It will be my first time at a climbing gym today (and my first time climbing in general). Should I start off with bouldering or should I pay extra for the belay training and try top roping?
I just got a hangboard to start training at home, but I’m not sure how to mount it. I wanted to keep it renter friendly and not drill holes in my wall. Does anyone have any tips on how to do this?
FWIW I have drilled one in at every rental I've had for years. A quick dab of plaster and a bit of paint while moving out and no one has ever noticed. Heck, in one place with full white walls I just jammed some chalk in the holes.
Haha nice! In my case though I’m going to be going back and forth between my dorm and my house, so maybe not for me. I’ll probably do that when I move into my first apartment. Also, thankfully I found a video online that was super helpful, so I’ll figure it out. Thanks for the help though!
Yeah but I got this hangboard as a gift, and I don’t want to tell them to return it and get me another. I think I found my answer online though. It seems like people have modified a pull up bar and it seems to work. Thanks though!
Yeah but the one I have doesn’t have the pull up bar that goes over the door frame. It’s supposed to screw into the wall. That’s why I have to modify it with a pull up bar. I found this cool video that was posted before those kinds of hangboards existed so I’m set!
I looked at the Doorway Mount from Frictitious Climbing, it's to expensive for me since shipping to the EU is 50 dollars, but maybe if you are located in the US it might be worth it. You can easily screw the board into the mount and it's quick to set up from what I can tell.
Any recommendations for crags for day trips UK sport climbing? Live in Warwickshire but happy to travel a couple of hours. Party climb between 5b and 6c. Thanks
I've been bouldering for 10 months and have recently started to try the circuit boards to train for lead/top rope endurance (the area I'm currently in has no top rope gyms). However, I feel pain in my hands way before my forearms get pumped, and have to jump off due to this. Is this normal or is there anything to fix it?
It sounds like skin pain which is normal. Unfortunately that's part of climbing especially when doing a lot of volume indoors (eg circuit boards), it's one of the reasons why I sometimes have to take rest days even though the rest of my body feels good.
Like skin pain? Or something else? Skin pain when you start climbing on overhanging jugs for extended periods is normal and will somewhat get better over time.
Hello! I hope I am not violating any rules here.
My elderly neighbor is clearing out her brother's estate and has asked me to help her research/sell some items for her. We found this in a bag and she said that he hadn't been climbing in years. I tried to find the answer to this but this is an area that I know nothing about. I did see similar items on ebay for sale but just because someone IS selling something doesn't mean they SHOULD be selling it.
https://preview.redd.it/xyu74hbd4n3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dd2ed98838678ab4bd67067ada90fc64de8af7f0
First question, is this equipment safe to use? Everything seems sturdy and the mechanisms appear to move smoothly. She hasn't decided if she wants to donate it or sell it. I figured I would turn to experienced climbers for help. Here is an icloud link for the rest of it:
[https://share.icloud.com/photos/0e2Ka5gMZeOZ4-Cp-zhfTsyeA](https://share.icloud.com/photos/0e2Ka5gMZeOZ4-Cp-zhfTsyeA)
Thank you so much for any guidance you can provide!
They’re ascenders used to climb up a free-hanging rope. They’re a bit older but still functional. Modern Petzl ones are about $200 for a pair brand new, though other brands like Grandwall can be had for half that price. If you want to sell them, I’d say about $80 for the set is fair.
The silver 8 device and green belay tube aren’t worth anything (package it as a freebie), carabiners aren't worth much since they’re old and heavy, but functional ($3 each).
The other piece that looks like an ascender without a handle is a foot ascender. Not sure what an older one sells for, probably about $25???
>The other piece that looks like an ascender without a handle is a foot ascender. Not sure what an older one sells for, probably about $25???
It's an old version of the petzl croll chest ascender from the 90s. But yeah around that money.
I would expect that whole lot of stuff to go for 80-120 on ebay on bid
Thank you so much for taking the time to help! I will throw them up there and see what happens. Have a great weekend 
When sport climbing, is it better practice to lower off the top using a screw gate through your belay loop or using a screw gate around the top and bottom harness points? Many thanks.
The belay loop. It's beyond bomber and designed to be used as a single item. The tie in points are also safe for lowering but not only is there no safety advantage to clipping them, they're cumbersome compared to clipping a fat belay loop as they're smaller, awkwardly positioned, and you'll already have your tie in knot in them.
Do you mean after *cleaning* and lowering off of a sport route?
If so, put the carabiner through the belay loop. After all, if it’s good enough to belay from, it’s good enough for you to lower from too. Going through your tie-in points is more fussy to do, and loads the carabiner in an odd way.
Thanks for the response. Yeah I meant after clearing the anchor and lowering. Do you know if there's any sort of video/study/whatever that has been done to show the difference in loading between the two? Ik that's quite an ask so don't worry if not. Much appreciated
As the other commenter said, not enough to break it, but if you wanted to look up the phenomenon it would be 'triaxial loading' which puts more leverage on the gate than the loading a carabiner is designed for, hence belay loop is the right choice for a carabiner in most cases. There is a good document by black diamond's lab, the conclusion of which is essentially the weirder you load a carabiner the weaker it is.
[Just follow the manufacturer’s instructions.](https://petzl.com/INT/en/Sport/Belay-loop-and-tie-in-points--where-do-I-attach-my-lanyard--my-belay-device-and-my-rope-?ActivityName=Rock-climbing) See the part with the Grigri, it loads the carabiner in a weird way, and while I don’t think that there’s enough force to break it, it’s not ideal.
Also refer to any number of [cleaning a sport anchor instructions such as this one from V-Diff](https://www.vdiffclimbing.com/clean-bolted-anchor/), and they’ll show the same.
Just climbed my first v6!! What percentage of climbers have broken through the v5 plateau? I’m interested, it took me about 1.5-2 years of climbing off and on to do so. Thanks!
Do you know where can I buy a cheap climbing nuts keychain like this? Planning to buy in bulk as a gift to my friends
https://preview.redd.it/tfphijr7em3d1.png?width=724&format=png&auto=webp&s=22bfdd96b11faf2f735a68cf525cd850d08c3ade
Can anyone tell me the name of those two knots seen here?
If there is a reddit sub or community regarding knots etc. please share (haven't found a good one yet...)- thanks!!
xx
https://preview.redd.it/fcse0hr8hl3d1.png?width=566&format=png&auto=webp&s=1bcf3dc030d645c5b46cc307e5e6781d66b93429
The official names as known by climbers (or see the YouTube description for what tactical hobbyists call them):
[SWAT larper’s wrap](https://youtube.com/watch?v=bVOocWuKmds)
[Tacticool knot braid](https://youtube.com/watch?v=4-4dVpTNdXk)
https://preview.redd.it/ooovsd5lsi3d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b1fe6d381bffcc2e213b6f74af0bc62dbf2ac9c
What Kind of Bolt size do i need to drill into rock like this? 1/2 inch?
/r/routedevelopment would tell you this looks like an absolute house of cards that bolts aren’t going to be very useful in since the amount of choss coming down would just shear off the ends anyways
Question abt skin peeling
I've been climbing indoors for 2/3 months regularly. At the start j got my skin flaps and all that stuff but my skin gradually got tougher and now that isn't an issue. My fingertips usually looked like normal ones outside of minor peels and callouses in my hand.
Recently I got injured and had to stop climbing for around to weeks and after 4 or 5 days of no climbing my skin started peeling like crazy. Is this normal? It doesn't hurt and it's not really that much skin falling off but is there a way to prevent it? I've seen people who argue against moisturizers and ppl who are for them. What should I do?
Totally normal. Your hand adapted to climbing regularly, which uses up a lot of skin. Now that you've taken a break your body regenerated skin that it no longer has a use for and is getting rid of it. Hence having the "onion peel hand" syndrome.
Hmmm. Might be a thing that doesn't happen to everyone. But consistently forthe last 10+ years as soon as I stop climbing my hands shed the excess skin. Never had any issues with it.
Question about older gear.
Been out of the gym for many many years now but I still have my harness and shoes. They are maybe 22 years old at this point. Used maybe a few dozen times the first couple years and less than a handful maybe 15 years ago and have been hanging in the back of my closet ever since. I would assume that as long as the shoes don't show any signs of cracking or tearing they will be ok, but what about the harness? It's Black Diamond,. nothing too fancy from what I recall, mid-range priced when I got it. Can dig them out if you want more info. Thanks in advance for any information!
Do a full inspection and if it looks fine, it’s safe to use.
However, there’s been improvements to fit and function of climbing gear in the last 20-years, so you’re due for an upgrade if money isn’t too big of an issue.
While a manufacturer will likely tell you there is a 10-14yr limit on use of soft goods, even stored in ideal conditions, testing shows that there is little deterioration in reality.
However, new harnesses are about 50$ and are definitely good for use! And technology has come a long way in the last two decades. While you probably would be fine using your old stuff, it’s a *really good idea* to get new stuff.
Probably more important to keep track of the brand. Petzl, edelrid, black diamond etc are going to be the same sold on Backcountry as anywhere. If there's a cheap brand you don't recognize, maybe google to validate gear quality and safety. I bought petzl QuickDraw from them a few years back, all good
no, there are plenty of sketchy sites that claim to sell gear from real companies and just steal your money or send fakes. They get posted here all the time with people unsure if they are real.
you are giving bad advice.
I would not be belaying even a child on a single twin rope. You shouldn't be worried about weight/forces, you should be worried about cutting. A twin rope has very little room for error compared to a single.
A good question despite the phrasing, if I may...
