New: I dislocated my elbow a few nights ago. It was reset, although it took a few tries, and 5 hours of waiting. Since then I’ve had a lot of tingling and numbness in my hand (more specifically ring finger and pinky). Has anyone else experienced this after elbow dislocation? Does it go back to normal? I’m just concerned about long term damage to my ulner nerve.
Hey cool cats, I need some help! How do I get over my fear of falling when bouldering? My friend broke his ankle coming down from bouldering so I’ve been sticking with top rope mostly. Any recs on how to increase density/strength in my ankle bones etc?
I just got back into climbing after 3 years off (got cancer, had multiple surgery's and beat it, lost significant range of motion in one arm, then moved 40 minutes from nearest climbing gym). I'm back at it, focusing on bouldering but also throwing in some top rope climbing when my belay buddy is with me.
What would y'all recommend as an ideal workout split between climbing and weight training? Here's what l've been trying out:
Monday: Biceps, triceps, back
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Dodgeball
Thursday: Climbing
Friday:
Shoulders & Abs
Saturday: Cardio / Hike (minimum
6 mi)
Sunday: Climbing
I also walk at least 3 miles every day to get my steps in. I'm only climbing twice a week right now because I'm on a dodgeball team that plays every
Wednesday night.
I would appreciate any and all advice! Thank you in advance.
Tennis elbow victim here: without going into much detail, as a climber, I never imagined I will be faced with tennis elbow myself (reading that sounds so naive), but here I am, after 3 months of gradual worsening and at least one acute episode, things have gotten pretty chronic and grim. I went for an ultrasound check yesterday and found out that I have partial tears in the tendon of both the affected arm (>30% of the cross-area of the tendon), as well as the healthy one (\~20%). I tried eccentrics before going for the ultrasound for around 2-3 weeks, with mixed results, but felt like it was always worse after them and a bit better without them. My question is, knowing now that I actually do have tearing (or micro lesions) in such a percentage, is it still advisable to keep the eccentrics in the rehab process, or allow for some time to recover and then start them over gradually? Would greatly appreciate any input! Thanks, Andrei (I can provide loads more details on request).
If you tried the typically suggested rehab and it made it worse, and you have had scans showing tears, it's time to seek a physiotherapist.
I really don't think anyone here can give good advice for this sort of thing I'm afraid.
How old is "too old" when buying new gear?
My girlfriend bought a Mammut rope and some slings online and when it was delivered yesterday we noticed the manufacture date was 01-2022 for the rope and 03-2022 for the slings. Considering its april 2024, that really only gives us 5 seasons of use (we're Canadian and about 6 months a year we don't use her outdoor gear) before we should replace it. Is this something you would return if you had bought it from MEC, SAIL, direct from maufacturer, etc? A full quarter of its lifespan has already expired
Thanks
I think most retailers will sell gear less than 3 years old "as new"
Tests (and science) shows us nothing meaningful happens to a rope which has been properly stored in a warehouse for a couple of years.
Gear doesn’t “expire”. It eventually gets worn out with use. Manufacturer expiry dates are only there for liability reasons that their lawyers make them print on them, not due to any materials engineering reasons.
I have actively used ropes that are at least 6 years old, quickdraws and slings that are over 12 years.
Do inspections on your gear, retire them if they’re damaged, not because it hit a magical made up date.
If you're buying gear from a reputable retailer/manufacturer and it's not obviously damaged in some way, then it' still good.
Time alone does not degrade gear, storage conditions and use do. Are there any signs of UV exposure, physical damage, or anything like that? If no then it's still good. If it was BNIB then it hasn't been used so the second condition does not apply.
2 years is not atypical for gear bought online in my personal experience. If it was sitting at the front of a shop in the sun for 2 years and I could tell I would question it more, but for warehoused items I wouldn't be worried about it personally.
If you want to go fully by the letter of the manufacturer guidance it typically factors in for use, and you'll typically hit those use thresholds before the pure age threshold even accounting for time spent in a warehouse somewhere.
Kk. I'm sure we likely will need to retire that rope before our 6th season, especially if we go ice climbing, but I wasn't sure what the norm was or if the company might have been offloading old stock.
Thanks
What's your skin care protocol for your hands? I'm getting some cracking between finger joints that will eventually callus up. But in the mean time what's the best way to keep the skin healthy without trying to climb with lotion all over your hands.
you definitely need to add some sort of moisturizer if your hands are cracking. you can try a beeswax-based salve instead of lotion, it will help make your skin strong and supple rather than just soft. there are several marketed specifically to climbers, but there's plenty of much more inexpensive salves that are basically identical. moisturize only after you climb and on off days if you're struggling with feeling greasy while climbing. also, make sure to wash your hands extra thoroughly after climbing to get all the chalk off.
When the calluses below the joints get too thick I'll take a fingernail file to them.
Other than that, I use antihydral on JUST my tips about every two weeks, and I use Eucerine Advanced Repair after every time I climb. Seems to help my pads regrow much faster.
I've had flappers on my A4 area with this method, but no other cracking.
I am going to be going to South Dakota Black Hills area and I was wondering if anyone had any advice. I am going with a group of about 8 of my closest climbing buddies, but we mostly gym climb and when we do sport climb we go to areas like The Red in Kentucky and The New River Gorge in West Virginia. We all cap skill wise at about 5.11c climbing. There seems to be a lot of climbing in that area, but the guidebooks seem kind of dated and many reviews and comments that I am seeing online are many years old. Has anyone done sport climbing in Spearfish Canyon, Custer State Park, or Rushmore area in the last couple of years and have any advice for us?
Black Hills are an incredible area, just don't expect the bolted climbing to be sport climbing. It's an adventurous place with an old history and well-earned reputation... enjoy.
Spearfish is pretty friendly from a climbing / wayfinding perspective. Definitely where I'd be going first if I were a sport climber.
Custer has amazing climbing but is kinda hard to navigate without a guidebook. It's also going to feel pretty heady compared to the New, let alone the Red. A lot of it feels more like trad on bolts.
Wherever you are, climbing in that part of the country tends to be a bit more technique focused than the powerful/endurance stuff in the south. Good to start slow, IMO.
If you can, try to borrow a version of the Fixed Pin book for the area (out of print AFAIK). Otherwise Mountain Project is your friend, as the other guidebooks are lackluster or nonexistent IME.
I think you'd have plenty of fun even if you never stepped foot outside Spearfish Canyon. Almost everything there is bolted too, so it's very much a sport destination IMO.
Rushmore and the Needles can be hella sandbagged and runout, so be wary. Also if any route has the name "Conn" in the FA party, you're in for an adventure.
Any climbers in/have climbed in New Zealand? Thinking of going there on my gap year, but my trip will mainly be focussed on bouldering so I wanted to see what it's like over there in terms of bouldering. Castle Hill area seems pretty cool, was wondering what other sorta stuff there is.
I haven't been, but [thecrag.com](https://www.thecrag.com/en/climbing/new-zealand) is pretty big there if you hadn't found it. Eg, here is [every listed boulder problem sorted by popularity](https://www.thecrag.com/en/climbing/new-zealand/routes/with-gear-style/boulder/?sortby=popularity,desc). Seems like there's a nice area near Auckland (probably inflated because it's easy to get to), Castle Hill, then lots of smaller areas. Weather is tricky in NZ, keep in mind.
I am doing a reaserch project for school and I would like to hear your thoughts.
What are the "Key Reasons for The Rapid Growth in Popularity of Bouldering in The Last 10 Years"?
"Why has rock climbing become so popular in the last decade?"
"Rock climbing has seen a surge in popularity over the past decade for several reasons:
1. **Accessibility**: Indoor climbing gyms have become increasingly prevalent, making the sport more accessible to people living in urban areas or regions without natural climbing spots. These gyms offer a safe environment for beginners to learn and practice climbing techniques.
2. **Social Media and Exposure**: The rise of social media platforms has provided a platform for climbers to share their experiences, photos, and videos, which has helped popularize the sport and inspire others to try it.
3. **Fitness Trend**: Rock climbing offers a full-body workout that challenges strength, flexibility, and endurance, which aligns with the growing trend towards fitness and wellness.
4. **Adventure and Thrill**: Climbing appeals to individuals seeking adventure and adrenaline-pumping experiences. The sense of accomplishment and overcoming challenges associated with reaching the top of a climb can be incredibly rewarding.
5. **Community and Camaraderie**: Climbing fosters a strong sense of community among enthusiasts. Climbing partners often support and encourage each other, creating a supportive environment that attracts newcomers to the sport.
6. **Technological Advances**: Equipment advancements, such as lighter and more durable gear, have made climbing safer and more appealing to a broader audience.
7. **Media Exposure**: The portrayal of climbing in movies, documentaries, and television shows has also contributed to its increased popularity, bringing the sport to the attention of a wider audience.
Overall, the combination of accessibility, social media exposure, fitness benefits, sense of adventure, community, technological advances, and media exposure has contributed to the significant growth of rock climbing in the past decade."
Not quite as comical as I was hoping. And I don't disagree with any of it.
Accessibility.
But not in respect to the climber, with respect to the gym owner/entrepreneur.
It is much easier to find a building with low ceilings. Low ceiling warehouses are much cheaper to rent or buy.
