The Climbing Thread

God my trad seconding course booked now in a couple of weeks, followed immediately by finally getting to some MC meets to get some practice in. Then will get my lead course in October time probably...and should be all equipped to get out there without supervision.

The wall of my study is slowly getting covered in gear...happily just slowly building it up with a few bits each month. Slings and more screwgates the latest batch.

Getting close to max bouldering grade again, feels good...although my torn MCL still isn't 100%....have a feeling it won't ever be....:(
 
Finally got out to a club meet, did some routes at Horseshoe Quarry before the rain arrived. First time on a rope for a while, good to get back into it!

Gonna head to the roaches at the weekend with the gf, not sure if it's to boulder, scamble, or trad, will see how the crowds are.
 
Have been finally getting to some MC meets, Harpur Hill tomorrow. Going to try and find my grade tomorrow...have just been getting used to leading on easy stuff, 6A+ the last few weeks.

Feeling in decent shape after getting back climbing regular after my MCL tear. I'll be disappointed if I can't do some 6C/6C+.

I was looking forward to doing a lot of climbing second half of the year, bought a camper a couple weeks ago, but having a bad run of deaths in the family and other nonsense that's putting a spanner in the works. Was meant to be going Ogwen Valley again next week, but had to can it.

Guess we can always gear up for winter outings!
 
What a lovely day at Harpur Hill. I know people like to mock the quarries, but that upper tier with views out over Buxton, a nice breeze and the late afternoon sun....glorious.

Ticked off a bunch of 2 and 3 * 6As, Coral Seas, On the Stroke Of 5000, Wile E Coyote. The old duffers at the MC are glad to have some keen newbies do the hard work so I'm leading everything now, which is all fine with me! I would like to do some harder stuff though, but most of the regulars seen to balk at 6B or higher.
 
Still trying to get my first trad lead done...was all set to at Stanage last week but the breeze fell and the midges came out with a vengeance so called it a day early.

Weather looks great this week, but I've managed to tweak my old back niggle for the first time in years so that's me out until that settles :mad:
 
jpaul said:
you've gone up and placed gear on a top rope ? - have you purchased a new rope - or waiting for sales at an opportune moment
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I've practiced placing gear and building anchors, I just haven't had the right weather. Done a fair bit of sport climbing but whenever it's trad the weather turns to crap or the midges ruin it :P

If it comes to it I'll just drag the g/f to a crag the first dry weather we have her belay me up a diff or something so I can tick it off :P
 
jpaul said:
not sure if you mean her belaying skills are questionable so, it would be like leading. take in the slack, put the phone down.

Ballards g/f, also a climber, surprisingly, lamented that Danieli who he died with, was a bit maverick.
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She's never climbed on ropes, but like most people I'm sure can do a decent job with a few minutes instruction. I happily solo diffs, so not really necessary anyway, more that I just want to tick my 2021 aim, which is to lead a trad route. Done a fair bit of seconding now...but leading is a different game altogether.

I've managed to get into some local WhatsApp groups for climbers so should have plenty of partners next season.
 
Well, decided to give rope soloing a go, as I've got tons of leave to use, and finding people at short notice to climb with is a pain in the butt. Booked Thursday off, gonna head to the Roaches start on some toprope solo, just easy stuff obviously to get used to it. Will use my 60m triple doubled up, a different ascender on each strand, pretty happy that's enough redundancy. Not that I plan on falling :P

In the gym I've finally got back to my peak performance, been getting into try hard mode in recent weeks and working boulder problems beyond my limit. Yesterday I managed to complete all the moves on a f7A I've been working....just need to link it together....and I can finally say I've bust that 7A plateau, been stuck there for a couple of years (thanks covid).
 
Well, I did a day or TR soloing, and I'm not dead :D

I used an Edelrid Spoc and Wild Country Ropeman 2, one on each strand of my 60m twin rope, doubled up.

Worked well, and felt safe, but it was a lot of faff. Get to the anchor, clip in with my lanyard, take one ascender off, replace with my GigaJul, load it and clip in. Remove the other ascender. Check everything, weight the GJ, remove lanyard, and rappel down.