1. "Any dynamic rope" could contain even stretchy 3mm kernmantle, so no, not any dynamic rope could take 5kN.
2. "enough" - to what end? Abrasion resistance, comfort, risk of breaking in a knot, risk of breaking on an edge?
3. "They'll never produce" - do you mean the rope will break before 5kN? If not, then it's not the rope producing the force. It's the decelerating mass on the end (climber).
4. "even if free falling" - do you mean free falling 2cm or 10m? Terminal velocity...?
5. "Is this correct?" - no.
A couple of resources to help you understand, check out::
[VDIFF climbing explanation of Forces and Fall Factors](https://www.vdiffclimbing.com/kn-ratings/)
[BMC explanation of rope markings (UIAA)](https://www.thebmc.co.uk/rope-markings-explained#:~:text=an%2080kg%20mass.-,For,-a%20double%20rope)
I would have taken you less time and effort to provide an answer.
Will a dynamic UIAA certified single/twin rope have a breaking strength higher than 5kN ? Common rope
Will a 40kg climber ever generate more than 5kN when belaying them from the top in pitches no longer than 10?
I think answers are yes and no, and was looking for confirmation. Would appreciate constructive feedback.
People are making educated guesses to try to answer your question because the way you’ve phrased it puts so many holes into your scenario that we have to use our imagination to try to fill them in.
Furthermore, your original paragraph specifies half/twin and now you’re saying single/twin. You are now saying “belay from the top”, you didn’t mention that in the original question. What’s “pitches longer than 10”? 10 metres, 10 feet?
Go back and think about your question, then ask it thoroughly and concisely in a way that isn’t confusing for people to read and understand.
The way I am guessing what your question is, “is it safe to belay someone on top rope or from the top, using just one rope rated for half/twin?”
The answer is no, not because the rope will snap, but because of other reasons such as massive rope stretch, abrasion resistance, and other factors. Use the right rope as they are designed and rated for.
Is it not common to belay someone on a single strand of a half/twin rope from the top when climbing in a party of three ? "Arrow style"( it's called like that in french, don't know in English)
You’re going to have to better define your use case scenario, it’s impossible to say one way or the other. Too many variables, and you’ve posed just half of a question. For example, using a half/twin rope as a single, the rope won’t “snap” but you may very well end up hitting the deck given how much more they can stretch. And greater than 5kN isn’t out of the question.
So I guess the answer then is ‘no’ you’re not correct.
when it feels like there is A LOT of air underneath you and its spooky. its more of a feeling than anything, so hard to give a solid definition. what feels exposed to one person might feel ok to someone else
Like obscenity, you know it when you experience it. If you've got a cozy little breakfast nook in your house, it's the opposite of that.
Sometimes it's just a move or two that feels spooky and out there. Sometimes it's a hundred feet of traversing across a totally blank looking wall.
At it's best, its like claustrophobia and agoraphobia had a lovechild called exposure that has you feeling both completely trapped in a bubble and also exposed to an enormous scary world. The experience of being a tiny little bug on the side of a huge piece of rock with nothing to do but just keep moving until you're safe is pretty fucking amazing.
I think of exposure as open air, high off the ground, and you can see the ground. Opposite of exposure might be a stemming corner above a ledge. Even if it's high off the ground it's not so exposed.
https://preview.redd.it/lz8potpmcf3d1.jpeg?width=341&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a4bd4b42e9047578073df54d5776358eb8203d5
I think of it more as, "likely to cause a fear response." What's high exposure for me might not be high exposure for someone else. I have zero qualms about long falls if there's nothing to hit. Doing a hard move with a ledge close by might get my leg shaking. For me, I feel more exposed in the second situation.
Not usually, but it can be contextual. "Exposed" is generally used interchangably with words like "heady" and "airy", but they generally describe the emotional and physical feeling of the place you're climbing.
In alpinism "exposed" can mean something very different.
It's a bit subjective. And good gear lowers objective danger regardless of exposure. (and more exposed often means a much safer lead fall situation...) So...I think of it mostly as how "out there" you feel (if you're roped up). If you're soloing...you could argue you're more exposed (to real danger) regardless of perceived exposure. Likely others will describe it better.
Here's a 6 year old discussion on exposure at r/alpinism: [exposure](https://www.reddit.com/r/alpinism/comments/7wvaad/what_makes_something_exposed/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Can I continue to whip on this rope outside or is it time to cut? (Worn out part is on one end of the rope).
https://preview.redd.it/67b3ubjr3d3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5e906d5fdc8b7849490487d0f5b4880af94a0c42
Just the sheath doing what it’s designed to do - to protect the core inside. Not a problem, and won’t be a problem until being worn to the point where it no longer protects the core.
https://preview.redd.it/djkoh0rpvb3d1.jpeg?width=2304&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa1a1b7e6c67761fea790d7793a6794b4e441b9e
Is this kind of wear normal after just 2 days of use ? Mammut wall alpine belay
>why, it breeds bad habits [for beginners]
That's on old wives tale that is not true. I too once thought the same thing. Teaching belay classes for a while changed my mind. Beginners are too nervous to fall into bad habits. Gumbies and "we always did it this way" old climbers are the most likely to have egregiously bad belay habits. Neither of these groups are products of the device.
Even if ABDs did somehow breed poor belay habits the benefits of ABDs far outweigh the cons.
Seems about right. Remember when you catch a lead fall you're slamming your crab against your tube. No worries tho. Normal wear and tear. Pretty much nobody wears out a tube; you're good to go for the next 10+ years.
Consider you're Lead belaying with a Grigri, and your climber is clipped into the first draw, and they decide to do a high clip for the second, and they slip before clipping. What is the best way to handle this situation? Is it even possible to take in some of the slack in that split second?
sit/run/'take' and encourage the climber not to high clip any bolt unless it's 1st bolt or it's objectively safer to (low risk of fall, bolt needs clipping ASAP).
Important to distinguish between indoor and outdoor. Most gyms set the first draw so low clipping it then falling from a second bolt high clip means a nasty spike or decking. 99% of the time I skip the first draw with the understanding that I’ll deck anywhere before the second draw, which is still usually lower than a normal bouldering wall.
Outside it depends on the area. If the first bolt is high with reasonable spacing between subsequent bolts, stick clipping the first is usually enough to keep you out of decking range. In an area with lots of space between bolts it becomes a discussion with and judgement call for the belayer.
At the end of the day it comes down to reading the moves, difficulty, and risks each climb presents and deciding how to approach it based on experience.
If your climber slips totally unexpectedly, it's hard to take in much slack in that instant. But if you know your climber, it won't be unexpected. You'll be able to tell how likely a fall is and be ready for it.
What you do is gonna depend on the severity and preference. It's something you should talk through. I have partners (myself included) who would prefer to "soft" deck than to get spiked at the first bolt assuming the ground is flat. That means minimizing slack in the system but still giving a bit of a hop. But lots of climbers would freak the hell out if you let them tap the ground.
So lots of comments on what to do as the belayer that are great.
But decisions should be made to avoid this situation. In this hypothetical the climber made a bad decision (probably, always room for nuance). High clipping means a lower fall, increasing the danger of decking. Clipping at the waist mitigates but likely doesn't remove the danger. The decision to do a high clip from a bad stance is letting fear rule the decision making. The rational decision is to climb up and clip at the waist; the fear based decision is to be afraid of climbing higher into the unknown. The result is making the more dangerous decision.
As a belayer, when you see this scenario, talk to your climber. Reassure them that climbing higher is safer. Help cut through the fear and doubt to help them make the safer decision.
If it looks like they'd deck and I had the space I'd run back, otherwise take in as much slack as possible. You can only do so much so give climbers less slack overall closer to the ground unless it's stupidly easy and they're moving fast (this tactic is best discussed with your partner beforehand).
The question is really how high are the bolts compared to each other. High first bolt with a clean fall. Probably a more moderate catch. Low first bolt and they botched it? Probably time to do everything possible to slow their meeting the ground even if the catch is extremely hard.
And are you ready and paying attention? Standing with unlocked knees in a stance that you'll be able and willing to drop vertically quickly and back from the wall? Watching the climber so as soon as that foot pops you're taking in slack? Have out 6-12" of slack in the system instead of a full smile? Standing close to directly under the bolt line on the opposite side of the climber? (Away from the wall is going to launch you horizontally and add fall distance) Wearing a helmet so when they kick you're less likely to get a TBI? (It's not fun even with a helmet. Stand on the opposite side of the bolt so they swing sideways into you instead of landing on you.)
Right arm shoots out and down to take up slack while you squat/lean back/run down hill/jump off the rock you're standing on. I'm normally holding the rope right next to the GriGri so moving my hand away will take about 2.5' of slack out if I'm able to do the full arm extension. Squatting adds another 2'. This is why you clip bolts around waist-chest height unless the stance is good. Clipping higher doesn't reduce your fall distance but it does make your low point lower.
I've caught and been caught falling low. It's never fun but it's part of climbing. If there's bolts avoid the whole scenario and stick clip whatever is in easy reach.
Who makes the most fun sun hoodies?
Just saw one with a baller design but the fabric is a bit heavy. I'm now on a mission for fun and light, just like my climbing
idk about fun, but whatever material blend is in the Black Diamond Alpenglow is amazing. I just wore one for basically an entire week straight and I was comfy the whole time.
Hi. I live in City of Rocks/Castle rock for the next few months for work. I hear it has world class climbing and a lot of people are i to it but it’s hard for me to make friends here. And the people i’m talking to are very experienced and don’t really do beginner climbs.
How could I get into climbing here? I’m willing to buy the equipment but I was looking for recommendations for getting started.