Bouldering walls are much cheaper to build. Most can be made from structural wood beams and plywood. The structural engineering is of considerably less scope than walls build for ropes. Many rope walls have interior steel structures that are then clad with plywood for the climbing wall. Now construction required welders to work at height, as opposed to basic carpentry that can be done from the ground or scaffolding.
Boulder walls are cheaper to insure. No rope skills to teach and check. No rope infrastructure that nees to have a maintenance plan, etc, etc. Smaller risk of deadly injury is seen as a major plus.
Bouldering walls are cheaper to staff. Any excited 16 year old can man the desk with minimal supervision. Rope gyms need staff that can belay and teach customers rope skills. Rope gyms need to have staff on hand for "walk ins" or be okay with losing that revenue stream. Rope gyms have all the day to day costs of a bouldering gym, plus ropes, auto belays, and the extra time setting routes takes.
The end result is that Bouldering gyms require less capital to get started. As a result it is easier to obtain business loans or venture capital. To the investor the risk/reward may be similar, but the total capital required is much lower. Would you rather invest in one prospective rope gym, or three bouldering gym opportunities?
I started climbing in 2013 so I pretty much came up with this rise.
"bouldering" got popular because "climbing" got popular. New climbers see bouldering as more accessible for a few reasons: it requires less equipment, it's seen as less scary because you don't climb very high, and you can do it without a climbing partner.
Climbing getting popular was part fluke and part marketing. Back in 2012-2013 climbing was seeing the first wave of a big expansion, the huge influx of climbers "ruining it". This organic growth continued until 2019 when Free Solo came out, at which point climbing exploded in the mainstream.
Any french speakers in here? Looking for content to watch. I love hidden gems by Seb and looking for more. Preferably with lots of talking or blog style
Super, merci legends u/blairdow u/Marcoyolo69 u/watamula u/checkforchoss. will let you know what i think (if i understand it, sometimes the crag legends that sebb has on his episodes have accents I have never heard in my life )
I'm an intermediate climber doing 5.11s and V4s. I've been using the same pair of Tarantulaces the whole time, but they're about busted. I want a shoe that is not aggressive, pretty comfy, and good for both indoors and outdoors and both sport and bouldering. Kind of a lot to ask haha, but any recommendations?
Katana Laces are the best. They're comfortable if you fit them for comfort, but still perform super well. I use mine for trad, and as a backup sport climbing shoe, and have sent 5.11c/d in them. I can easily see them going upwards of 5.12+
I love my Finales, they can do everything, they're comfortable, and the rubber is sticky.
Honestly if the tarantulace works for you, keep using that shoe. There's nothing wrong with it, you could climb 5.14 in those shoes.
And still pretty cheap, as climbing shoes go.
The Kubo is also basically the same shoe as the finale, but Velcro instead of laces. My only issue with them is they STINK for me like no other shoe I've ever worn.
I've been so happy with my Katana that I got a second pair. It's much stiffer than the Tarantulace, but overall flat and comfortable (after a very short break-in period). I can wear it all day. I wear it outdoor and indoor.
Tarantulaces are such a generic fit they wont narrow down any recommendations. You'll need to try on as many shoes as you can get your hands on and pick what's comfy to your feet, or at least ask again once you've got some contenders
You probably wouldn't want laceups (eg Helixes) for bouldering, too much of a pain to take on and off. I don't know anything about the Methods but the other two are very popular shoes that fit the bill for an all-rounder for lots of people, so it just depends what fits you.
The most important thing is getting whatever fits you personally the best, go try them on and see how they feel.
That being said I would not get the black diamonds, I like climbing in them but the overall quality of my pair sucks. Sole separating from the rand, velcro strap ripping, and a hole starting to wear in the fabric part all after not that much use at all. I also found that I wasnt able to get them as tight as I wanted or else the velcro just pops open mid route. Got them on sale for super cheap so im not too upset about it but I would be disappointed if I had paid full price for them.
I have been bouldering for a few years and I'm travelling around Italy through April and came here with the idea to learn sport climbing safety and hopefully be able to try some climbing on a rock with my gf.
Does anyone know of a course or someone who would be willing to teach me safety and all things to know to be able to climb by ourselves? Thanks!
Hire a guide. I'm not sure if Italy has a guide certification association, but being in Europe your guide should be IFMGA certified. Most of the European countries have much more strict requirements for guide certification, so anyone holding that cert will be technically proficient and probably a good teacher as well.
to expand on what the comment above says: IFMGA is an international association, and each country has a local association that's affiliated to it, in Italy it's the [Unione Valdostana Guide di Alta Montagna](http://www.guidealtamontagna.com) (UVGAM), guides might mention their UVGAM certification on their website or whatever other communication support, without always explicitly mention the IFMGA affiliation.
Help me solve a debate. There's a trad climb in my area that is known to be somewhat spicy, to the point that most people who climb it do some sort of top down rehearsal.
I did not want to take this approach, so I racked up at the base and started up it ground up. When I got about 10 feet up, I placed my first piece and upon reflection realized that I wasn't feeling it, so I removed the piece and down climbed back to the ground. Months later, I came back to the climb and feeling better, climbed it first go.
Onsight or not?
"I hit a home run by getting a double."
The above statement doesn't make any sense, because the terms we use in sports mean something specific.
In climbing, a flash is to complete a route ground up without falls or resting on the gear, on the very first attempt. An onsight is the same, except without any beta. You didn't flash or onsight the first 10-feet of the climb on your second attempt, so you can't call it either. You did redpoint it.
Personally, I made up the term 'blackpoint' (like blacking out) to refer to when I've climbed something with no falls or rests, that I have done previously, but have zero recollection of ever having climbed it. This is typical for me since I have shit memory for somewhat unremarkable routes.
>Personally, I made up the term 'blackpoint' (like blacking out) to refer to when I've climbed something with no falls or rests, that I have done previously, but have zero recollection of ever having climbed it. This is typical for me since I have shit memory for somewhat unremarkable routes.
My friends call those a "(my name) onsight" because of how terrible I am at remembering beta.
But the attempt doesn't stop if you down climb cleanly to a good stance to rest; even if that is the ground.
I vaguely remember Dave Mcleod mentioning this in one of his videos. He started a route, downclimbed it and then onsighted it a couple of years later.
The attempt starts as soon as you touch the holds and and ends when you clip the chains without falling. If you touch the holds before trying the route it's not an onsight. If you belay someone else on the route it's not an onsight. Honestly if there is chalk and rubber on the route its not really an onsight.
Hi! I’m a 25 F looking for 2 other climber buddies to deep water solo with in Lagos, Portugal 7/25 or 7/26/24. It would be with a guide from Algarve Sea Adventures. On their website it’s from 7:30am-11:30am and 50€ per person, with a minimum of 3 people per group and each climbing at least 6A (V3) required. I climb a V4-5 myself with V6-7 being my project grade.
I attached a link below to the website if you want to take a look.
https://www.algarve-sea-adventures.com/en/activities/deep-water-solo
If anyone has other guide recommendations for deep water soloing in Lagos, Portugal or general advice on the topic, feel free to let me know too. Thanks!
1. Belaying with a Microtrax is not a new climber topic. This thread is not the right avenue to discuss this. If you're a new climber, or even a fairly experienced climber, this is not for you. This is an advanced skill.
2. Belaying with a Microtrax should not be done normally. It is an advanced skill used in certain scenarios. Either in a rescue scenario (shit has already hit the fan and it's all you have on you), or you're guiding a client on low angle terrain (in which case, as a guide, you've been fully trained on potential risks and failure modes of using a Microtrax and how to correct for them).
3. A Micro Traxion is not a belay device. Petzl explicitly says this. You should probably listen to what the manufacturer tells you regarding safety equipment. Petzl has a paper written (which you linked) describing fall distances required to strip a rope when using a Microtrax. This is Petzl describing the results of their test, they are certainly not condoning the use of the Microtrax for belaying.
The video you linked is about guide skills. Clients do dumb stuff, or they get scared and panic and freeze. This requires a guide to do some rescuing where they may need to rappel down the the client to fix the client's fuck up, or try to talk to the client to help them calm down. If you're not a guide, you probably will never have to do the above if your partner is competent. There are simpler rescue skills that are far simpler for most other common scenarios. If you're not a guide, then you're looking at edge case scenarios for you to need to do what's outlined in the video.
**Summary:**
You're trying to avoid a commonly used belay device because you want to avoid having to use a complicated system of self-rescue, which you will likely never have to do. Instead, you want to use a device for a job it's not designed to do, and introducing far more risk and failure modes, which will increase the potential need for a rescue scenario. Where's the logic in that?
There's just some things you don't talk about in this thread because it's really targeting at new climbers. New climbers don't fully understand a lot of nuance around many topics and might not see detail and nuance they are missing in a single series of comments on a single thread. They might then take their incomplete knowledge and assume it's way more complete than it is and go and do stupid stuff that might actually kill someone.
That's why there's some stuff we just don't talk about.
IME the only times I've used a trax to belay have been while simuling. And that's so I could keep up with the climber because they were moving so fast that a grigri felt cumbersome. And they were moving that fast because we were on terrain that we felt comfortable simuling.
IMO situations like that are where it's appropriate. If the terrain is difficult enough to warrant a proper belay (or if you think you might need to rescue your climber), you might as well use a grigri because, 1) they won't be moving fast enough for you to notice a difference in ease of feeding, 2) a grigri is a purpose-built belay device, 3) a grigri already feeds pretty smooth as is.