Rappel is a bit grabby in assisted mode on the GigaJul....and I don't fancy faffing with a prussik as well. Too complex, too many chances of making a mistake, so I've just ordered a Taz Lov3, and will just use a single rope...the Lov3 as the primary, and the Spoc as backup. Makes the change from ascent to rappel so much easier and less chance of a screwup.
 
Decided to try and get over the V5 hump this winter, helped by my MC starting regular indoor meets for the winter months, so I've had people to boulder with at my grade.

Did my first V6 problem last night after working it for 5-6 sessions...proper tricky slab with some tiny crimps and underclings....happy with that. Then went and tried a few more and then did another second go....guess I'm a V6/7a boulderer now :D

Did another session soloing with the new setup last week, the Taz Lov3 is perfect for TR solo, don't bother with the backup device, and just put knots in above the deck and any ledges. Simple is best, less chances to screw up!

Will be up in Glossop at the weekend so will be checking out the crags above the town.
 
ikra said:
Do you guys get any injuries from climbing? My fingers get sore and lose full mobility a day or two after a hard climb. I'm now a v5 climber but I haven't really included fingerboarding in my repertoire yet
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How long have you been climbing? Quite often see people come to climbing from being gym bunnies or crossfit or whatever, who are pretty strong already, and constantly wreck their fingers, because their strength is just too much for their tendons and fingers. It takes years for your tendons to strengthen, much longer than muscle.

Touch wood, I've never injured myself climbing...5 years, climbing V6/7a now. I've always bouldered though, and only the last year got into sport/trad seriously, so maybe that's conditioned me to deal with powerful moves.

Street said:
I've injured myself bouldering more than anything else! Mainly popped pulleys over the years. Bouldering seems to be pretty brutal on the joints.

I'm currently out of action after tearing the meniscus in my knee. Looking at 3-4 months before I can get a referral with the knee clinic, then god knows when I can get an operation. I can climb if I limit myself and don't push my grade, but anything with a big walk in is out so it's looking like my winter climbing season is going to be a write off. :(
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Sucks :( I tore my MCL at the beginning of April, 3 months before I could climb again, and I'm only just back to climbing hard now.
 
Did a whole day at Stanage Sunday, got there at 8...bit nippy. Had to toprope solo until lunchtime as this climbing group don't get up early :P

My main objective this year has been to get my first trad lead done.....I was a bit worried about running out of decent weather, but managed it. Went up an easy VD first to make sure I had it all straight in my head. Then led Manchester Buttress HS 4b which was more exciting. First I completely ballsed up the starting arete, going up the wrong side and got pumped as hell before managing to get round the right side and getting gear in. I didn't see the crimp in the traverse break either so ended up just flopping my way around the crux corner :D

Had to borrow some stuff again, so been shopping today!
 
So, climbing plans for the year?

Last year my aim was simple, get into trad and start leading. Mission accomplished!

This year, mostly just want to climb, a lot...but in terms of specific aims, I want to start doing big multi-pitch mountain routes. Will probably be able to tick that one in a few weeks as I'm leading a club meet in Snowdonia.

Was meant to start some Scottish winter this month but weather put paid to that. Not going to have another chance this year due to starting a new job sadly.

Been working some 7a boulders outside that I'm pretty sure I'll tick in the next couple months.

Looking further ahead, I am seriously considering taking a month off in January to chill and climb in Spain/Tenerife.
 
Sadly my week off between jobs is a bust weather wise. Probably get some soggy mountain trudges in if I'm lucky.

Been ploughing through some books and concentrating on training a bit more. Been reading Dave MacLeod's book which isn't really anything novel, but does hit the nail on the head. Took it to heart today, I am very guilty of cruising around routes I can do and not failing enough on things I can't do, so decided today I won't climb anything I've already climbed.....and whaddya know, I sent 3 project boulders that had been shutting me down for weeks :rolleyes:
 
Finally got out yesterday, had a day up at Stanage. Starting to find my feet so to speak on gritstone.