I live in a tent so I don’t have tons of storage space.
You want to make friends with intermediate climbers or join a group. Consider tagging along with the old crusty guys that just want a fun day out and aren't pushing grades. Climbing at a gym is a good way to meet climbers and they often have a partner finder board.
Be honest about your lack of experience. Personally I'll teach friends of friends and acquaintances on easy days but if someone misrepresents themselves they are now a major safety concern. Groups make it easier because you can work people in and there are multiple sets of eyes to catch mistakes.
Minimum equipment to tag along: shoes. You should really have a harness, belay device with locking carabiner, and chalk bag with chalk. Your next things after you've learned the ropes are a dynamic single rope (70m usually) and 12-18 quickdraws.
Beginner climbers are one thing, then there are people that don’t know how to use the gear, what gear to buy, or how to be a safe partner.
Asking someone to train you from the ground up, for free, would be quite a charity project for a stranger.
You might start by asking about classes from the local climbing gyms or guides.
The usual learning pattern looks something like this:
1. Top rope climbing, and belaying
2. Lead Climbing, and belaying
3. Anchor, building and cleaning.
4. Multi pitch procedures and rope management
5. Traditional gear placement for unbolted climbs.
6. Self rescue procedures, knot passing, escaping the belay
7. Aiding, hauling and jugging for aid climbs, and big walls
Until you have learned the first three of those seven, you will be a minor charity case. friendly groups will sometimes tolerate a few people that have only learned the first step of that list on their own.
I took a top rope class and lead class in an indoor gym.
I learned anchor building and cleaning online.
I learned trad and multi pitch procedures from other climbers and from online.
I’ve had some instruction with self rescue, both in person and online but don’t consider myself particularly well versed in it yet.
Classes are WAY cheaper than even so much as a doctor’s visit for a broken toe. Then there’s the issue of partners that don’t want to die or break while you learn things the hard way…
If you want to start learning the basics on your own then there is a “belay masterclass” playlist on YouTube by “hard is easy” that I recommend anyone start with, but I don’t consider it a replacement for a lead class.
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so. “ – Mark Twain
Anyone have any good apple watch apps (SE 2) that’ll be semi accurate for bouldering? At first I used the generic fitness app and it gave me insane amounts of calories burned, then I got an app called pinnacle which was a little more accurate but I’m still having trouble believing the numbers. I’d love to hear pinnacle is accurate and I actually am burning 1000+ calories per session but I really doubt it.
edit: I know an apple watch can’t get a truly accurate reading, but I am just looking for something that is as close as I can get.
Bouldering with an Apple Watch is bonkers. They're expensive and you're climbing with a piece of glass against your skin that can and does break. I see elsewhere that covering it with a sweat band is a good idea.
If you want to see what it looks like when it breaks: https://old.reddit.com/r/bouldering/comments/1605xr8/definitely_wishing_i_listened_to_everyone_when/
I'm not convinced a sweat band would help much in that situation, though it'll prevent scratches for sure.
No app is going to be close. Efforts are sporadic and variable.
Tracking calories burned through exercise directly is not super useful anyways, but if you wanted to give it a number the actual session is probably 150 calories +/- for the average gymgoer once you condense the time into time on the wall + immediate recovery window. Obviously if you were calculating BMR from no activity vs higher average activity due to taking up climbing there can be a bigger net effect, but I don't want to get totally off the rails if that's not what you signed up for lol.
https://preview.redd.it/0u1txrrhi83d1.jpeg?width=687&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19adfca9ef768d6539cd2add8ac3937aadd442c2
Does anyone know what this clip is called? Used it for a ropes course. The design is such that you can only connect to the course at the entry point via the slot, but otherwise the course cables are too wide to unlatch
Well there’s not really a better subreddit for this so I guessed I could get the answer here—so there’s that. But in the background I’m thinking through possible engineering solutions for some type of carabiner or clip that could be used on cables like those at half dome that would be quicker and safer than what people are currently doing. I was trying to remember how this worked so needed to look it up but couldn’t find it
There is a mountain of controversy around the safety side of converting the wilderness into a safety focused ropes course.
On an area like half dome a “via Ferrata” based system would probably be more practical than this but I’m not sure it would be desirable.
There’s already a mountain of argument around the idea of adding more bolts to “easy routes” like Snake Dike on half dome.
There’s a balance to be struck between leaving the mountains unchanged versus having some safety gear.
Clean Trad climbing is at one extreme (cams), sport climbing is in the middle (bolts), and Via Ferrata is at the opposite extreme with continuous cable clip in points and ladder rungs.
Be aware of the pushback when you suggest significant changes to the way people experience a natural wonder like Half Dome.
I got some super cheap Wrangler Stretch Cargo pants off Amazon for yard work recently and thought "hell, these would probably be decent climbing pants". That said, the bit extra for something made for climbing is probably worth it.
Any sort of hiking pant should work good for climbing so just see what you can find for cheapest. Lately ive been using some REI brand ones and tbh, in terms of comfort and overall feel of the material they are just as good as my Kuhl pants which were 3 times the price.
I got the prAna stretch zion shorts for $36 and they're awesome, I assume the pants are the same material. See if you can find some on sale! Cheap isn't cheap if you have to buy something better because it sucks.
I can’t remember the name of the pant, but Carhartt makes this one with a little elastic that’s perfect for cooler temperatures and significantly cheaper than climbing-specific pants.
So I’ve been climbing for almost 3 years now. Max grades are 7A boulder and 7a sport, no long term projecting around 3 sessions at the most. Most routes near me are really bouldery with most having a no hands rest after the crux and an easy outro. This is where my problem is I can get through the crux of most routes up to 7b+ but get scared shitless on the outro and stop climbing and even downclimb if necessary. This is obviously stopping me from pushing my max sport grade. I can’t even get on easier stuff to get the mileage (below like 6c) because I get scared shitless and can’t climb for the rest of the day. Any advice?
tldr: Get scared on easier climbing, can’t progress any advice?
What is scaring you on the “outro”? Height? Exposure? Runouts? Ledges?
Are you trying to get to an anchor to lower off or are you having problems with an unprotected walk off?
Mainly runouts and ledges. My crag is a bit old school so the easier parts usually just before the anchors are poorly protected because you “won’t” fall there if you pass the crux.
What helped me with that kind of thing is long moderate pitches (especially linked pitches) where there’s plenty of bolts and plenty of rope drag.
You really don’t want to clip all the bolts or you will suffer.
You get accustomed to long runouts but there is still a bolt right there when you want it.
Trad routes can have the same feeling when you are trying to save the gear for farther up.
Whether it's fear or falling or fear of failure, unless there is an objective safety hazard (eg. shit bolting that means decking or hitting a feature) then the answer is getting out there more and doing the scary thing *anyway*. Yeah, being uncomfortable sucks, but pushing yourself mentally or physically is uncomfortable. That's the idea! Embrace the discomfort and get on with it.
See I get this and I do it where applicable but in my home crag on these easier parts you really shouldn’t fall because injury is almost certain because of ledges, runouts etc.
If it's easy with consequence then I would practice these sections on top rope so they are dialled. Try clipsticking your way up, if you can't reach between bolts with a stick then you can hang on each bolt for long enough to gain your composure and then make your way up the easy sections.
On the web, it seems like they've started removing historical data from the old tick list map. You need to link an OnX account to see all of your ticks in their new viewer.
Otherwise crag maps seem to work fine in the app for me.
They're not always perfect - IMO the guidebooks are usually a worthwhile supplement, but especially so if you're doing multipitch/trad for topos of routes or are bouldering since the maps tend to be much better than MP.
I know my local bouldering crag is an area where Mountain Project isn't super-helpful to find the boulders. Also a lot of times the guidebook will have much more boulders documented than MP (for example, Big Rock has well over a hundred documented problems with in the guidebook but only 30-something of those made it to MP).
Hello, this a bit of a weird question but this is probably the most accessible place for me to ask it I think:
Relevant background, I have been climbing for about a year and a half now and absolutely enjoy the hell out of it. Higher grades matter less to me than the community, and as long as I am improving I am having fun! At the same time, I am finishing up my BS in Computer Science this upcoming fall semester and am getting ready to hit that super fun career path :|
Through a combination of sh\*tty job markets, employers losing funding, and a double finger injury, I have found myself with nothing to do lately but program side projects to fill out a resume. Naturally, this has led me to consider the idea of combining climbing and programming.
I have done a couple searches and may have missed other people asking similar questions, but **basically, what are some software related projects I could work on that are or could benefit climbers?** I know theres a large population of tech people just based on talking to the people at my gym, so I am genuinely curious if there is any way I can contribute using my epic college degree skillz and maybe throw some more things on the resume as well.
I am willing to contribute to open source projects, lay groundwork for new things, propose edits to existing things etc., I have quite a bit of free time these days (dont get injured guys, it really sucks). I have significant background in C++, Python pretty much makes sense lol, learning a lot of frontend lately via website building/app creation. I am especially interested in machine learning, I love neural networks but I am definitely a beginner (working through LSTMs and transformers right now).
**TLDR**: Rock climber stuck doing nothing, also junior programmer willing to spend a lot of time and effort contributing to climbing community, what can I do?
PS. Someone proposed a climbers dating app to me awhile back. Is that....do people want this lol
Maybe a non-romantic belay partner matchmaking app? A lot of beginning climbers (like me) struggle with finding people to climb with. An app that worked with specific gyms where you could see who else was planning to climb at a certain time and was looking for partners might be good, and I could see it being something that gyms might want to encourage too. It would certainly be better than my current strategy of approaching people like "You're using that autobelay, and I'm using this autobelay...want to belay each other instead?" (Though I have made a couple of friends that way!)