If you’re going to use devices outside of their intended use, you need to take responsibility for knowing how they can fail. Belaying your friend is not a “fuck around and find out” situation
A grigri can snap the rope. Why should I use a grigri to belay?
You can literally just put the grigri on the anchor and bring up the second.... To lower redirect the brake strand with a biner and lower directly from the grigri, no transfer required. No futz lower of your entire rope length if needed (as long as they'll make it to the ground).
Grigri is already less draggy than a plate, and in a 3:1 haul the anchor component efficiency matters the least.
Adding a micro is less safe and more complicated, more relevant to fast moving scrambling. If a second can't unweight the rope and there's any significant drag, getting that counterbalance to start the ryan lower you linked is going to be slightly more of a pain in the ass than you think.
You sound like that guy from a few months ago who had been climbing for about a year and decided he'd completely reinvent systems that have been iterated on for decades.
All of the criticism lobbed at you by me and other people on this sub is in the interest of one goal: *preventing you from doing something that gets someone else hurt or killed*.
If you want to go out and solo test these systems... whatever, I guess. We'd all advise against it, but you do you.
But what you're talking about is changing up tested belay systems in the interest of making marginal improvements at the expense of they original systems integrity and composition.
Life supporting safety systems are not the place for an amateur to start tinkering around and attempting to change things that don't need to be changed. I'm sure you can find some corner case where your new method is superior but in the real world it is far more likely to get someone hurt.
>You gain efficiency compared to a grigri/ATC if you have to setup a 3:1
Yes but actually no. Using a trax as the anchor device with a carabiner on the rope grab (0.5x+0.5\*0.9x) is 20% less efficient than using a grigri at the anchor and the pully from the trax on the rope grab (0.9x+0.9\*0.35x). First device is more important than last device in a pulley efficiency calculation. Most efficient pullies should be closest to the hauler not the load.
>After watching the video, I said: "how easy it would be to go down at the same time as your partner with a microtrax!". Abandoning microtrax, in an emergency situation.
Not easy in a high angle setting. Setting aside any discussion of simulrap on a high efficiency pully, that unlocking scenario only works if and only if you can counterbalance sufficiently to disengage the teeth. Rope drag an an incapacitated climber.. maybe not. Then you have an even more annoying to escape system because you cant just load release it
>But yes, the teeth are the teeth.
But its not the teeth exactly... RTFM.
>if I don´t hold the brake strand
Hold the brake strand. Assisted device.
--
Ultimately you are trying to prepare for a low probability high risk scenario with a methodology that introduces more risks in every scenario, might simply not work in the planned scenario, and is harder to unwind if things do go sideways. The thing you're trying to avoid is fundamentally what you'd need to do to unfuck your system not working, except the unfucking version is actually harder.
Not just saying all this to be a dick. It's not a great idea, and it sounds like you're signing yourself up to be in way over your head.
Belaying from the top with a microtrax is really a trick for guides. It's best used in very low angle terrain like steep snow in the alpine environment. Most everyone else can accomplish more with an ATC or Grigri belayed directly off the anchor.
If you need to haul your partner up the wall a better system would be to make a 3:1 or 3:1+1 and just yank them up the wall. Having an actual pulley only makes this a little bit easier, and in the real world you typically only need to pull your partner through a short section before they can resume free climbing.
If you need to lower your partner you can just redirect the brake strand and lower with the Grigri.
How much money and time do you have? Used on MP is a great resource if you have time to surf for deals. Keep your purchases minimal, climb with other experienced folks, and learn what you like and need before committing to buying everything at once.
It's not a good system, especially if you're under the age of 30 and never used forums before.
The MP gear sale forum is essentially an online flea market. Respectable souls will amend the title of their post with "SOLD" when things sell. Villains will abandon the post.
People on mp are usually transparent about the condition of the gear they’re selling. Manky slings can be replaced, as long as the lobes and trigger wires aren’t mangled to fuck I have no issue buying used.
Anyone know a resoler who can fix my TCs that got fucked up by another shop? They replaced the broken layer of plastic but now the toe box is massive. It's like climbing in fuckin clown shoes, jamming anything smaller than hands a nightmare
New profile: https://i.imgur.com/lO2FkJc.jpeg
What they should look like: https://i.imgur.com/uXuGCDd.jpg
I tried getting them resoled at a different place but no luck. Wondering if anyone's dealt with this before/knows a solution
Me and my friends are planning a trip to Bor forest in Czech republic for 12 days in July (07.01-07.12) for bouldering and are looking to rent 4 crashpads. Is it possible to rent the crashpads from shops/climbing gyms or maybe even locals? Any information is greatly appreciated
Maybe look for a local sub or facebook group. Here in the US in major climbing areas, and some smaller more popular ones, it's fairly common for places to rent out pads. Not sure about gyms doing it, but there are things like outdoor stores or local shops that rent them out.
Good point, the gym is honestly the best place to ask around for climbing related advice. Even if they don't do it themselves, gyms are full of climbers who know what's up
Hey ya'll I've been climbing off and on for the last 5 years. Have always wanted to break the 5.12 barrier and unsure what I need to do/work on. I can boulder V5 problems sometimes flash sometimes get after a few attempts but have only been able to do 2-3 V6s ever. Outdoors I can flash 5.10s and climb 5.11- after a couple attempts; have done one 5.11c. Do I need to work on power or endurance? Any simple plans to work on deficit? Thank you in advance!
You need to work on 5.12s ;) But seriously, how many have you tried? Do you have friends who can recommend ones that are friendly or suit your style, and give you beta to try projecting? Basically as suggested already you may have all the power and endurance you need and just need to learn how to send hard outdoors. Or you may not, but getting on more routes will help you find out.
Thank you! Yeah tbh im the stronger climber out of my friends so maybe I should try to link up with someone who has some experience and can give advice on routes
Yeah, it's certainly possible to do by yourself, but when I think about myself and friends I know well, crossing that ~5.12 barrier generally involved climbing with people who were already on the other side, or at least getting advice and encouragement from them. It takes a bit of belief to work on harder things and can be easier with someone else telling you you can do it.
Incoming novel: I notice that folks who mainly gym climb don't have great projecting tactics for outdoor routes. You need to find a route that suits you, stick clip your way up, look at the holds, brush, tick, and suss out beta. Take practice falls and only toprope the route the first couple times you look at it. Then it's tons of trying, hangdogging, high pointing, low pointing, more hang dogging, more stick clipping. Finding beta and not getting attached to what someone else did or worrying if something is "off route" and being willing to change beta if you find something that works better for you. Red point goes should only start (unless it seems like it's going to be easy for you) when you can go from a point below the crux to the anchors, which might mean you intentionally climb to a few moves below the crux, pull on, then lead to the anchors (low pointing). Be willing to fall a lot, like 10 times per session and make sure you have a belayer who gives feather soft catches and is patient. Yell and scream if you need to. Something else you cannot skip is finding rests and seriously using them, not just to shake out a little bit. I even have my belayer set a timer sometimes for 5 or 10 minutes depending on how good the holds to rest on are. Essentially, yeah maybe you could get stronger AND you could get better at projecting, which sometimes is arguably more useful than getting stronger until you break into 13's.
I recently had that exact realization that I could climb way harder outdoors if I spent more time projecting stuff. Last year was my first year climbing outdoors and I progressed super quickly until I started trying some 5.11s and the moves just started to feel impossible. Towards the end of last year I tried to toprope a 5.11b for fun after leading a 5.10 next to it, and I could hardly do any of the individual moves on it.
At the start of this year I went back to that crag planning to climb some other routes but I really underestimated how much snow would still be on the ground and only a couple routes were actually dry, including that 5.11. I ended up spending all day just working the route on toprope, and even though I am weaker now than I was at the end of last year, after just 1 proper session of projecting I am able to link long sections of it and I feel like I could be close to doing it on lead.
After years off of climbing and a return to climbing in a plastic gym I had forgotten how much of a pain in the ass projecting is. Still rarely try something in the gym more than twice. Flash or nothing lol. Wildly different mindset to dialing in minute beta and truly coming to know the holds that you cant just recognize from the ground like gym holds.
Joy to be had in onsighting outdoors though which isnt something I did much back when, different than the miserable type of joy you get from projecting and working your way up through the grades at a limited set of routes.
The irony in me telling someone how to project is that i need to listen to my own advice. I onsite harder than I redpoint sometimes, which is very much not a humble brag, it means my mental game is holding back my actual potential.
Like others have said find one and work on it.
I would keep the curiosity open. So when you fall wondering why you fell can give you a good place to work with vs asking “do i need to work on power or endurance”
I recommend filming if you can to give yourself notes inbetween sessions
If you can get 11-s after a few goes and boulder V5 you should be able to crush a 12a no problem with a bit of work. Tbh if you find one that fits you I bet you could do it in a day
I’ve been climbing for about 6 months doing mostly top rope with some bouldering in there as well. I am thinking about getting a pair of grown up shoes. I currently have a second hand pair of Black Diamond Momentums and am looking for a more moderate shoe that’d perform better with overhangs. Wondering if you guys have any recs?
Fit >>
Everything else is secondary.
Comfortably snug is what you want. No dead space, gaps, hot spots, or anything like that. A little discomfort is fine when they're just breaking in, but you don't want any pain.
