The Climbing Thread

mid_gen

mid_gen

mid_gen

Soldato
Joined
20 Dec 2004
Posts
16,256
How's about a thread for the climbers? Getting more and more popular over here so I'm sure there are plenty into it.

Just about to get an annual membership at my local bouldering gym as I'm up to 3-4 2 hours sessions a week reliably.

Did a couple of hours yesterday, finally beat an awkward overhang after finally getting the toe hook right to get round the lip, satisfying, although my ankle is wrecked from trying to heel hook and bashing the joint on the edge of a volume :S
 
yep - it is in the olympics next time, following tv pub, had recently watched The North Face: Alex Honnold - El Sendero Luminoso

need to invest in a fingerboard next , or pull-up bar ?



Used to belong to a wall in France, however in the UK the mainstream gym companies eg Virgin/Better. (Cambridge/Beds area) do not seem to have cottoned onto popularity and added walls, even after refits.

Not sure why this is, whether the liability insurance versus other gym activities is expensive, maintenance on the walls, updating routes, maybe cleaning of holds.
Since gym/pool membership is pretty expensive anyway, I would like a combined membership.

...but yes, ideal sport(&social) activity especially for those winter evenings, don't know whether walls would even have to limit time period for a session.
 
I've been climbing for a good few years, mainly trad and bouldering. I head down to the wall a few times a week and try to get outdoors as much as I can. Annoyingly I've recently hurt my tendon on my ring finger so I'm taking it easy at the moment. I did my A2 pulley properly last year and couldn't climb for a few months at all, but luckily this time it doesn't seem too bad.
 
Yeah I like the social side, I'm at the local gym 3 times a week for 2+ hours now, getting to know a lot of the faces there. It's great to be able to ask for tips from the ninjas doing black routes! There's a meetup group just started here so should get to know more....quite a few people from work are getting into it as well.

Got my grip strength, general core and upper body strength up to a good level now, easily recover in a day. Been watching the Neil Gresham videos and trying to concentrate on my technique and doing existing routes as smoothly and efficiently as possible rather than just beasting the hardest ones I can.

Technique is definitely holding me back, rather than strength and fitness, gonna work on that before I get into installing any gear at home. The wall is only a 10-minute bike ride away.
 
:D

I think dyneema climbing slings are made out of same material as bullet proof jackets, a bit bigger than a thread, but pretty strong - still here.

ropes --- The retirement of originally expensive climbing ropes (falls/uv degradation/grit) is always a difficult one to swallow.
 
Rope prices are a joke, luckily I don't sport climb so don't take too many falls on them. What does hurt is hearing your second say they can't get a cam out!

Somnambulist said:
I've been to the indoor place in Greenwich (The Reach?) a few times with my yoga friends - which is always good fun albeit super-humbling.
Click to expand...

I was humbled the first time I bouldered outdoors. Happily climbing V6 indoors, struggling on V3s outdoors.
 
saw the documentary/movie Meru last night , Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, Jon Krakauer, great film about climbing/friendship/
since they shot it, nice photography communicates majesty of mountains, vs bbc type stuff.
liked Conrad's Ice axe closet, definitely give Imelda a run for her money.
 
I've just managed to blag a climbing holiday for next summer. Two weeks in Cham, one with the missus, the second one my climbing partner is coming over. She seemed strangely on board with the idea! Really looking forward to it as I've only ever climbed in the Alps once before.
 
There are some nice gear shops in Chamonix maybe your missus knows, one of the few places shopping is not a chore and a rainy day not so bad
(Mr Amazon cannot compete for this kind of purchase)
You can also buy those nice Red hardback Guerin edition climbing books ,

... pencil in the Dolomites for a subsequent summer - wow they're something too
 
I've been dragging the other half to Font quite a lot lately and she seems to like it. There is so much stuff there for all abilities and even on those days when its too hot to climb or your skin is a bit **** you can still get some great circuits done.
 
... yes - Londons got what in comparison ? High Rocks ? that is a bit like going to the beach, last time I went.
 
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