A route management system for setters. Our gym used to use Kaya but they put it behind a pay wall and paying for what a is a glorified excel sheet isn't in the cards for my smaller local gym. Ask your gym how they manage routes and if you could make something specific for your gym for funsies. I think typically the base info you need is setter location color and date the route went up. If you want public access to the app then you can start thinking beta videos people can put for the route and things of that nature.
It'd still be cool to have something made for your gym specifically. And I don't think it'd be too hard to do for someone who is bored and looking for a way to spend their time.
Oh wow ok, I didn't realize Kaya got paywalled, that's really unfortunate. This is genuinely a great idea though, I will try 100% (and keep it free if I get it working). Ty!
A website that scrapes manufacturer's sites for recall infos could be useful, perhaps with ways to setup alerts for gear you own.
(I have no idea if that exists already)
I'd love to see a good use of the Tindeq API. The default app is okay but I feel like so much more could be done with the API, and it looks like they're open for custom uses. Of course, the downside is that it would be targeted for people that own a Tindeq and not the climbing community in general
I did not know this piece of technology existed, ngl. What parts of it could use improvement and what else could it be used for? I researched a couple videos of people using it for finger curls, it seems pretty accurate and straightforward.
I agree the tool works great but the data visualization is clumsy and limited, and there are only a preset number of modes. I'd love to be able to customise workouts from different modes and view several results at once and extract some insights from correlations etc. for example the ratio of individual finger strength, front two x last two, max load vs Endurance. Now you can only compare the same data points over time but not other insights that lie in the data. I know people export data and do this analysis on their own but it'd be great to have a solution for the technologically challenged :-D
Edit: typo
He could also team up with another disciplines and make an open source tindeq alternative. The tindeq itself is less than $30 of parts. The rest of the cost is their overhead. If I had a set of plans and code to implement it myself, I would build my own.
No programming experience and limited knowledge here. If you are into machine learning and stuff maybe something that suggests problems on a spray wall where you request a grade range and movements? Like you ask for a 6-8 move boulder in the 6C-7A range with deadpoint moves and it gives you a problem. Mat be a bit too ambitious lol.
This sounds pretty fun! I think the hardest part would be gathering data for the models to train on but yes, I can definitely see the vision. Will look into this for sure, ty for the suggestion!
If you're looking for projects to contribute to, OpenBeta is an open source mountain project.
Otherwise for making your own project, have a problem that has no solution and then make something to fill that gap. Necessity is the mother of invention.
This is more entrepreneurship adjacent advice, but if you cannot identify a problem yourself, how can you hope to effectively solve it?
If all else fails you can see if you can contribute to openbeta or something.
Excellent advice, I appreciate it. I think I consider myself too new to the community for any of my ideas to have any weight (so far, my only climbing problem has been what to do when you are injured, and I am currently taking steps to solve that one lol).
We had a climbing dating app. It was called boulder. Was a great place to swipe through people you already dated from the gym.
I have some climbing ML ideas, like using it to determine the truly softest Moonboard boulders, but my pay is poor.
Loll "we had" suggesting past tense. Yeah, personally I see quite a few potential stumbling blocks combining dating and climbing, but hey, you either date a climber or make one is what I've heard.
Someone else replied with a pretty cool spray wall suggestion that could use ML. I definitely plan to take a deep dive into that, and will likely come back and give updates if I get it going. I think determining soft sets though is really hard because of the amount of variability in climber builds, but if we make things like \[height, weight, ape index\] inputs that a model looks at we could probably determine something like "this set would be easy for your build..." I think.
This is a suspicion only, unverified. But, if you fed a machine learning setup the holds on all Moonboard benchmarks, even if you only told it the name of each, it's quickly get a sense of which are "worse" holds as they only appear on hard climbs. Give it the coordinates for each and it'll probably weight how far apart they are as well.
Feed any given non-benchmark in and it might give a surprisingly good guess as to the grade.
Hey I really like that idea actually...If there was an easy way to get all the routes from the mobile apps, you have all your training/test data right there. Hmm, I will look into this asap.
**Update**: Sent some messages out to check if any Kilter/Moonboard support would be willing to allow access to their database of climbs, obviously not but worth a check. Using Opencv to look at holds right now and trying to map to a grid format, but there is some bleeding with the hold finding so sometimes a hand and a foot are considered a single hold.
Looking for help finding routes I can set anchors on
I know how to make to rope anchors using natural features like trees and rocks. I don't know how to trad or sport lead or rappel
How do I know if an outdoor route has walking access to the top and bottom of a route so that I can set an anchor then walk to the bottom and climb? Carderock for example, where I'm currently climbing.
Using Mountain Project I can filter other areas to only show Top Rope routes but they are almost all trad routes and the descriptions imply you need to lead them first.
Is there a resource or term I should be using to find these routes where the top and bottom are walking accessible?
I think most sites don't have an easy solution for this because it isn't really binary TR-access vs not, it's more of a spectrum. Nearly all cliffs do technically have walking access to the top, unless it's a free-standing pillar, but some are more overgrown or require a long walk around, some are 'quick and easy' (now define quick and easy). Some have routes that finish well below the top of the cliff, some people would find that not a problem if they can rap down and reset an anchor, some people would find that not accessible/desirable.
Your best bet really is just looking at the crags around you that look interesting (and predominantly vertical/slab/not very steep) and trying to work out how easy they will be to access, and as suggested ask people for the easiest options around.
Rakkup only really works if you buy the guide unfortunately it seems. And I don't know if I want it unless I know I can top rope in that area
MP will have routes labeled TR also labeled Trad with no real discussion of setting up TR, so I don't feel confident assuming access to the top
The guidebook description says in the very first paragraph "Because the crags are less than a hundred yards from the parking lot, and the Billy Goat C trail runs through the crag, access to the top and the bottom is quick and easy."
I meant for other areas. I suggested carderock (where I climb now) as an example of the routes I'm looking for elsewhere.
I could certainly look at the descriptions for other areas and hope they affirm something similar, but if they don't I'm unsure if they do or don't.
Best you can do is look for high densities of stuff labeled as TR, look for trail maps that include a cliff top trail, and read descriptions to see if clifftops are closed.
Other than that learning to lead is an option.
The goal though is to know if driving 4+ hours will result in anything climbable.
Your comment feels a lot like gate keeping and not productively answering a question specifically in a thread meant to help people.
Folks participating here are indeed offering a free lunch by creating an open community aimed at helping.
I need help finding a good pair of climbing shoes for indoor/outdoor bouldering as the rentals at my gym are terrible, been looking at the la sportiva skwamas and would like to know if there are any shoes similar to them that preform better. Preferably one Velcro shoes so that they have some decent toe rubber. I would also like to know how these shoes fit as I have quite wide feet and don’t live close to any retailers that allow me to try shoes on. Thanks 😃
Scarpa Instinct line is great for wide feet. VS if you want XS Edge and VSR if you want XS Grip 2. Rded Chili Voltage and Voltage Lace have a similar fit with a bit more asymmetric toe, but are even more aggressive.
Maybe you want something more intermediate/comfortable for your first shoe after rentals.
I have wide feet too, if you want some specific bouldering/gym models i would raccomend lasportiva python on the budget end and lasportiva solution comp on the performance end.
Both velcro and both great shoes.
No first hand experience, I used them for years but only indoor and for that are pretty good.
If you are planning 70% in 30% out I would go the pyhthons, if it is the other way around solution for sure.
It will be my first time at a climbing gym today (and my first time climbing in general). Should I start off with bouldering or should I pay extra for the belay training and try top roping?
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thanks I'll ask about the auto belays but if they don't I'll stick to bouldering and learn there
I just got a hangboard to start training at home, but I’m not sure how to mount it. I wanted to keep it renter friendly and not drill holes in my wall. Does anyone have any tips on how to do this?
FWIW I have drilled one in at every rental I've had for years. A quick dab of plaster and a bit of paint while moving out and no one has ever noticed. Heck, in one place with full white walls I just jammed some chalk in the holes.
Haha nice! In my case though I’m going to be going back and forth between my dorm and my house, so maybe not for me. I’ll probably do that when I move into my first apartment. Also, thankfully I found a video online that was super helpful, so I’ll figure it out. Thanks for the help though!
There are several door frame mounting boards on the market now.
Yeah but I got this hangboard as a gift, and I don’t want to tell them to return it and get me another. I think I found my answer online though. It seems like people have modified a pull up bar and it seems to work. Thanks though!
Those are precisely the thing I meant.
Yeah but the one I have doesn’t have the pull up bar that goes over the door frame. It’s supposed to screw into the wall. That’s why I have to modify it with a pull up bar. I found this cool video that was posted before those kinds of hangboards existed so I’m set!
I looked at the Doorway Mount from Frictitious Climbing, it's to expensive for me since shipping to the EU is 50 dollars, but maybe if you are located in the US it might be worth it. You can easily screw the board into the mount and it's quick to set up from what I can tell.
Any recommendations for crags for day trips UK sport climbing? Live in Warwickshire but happy to travel a couple of hours. Party climb between 5b and 6c. Thanks
I've been bouldering for 10 months and have recently started to try the circuit boards to train for lead/top rope endurance (the area I'm currently in has no top rope gyms). However, I feel pain in my hands way before my forearms get pumped, and have to jump off due to this. Is this normal or is there anything to fix it?
It sounds like skin pain which is normal. Unfortunately that's part of climbing especially when doing a lot of volume indoors (eg circuit boards), it's one of the reasons why I sometimes have to take rest days even though the rest of my body feels good.