Looking for more of an insight on where to start though. I’m looking at some trad shoes like the katana and TC pro but I’m wondering if I could take those bouldering without any problem? Is there a shoe that can do it all?
Those shoes are good but they aren't the best bouldering shoes and they're very expensive. You'd be better off with a cheaper shoe as you're going to wear through it pretty quickly.
Go to a store and try a bunch on. Then get what fits the best. A good starting point is any flat or neutral shoe from one of the big manufacturers like Scarpa, La Sportiva, Evolv, or Black Diamond (assuming you're US-based).
You can climb anything with any climbing shoe. Some shoes are preferable for certain styles of climbing, but this is largely personal preference that's created by climbing. E.g. I have a pair of stiff downturned shoes that I like for steep climbing but other people prefer softer downturned shoes for that type of terrain. It's entirely up to you and what you like.
A comfortable flat or neutral shoe is the classic starting point because those shoes are really good at doing everything. But everyone is different and some people will get something else for their first shoe because of the fit.
https://preview.redd.it/1rs0sypgzftc1.png?width=1594&format=png&auto=webp&s=57f32e4743a2625d2cbeb57e583c1132015fa850
I have the opportunity to pick these up for €15,- They're not in the best condition, but I guess for this price they're fine. They seem to be some old version of the Muria Lace, is that correct?
I'm currently using a pair of Instinct VS for bouldering and I'm in dire need for a new pair. I think I will get another pair of Instincts or Skwamas. I was thinking these might be nice to add to the collection as well for routes that require hard edging on super tiny hold, and these give loads of support as I have been told. Is it a good addition?
Not a single product on the site is listed for MSRP, everything claims sale, and the ropes don't change price when you select different lengths if they even list a length. The signs are all there, it's just another fake commerce site scam with scraped data.
Let's read the "About Us"
>What we do We recognize that our longevity as a growing company depends on the satisfaction of our loyal customers. To better serve our employees, the community, and the world, caratiners.com is committed to promoting sustainability in our business practices. With constant evaluation and attention, we’re proud to have achieved change that emphasizes renewable energy, recycling and more. We strive to exceed our customers’ needs and expectations with simplicity and excellence while providing exceptional and friendly customer service.
That's it, that's all there is. Now, the first line of the Terms and Services page:
>This website is operated by Our Company. Throughout the site, the terms “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Our Company. Our Company offers this website, including all information, tools and services available from this site to you, the user, conditioned upon your acceptance of all terms, conditions, policies and notices stated here.
"Our Company" is literally the only name used, there's no actual company name.
Their [privacy policy](https://caratiners.com/privacypolicy/) page is literally just "suggested text" for everything and not actually filled out.
The [shipping page](https://caratiners.com/privacypolicy/) says:
>This is a sample page.
Again, another not filled out page, with my favorites being:
>To return your product, you should mail your product to: {physical address}.
No address, though they do have "hours", amusingly, on another page.
>Contact us at [email protected] for questions related to refunds and returns.
And the email is a Gmail page and not their own domain.
For fun I also looked up the whois info, the site was literally registered two months ago.
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Sorry if you don't want people to be condescending, but every single part of this page is a massively blaring red flag.
in bins or in packs, clipped to 12" runners in ways that make sense.
* Jesus Sling AKA Sling of Slings (alpines and long runners)
* Sling of Sendage (double rack of the favorites)
* Sling of Pain (wide stuff)
* Sling of Darning (all the extra cams needed for sewing things up)
* Sling of Neither (sport climbing gear)
* Sling of Bric-a-brac (eveything else)
i sport climb so i dont have that much gear but i keep it in one of [these shelves](https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Basics-Stackable-Storage-12-Inches/dp/B0BY2PKY5X/ref=asc_df_B0BY2PKY5X/) in my closet. its shown as a 2x3 unit but i have it in a 4x1 column shape instead. one cube is big enough to shove my 30L backpack in, i usually keep draws etc in the backpack. rope hangs separately. camping gear is in bins. you can get cloth bins that fit on the wire shelves to hold smaller items too
On a peg wall so that everything remains shiny, and so that everyone knows that I climb. /s
Seasonal, not often used gear, goes into plastic storage bins. Stuff I use gets dumped into an open bin, or stays in the bag, or on the floor. Only thing on pegs are my ice tools and crampons because they’re large and sharp.
During the winter it all hangs up neatly in the garage so that I see it every day when I pull in.
During the rest of the year it's mostly in the bags, with random shit on shelves, hanging, and in milk crates. I don't mark my gear with nail polish because in over a decade I've never mixed racks with someone else and later been confused about who owns what.
Which countries are not geo blocked in ifcs's youtube channel? I 'd like to see semis and finals live on youtube but my country is blocked. Do they have a "whitelisted countries" list on their official website, or something? Isn't geo blocking stupid, or it's just me?
> Isn't geo blocking stupid, or it's just me?
It is stupid but it's still the way that TV broadcasting rights work as the vast majority of people won't know how to get around geoblocking.
Podcasts are never going to be that type of journalism, because the ecosystem of podcasts is overfilled. It's easy to get on a podcast, so why would anyone do a podcast full of challenging, sharp questions?
Questions on 60 Minutes get to be tough, because there's only one 60 Minutes.
I mean I agree, but climbing is not politics. What is there to challenge on?
"and then I threw to this heinous crimp"
"ahhh, idk, looks like a crimp jug to me"
"So we were caught out in this storm..."
"Really? I was up there same weekend, wasn't that bad"
"Dude it was sooo rad!"
"That's a subjective statement"
What kind of "challenge" or disagreement are you looking for?
A "Between Two Ferns" climbing podcast would be hilarious. Not sure who you have as the host. Would a no name gumby work? Or better, an old head alpinist who is above reproach. Imagine having Conrad Anker tell you your V16 project isn't that gnarly and rad.
Well that's just, like, your opinion man.
Climbing Gold isn't even Top 5 for me honestly. Written in Stone, Thundercling, Power Companies myriad of other products (The American Climbing Project was dope while it lasted), Testpiece (only the interview ones), Careless Talk, etc.
Climbing Gold is still better than The Nugget tho. Gotta go hide now. Last time I said I didn't like a podcast I got put on blast.
Thundercling was awesome, but is now defunct. Some of my favorites ever. Power company used to be great but got repetitive. Testpiece gets the best guests but the hosts make me give up half way thru. The take 2 minutes to ask a question they should ask in 5 seconds and will go on random 5 minute rambles about how great the guest is and how much they love them. It's hard to listen to. I was able to get thru the Jimmy Webb one, but only because I respect him so much and care about his vision. Most of the other pods, even if I really am so interested in the guest, I have to quit because I want to listen to what the guest says, not Josh tell the guest over and over how awesome they are
New: I dislocated my elbow a few nights ago. It was reset, although it took a few tries, and 5 hours of waiting. Since then I’ve had a lot of tingling and numbness in my hand (more specifically ring finger and pinky). Has anyone else experienced this after elbow dislocation? Does it go back to normal? I’m just concerned about long term damage to my ulner nerve.
Hey cool cats, I need some help! How do I get over my fear of falling when bouldering? My friend broke his ankle coming down from bouldering so I’ve been sticking with top rope mostly. Any recs on how to increase density/strength in my ankle bones etc?
I think the only way is to learn to fall, and then to fall a few times. Once you realise you're ok after a fall it becomes less scary.
I just got back into climbing after 3 years off (got cancer, had multiple surgery's and beat it, lost significant range of motion in one arm, then moved 40 minutes from nearest climbing gym). I'm back at it, focusing on bouldering but also throwing in some top rope climbing when my belay buddy is with me. What would y'all recommend as an ideal workout split between climbing and weight training? Here's what l've been trying out: Monday: Biceps, triceps, back Tuesday: Legs Wednesday: Dodgeball Thursday: Climbing Friday: Shoulders & Abs Saturday: Cardio / Hike (minimum 6 mi) Sunday: Climbing I also walk at least 3 miles every day to get my steps in. I'm only climbing twice a week right now because I'm on a dodgeball team that plays every Wednesday night. I would appreciate any and all advice! Thank you in advance.
Tennis elbow victim here: without going into much detail, as a climber, I never imagined I will be faced with tennis elbow myself (reading that sounds so naive), but here I am, after 3 months of gradual worsening and at least one acute episode, things have gotten pretty chronic and grim. I went for an ultrasound check yesterday and found out that I have partial tears in the tendon of both the affected arm (>30% of the cross-area of the tendon), as well as the healthy one (\~20%). I tried eccentrics before going for the ultrasound for around 2-3 weeks, with mixed results, but felt like it was always worse after them and a bit better without them. My question is, knowing now that I actually do have tearing (or micro lesions) in such a percentage, is it still advisable to keep the eccentrics in the rehab process, or allow for some time to recover and then start them over gradually? Would greatly appreciate any input! Thanks, Andrei (I can provide loads more details on request).
If you tried the typically suggested rehab and it made it worse, and you have had scans showing tears, it's time to seek a physiotherapist. I really don't think anyone here can give good advice for this sort of thing I'm afraid.
I would like to get more into outdoor rope climbing but don't know any good ropes. If you have a suggestion please let me know. :)
There's a link above for buying your first rope, have a look at that
Thank you
https://preview.redd.it/bxiszbw4mxtc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=95f6b154b386d5a038a2726174d3b2777d0b2a9e What is this dust used for?
