90 minutes or so.

KingColliwog
May 15, 2003

Let's go droogs

armorer posted:

In that case I would try pulling your knees in towards your chest as you cut feet. It'll dampen the swing somewhat.

Edit: Another thing that will dampen the swing is if you keep your torso tight as you cut feet. It's hard to explain (and to do) but if you think that instead of cutting feet you are doing a controlled, sideways crunch while hanging from your hands, that's kinda what I mean.

I think that's the way forward. Pulling my knees up will also probably help me keep my core tighter. I felt like I was tensing up, but when I look at the video I'm pretty drat loose and my legs are just dangling everywhere. I think I was focusing on locking off to reduce the swing and didn't put enough energy in keeping my torso tight.

I also found a video I had never seen before of the problem and I can probably let go of the toe hooks while my left hand is still further left instead of bringing it to the bad crimp (the one it pops off of). That would allow me to get my right leg to the right heel hook beneath the crack and I'd probably be good for the rest.

drat I'm excited! That was my big "I hope I get this before the end of automn 2021" project. Never thought I'd be that close that early.

kntfkr posted:

Like 90 minutes or so.

5x a week for 90 minutes seems like a lot to me if you're pretty focused and doing a lot of climbing during that time window. 2 days on 1 day off ad nauseam isn't something I could personally pull off, but I'm getting older (35) and wasn't climbing in my 20s so may be it's ok for your body. If your skin isn't healing though, it's clearly too much for your skin. Take a full day off climbing when your skin is getting raw. You'll get more out of your training session and you might be able to go back to 5x a week (if your body can take that beating!) in like a month once your skins builds up. If you're constantly destroying your hands you're not giving it a chance to grow thicker skin.

armorer
Aug 6, 2012

I like metal.
I was going to suggest keeping your left hand on that wider hold as well actually, but I can't really tell how the holds are so I didn't mention it. A wider grip with your arms gives you more leverage to control the swing.

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Endjinneer
Aug 17, 2005
Fallen Rib

KingColliwog posted:

Help a bro out. This kind of move is probably what I suck at the most. Campusing/cutting lose/holding a swing are all things I'm terrible at. Can you guys see anything obvious I could do better?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AysAWkxiamA

I think I should lock off higher while cutting lose and possibly bringing my right leg closer to the end position before letting go of the left hook.

When letting go with your feet, try to find a way to lower yourself into position rather than just detaching. Sometimes you can drag your foot across the hold or the rock as you release. Anything you can do to reduce the violence of the swinging motion.
Also something that might be helpful- your crossover hands at the start, you're leaving room for right hand to match next to left before you bump it out to crap hold 1 and then crap hold 2. Try getting left hand all the way to the edge of the hold. Right comes off the crossover and goes straight to crap holds. It'll mean you're slightly less stretched out.
Awesome stuff though!

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