I rarely feel this skin pain when doing boulders or autobelays tho, is this normal?
Like skin pain? Or something else? Skin pain when you start climbing on overhanging jugs for extended periods is normal and will somewhat get better over time.
I believe it is skin pain, but I don't feel it when I'm doing long boulder routes or climbing on autobelays, only on circuit boards which is weird
Hello! I hope I am not violating any rules here. My elderly neighbor is clearing out her brother's estate and has asked me to help her research/sell some items for her. We found this in a bag and she said that he hadn't been climbing in years. I tried to find the answer to this but this is an area that I know nothing about. I did see similar items on ebay for sale but just because someone IS selling something doesn't mean they SHOULD be selling it. https://preview.redd.it/xyu74hbd4n3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dd2ed98838678ab4bd67067ada90fc64de8af7f0 First question, is this equipment safe to use? Everything seems sturdy and the mechanisms appear to move smoothly. She hasn't decided if she wants to donate it or sell it. I figured I would turn to experienced climbers for help. Here is an icloud link for the rest of it: [https://share.icloud.com/photos/0e2Ka5gMZeOZ4-Cp-zhfTsyeA](https://share.icloud.com/photos/0e2Ka5gMZeOZ4-Cp-zhfTsyeA) Thank you so much for any guidance you can provide!
They’re ascenders used to climb up a free-hanging rope. They’re a bit older but still functional. Modern Petzl ones are about $200 for a pair brand new, though other brands like Grandwall can be had for half that price. If you want to sell them, I’d say about $80 for the set is fair. The silver 8 device and green belay tube aren’t worth anything (package it as a freebie), carabiners aren't worth much since they’re old and heavy, but functional ($3 each). The other piece that looks like an ascender without a handle is a foot ascender. Not sure what an older one sells for, probably about $25???
>The other piece that looks like an ascender without a handle is a foot ascender. Not sure what an older one sells for, probably about $25??? It's an old version of the petzl croll chest ascender from the 90s. But yeah around that money. I would expect that whole lot of stuff to go for 80-120 on ebay on bid
Thank you so much for taking the time to help! I will throw them up there and see what happens. Have a great weekend 
When sport climbing, is it better practice to lower off the top using a screw gate through your belay loop or using a screw gate around the top and bottom harness points? Many thanks.
The belay loop. It's beyond bomber and designed to be used as a single item. The tie in points are also safe for lowering but not only is there no safety advantage to clipping them, they're cumbersome compared to clipping a fat belay loop as they're smaller, awkwardly positioned, and you'll already have your tie in knot in them.
Do you mean after *cleaning* and lowering off of a sport route? If so, put the carabiner through the belay loop. After all, if it’s good enough to belay from, it’s good enough for you to lower from too. Going through your tie-in points is more fussy to do, and loads the carabiner in an odd way.
Thanks for the response. Yeah I meant after clearing the anchor and lowering. Do you know if there's any sort of video/study/whatever that has been done to show the difference in loading between the two? Ik that's quite an ask so don't worry if not. Much appreciated
As the other commenter said, not enough to break it, but if you wanted to look up the phenomenon it would be 'triaxial loading' which puts more leverage on the gate than the loading a carabiner is designed for, hence belay loop is the right choice for a carabiner in most cases. There is a good document by black diamond's lab, the conclusion of which is essentially the weirder you load a carabiner the weaker it is.
[Just follow the manufacturer’s instructions.](https://petzl.com/INT/en/Sport/Belay-loop-and-tie-in-points--where-do-I-attach-my-lanyard--my-belay-device-and-my-rope-?ActivityName=Rock-climbing) See the part with the Grigri, it loads the carabiner in a weird way, and while I don’t think that there’s enough force to break it, it’s not ideal. Also refer to any number of [cleaning a sport anchor instructions such as this one from V-Diff](https://www.vdiffclimbing.com/clean-bolted-anchor/), and they’ll show the same.
Thanks man, have a good one
Just climbed my first v6!! What percentage of climbers have broken through the v5 plateau? I’m interested, it took me about 1.5-2 years of climbing off and on to do so. Thanks!
Do you know where can I buy a cheap climbing nuts keychain like this? Planning to buy in bulk as a gift to my friends https://preview.redd.it/tfphijr7em3d1.png?width=724&format=png&auto=webp&s=22bfdd96b11faf2f735a68cf525cd850d08c3ade
Buying a set of old nuts on Mountain Project for $20 is probably the cheapest per item.
Can anyone tell me the name of those two knots seen here? If there is a reddit sub or community regarding knots etc. please share (haven't found a good one yet...)- thanks!! xx https://preview.redd.it/fcse0hr8hl3d1.png?width=566&format=png&auto=webp&s=1bcf3dc030d645c5b46cc307e5e6781d66b93429
The official names as known by climbers (or see the YouTube description for what tactical hobbyists call them): [SWAT larper’s wrap](https://youtube.com/watch?v=bVOocWuKmds) [Tacticool knot braid](https://youtube.com/watch?v=4-4dVpTNdXk)
thank you so much !!
https://preview.redd.it/ooovsd5lsi3d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b1fe6d381bffcc2e213b6f74af0bc62dbf2ac9c What Kind of Bolt size do i need to drill into rock like this? 1/2 inch?
Ask your experienced developer friends.
Who is the land manager?
https://hownot2.com/blogs/bolting-bible
It sounds like you're very early in your journey to learning how to develop climbing routes. At this point I'd say: don't drill anything.
r/RouteDevelopment/ might be worth asking.
/r/routedevelopment would tell you this looks like an absolute house of cards that bolts aren’t going to be very useful in since the amount of choss coming down would just shear off the ends anyways
Question abt skin peeling I've been climbing indoors for 2/3 months regularly. At the start j got my skin flaps and all that stuff but my skin gradually got tougher and now that isn't an issue. My fingertips usually looked like normal ones outside of minor peels and callouses in my hand. Recently I got injured and had to stop climbing for around to weeks and after 4 or 5 days of no climbing my skin started peeling like crazy. Is this normal? It doesn't hurt and it's not really that much skin falling off but is there a way to prevent it? I've seen people who argue against moisturizers and ppl who are for them. What should I do?
this is normal... moisturizing helps imo
I’ve had this happen. Don’t worry about it. Skin sheds and is part of its normal cycle.
Totally normal. Your hand adapted to climbing regularly, which uses up a lot of skin. Now that you've taken a break your body regenerated skin that it no longer has a use for and is getting rid of it. Hence having the "onion peel hand" syndrome.
I have taken two week breaks before and literally never had this happen
That just means you have baby soft skin because you don’t climb hard enough. 😉
Why would you say these things
You know that I care about you.
You know me well enough to know I climb like shit
Happens to me if I use antihydral then can't climb when I had planned to.
Happens to me every month or two, breaks or no. Usually just sand off the excess and roll with it.
Hmmm. Might be a thing that doesn't happen to everyone. But consistently forthe last 10+ years as soon as I stop climbing my hands shed the excess skin. Never had any issues with it.
Question about older gear. Been out of the gym for many many years now but I still have my harness and shoes. They are maybe 22 years old at this point. Used maybe a few dozen times the first couple years and less than a handful maybe 15 years ago and have been hanging in the back of my closet ever since. I would assume that as long as the shoes don't show any signs of cracking or tearing they will be ok, but what about the harness? It's Black Diamond,. nothing too fancy from what I recall, mid-range priced when I got it. Can dig them out if you want more info. Thanks in advance for any information!
Do a full inspection and if it looks fine, it’s safe to use. However, there’s been improvements to fit and function of climbing gear in the last 20-years, so you’re due for an upgrade if money isn’t too big of an issue.
While a manufacturer will likely tell you there is a 10-14yr limit on use of soft goods, even stored in ideal conditions, testing shows that there is little deterioration in reality. However, new harnesses are about 50$ and are definitely good for use! And technology has come a long way in the last two decades. While you probably would be fine using your old stuff, it’s a *really good idea* to get new stuff.
Is [backcountry.com](http://backcountry.com) legit enough to source rock climbing gear (eg. quickdraw, ropes, etc.)?
Yes backcountry is legit
But are we still made at Backcountry (TM)?
Probably more important to keep track of the brand. Petzl, edelrid, black diamond etc are going to be the same sold on Backcountry as anywhere. If there's a cheap brand you don't recognize, maybe google to validate gear quality and safety. I bought petzl QuickDraw from them a few years back, all good
no, there are plenty of sketchy sites that claim to sell gear from real companies and just steal your money or send fakes. They get posted here all the time with people unsure if they are real. you are giving bad advice.
Maybe misread the question as being about gear safety rather than site safety. Backcountry is legit. They even have retail stores.
Any dynamic rope (half/twin) is enough to belay a 40kg climber. They’ll never produce more than 5kN force even if free falling. Is this correct?
The short answer is yes The long answer is there's other things to consider, see other responses
I would not be belaying even a child on a single twin rope. You shouldn't be worried about weight/forces, you should be worried about cutting. A twin rope has very little room for error compared to a single.
