The Climbing Thread

I can't wait for the new one to open as hopefully it'll ease the pressure on that one a bit. It gets a bit frustrating down there at times as it's so busy. I've been going for years and it seems the last couple it's just sky rocketed in popularity.
 
Just this year the gyms in town have got mega busy. I think it's mainly down to the popularity of these gym membership schemes that have appeared (where you pay a monthly sub and get X number of visits to a range of different sports clubs/gyms).

That and climbing in general steadily gaining popularity, in the Olympics next year.
 
And probably Free Solo being so popular.

I want to use it for a bit of fitness and to get over my fear of heights. Being a scout leader it would be immensely beneficial to instruct youth as well.
 
Janja Garnbret has been on another level this year, not content with winning every single bouldering world cup, in the lead here she loses her chalkbag right at the start and proceeds to get the only top of the semi-final. If she stays injury free and doesn't fluff the dumb speed section, I'd be amazed if she doesn't take gold at the Olympics next year.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckin...janja_garnbrett_is_the_only_person_out_of_26/
 
mid_gen said:
Janja Garnbret has been on another level this year, not content with winning every single bouldering world cup, in the lead here she loses her chalkbag right at the start and proceeds to get the only top of the semi-final. If she stays injury free and doesn't fluff the dumb speed section, I'd be amazed if she doesn't take gold at the Olympics next year.
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That's impressive! Goes to show that a lot of the time, chalk is more of a mental crutch though.

Annoyingly I miss out on seeing the World Cup in Chamonix this weekend as I'm not heading over until the week after. I managed to catch it a few years ago and it was good fun, but the last couple times I've missed it.
 
Bouldered again last night. Felt much more confident reaching for higher holds and swinging my feet a bit more.

Enjoying it immensely.
 
Injured my finger so had to take a couple of weeks off....amazed at the difference just that amount time makes. I felt pretty strong on my first session back, but for the first time in years I was aching like hell on Monday and Tuesday....went yesterday but was still feeling week from Sunday's session so had to finish after an hour before I tweaked something.

First injury in 2 1/2 years boulders though, so not bad going. It was just a flesh wound, was pulling a hard heel hook/hand match on a roof and my heel slipped and hit the tip of my finger, mashed the nail through the side of it, made a mess, but all healed up now. Last week was mental hot anyway so I probably wouldn't have got much climbing done anyway.
 
Strappal - one of the first words I learned to pronounce in french ... brand of finger tape great for patching up fingers especially flappers from the indoor wall

... but if you were in Chamonix, you can always walk on a day off ... such a big imposition.
 
Street said:
That's impressive! Goes to show that a lot of the time, chalk is more of a mental crutch though.
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It's one of those things that you don't need, until you actually do. Probably 95% of the time I would be fine without chalk; I'm hardly climbing at a level where it makes all the difference.

Finally managed to go bouldering over the weekend and just tipping into V5's. For how sporadically I go (less than once a week) and how long I've been climbing (6 months), I'm relatively happy with my progress. Could really do with getting to other walls though as it's beginning to feel a touch stagnant at my local.
 
thegreysquirrel said:
It's one of those things that you don't need, until you actually do. Probably 95% of the time I would be fine without chalk; I'm hardly climbing at a level where it makes all the difference.
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Chalk is entirely needed and ranks probably second only to climbing shoes as the most important thing for most climbers. You would adjust to not having chalk after a few months but there is a reason we use it. Our hands sweat. Thats unavoidable unless you use something like antihydral or another agent that aims to reduce sweating in your finger tips.

This is just another one of those things that climbers like to tell themselves along with "man, I just love to climb barefoot, it just connects you with the rock so much more". Personally I don't want to be using holds that are horribly sweaty and covered in bacteria due to peoples sweaty hands and feet.

Janja is an absolutely monster but I would also suggest that she either doesn't sweat much naturally or she uses something to reduce the sweating in her fingertips. There is no way that you can overcome wet fingers on hard routes not matter how strong you are. Put me on anything slopey and I will come off it if I have wet fingers even if its well below my limit.

P.s. try a session at your local gym without chalk and see how poorly you climb. If you are climbing anything harder than V3 I reckon you will miss it a lot.

What wall do you climb at by the way?
 
Finally back bouldering after what feels years but was only 3 to 4 months. Damaged my rotator cuff and tricep while trying for the final hold; whoops. Hoping to be comfortably doing v4's by the end of the year. How I wish I'd found this sport at a younger age :D
 
Had my last climbing session here in Germany yesterday, surprised myself by flashing a black route (hardest grade). Sure it was soft as hell, but I'll take it.

Moving back to the UK tomorrow morning. Annoyingly been put in temporary accommodation smack in the middle of Birmingham, meaning I have a 50 off minute commute *out* of brum traffic to work....sigh.

The upside is though, that the serviced apartment is a 5 minute walk from the Depot...as I'm going to be living on my own for the next two months I'm going to basically be living in there :P

Don't suppose there's anyone here that climbs there?
 
Bristol is getting better and better for climbing.

Flash point a new gym opened in the last few weeks and the climbing academy is extending in size very soon!

Very soon we will have four gyms to choose from.
 
Paid up for a year at Climbing Station in Loughborough now. Getting back into a routine after the move.

In the new year I'm keen to do some outdoor bouldering, and get back into sport climbing. If anyone in the Midlands is interested hit me up, I'm Billy no mates having just moved back to the UK!

I'll be doing a Fontainebleau trip again in the spring too
 
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