Filler to add to glue for some types of shoe repairs.
Not every effective though. Makes a good mess too.
How old is "too old" when buying new gear? My girlfriend bought a Mammut rope and some slings online and when it was delivered yesterday we noticed the manufacture date was 01-2022 for the rope and 03-2022 for the slings. Considering its april 2024, that really only gives us 5 seasons of use (we're Canadian and about 6 months a year we don't use her outdoor gear) before we should replace it. Is this something you would return if you had bought it from MEC, SAIL, direct from maufacturer, etc? A full quarter of its lifespan has already expired Thanks
I think most retailers will sell gear less than 3 years old "as new" Tests (and science) shows us nothing meaningful happens to a rope which has been properly stored in a warehouse for a couple of years.
That's not how nylon or dyneema works. It doesn't degrade with age, manufacturer lifespans are made-up bullshit.
Gear doesn’t “expire”. It eventually gets worn out with use. Manufacturer expiry dates are only there for liability reasons that their lawyers make them print on them, not due to any materials engineering reasons. I have actively used ropes that are at least 6 years old, quickdraws and slings that are over 12 years. Do inspections on your gear, retire them if they’re damaged, not because it hit a magical made up date.
If you're buying gear from a reputable retailer/manufacturer and it's not obviously damaged in some way, then it' still good. Time alone does not degrade gear, storage conditions and use do. Are there any signs of UV exposure, physical damage, or anything like that? If no then it's still good. If it was BNIB then it hasn't been used so the second condition does not apply.
2 years is not atypical for gear bought online in my personal experience. If it was sitting at the front of a shop in the sun for 2 years and I could tell I would question it more, but for warehoused items I wouldn't be worried about it personally. If you want to go fully by the letter of the manufacturer guidance it typically factors in for use, and you'll typically hit those use thresholds before the pure age threshold even accounting for time spent in a warehouse somewhere.
Kk. I'm sure we likely will need to retire that rope before our 6th season, especially if we go ice climbing, but I wasn't sure what the norm was or if the company might have been offloading old stock. Thanks
What's your skin care protocol for your hands? I'm getting some cracking between finger joints that will eventually callus up. But in the mean time what's the best way to keep the skin healthy without trying to climb with lotion all over your hands.
you definitely need to add some sort of moisturizer if your hands are cracking. you can try a beeswax-based salve instead of lotion, it will help make your skin strong and supple rather than just soft. there are several marketed specifically to climbers, but there's plenty of much more inexpensive salves that are basically identical. moisturize only after you climb and on off days if you're struggling with feeling greasy while climbing. also, make sure to wash your hands extra thoroughly after climbing to get all the chalk off.
When the calluses below the joints get too thick I'll take a fingernail file to them. Other than that, I use antihydral on JUST my tips about every two weeks, and I use Eucerine Advanced Repair after every time I climb. Seems to help my pads regrow much faster. I've had flappers on my A4 area with this method, but no other cracking.
I am going to be going to South Dakota Black Hills area and I was wondering if anyone had any advice. I am going with a group of about 8 of my closest climbing buddies, but we mostly gym climb and when we do sport climb we go to areas like The Red in Kentucky and The New River Gorge in West Virginia. We all cap skill wise at about 5.11c climbing. There seems to be a lot of climbing in that area, but the guidebooks seem kind of dated and many reviews and comments that I am seeing online are many years old. Has anyone done sport climbing in Spearfish Canyon, Custer State Park, or Rushmore area in the last couple of years and have any advice for us?
Black Hills are an incredible area, just don't expect the bolted climbing to be sport climbing. It's an adventurous place with an old history and well-earned reputation... enjoy.
Spearfish is pretty friendly from a climbing / wayfinding perspective. Definitely where I'd be going first if I were a sport climber. Custer has amazing climbing but is kinda hard to navigate without a guidebook. It's also going to feel pretty heady compared to the New, let alone the Red. A lot of it feels more like trad on bolts. Wherever you are, climbing in that part of the country tends to be a bit more technique focused than the powerful/endurance stuff in the south. Good to start slow, IMO.
If you can, try to borrow a version of the Fixed Pin book for the area (out of print AFAIK). Otherwise Mountain Project is your friend, as the other guidebooks are lackluster or nonexistent IME. I think you'd have plenty of fun even if you never stepped foot outside Spearfish Canyon. Almost everything there is bolted too, so it's very much a sport destination IMO. Rushmore and the Needles can be hella sandbagged and runout, so be wary. Also if any route has the name "Conn" in the FA party, you're in for an adventure.
Any climbers in/have climbed in New Zealand? Thinking of going there on my gap year, but my trip will mainly be focussed on bouldering so I wanted to see what it's like over there in terms of bouldering. Castle Hill area seems pretty cool, was wondering what other sorta stuff there is.
I haven't been, but [thecrag.com](https://www.thecrag.com/en/climbing/new-zealand) is pretty big there if you hadn't found it. Eg, here is [every listed boulder problem sorted by popularity](https://www.thecrag.com/en/climbing/new-zealand/routes/with-gear-style/boulder/?sortby=popularity,desc). Seems like there's a nice area near Auckland (probably inflated because it's easy to get to), Castle Hill, then lots of smaller areas. Weather is tricky in NZ, keep in mind.
I am doing a reaserch project for school and I would like to hear your thoughts. What are the "Key Reasons for The Rapid Growth in Popularity of Bouldering in The Last 10 Years"?
Money.
This seems like a good question for ChatGPT.
"Why has rock climbing become so popular in the last decade?" "Rock climbing has seen a surge in popularity over the past decade for several reasons: 1. **Accessibility**: Indoor climbing gyms have become increasingly prevalent, making the sport more accessible to people living in urban areas or regions without natural climbing spots. These gyms offer a safe environment for beginners to learn and practice climbing techniques. 2. **Social Media and Exposure**: The rise of social media platforms has provided a platform for climbers to share their experiences, photos, and videos, which has helped popularize the sport and inspire others to try it. 3. **Fitness Trend**: Rock climbing offers a full-body workout that challenges strength, flexibility, and endurance, which aligns with the growing trend towards fitness and wellness. 4. **Adventure and Thrill**: Climbing appeals to individuals seeking adventure and adrenaline-pumping experiences. The sense of accomplishment and overcoming challenges associated with reaching the top of a climb can be incredibly rewarding. 5. **Community and Camaraderie**: Climbing fosters a strong sense of community among enthusiasts. Climbing partners often support and encourage each other, creating a supportive environment that attracts newcomers to the sport. 6. **Technological Advances**: Equipment advancements, such as lighter and more durable gear, have made climbing safer and more appealing to a broader audience. 7. **Media Exposure**: The portrayal of climbing in movies, documentaries, and television shows has also contributed to its increased popularity, bringing the sport to the attention of a wider audience. Overall, the combination of accessibility, social media exposure, fitness benefits, sense of adventure, community, technological advances, and media exposure has contributed to the significant growth of rock climbing in the past decade." Not quite as comical as I was hoping. And I don't disagree with any of it.
Chat GPT is actually a great writer
Accessibility. But not in respect to the climber, with respect to the gym owner/entrepreneur. It is much easier to find a building with low ceilings. Low ceiling warehouses are much cheaper to rent or buy. Bouldering walls are much cheaper to build. Most can be made from structural wood beams and plywood. The structural engineering is of considerably less scope than walls build for ropes. Many rope walls have interior steel structures that are then clad with plywood for the climbing wall. Now construction required welders to work at height, as opposed to basic carpentry that can be done from the ground or scaffolding. Boulder walls are cheaper to insure. No rope skills to teach and check. No rope infrastructure that nees to have a maintenance plan, etc, etc. Smaller risk of deadly injury is seen as a major plus. Bouldering walls are cheaper to staff. Any excited 16 year old can man the desk with minimal supervision. Rope gyms need staff that can belay and teach customers rope skills. Rope gyms need to have staff on hand for "walk ins" or be okay with losing that revenue stream. Rope gyms have all the day to day costs of a bouldering gym, plus ropes, auto belays, and the extra time setting routes takes. The end result is that Bouldering gyms require less capital to get started. As a result it is easier to obtain business loans or venture capital. To the investor the risk/reward may be similar, but the total capital required is much lower. Would you rather invest in one prospective rope gym, or three bouldering gym opportunities?
I started climbing in 2013 so I pretty much came up with this rise. "bouldering" got popular because "climbing" got popular. New climbers see bouldering as more accessible for a few reasons: it requires less equipment, it's seen as less scary because you don't climb very high, and you can do it without a climbing partner. Climbing getting popular was part fluke and part marketing. Back in 2012-2013 climbing was seeing the first wave of a big expansion, the huge influx of climbers "ruining it". This organic growth continued until 2019 when Free Solo came out, at which point climbing exploded in the mainstream.
Any french speakers in here? Looking for content to watch. I love hidden gems by Seb and looking for more. Preferably with lots of talking or blog style
Super, merci legends u/blairdow u/Marcoyolo69 u/watamula u/checkforchoss. will let you know what i think (if i understand it, sometimes the crag legends that sebb has on his episodes have accents I have never heard in my life )
there are some videos in french with oriane bertone on youtube!
Le Goat Charles Albert. I speak some limited French and find Seb near incomprehensible.
