climbing

[astridv]

I just had the best climbing session! My toprope partner was an hour late and I was worried I'd wear myself out bouldering before he even got there, but then I was chatting with another partner-less toproper, exchanging some bouldering tips, and we ended up climbing a few routes until my partner finally go there. All in all I got past two boulder problems that had seemed almost impossible last week, and I climbed a 7+ route that I had found equally impossible. Did it a week before they change the holds, too. I got past the crux by finding a different, much easier beta that taller people probably can't use, so I'm not sure if it's not cheating a little... but anyway, it counts. :) (I used a foothold as a handhold and a handhold as a foothold. Heh.)

Also, the taxes are done and all I have to do is figure out how to submit the forms. One of my housemates offered to show me how, think I'll take her up on it.

Comments

[naye]

That is fantastic - I am so impressed by you doing a 7+!! (In any grading system - which one do you use in Germany?) How long have you been climbing for?

And yes using a foot as a hand and vice versa totally counts. :3

[astridv]

And yes using a foot as a hand and vice versa totally counts. :3

I think so too. :) If it doesn't say "don't do that" on the label, it totally counts, even if it's possible that the routesetters didn't consider the possibility.

We're using UIAA in Germany. I can roughly tell what that translates into in the US (7+ would be 5.10d) but I don't know of UK grading at all. You seem to use different systems, not just one? I mean, we also don't use the UIAA grades for bouldering, just color coding.

The hardest I've climbed so far is 8+, and only three routes so far. Right now we have only two 8er routes on our toprope wall, and both are totally outside my limitations. I need small crimpy holds on straight walls, as opposed to slopers and overhangs. I'm really bad with slopers.

When the routesetters get here later this month, I hope they'll leave us some interesting 8ers. Come to think of it, maybe I could ask for one, they do take suggestions.

I've been climbing for, hm, three or four years? I wish I'd discovered the sport when I was younger. It sucks that I can't train as often and as hard as I'd like... gotta listen to your body, no way around it.

[naye]

Absolutely! Bouldering is about creativity and problem solving, after all. :D

Ahahaah all these different systems I am so confuuuused. Ummm. Yeah, just in the local wall they were originally using the US system and have now switched to the French? I only do bouldering, though, so the bottom bit is what those two charts look like. The Castle in London uses the American system, though, adding more of the having no idea what's going on.

So... the 8+ is 8+ US or UIAA? XD Not that it matters that much - if you've only got two, that's probably a tough climb! And I am also super impressed that you can do small crimpy holds - I cannot do small or crimpy at all. :/ I'm pretty much stuck with holds I can get most of my fingers in or wrap my hand around. Then again, I am a fraidy-cat, so when I traverse at low levels I can make more difficult moves than when I'm bouldering to the top.

Climbing is so fun! I can't believe you've only been doing it for 3-4 years and are already doing such advanced routes. That's really cool.

I really do love it - I mean, I'm still terrified while doing anything even vaguely challenging, but it's hard to beat the feeling of getting to the last hold. Theoretically I'd like to go climbing more than once a week, but given that it takes two or three days for the aching to fade after a good session that might not be wise.

[astridv]

It just takes a while to build up the finger strength for crimping. Better not to rush it. I actually pulled a finger when I was relatively new to climbing and tried a route I wasn't ready for (though not crimping; I was jumping at a two-finger hold. That was pretty stupid.) Anyway, crimping is hard on the finger joints. But once your fingers are stronger, it gets much easier. I always advice new training partners to stay away from the small holds.

So... the 8+ is 8+ US or UIAA?

Oops, I meant 8-.
UIAA. We don't use the US system her at all. It's strange that in London you use the French and the US one instead of the British one. No wonder it has always seemed confusing to me.

Do you also go outdoor bouldering sometimes? It looks like Britain has a interesting rocky spots. rhydra_wong on disobey_gravity posts a lot of vids of British bouldering.

Theoretically I'd like to go climbing more than once a week, but given that it takes two or three days for the aching to fade after a good session that might not be wise.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. My limit is twice weekly, three times tops, or the ache in my fingers won't fade after a while and that doesn't seem wise, looking at it long term...

[naye]

Yeah I have no idea why Britain uses the French and US systems interchangeably - especially since everyone grades differently anyway. :/

No, I'm even more terrified of the thought of bouldering outdoors than I am of the normal bouldering. ^^;; I am fairly heavy (for a climber) and fairly weak and also scared of heights? So it's... not a great combination to take outside the safety of an indoor climbing area. Skuld would probably do well at it, but on the other hand she is scared of bugs and I hear the outdoors has bugs. Going "ARGH!" and waving at a spider would not be the best thing ever.

I know you do outdoor stuff - what kind of climbs do you prefer? How do you stay safe?

[astridv]

and I hear the outdoors has bugs.

LOL.

I know you do outdoor stuff - what kind of climbs do you prefer? How do you stay safe?

I never climb high when I'm outdoors. Never higher than I feel safe jumping down from. My hands don't go higher than three meters, I'd say. Instead, one traverses. It takes more strenght than going up, too.

We don't have real rocks, like, at all. There's a cliff 45 minutes from here, but I haven't checked it out yet. I imagine it's pretty crowded. Also, I don't have lead climbing experience yet, so I don't want to do that outdoors until I got at least a couple dozen hours in indoors... and I'm still waiting for a steady partner to do the certificate class with.

For now, when I'm outdoors I do buildering, which is climbing on man-made structures like buildings and bridges. This is my favorite spot, an old abandoned owl cage. The most popular route here is a traverse that goes all round. The back side which is not visible is really tricky.

Unfortunately my city doesn't have many spots like this... a couple bridges also have nice sandstone walls, but overall there's too much concrete and brick walls, and everything's just too new and neat. An hour south where my parents live there are much better buildering opportunities. Lots of abandoned and re-purposed industrial structures!

[jae]

Dare I ask how high up off the ground you were? :)

-J

[astridv]

Oh, our toprope wall goes up to 16 meters, but you're always on belay, so it's totally safe. The boulder cave is around 4 meters at the highest point. There you climb without ropes but it's got a thick mat and it's absolutely painless to drop even from the very top. (Unless you fall very unlucky.)

At the beginning I still had a feeling for the hight when I was toproping, but after two weeks or so I looked down from the roof and realized I'd lost that feeling I used to have when looking down. That optical illusion where 50m down seem farther than 50m straight ahead... it wears off after a while, apparently.

[jae]

The part of that that sounds scary to me is the shorter height but with no ropes. Eeek!

-J

[astridv]

I could link you some youtube videos that are *really* scary! Some people out there are doing some really unsafe shit (unsafe, but spectacular).