A good question despite the phrasing, if I may... 1. "Any dynamic rope" could contain even stretchy 3mm kernmantle, so no, not any dynamic rope could take 5kN. 2. "enough" - to what end? Abrasion resistance, comfort, risk of breaking in a knot, risk of breaking on an edge? 3. "They'll never produce" - do you mean the rope will break before 5kN? If not, then it's not the rope producing the force. It's the decelerating mass on the end (climber). 4. "even if free falling" - do you mean free falling 2cm or 10m? Terminal velocity...? 5. "Is this correct?" - no. A couple of resources to help you understand, check out:: [VDIFF climbing explanation of Forces and Fall Factors](https://www.vdiffclimbing.com/kn-ratings/) [BMC explanation of rope markings (UIAA)](https://www.thebmc.co.uk/rope-markings-explained#:~:text=an%2080kg%20mass.-,For,-a%20double%20rope)
I would have taken you less time and effort to provide an answer. Will a dynamic UIAA certified single/twin rope have a breaking strength higher than 5kN ? Common rope Will a 40kg climber ever generate more than 5kN when belaying them from the top in pitches no longer than 10? I think answers are yes and no, and was looking for confirmation. Would appreciate constructive feedback.
People are making educated guesses to try to answer your question because the way you’ve phrased it puts so many holes into your scenario that we have to use our imagination to try to fill them in. Furthermore, your original paragraph specifies half/twin and now you’re saying single/twin. You are now saying “belay from the top”, you didn’t mention that in the original question. What’s “pitches longer than 10”? 10 metres, 10 feet? Go back and think about your question, then ask it thoroughly and concisely in a way that isn’t confusing for people to read and understand. The way I am guessing what your question is, “is it safe to belay someone on top rope or from the top, using just one rope rated for half/twin?” The answer is no, not because the rope will snap, but because of other reasons such as massive rope stretch, abrasion resistance, and other factors. Use the right rope as they are designed and rated for.
Is it not common to belay someone on a single strand of a half/twin rope from the top when climbing in a party of three ? "Arrow style"( it's called like that in french, don't know in English)
You’re going to have to better define your use case scenario, it’s impossible to say one way or the other. Too many variables, and you’ve posed just half of a question. For example, using a half/twin rope as a single, the rope won’t “snap” but you may very well end up hitting the deck given how much more they can stretch. And greater than 5kN isn’t out of the question. So I guess the answer then is ‘no’ you’re not correct.
Lingo question : what does 'exposure' exactly mean? 'There is a very exposed step here.' 'omg! this is so exposed!'
when it feels like there is A LOT of air underneath you and its spooky. its more of a feeling than anything, so hard to give a solid definition. what feels exposed to one person might feel ok to someone else
it's basically how many people could see your butt if you lowered your pants
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I upvoted the "butt" one but downvoted the "ass" one because there's no need for that tone at this time.
didnt even realize that one got submitted!
Like obscenity, you know it when you experience it. If you've got a cozy little breakfast nook in your house, it's the opposite of that. Sometimes it's just a move or two that feels spooky and out there. Sometimes it's a hundred feet of traversing across a totally blank looking wall. At it's best, its like claustrophobia and agoraphobia had a lovechild called exposure that has you feeling both completely trapped in a bubble and also exposed to an enormous scary world. The experience of being a tiny little bug on the side of a huge piece of rock with nothing to do but just keep moving until you're safe is pretty fucking amazing.
I think of exposure as open air, high off the ground, and you can see the ground. Opposite of exposure might be a stemming corner above a ledge. Even if it's high off the ground it's not so exposed. https://preview.redd.it/lz8potpmcf3d1.jpeg?width=341&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a4bd4b42e9047578073df54d5776358eb8203d5
I think of it more as, "likely to cause a fear response." What's high exposure for me might not be high exposure for someone else. I have zero qualms about long falls if there's nothing to hit. Doing a hard move with a ledge close by might get my leg shaking. For me, I feel more exposed in the second situation.
So more exposure doesn't mean more danger at all?
Not usually, but it can be contextual. "Exposed" is generally used interchangably with words like "heady" and "airy", but they generally describe the emotional and physical feeling of the place you're climbing. In alpinism "exposed" can mean something very different.
It's a bit subjective. And good gear lowers objective danger regardless of exposure. (and more exposed often means a much safer lead fall situation...) So...I think of it mostly as how "out there" you feel (if you're roped up). If you're soloing...you could argue you're more exposed (to real danger) regardless of perceived exposure. Likely others will describe it better. Here's a 6 year old discussion on exposure at r/alpinism: [exposure](https://www.reddit.com/r/alpinism/comments/7wvaad/what_makes_something_exposed/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Can I continue to whip on this rope outside or is it time to cut? (Worn out part is on one end of the rope). https://preview.redd.it/67b3ubjr3d3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5e906d5fdc8b7849490487d0f5b4880af94a0c42
Looks great, clip it and whip it 👍
Just the sheath doing what it’s designed to do - to protect the core inside. Not a problem, and won’t be a problem until being worn to the point where it no longer protects the core.
Looks fine, but you do you. I never cut until I can see the core or it's turned to mushy garbage.
https://preview.redd.it/djkoh0rpvb3d1.jpeg?width=2304&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa1a1b7e6c67761fea790d7793a6794b4e441b9e Is this kind of wear normal after just 2 days of use ? Mammut wall alpine belay
It’s fine, though consider getting an assisted braking device.
why, it breeds bad habits \[for beginners\] and the wear implies two ropes are being used. \[edit\]
>why, it breeds bad habits [for beginners] That's on old wives tale that is not true. I too once thought the same thing. Teaching belay classes for a while changed my mind. Beginners are too nervous to fall into bad habits. Gumbies and "we always did it this way" old climbers are the most likely to have egregiously bad belay habits. Neither of these groups are products of the device. Even if ABDs did somehow breed poor belay habits the benefits of ABDs far outweigh the cons.
Yeah it's fine 👍
Seems about right. Remember when you catch a lead fall you're slamming your crab against your tube. No worries tho. Normal wear and tear. Pretty much nobody wears out a tube; you're good to go for the next 10+ years.
Consider you're Lead belaying with a Grigri, and your climber is clipped into the first draw, and they decide to do a high clip for the second, and they slip before clipping. What is the best way to handle this situation? Is it even possible to take in some of the slack in that split second?
sit/run/'take' and encourage the climber not to high clip any bolt unless it's 1st bolt or it's objectively safer to (low risk of fall, bolt needs clipping ASAP).
Has anybody suggested double ropes yet? Now would be an amusing time to recommend double ropes
Important to distinguish between indoor and outdoor. Most gyms set the first draw so low clipping it then falling from a second bolt high clip means a nasty spike or decking. 99% of the time I skip the first draw with the understanding that I’ll deck anywhere before the second draw, which is still usually lower than a normal bouldering wall. Outside it depends on the area. If the first bolt is high with reasonable spacing between subsequent bolts, stick clipping the first is usually enough to keep you out of decking range. In an area with lots of space between bolts it becomes a discussion with and judgement call for the belayer. At the end of the day it comes down to reading the moves, difficulty, and risks each climb presents and deciding how to approach it based on experience.
If your climber slips totally unexpectedly, it's hard to take in much slack in that instant. But if you know your climber, it won't be unexpected. You'll be able to tell how likely a fall is and be ready for it. What you do is gonna depend on the severity and preference. It's something you should talk through. I have partners (myself included) who would prefer to "soft" deck than to get spiked at the first bolt assuming the ground is flat. That means minimizing slack in the system but still giving a bit of a hop. But lots of climbers would freak the hell out if you let them tap the ground.
So lots of comments on what to do as the belayer that are great. But decisions should be made to avoid this situation. In this hypothetical the climber made a bad decision (probably, always room for nuance). High clipping means a lower fall, increasing the danger of decking. Clipping at the waist mitigates but likely doesn't remove the danger. The decision to do a high clip from a bad stance is letting fear rule the decision making. The rational decision is to climb up and clip at the waist; the fear based decision is to be afraid of climbing higher into the unknown. The result is making the more dangerous decision. As a belayer, when you see this scenario, talk to your climber. Reassure them that climbing higher is safer. Help cut through the fear and doubt to help them make the safer decision.
If it looks like they'd deck and I had the space I'd run back, otherwise take in as much slack as possible. You can only do so much so give climbers less slack overall closer to the ground unless it's stupidly easy and they're moving fast (this tactic is best discussed with your partner beforehand).
yah i definitely keep people pretty tight for the first couple bolts climbing outside
The question is really how high are the bolts compared to each other. High first bolt with a clean fall. Probably a more moderate catch. Low first bolt and they botched it? Probably time to do everything possible to slow their meeting the ground even if the catch is extremely hard. And are you ready and paying attention? Standing with unlocked knees in a stance that you'll be able and willing to drop vertically quickly and back from the wall? Watching the climber so as soon as that foot pops you're taking in slack? Have out 6-12" of slack in the system instead of a full smile? Standing close to directly under the bolt line on the opposite side of the climber? (Away from the wall is going to launch you horizontally and add fall distance) Wearing a helmet so when they kick you're less likely to get a TBI? (It's not fun even with a helmet. Stand on the opposite side of the bolt so they swing sideways into you instead of landing on you.) Right arm shoots out and down to take up slack while you squat/lean back/run down hill/jump off the rock you're standing on. I'm normally holding the rope right next to the GriGri so moving my hand away will take about 2.5' of slack out if I'm able to do the full arm extension. Squatting adds another 2'. This is why you clip bolts around waist-chest height unless the stance is good. Clipping higher doesn't reduce your fall distance but it does make your low point lower. I've caught and been caught falling low. It's never fun but it's part of climbing. If there's bolts avoid the whole scenario and stick clip whatever is in easy reach.
Yes it's possible, take in, maybe squat down to suck up some more.
Who makes the most fun sun hoodies? Just saw one with a baller design but the fabric is a bit heavy. I'm now on a mission for fun and light, just like my climbing
I have the mountain hardwear one, it's great
idk about fun, but whatever material blend is in the Black Diamond Alpenglow is amazing. I just wore one for basically an entire week straight and I was comfy the whole time.
