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Wor
Oct 21, 2005

a foolish pianist posted:

Yesterday was injury day, apparently. I was hanging on a two-finger pocket on a steep problem, moved a little too dynamically, and then something in my palm just started hurting. It's less bad today, but the pain is still there. No bowstringing, so I didn't blow a pulley, but something in there is seriously strained.

I just bought the gym's summer pass a week ago, too. :(

That could be a lumbrical strain or tear. I did that myself last year.

Good news: only pockets will hurt, so don't pull on pockets the same way!
Bad news: you should still take time off to heal it. Mine was not that bad and I climbed through it after three solid weeks off, but best to see a physio or get a specialist referral if it is really bad.

Anyone else here climb in the Canadian Rockies out of Calgary? The Bow Valley has tons of limestone sport routes, endless choss and scree, and enough waterfall ice to keep you busy for a lifetime.

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Wor
Oct 21, 2005
Hello climbing thread. Is it too soon to bring the ice climbing and mixed climbing stoke to the thread?

The early season is only a month away in the Canadian Rockies... and usually a 3hr walk is involved, but that's all part of the fun of chasing early season ice. Sharpen those tools and crampons!

Wor
Oct 21, 2005

French Canadian posted:

None of us are gnarly enough to ice climb (also there is no ice climbing in Southern California). I thought about it once but realized that if I can barely trad climb maybe I ought to avoid ice climbing for now. I do own some crampons for general mountaineering however.

Ice is a whole new dimension when it comes to commitment and scary, even when compared to traditional rock climbing. Falling on gear is always a very bad idea on ice. I still recommend you try out ice climbing should you get the chance!

Your general mountaineering crampons may not be up to the task, but it depends what type of 'pons you have and what boots they can fit on. Generally a stiff boot + rigid crampon combo is the best. The flexible crampons designed for summer mountaineering will cause your heels to lift, front-points to shear through the ice, and instant hilarity on top-rope.

If anyone is interested, I would be happy to answer any waterfall ice or mixed climbing related questions, or questions about that other suffer filled discipline, alpine climbing. I have four seasons of experience of freezing my arse off climbing in Canadian winters, and I love it as much... maybe more...than rock climbing. It's too bloody cold in the Canadian Rockies to rock climb outside past mid-October. The dedicated can pull it off a few days every season when the warm chinooks blow through on a sunny day, but I never bother chasing the nicest days. Too much effort when I could be ice climbing!

Wor
Oct 21, 2005

French Canadian posted:

Yeah, my crampons aren't step-in/auto either. They're just regular stainless strap BD crampons. I do have Sportiva Trangos that are pretty light and step-in/auto compatible so I could eventually go that route if I needed to.

Have you been to one of those fancy ice-climbing gyms? They look pretty awesome. Also, do you know a crazy Russian guy named Constantin?

I live in Calgary and climb mainly in the Bow Valley near Canmore and Banff. There is a lifetime of limestone sport climbing on my doorstep (well over 6000 routes up to high 5.14's), and world class ice climbing in the winter. There is some quartzite and a bit of dolomite closer to Lake Louise. There is plenty of scary hard (and easy) alpine and good old fashioned mountaineering, too. I am close enough for weekend trips to Revelstoke or Rogers Pass. The Bugaboos can be weekend tripped from Calgary if the logging road is good, but I was a sleep deprived zombie come Monday morning.

Calgary is cold enough in the winter to sustain a homemade ice wall, but it would get hammered by the frequent winter chinooks. I just climb outside on weekends, and at least twice a week in the gym after work. I don't know the crazy Russian guy! I would not be surprised if that description fits several people in our local scene.

Wor
Oct 21, 2005

TotallyUnoriginal posted:

Weightlifting is fine, climbers are just judgmental sometimes. Do some body weight stuff like planks and side planks along with a basic lifting program.

Weightlifting is good (I do a bit of my own), but developing strength and climbing skills at the same time is better. Here are some climbing ideas:

Exercise progression to full front levers -> hanging leg raises, full leg raises (feet to bar) or curl ups, half levers, full levers.
Start inverted (feet up, head down) on rings for half levers if you have access to them, and lower into a half lever as far as you can, hold, come back up, switch legs, repeat. Helps to have a partner to push you back to inverted position if your butt sags or you start to fail. Always lower to failure at end of set.

Anti-swing core training
Climb on big jugs and easy holds through an overhanging bouldering cave. Drop both feet off footholds, control your swing!!! put feet back on. Use the medium to smaller footholds. Repeat and climb until core blows up.

Hanging toe touches
Hang on a long good handrail type hold, or two jugs at the same height, or a pull-up bar. Pull-up into a half-pull up, kick right foot up right and high to one side, as far to the side as you can. Try to reach the same height as your hold. It helps to have a target to aim for (on a wall, along the handrail hold). Switch legs, kick left foot out to the right side. Control your swing as you switch legs. Lower pull-up, pull up again, repeat opposite side. Continue until failure.

Bodyweight exercises with good tempo and form is also good core training (dips, pull-ups, feet-elevated push-ups, etc). Wear a harness and add weight to your pull-ups and dips if you can take it.

Wor
Oct 21, 2005
Here is some Canadian ice climbing stoke from Kananaskis Country, 12-Oct-2013. This is also waaaay too early for sane people to ice climb up here. Only a handful of climbs are in, or you go do alpine on the Icefields Parkway. I think we got lucky when we gambled on this one.


Our line on the left. Unclimbed insanity on the right.


Kananaskis Country in the fall. Lots of snow already for mid-October!


Second pitch (crux curtain above)

Wor
Oct 21, 2005
Hello again thread. Ice climbing season is in full swing in the Rockies. Anyone else getting after it outside on the ice yet??

Here's to 2014 - send an M10 roof, and climb the Weeping Pillar before the end of season.

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Wor
Oct 21, 2005
That's a fantastic idea if you're just starting out. I highly recommend the Petzl Nomics, or a similar bent-shaft tool, especially if you want to do mixed climbing and cragging at your local choss pile. They all climb about equally well (BD Fusion, Cassin X-Dream, Grivel Quantum Race) with their own nuances in terms of grip and swing.

I have a buddy with new Petzl Quarks, and while they are an excellent waterfall ice and alpine/easy mixed tool, they are not nearly as fun at the drytooling crag.

Borrow and swing as many sets of tools as you can before you drop the coin!

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