Wore my soft bouldering shoes instead of stiff Katana Laces....so much better on grit, I really trusted the smears and standing on slopey break. Head game was much better, led my first VS, then first HVS to finish the day. Felt pretty solid and will be breaking into the E grades in the coming weeks.

Hope this weather keeps up!
 
ci_newman said:
Bit of a thread necro :)

I've been climbing on and off for 20 years so I'm not new to the sport but I seem to have hit a wall in my climbing abilities and my performance is actually getting worse. I have a recurring problem where my forearms basically just seize up after a couple of 6a/6b routes. I can climb 5c until the sun sets but I seem to be over engaging my forearm flexor muscles when on grades 6 and up. The muscles basically just get rock solid and I lose all of my finger grip strength.

My guess is that I have some imbalance in my lower arms which means I am not using my extensor muscles, but any suggestions from anyone who has encountered this?

To be clear, this is not medical related :) I don't get specific pain when climbing and it's just muscle soreness.
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As @Cantankerous said, sounds like forearm pump, pretty standard.

When you climb hard sport routes, you will get pumped, simple as that! The trick is minimising and managing it.

Minimise it by using your feet and core to take the weight off your arms. Unless it's a very sustained route there will be rest positions to recover, so make use of them. Make sure you aren't over gripping, stay relaxed, shake out your arms in between moves.

Dry tooling did wonders for my pump management, just getting used to swapping hands and shaking out, staying calm, milking strenuous rests.....you can do the same on a circuit board by just doing continuous laps and trying to rest on the wall.
 

Awesome effort from Toby Roberts, first British male to win a Boulder World Cup in 16 years.

Some really strong brits at the moment, along with Will Bosi and others
 
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Well, had a period a bit flat this year not feeling like I'd progressed much, but had a spurt of try hard at the end of the year.

Ticked my first E1 early in the summer.
Did a week of big multipitch in Morocco
Did a week ice climbing in Rjukan
Didn't progress my bouldering grade, but lt ticked another F7a. Haven't done a lot outdoors tbf.
Got my big boy pants on last weekend and ticked my first E2 and E3 on the same day. Both bold slab routes with bugger all gear, but very much my style.
 
NightSt@lk3r said:
Just got back from a week in Snowdonia, was my first visit up there and something totally new for me and really enjoyed it, prior to this my only experience hiking was doing the Brecon Beacons twice last year but this was a totally different animal.

Day 1 we did a loop around Llyn Idwal via Devil's kitchen up to Y Garn and back down.


Day 2 we did Crib Goch which was my first ever attempt at a scramble up towards Snowdon, there was a lot of people heading to Snowdon and the summit was in the clouds so we decided to skip it and head back down the Pyg Track.


Day 3 was a wash and blow out so just took a short walk up to Ffynnon Llugwy

Day 4 was probably my favorite route of the week, we headed up to Pen yr Ole Wen then on to Carnedd Dafydd then on to Carnedd Llewelyn then finally to Pen Yr Helgi Du, and after starting the morning looking pretty cloudy the conditions quickly improved and ended up being perfect.







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Nice, I was up Cym Idwal ice climbing in the last cold snap :)

Sensible call not doing Crib Goch unless you're totally happy with the conditions. People die on it *every* year. It's pretty straightforward scrambling but if you slip you're gonna have a really bad time.

You may get more eyes posting this on the hiking trekking and mountaineering thread in GD btw
 
NightSt@lk3r said:
We did do Crib Goch, conditions were not great up there probably wasn't the smartest time to do my first attempt at scrambling though lol




Got a link, i can't find a thread in GD?
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Hiking, backpacking, trekking, mountaineering...

Norway is a much drier climate than the UK so the cold feels completely different and despite being a lot colder, is much more manageable. I've climbed in Norway and been out on the artic plateau in winter down to nearly -30C with most days being about -15 to -20 and I've been colder and worn...
forums.overclockers.co.uk forums.overclockers.co.uk
 
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