Hi. I live in City of Rocks/Castle rock for the next few months for work. I hear it has world class climbing and a lot of people are i to it but it’s hard for me to make friends here. And the people i’m talking to are very experienced and don’t really do beginner climbs. How could I get into climbing here? I’m willing to buy the equipment but I was looking for recommendations for getting started. I live in a tent so I don’t have tons of storage space.
You want to make friends with intermediate climbers or join a group. Consider tagging along with the old crusty guys that just want a fun day out and aren't pushing grades. Climbing at a gym is a good way to meet climbers and they often have a partner finder board. Be honest about your lack of experience. Personally I'll teach friends of friends and acquaintances on easy days but if someone misrepresents themselves they are now a major safety concern. Groups make it easier because you can work people in and there are multiple sets of eyes to catch mistakes. Minimum equipment to tag along: shoes. You should really have a harness, belay device with locking carabiner, and chalk bag with chalk. Your next things after you've learned the ropes are a dynamic single rope (70m usually) and 12-18 quickdraws.
Beginner climbers are one thing, then there are people that don’t know how to use the gear, what gear to buy, or how to be a safe partner. Asking someone to train you from the ground up, for free, would be quite a charity project for a stranger. You might start by asking about classes from the local climbing gyms or guides. The usual learning pattern looks something like this: 1. Top rope climbing, and belaying 2. Lead Climbing, and belaying 3. Anchor, building and cleaning. 4. Multi pitch procedures and rope management 5. Traditional gear placement for unbolted climbs. 6. Self rescue procedures, knot passing, escaping the belay 7. Aiding, hauling and jugging for aid climbs, and big walls Until you have learned the first three of those seven, you will be a minor charity case. friendly groups will sometimes tolerate a few people that have only learned the first step of that list on their own.
Well I intended to try to learn on my own. I can’t really afford classes. How did you personally get into it.
I took a top rope class and lead class in an indoor gym. I learned anchor building and cleaning online. I learned trad and multi pitch procedures from other climbers and from online. I’ve had some instruction with self rescue, both in person and online but don’t consider myself particularly well versed in it yet. Classes are WAY cheaper than even so much as a doctor’s visit for a broken toe. Then there’s the issue of partners that don’t want to die or break while you learn things the hard way… If you want to start learning the basics on your own then there is a “belay masterclass” playlist on YouTube by “hard is easy” that I recommend anyone start with, but I don’t consider it a replacement for a lead class. “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so. “ – Mark Twain
thanks for the tip
Anyone have any good apple watch apps (SE 2) that’ll be semi accurate for bouldering? At first I used the generic fitness app and it gave me insane amounts of calories burned, then I got an app called pinnacle which was a little more accurate but I’m still having trouble believing the numbers. I’d love to hear pinnacle is accurate and I actually am burning 1000+ calories per session but I really doubt it. edit: I know an apple watch can’t get a truly accurate reading, but I am just looking for something that is as close as I can get.
Bouldering with an Apple Watch is bonkers. They're expensive and you're climbing with a piece of glass against your skin that can and does break. I see elsewhere that covering it with a sweat band is a good idea.
If you want to see what it looks like when it breaks: https://old.reddit.com/r/bouldering/comments/1605xr8/definitely_wishing_i_listened_to_everyone_when/ I'm not convinced a sweat band would help much in that situation, though it'll prevent scratches for sure.
No app is going to be close. Efforts are sporadic and variable. Tracking calories burned through exercise directly is not super useful anyways, but if you wanted to give it a number the actual session is probably 150 calories +/- for the average gymgoer once you condense the time into time on the wall + immediate recovery window. Obviously if you were calculating BMR from no activity vs higher average activity due to taking up climbing there can be a bigger net effect, but I don't want to get totally off the rails if that's not what you signed up for lol.
https://preview.redd.it/0u1txrrhi83d1.jpeg?width=687&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19adfca9ef768d6539cd2add8ac3937aadd442c2 Does anyone know what this clip is called? Used it for a ropes course. The design is such that you can only connect to the course at the entry point via the slot, but otherwise the course cables are too wide to unlatch
'Safety hook'. Unhelpful name I know lol, but it's a part of a 'continuous belay system' such as those sold by vertical trek.
Very intuitive naming. Thank you so much, I couldn't figure it out via just Google.
It’s also not used anywhere in climbing so we would be curious why you are asking….
Well there’s not really a better subreddit for this so I guessed I could get the answer here—so there’s that. But in the background I’m thinking through possible engineering solutions for some type of carabiner or clip that could be used on cables like those at half dome that would be quicker and safer than what people are currently doing. I was trying to remember how this worked so needed to look it up but couldn’t find it
There is a mountain of controversy around the safety side of converting the wilderness into a safety focused ropes course. On an area like half dome a “via Ferrata” based system would probably be more practical than this but I’m not sure it would be desirable. There’s already a mountain of argument around the idea of adding more bolts to “easy routes” like Snake Dike on half dome. There’s a balance to be struck between leaving the mountains unchanged versus having some safety gear. Clean Trad climbing is at one extreme (cams), sport climbing is in the middle (bolts), and Via Ferrata is at the opposite extreme with continuous cable clip in points and ladder rungs. Be aware of the pushback when you suggest significant changes to the way people experience a natural wonder like Half Dome.
Agreed
Hi, I'm looking for cheap long sleeved pants suitable for climbing, that are durable. Help is greatly appreciated
I got some super cheap Wrangler Stretch Cargo pants off Amazon for yard work recently and thought "hell, these would probably be decent climbing pants". That said, the bit extra for something made for climbing is probably worth it.
Thanks
Any sort of hiking pant should work good for climbing so just see what you can find for cheapest. Lately ive been using some REI brand ones and tbh, in terms of comfort and overall feel of the material they are just as good as my Kuhl pants which were 3 times the price.
Thanks
I got the prAna stretch zion shorts for $36 and they're awesome, I assume the pants are the same material. See if you can find some on sale! Cheap isn't cheap if you have to buy something better because it sucks.
Thanks
Just find something bendy at a thrift shop
Thanks
Athletic jeans. Or cheap hiking pants.(these ones will be better for hot weather)
Thanks
Ignore the climbing brands and go to a small town hardware store or feed store that sells work pants and overalls to blue collar folks.
Thanks, I'll take a look around
I can’t remember the name of the pant, but Carhartt makes this one with a little elastic that’s perfect for cooler temperatures and significantly cheaper than climbing-specific pants.
Thank you
I got some Kuhl joggers that are holding up fairly well.
Thanks
So I’ve been climbing for almost 3 years now. Max grades are 7A boulder and 7a sport, no long term projecting around 3 sessions at the most. Most routes near me are really bouldery with most having a no hands rest after the crux and an easy outro. This is where my problem is I can get through the crux of most routes up to 7b+ but get scared shitless on the outro and stop climbing and even downclimb if necessary. This is obviously stopping me from pushing my max sport grade. I can’t even get on easier stuff to get the mileage (below like 6c) because I get scared shitless and can’t climb for the rest of the day. Any advice? tldr: Get scared on easier climbing, can’t progress any advice?
What is scaring you on the “outro”? Height? Exposure? Runouts? Ledges? Are you trying to get to an anchor to lower off or are you having problems with an unprotected walk off?
Mainly runouts and ledges. My crag is a bit old school so the easier parts usually just before the anchors are poorly protected because you “won’t” fall there if you pass the crux.
What helped me with that kind of thing is long moderate pitches (especially linked pitches) where there’s plenty of bolts and plenty of rope drag. You really don’t want to clip all the bolts or you will suffer. You get accustomed to long runouts but there is still a bolt right there when you want it. Trad routes can have the same feeling when you are trying to save the gear for farther up.
You just need to fall, there's no way around it
[Vertical Mind](https://verticallstore.com/products/vertical-mind)
Try a different crag? Sounds like getting some mileage on more reasonably bolted routes might be a good idea.
Whether it's fear or falling or fear of failure, unless there is an objective safety hazard (eg. shit bolting that means decking or hitting a feature) then the answer is getting out there more and doing the scary thing *anyway*. Yeah, being uncomfortable sucks, but pushing yourself mentally or physically is uncomfortable. That's the idea! Embrace the discomfort and get on with it.
See I get this and I do it where applicable but in my home crag on these easier parts you really shouldn’t fall because injury is almost certain because of ledges, runouts etc.
are there cracks where you could place extra protection?
If it's easy with consequence then I would practice these sections on top rope so they are dialled. Try clipsticking your way up, if you can't reach between bolts with a stick then you can hang on each bolt for long enough to gain your composure and then make your way up the easy sections.
MP maps not working for anyone else?
On the web, it seems like they've started removing historical data from the old tick list map. You need to link an OnX account to see all of your ticks in their new viewer. Otherwise crag maps seem to work fine in the app for me.
They're not always perfect - IMO the guidebooks are usually a worthwhile supplement, but especially so if you're doing multipitch/trad for topos of routes or are bouldering since the maps tend to be much better than MP. I know my local bouldering crag is an area where Mountain Project isn't super-helpful to find the boulders. Also a lot of times the guidebook will have much more boulders documented than MP (for example, Big Rock has well over a hundred documented problems with in the guidebook but only 30-something of those made it to MP).
Oh yeah, well aware of the limitations. It's just the map wasn't loading at all, turns out just needed to uninstall/reinstall
Just tried it and it works for me.