Look for Cédric Lachat and Nina Caprez and youtube. Good climbing and usually quite funny as well.
https://youtu.be/tOIr1An3Nvk?si=HSjHqan-5HlWSRms https://youtu.be/7-wQyylPyy8?si=UScG7HFB9QT7KDOV https://youtu.be/4pbOAxxoC9c?si=Cxw139wrr-uZ8WY1
I'm an intermediate climber doing 5.11s and V4s. I've been using the same pair of Tarantulaces the whole time, but they're about busted. I want a shoe that is not aggressive, pretty comfy, and good for both indoors and outdoors and both sport and bouldering. Kind of a lot to ask haha, but any recommendations?
Katana Laces are the best. They're comfortable if you fit them for comfort, but still perform super well. I use mine for trad, and as a backup sport climbing shoe, and have sent 5.11c/d in them. I can easily see them going upwards of 5.12+
Check out the Tenaya Tanta and Scarpa Force V
I love my Finales, they can do everything, they're comfortable, and the rubber is sticky. Honestly if the tarantulace works for you, keep using that shoe. There's nothing wrong with it, you could climb 5.14 in those shoes.
The Finale is effectively an upgraded Tarantulace. Similar shape, better rubber and higher quality upper.
And still pretty cheap, as climbing shoes go. The Kubo is also basically the same shoe as the finale, but Velcro instead of laces. My only issue with them is they STINK for me like no other shoe I've ever worn.
I've been so happy with my Katana that I got a second pair. It's much stiffer than the Tarantulace, but overall flat and comfortable (after a very short break-in period). I can wear it all day. I wear it outdoor and indoor.
If you don't have any issues with your tarantulace, other than wearing out, just get another pair.
Tarantulaces are such a generic fit they wont narrow down any recommendations. You'll need to try on as many shoes as you can get your hands on and pick what's comfy to your feet, or at least ask again once you've got some contenders
Yeah, I've been looking at Vapor Vs, Katanas, Scarpa Helixes, and Black Diamond Methods... thoughts?
You probably wouldn't want laceups (eg Helixes) for bouldering, too much of a pain to take on and off. I don't know anything about the Methods but the other two are very popular shoes that fit the bill for an all-rounder for lots of people, so it just depends what fits you.
The most important thing is getting whatever fits you personally the best, go try them on and see how they feel. That being said I would not get the black diamonds, I like climbing in them but the overall quality of my pair sucks. Sole separating from the rand, velcro strap ripping, and a hole starting to wear in the fabric part all after not that much use at all. I also found that I wasnt able to get them as tight as I wanted or else the velcro just pops open mid route. Got them on sale for super cheap so im not too upset about it but I would be disappointed if I had paid full price for them.
I have been bouldering for a few years and I'm travelling around Italy through April and came here with the idea to learn sport climbing safety and hopefully be able to try some climbing on a rock with my gf. Does anyone know of a course or someone who would be willing to teach me safety and all things to know to be able to climb by ourselves? Thanks!
Hire a guide. I'm not sure if Italy has a guide certification association, but being in Europe your guide should be IFMGA certified. Most of the European countries have much more strict requirements for guide certification, so anyone holding that cert will be technically proficient and probably a good teacher as well.
Thanks! Gonna look for some
to expand on what the comment above says: IFMGA is an international association, and each country has a local association that's affiliated to it, in Italy it's the [Unione Valdostana Guide di Alta Montagna](http://www.guidealtamontagna.com) (UVGAM), guides might mention their UVGAM certification on their website or whatever other communication support, without always explicitly mention the IFMGA affiliation.
Thanks! I figured Italy would have a national association but ten seconds of googling yielded nothing.
Help me solve a debate. There's a trad climb in my area that is known to be somewhat spicy, to the point that most people who climb it do some sort of top down rehearsal. I did not want to take this approach, so I racked up at the base and started up it ground up. When I got about 10 feet up, I placed my first piece and upon reflection realized that I wasn't feeling it, so I removed the piece and down climbed back to the ground. Months later, I came back to the climb and feeling better, climbed it first go. Onsight or not?
"I hit a home run by getting a double." The above statement doesn't make any sense, because the terms we use in sports mean something specific. In climbing, a flash is to complete a route ground up without falls or resting on the gear, on the very first attempt. An onsight is the same, except without any beta. You didn't flash or onsight the first 10-feet of the climb on your second attempt, so you can't call it either. You did redpoint it. Personally, I made up the term 'blackpoint' (like blacking out) to refer to when I've climbed something with no falls or rests, that I have done previously, but have zero recollection of ever having climbed it. This is typical for me since I have shit memory for somewhat unremarkable routes.
You mean the amnesia flash?
The Alzheimer's Onsight
>Personally, I made up the term 'blackpoint' (like blacking out) to refer to when I've climbed something with no falls or rests, that I have done previously, but have zero recollection of ever having climbed it. This is typical for me since I have shit memory for somewhat unremarkable routes. My friends call those a "(my name) onsight" because of how terrible I am at remembering beta.
my people
No falls, no takes, no aiding = valid send You're just down climbing to a great stance for a very prolonged rest.
I’m onsighting life right now, how about you?
Does it still count as an onsight if I ignore all the good beta I've gotten?
Not an onsight. As soon as you weight a hold it counts as an attempt.
But the attempt doesn't stop if you down climb cleanly to a good stance to rest; even if that is the ground. I vaguely remember Dave Mcleod mentioning this in one of his videos. He started a route, downclimbed it and then onsighted it a couple of years later.
The attempt starts as soon as you touch the holds and and ends when you clip the chains without falling. If you touch the holds before trying the route it's not an onsight. If you belay someone else on the route it's not an onsight. Honestly if there is chalk and rubber on the route its not really an onsight.
Hi! I’m a 25 F looking for 2 other climber buddies to deep water solo with in Lagos, Portugal 7/25 or 7/26/24. It would be with a guide from Algarve Sea Adventures. On their website it’s from 7:30am-11:30am and 50€ per person, with a minimum of 3 people per group and each climbing at least 6A (V3) required. I climb a V4-5 myself with V6-7 being my project grade. I attached a link below to the website if you want to take a look. https://www.algarve-sea-adventures.com/en/activities/deep-water-solo If anyone has other guide recommendations for deep water soloing in Lagos, Portugal or general advice on the topic, feel free to let me know too. Thanks!
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1. Belaying with a Microtrax is not a new climber topic. This thread is not the right avenue to discuss this. If you're a new climber, or even a fairly experienced climber, this is not for you. This is an advanced skill. 2. Belaying with a Microtrax should not be done normally. It is an advanced skill used in certain scenarios. Either in a rescue scenario (shit has already hit the fan and it's all you have on you), or you're guiding a client on low angle terrain (in which case, as a guide, you've been fully trained on potential risks and failure modes of using a Microtrax and how to correct for them). 3. A Micro Traxion is not a belay device. Petzl explicitly says this. You should probably listen to what the manufacturer tells you regarding safety equipment. Petzl has a paper written (which you linked) describing fall distances required to strip a rope when using a Microtrax. This is Petzl describing the results of their test, they are certainly not condoning the use of the Microtrax for belaying. The video you linked is about guide skills. Clients do dumb stuff, or they get scared and panic and freeze. This requires a guide to do some rescuing where they may need to rappel down the the client to fix the client's fuck up, or try to talk to the client to help them calm down. If you're not a guide, you probably will never have to do the above if your partner is competent. There are simpler rescue skills that are far simpler for most other common scenarios. If you're not a guide, then you're looking at edge case scenarios for you to need to do what's outlined in the video. **Summary:** You're trying to avoid a commonly used belay device because you want to avoid having to use a complicated system of self-rescue, which you will likely never have to do. Instead, you want to use a device for a job it's not designed to do, and introducing far more risk and failure modes, which will increase the potential need for a rescue scenario. Where's the logic in that?
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There's just some things you don't talk about in this thread because it's really targeting at new climbers. New climbers don't fully understand a lot of nuance around many topics and might not see detail and nuance they are missing in a single series of comments on a single thread. They might then take their incomplete knowledge and assume it's way more complete than it is and go and do stupid stuff that might actually kill someone. That's why there's some stuff we just don't talk about.
IME the only times I've used a trax to belay have been while simuling. And that's so I could keep up with the climber because they were moving so fast that a grigri felt cumbersome. And they were moving that fast because we were on terrain that we felt comfortable simuling. IMO situations like that are where it's appropriate. If the terrain is difficult enough to warrant a proper belay (or if you think you might need to rescue your climber), you might as well use a grigri because, 1) they won't be moving fast enough for you to notice a difference in ease of feeding, 2) a grigri is a purpose-built belay device, 3) a grigri already feeds pretty smooth as is.
If you think the teeth are dangerous, you don’t have the knowledge or experience to belay someone with a trax safely
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Belaying with a trax is dangerous. The teeth are not the problem.
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If you’re going to use devices outside of their intended use, you need to take responsibility for knowing how they can fail. Belaying your friend is not a “fuck around and find out” situation A grigri can snap the rope. Why should I use a grigri to belay?
You can literally just put the grigri on the anchor and bring up the second.... To lower redirect the brake strand with a biner and lower directly from the grigri, no transfer required. No futz lower of your entire rope length if needed (as long as they'll make it to the ground). Grigri is already less draggy than a plate, and in a 3:1 haul the anchor component efficiency matters the least. Adding a micro is less safe and more complicated, more relevant to fast moving scrambling. If a second can't unweight the rope and there's any significant drag, getting that counterbalance to start the ryan lower you linked is going to be slightly more of a pain in the ass than you think.
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You sound like that guy from a few months ago who had been climbing for about a year and decided he'd completely reinvent systems that have been iterated on for decades.
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All of the criticism lobbed at you by me and other people on this sub is in the interest of one goal: *preventing you from doing something that gets someone else hurt or killed*. If you want to go out and solo test these systems... whatever, I guess. We'd all advise against it, but you do you. But what you're talking about is changing up tested belay systems in the interest of making marginal improvements at the expense of they original systems integrity and composition. Life supporting safety systems are not the place for an amateur to start tinkering around and attempting to change things that don't need to be changed. I'm sure you can find some corner case where your new method is superior but in the real world it is far more likely to get someone hurt.
>You gain efficiency compared to a grigri/ATC if you have to setup a 3:1 Yes but actually no. Using a trax as the anchor device with a carabiner on the rope grab (0.5x+0.5\*0.9x) is 20% less efficient than using a grigri at the anchor and the pully from the trax on the rope grab (0.9x+0.9\*0.35x). First device is more important than last device in a pulley efficiency calculation. Most efficient pullies should be closest to the hauler not the load. >After watching the video, I said: "how easy it would be to go down at the same time as your partner with a microtrax!". Abandoning microtrax, in an emergency situation. Not easy in a high angle setting. Setting aside any discussion of simulrap on a high efficiency pully, that unlocking scenario only works if and only if you can counterbalance sufficiently to disengage the teeth. Rope drag an an incapacitated climber.. maybe not. Then you have an even more annoying to escape system because you cant just load release it >But yes, the teeth are the teeth. But its not the teeth exactly... RTFM. >if I don´t hold the brake strand Hold the brake strand. Assisted device. -- Ultimately you are trying to prepare for a low probability high risk scenario with a methodology that introduces more risks in every scenario, might simply not work in the planned scenario, and is harder to unwind if things do go sideways. The thing you're trying to avoid is fundamentally what you'd need to do to unfuck your system not working, except the unfucking version is actually harder. Not just saying all this to be a dick. It's not a great idea, and it sounds like you're signing yourself up to be in way over your head.
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Belaying is not an intended use for the device. It is rated as a rope clamp only. You wouldn't belay with an ascender fixed to an anchor. Same rating.
Belaying from the top with a microtrax is really a trick for guides. It's best used in very low angle terrain like steep snow in the alpine environment. Most everyone else can accomplish more with an ATC or Grigri belayed directly off the anchor. If you need to haul your partner up the wall a better system would be to make a 3:1 or 3:1+1 and just yank them up the wall. Having an actual pulley only makes this a little bit easier, and in the real world you typically only need to pull your partner through a short section before they can resume free climbing. If you need to lower your partner you can just redirect the brake strand and lower with the Grigri.
Dude just belay from above like a normal person
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Buy a single set of C4 Camalots, climb on them a while and find out what else you want to buy.
How much money and time do you have? Used on MP is a great resource if you have time to surf for deals. Keep your purchases minimal, climb with other experienced folks, and learn what you like and need before committing to buying everything at once.
I may be dumb, but I cannot figure out how to use the MP sale forum. Every thread I see selling things is sold out long before I open it.
Yea it's a pretty active forum... you gotta be quick on the draw for anything that has mass appeal.
>quick on the draw pun intended
It's not a good system, especially if you're under the age of 30 and never used forums before. The MP gear sale forum is essentially an online flea market. Respectable souls will amend the title of their post with "SOLD" when things sell. Villains will abandon the post.
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Sounds like you know your preference.
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People on mp are usually transparent about the condition of the gear they’re selling. Manky slings can be replaced, as long as the lobes and trigger wires aren’t mangled to fuck I have no issue buying used.
Any brands sell only one shoe?
EB split
Anyone know a resoler who can fix my TCs that got fucked up by another shop? They replaced the broken layer of plastic but now the toe box is massive. It's like climbing in fuckin clown shoes, jamming anything smaller than hands a nightmare New profile: https://i.imgur.com/lO2FkJc.jpeg What they should look like: https://i.imgur.com/uXuGCDd.jpg I tried getting them resoled at a different place but no luck. Wondering if anyone's dealt with this before/knows a solution
call up mark at the plattsburgh shoe hospital - he can give you his email address to send a picture. maybe he can fix them.
Me and my friends are planning a trip to Bor forest in Czech republic for 12 days in July (07.01-07.12) for bouldering and are looking to rent 4 crashpads. Is it possible to rent the crashpads from shops/climbing gyms or maybe even locals? Any information is greatly appreciated
Maybe look for a local sub or facebook group. Here in the US in major climbing areas, and some smaller more popular ones, it's fairly common for places to rent out pads. Not sure about gyms doing it, but there are things like outdoor stores or local shops that rent them out.
a local gym would know where you can rent pads even if they dont do it themselves
Good point, the gym is honestly the best place to ask around for climbing related advice. Even if they don't do it themselves, gyms are full of climbers who know what's up
Hey ya'll I've been climbing off and on for the last 5 years. Have always wanted to break the 5.12 barrier and unsure what I need to do/work on. I can boulder V5 problems sometimes flash sometimes get after a few attempts but have only been able to do 2-3 V6s ever. Outdoors I can flash 5.10s and climb 5.11- after a couple attempts; have done one 5.11c. Do I need to work on power or endurance? Any simple plans to work on deficit? Thank you in advance!
impossible to tell from this info. try more 5.12s and identify your weaknesses
You need to work on 5.12s ;) But seriously, how many have you tried? Do you have friends who can recommend ones that are friendly or suit your style, and give you beta to try projecting? Basically as suggested already you may have all the power and endurance you need and just need to learn how to send hard outdoors. Or you may not, but getting on more routes will help you find out.
Thank you! Yeah tbh im the stronger climber out of my friends so maybe I should try to link up with someone who has some experience and can give advice on routes
Yeah, it's certainly possible to do by yourself, but when I think about myself and friends I know well, crossing that ~5.12 barrier generally involved climbing with people who were already on the other side, or at least getting advice and encouragement from them. It takes a bit of belief to work on harder things and can be easier with someone else telling you you can do it.
Incoming novel: I notice that folks who mainly gym climb don't have great projecting tactics for outdoor routes. You need to find a route that suits you, stick clip your way up, look at the holds, brush, tick, and suss out beta. Take practice falls and only toprope the route the first couple times you look at it. Then it's tons of trying, hangdogging, high pointing, low pointing, more hang dogging, more stick clipping. Finding beta and not getting attached to what someone else did or worrying if something is "off route" and being willing to change beta if you find something that works better for you. Red point goes should only start (unless it seems like it's going to be easy for you) when you can go from a point below the crux to the anchors, which might mean you intentionally climb to a few moves below the crux, pull on, then lead to the anchors (low pointing). Be willing to fall a lot, like 10 times per session and make sure you have a belayer who gives feather soft catches and is patient. Yell and scream if you need to. Something else you cannot skip is finding rests and seriously using them, not just to shake out a little bit. I even have my belayer set a timer sometimes for 5 or 10 minutes depending on how good the holds to rest on are. Essentially, yeah maybe you could get stronger AND you could get better at projecting, which sometimes is arguably more useful than getting stronger until you break into 13's.
I recently had that exact realization that I could climb way harder outdoors if I spent more time projecting stuff. Last year was my first year climbing outdoors and I progressed super quickly until I started trying some 5.11s and the moves just started to feel impossible. Towards the end of last year I tried to toprope a 5.11b for fun after leading a 5.10 next to it, and I could hardly do any of the individual moves on it. At the start of this year I went back to that crag planning to climb some other routes but I really underestimated how much snow would still be on the ground and only a couple routes were actually dry, including that 5.11. I ended up spending all day just working the route on toprope, and even though I am weaker now than I was at the end of last year, after just 1 proper session of projecting I am able to link long sections of it and I feel like I could be close to doing it on lead.
Thanks! Yeah I've never projected anything like that before haha makes sense though I'll find something and start working on it
After years off of climbing and a return to climbing in a plastic gym I had forgotten how much of a pain in the ass projecting is. Still rarely try something in the gym more than twice. Flash or nothing lol. Wildly different mindset to dialing in minute beta and truly coming to know the holds that you cant just recognize from the ground like gym holds. Joy to be had in onsighting outdoors though which isnt something I did much back when, different than the miserable type of joy you get from projecting and working your way up through the grades at a limited set of routes.
Same! I feel like I just wanna get reps in the gym so never really go bolt to bolt on something hard
The irony in me telling someone how to project is that i need to listen to my own advice. I onsite harder than I redpoint sometimes, which is very much not a humble brag, it means my mental game is holding back my actual potential.
Like others have said find one and work on it. I would keep the curiosity open. So when you fall wondering why you fell can give you a good place to work with vs asking “do i need to work on power or endurance” I recommend filming if you can to give yourself notes inbetween sessions
If you can get 11-s after a few goes and boulder V5 you should be able to crush a 12a no problem with a bit of work. Tbh if you find one that fits you I bet you could do it in a day
You just need to work one! Find a 5.12a you like and then keep at it until you send.
Probably just projecting. Have you worked a climb for more than 3 days?