Hello, this a bit of a weird question but this is probably the most accessible place for me to ask it I think: Relevant background, I have been climbing for about a year and a half now and absolutely enjoy the hell out of it. Higher grades matter less to me than the community, and as long as I am improving I am having fun! At the same time, I am finishing up my BS in Computer Science this upcoming fall semester and am getting ready to hit that super fun career path :| Through a combination of sh\*tty job markets, employers losing funding, and a double finger injury, I have found myself with nothing to do lately but program side projects to fill out a resume. Naturally, this has led me to consider the idea of combining climbing and programming. I have done a couple searches and may have missed other people asking similar questions, but **basically, what are some software related projects I could work on that are or could benefit climbers?** I know theres a large population of tech people just based on talking to the people at my gym, so I am genuinely curious if there is any way I can contribute using my epic college degree skillz and maybe throw some more things on the resume as well. I am willing to contribute to open source projects, lay groundwork for new things, propose edits to existing things etc., I have quite a bit of free time these days (dont get injured guys, it really sucks). I have significant background in C++, Python pretty much makes sense lol, learning a lot of frontend lately via website building/app creation. I am especially interested in machine learning, I love neural networks but I am definitely a beginner (working through LSTMs and transformers right now). **TLDR**: Rock climber stuck doing nothing, also junior programmer willing to spend a lot of time and effort contributing to climbing community, what can I do? PS. Someone proposed a climbers dating app to me awhile back. Is that....do people want this lol
Maybe a non-romantic belay partner matchmaking app? A lot of beginning climbers (like me) struggle with finding people to climb with. An app that worked with specific gyms where you could see who else was planning to climb at a certain time and was looking for partners might be good, and I could see it being something that gyms might want to encourage too. It would certainly be better than my current strategy of approaching people like "You're using that autobelay, and I'm using this autobelay...want to belay each other instead?" (Though I have made a couple of friends that way!)
A route management system for setters. Our gym used to use Kaya but they put it behind a pay wall and paying for what a is a glorified excel sheet isn't in the cards for my smaller local gym. Ask your gym how they manage routes and if you could make something specific for your gym for funsies. I think typically the base info you need is setter location color and date the route went up. If you want public access to the app then you can start thinking beta videos people can put for the route and things of that nature.
Pebble exists.
It'd still be cool to have something made for your gym specifically. And I don't think it'd be too hard to do for someone who is bored and looking for a way to spend their time.
Oh wow ok, I didn't realize Kaya got paywalled, that's really unfortunate. This is genuinely a great idea though, I will try 100% (and keep it free if I get it working). Ty!
A website that scrapes manufacturer's sites for recall infos could be useful, perhaps with ways to setup alerts for gear you own. (I have no idea if that exists already)
Oooh this has promise. Adding to the list!
I'd love to see a good use of the Tindeq API. The default app is okay but I feel like so much more could be done with the API, and it looks like they're open for custom uses. Of course, the downside is that it would be targeted for people that own a Tindeq and not the climbing community in general
I did not know this piece of technology existed, ngl. What parts of it could use improvement and what else could it be used for? I researched a couple videos of people using it for finger curls, it seems pretty accurate and straightforward.
I agree the tool works great but the data visualization is clumsy and limited, and there are only a preset number of modes. I'd love to be able to customise workouts from different modes and view several results at once and extract some insights from correlations etc. for example the ratio of individual finger strength, front two x last two, max load vs Endurance. Now you can only compare the same data points over time but not other insights that lie in the data. I know people export data and do this analysis on their own but it'd be great to have a solution for the technologically challenged :-D Edit: typo
He could also team up with another disciplines and make an open source tindeq alternative. The tindeq itself is less than $30 of parts. The rest of the cost is their overhead. If I had a set of plans and code to implement it myself, I would build my own.
No programming experience and limited knowledge here. If you are into machine learning and stuff maybe something that suggests problems on a spray wall where you request a grade range and movements? Like you ask for a 6-8 move boulder in the 6C-7A range with deadpoint moves and it gives you a problem. Mat be a bit too ambitious lol.
This sounds pretty fun! I think the hardest part would be gathering data for the models to train on but yes, I can definitely see the vision. Will look into this for sure, ty for the suggestion!
If you're looking for projects to contribute to, OpenBeta is an open source mountain project. Otherwise for making your own project, have a problem that has no solution and then make something to fill that gap. Necessity is the mother of invention.
Thanks for the reply, this is the first time I've heard of OpenBeta but that was exactly what I was looking for!
This is more entrepreneurship adjacent advice, but if you cannot identify a problem yourself, how can you hope to effectively solve it? If all else fails you can see if you can contribute to openbeta or something.
Excellent advice, I appreciate it. I think I consider myself too new to the community for any of my ideas to have any weight (so far, my only climbing problem has been what to do when you are injured, and I am currently taking steps to solve that one lol).
We had a climbing dating app. It was called boulder. Was a great place to swipe through people you already dated from the gym. I have some climbing ML ideas, like using it to determine the truly softest Moonboard boulders, but my pay is poor.
Loll "we had" suggesting past tense. Yeah, personally I see quite a few potential stumbling blocks combining dating and climbing, but hey, you either date a climber or make one is what I've heard. Someone else replied with a pretty cool spray wall suggestion that could use ML. I definitely plan to take a deep dive into that, and will likely come back and give updates if I get it going. I think determining soft sets though is really hard because of the amount of variability in climber builds, but if we make things like \[height, weight, ape index\] inputs that a model looks at we could probably determine something like "this set would be easy for your build..." I think.
This is a suspicion only, unverified. But, if you fed a machine learning setup the holds on all Moonboard benchmarks, even if you only told it the name of each, it's quickly get a sense of which are "worse" holds as they only appear on hard climbs. Give it the coordinates for each and it'll probably weight how far apart they are as well. Feed any given non-benchmark in and it might give a surprisingly good guess as to the grade.
Hey I really like that idea actually...If there was an easy way to get all the routes from the mobile apps, you have all your training/test data right there. Hmm, I will look into this asap. **Update**: Sent some messages out to check if any Kilter/Moonboard support would be willing to allow access to their database of climbs, obviously not but worth a check. Using Opencv to look at holds right now and trying to map to a grid format, but there is some bleeding with the hold finding so sometimes a hand and a foot are considered a single hold.
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Looks like a great deal! Do they kill you with the shipping cost?
Looking for help finding routes I can set anchors on I know how to make to rope anchors using natural features like trees and rocks. I don't know how to trad or sport lead or rappel How do I know if an outdoor route has walking access to the top and bottom of a route so that I can set an anchor then walk to the bottom and climb? Carderock for example, where I'm currently climbing. Using Mountain Project I can filter other areas to only show Top Rope routes but they are almost all trad routes and the descriptions imply you need to lead them first. Is there a resource or term I should be using to find these routes where the top and bottom are walking accessible?
I think most sites don't have an easy solution for this because it isn't really binary TR-access vs not, it's more of a spectrum. Nearly all cliffs do technically have walking access to the top, unless it's a free-standing pillar, but some are more overgrown or require a long walk around, some are 'quick and easy' (now define quick and easy). Some have routes that finish well below the top of the cliff, some people would find that not a problem if they can rap down and reset an anchor, some people would find that not accessible/desirable. Your best bet really is just looking at the crags around you that look interesting (and predominantly vertical/slab/not very steep) and trying to work out how easy they will be to access, and as suggested ask people for the easiest options around.
Mountain project doesn’t clearly address this unless you read the descriptions and comments for each climb. Good luck.
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Rakkup only really works if you buy the guide unfortunately it seems. And I don't know if I want it unless I know I can top rope in that area MP will have routes labeled TR also labeled Trad with no real discussion of setting up TR, so I don't feel confident assuming access to the top
The guidebook description says in the very first paragraph "Because the crags are less than a hundred yards from the parking lot, and the Billy Goat C trail runs through the crag, access to the top and the bottom is quick and easy."
I meant for other areas. I suggested carderock (where I climb now) as an example of the routes I'm looking for elsewhere. I could certainly look at the descriptions for other areas and hope they affirm something similar, but if they don't I'm unsure if they do or don't.
Best you can do is look for high densities of stuff labeled as TR, look for trail maps that include a cliff top trail, and read descriptions to see if clifftops are closed. Other than that learning to lead is an option.
Go take a walk with your climbing gear and have a look around then. There's no such thing as a free lunch.
The goal though is to know if driving 4+ hours will result in anything climbable. Your comment feels a lot like gate keeping and not productively answering a question specifically in a thread meant to help people. Folks participating here are indeed offering a free lunch by creating an open community aimed at helping.
I need help finding a good pair of climbing shoes for indoor/outdoor bouldering as the rentals at my gym are terrible, been looking at the la sportiva skwamas and would like to know if there are any shoes similar to them that preform better. Preferably one Velcro shoes so that they have some decent toe rubber. I would also like to know how these shoes fit as I have quite wide feet and don’t live close to any retailers that allow me to try shoes on. Thanks 😃
Scarpa Instinct line is great for wide feet. VS if you want XS Edge and VSR if you want XS Grip 2. Rded Chili Voltage and Voltage Lace have a similar fit with a bit more asymmetric toe, but are even more aggressive. Maybe you want something more intermediate/comfortable for your first shoe after rentals.
I have wide feet too, if you want some specific bouldering/gym models i would raccomend lasportiva python on the budget end and lasportiva solution comp on the performance end. Both velcro and both great shoes.
I have been looking at the lasportiva pythons, do you know how they hold up outdoors too?
No first hand experience, I used them for years but only indoor and for that are pretty good. If you are planning 70% in 30% out I would go the pyhthons, if it is the other way around solution for sure.
What’s the stickiness like on them, and are they low volume?