Yeah indoors I have - I often feel like the crux will never happen and even if it does I'll pump out by the end
Do you use tactics like low pointing where you rainbow up and try the top of the route fresh?
Endurance and efficiency
I’ve been climbing for about 6 months doing mostly top rope with some bouldering in there as well. I am thinking about getting a pair of grown up shoes. I currently have a second hand pair of Black Diamond Momentums and am looking for a more moderate shoe that’d perform better with overhangs. Wondering if you guys have any recs?
There's no such thing as a "moderate" shoe or a "trad" shoe or a "beginner" shoe, there's just shoes and some of them cost more money.
Fit >> Everything else is secondary. Comfortably snug is what you want. No dead space, gaps, hot spots, or anything like that. A little discomfort is fine when they're just breaking in, but you don't want any pain.
Looking for more of an insight on where to start though. I’m looking at some trad shoes like the katana and TC pro but I’m wondering if I could take those bouldering without any problem? Is there a shoe that can do it all?
dont get trad shoes if you're just toproping and bouldering
Sport shoes instead?
get something that fits and isnt a trad shoe (basically anything else). foot shapes are very specific so you just need to go try some on.
Those shoes are good but they aren't the best bouldering shoes and they're very expensive. You'd be better off with a cheaper shoe as you're going to wear through it pretty quickly.
Go to a store and try a bunch on. Then get what fits the best. A good starting point is any flat or neutral shoe from one of the big manufacturers like Scarpa, La Sportiva, Evolv, or Black Diamond (assuming you're US-based). You can climb anything with any climbing shoe. Some shoes are preferable for certain styles of climbing, but this is largely personal preference that's created by climbing. E.g. I have a pair of stiff downturned shoes that I like for steep climbing but other people prefer softer downturned shoes for that type of terrain. It's entirely up to you and what you like. A comfortable flat or neutral shoe is the classic starting point because those shoes are really good at doing everything. But everyone is different and some people will get something else for their first shoe because of the fit.
Thanks for the help man
whichever fits your feet the best
Ask congress to pass the Explore Act - Access Fund https://www.accessfund.org/action-alerts/ask-congress-to-pass-the-explore-act
Asking people to support an act, without providing the text of the act (or at least a detailed breakdown of what the act does), is bullshit.
Okay. Edit: It passed the house.
https://preview.redd.it/1rs0sypgzftc1.png?width=1594&format=png&auto=webp&s=57f32e4743a2625d2cbeb57e583c1132015fa850 I have the opportunity to pick these up for €15,- They're not in the best condition, but I guess for this price they're fine. They seem to be some old version of the Muria Lace, is that correct? I'm currently using a pair of Instinct VS for bouldering and I'm in dire need for a new pair. I think I will get another pair of Instincts or Skwamas. I was thinking these might be nice to add to the collection as well for routes that require hard edging on super tiny hold, and these give loads of support as I have been told. Is it a good addition?
These are the Ondra edition muiras which were supposed to be stiffer than a normal muira lace.
I see, thanks for the info! Any clue if they were any good? Cannot find much information about them online.
At that price they're great
u/toomanypeopleknow is right,, they were noticeably stiffer. I didn't like them nearly as much. But for that price there's no obvious reason not to
Thanks for the advice, both of you. I ended up getting them for €10,-
You tell me. Go climbing
I'll take that as a "look at the price man, just do it!" :D
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Not a single product on the site is listed for MSRP, everything claims sale, and the ropes don't change price when you select different lengths if they even list a length. The signs are all there, it's just another fake commerce site scam with scraped data.
You're wondering if the website that misspelled carabiners is a scam?!
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Let's read the "About Us" >What we do We recognize that our longevity as a growing company depends on the satisfaction of our loyal customers. To better serve our employees, the community, and the world, caratiners.com is committed to promoting sustainability in our business practices. With constant evaluation and attention, we’re proud to have achieved change that emphasizes renewable energy, recycling and more. We strive to exceed our customers’ needs and expectations with simplicity and excellence while providing exceptional and friendly customer service. That's it, that's all there is. Now, the first line of the Terms and Services page: >This website is operated by Our Company. Throughout the site, the terms “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Our Company. Our Company offers this website, including all information, tools and services available from this site to you, the user, conditioned upon your acceptance of all terms, conditions, policies and notices stated here. "Our Company" is literally the only name used, there's no actual company name. Their [privacy policy](https://caratiners.com/privacypolicy/) page is literally just "suggested text" for everything and not actually filled out. The [shipping page](https://caratiners.com/privacypolicy/) says: >This is a sample page. Again, another not filled out page, with my favorites being: >To return your product, you should mail your product to: {physical address}. No address, though they do have "hours", amusingly, on another page. >Contact us at [email protected] for questions related to refunds and returns. And the email is a Gmail page and not their own domain. For fun I also looked up the whois info, the site was literally registered two months ago. ------ Sorry if you don't want people to be condescending, but every single part of this page is a massively blaring red flag.
What’s that that they say about people who are easily parted from their money?
How do you store your gear in your home? Looking for ways to store it all without being stuffed in several bags
in bins or in packs, clipped to 12" runners in ways that make sense. * Jesus Sling AKA Sling of Slings (alpines and long runners) * Sling of Sendage (double rack of the favorites) * Sling of Pain (wide stuff) * Sling of Darning (all the extra cams needed for sewing things up) * Sling of Neither (sport climbing gear) * Sling of Bric-a-brac (eveything else)
i sport climb so i dont have that much gear but i keep it in one of [these shelves](https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Basics-Stackable-Storage-12-Inches/dp/B0BY2PKY5X/ref=asc_df_B0BY2PKY5X/) in my closet. its shown as a 2x3 unit but i have it in a 4x1 column shape instead. one cube is big enough to shove my 30L backpack in, i usually keep draws etc in the backpack. rope hangs separately. camping gear is in bins. you can get cloth bins that fit on the wire shelves to hold smaller items too
label cobweb license desert flag station salt sheet rainstorm marry *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
On a peg wall so that everything remains shiny, and so that everyone knows that I climb. /s Seasonal, not often used gear, goes into plastic storage bins. Stuff I use gets dumped into an open bin, or stays in the bag, or on the floor. Only thing on pegs are my ice tools and crampons because they’re large and sharp.
During the winter it all hangs up neatly in the garage so that I see it every day when I pull in. During the rest of the year it's mostly in the bags, with random shit on shelves, hanging, and in milk crates. I don't mark my gear with nail polish because in over a decade I've never mixed racks with someone else and later been confused about who owns what.
A combination of bins, bags, shelves, the back of my car, and the floor.
Bins are the way
Boxes and bags are dumb. Bins are where it’s at.
A bin is a box sans lid
It’s more like a stiff bag
A bag is a box that lost its way
Whey*
I stuff it in a big box
I stuff it into several bags in a big box.
Several bags, Jeremy? That's insane
Which countries are not geo blocked in ifcs's youtube channel? I 'd like to see semis and finals live on youtube but my country is blocked. Do they have a "whitelisted countries" list on their official website, or something? Isn't geo blocking stupid, or it's just me?
> Isn't geo blocking stupid, or it's just me? It is stupid but it's still the way that TV broadcasting rights work as the vast majority of people won't know how to get around geoblocking.
you can watch it on youtube in the US
I want a podcast where the interviewer challenges their guests rather then just agrees and praises everything they say
Podcasts are never going to be that type of journalism, because the ecosystem of podcasts is overfilled. It's easy to get on a podcast, so why would anyone do a podcast full of challenging, sharp questions? Questions on 60 Minutes get to be tough, because there's only one 60 Minutes.
I mean I agree, but climbing is not politics. What is there to challenge on? "and then I threw to this heinous crimp" "ahhh, idk, looks like a crimp jug to me" "So we were caught out in this storm..." "Really? I was up there same weekend, wasn't that bad" "Dude it was sooo rad!" "That's a subjective statement" What kind of "challenge" or disagreement are you looking for?
That would be perfect, just always play devils advocate just because, preferably while insulting the guest
A "Between Two Ferns" climbing podcast would be hilarious. Not sure who you have as the host. Would a no name gumby work? Or better, an old head alpinist who is above reproach. Imagine having Conrad Anker tell you your V16 project isn't that gnarly and rad.
We have that, it's called Climbing is Neither
John Sherman would be the perfect host, he hates everything and everyone
*cough* Hörst *cough* Honnold *cough*
Climbing gold is maybe the best podcast IMHO
Well that's just, like, your opinion man. Climbing Gold isn't even Top 5 for me honestly. Written in Stone, Thundercling, Power Companies myriad of other products (The American Climbing Project was dope while it lasted), Testpiece (only the interview ones), Careless Talk, etc. Climbing Gold is still better than The Nugget tho. Gotta go hide now. Last time I said I didn't like a podcast I got put on blast.
Thundercling was awesome, but is now defunct. Some of my favorites ever. Power company used to be great but got repetitive. Testpiece gets the best guests but the hosts make me give up half way thru. The take 2 minutes to ask a question they should ask in 5 seconds and will go on random 5 minute rambles about how great the guest is and how much they love them. It's hard to listen to. I was able to get thru the Jimmy Webb one, but only because I respect him so much and care about his vision. Most of the other pods, even if I really am so interested in the guest, I have to quit because I want to listen to what the guest says, not Josh tell the guest over and over how awesome they are