r/climbing • u/AutoModerator • 8d ago
Weekly Chat and BS Thread
Please use this thread to discuss anything you are interested in talking about with fellow climbers. The only rule is to be friendly and dont try to sell anything here.
13
u/fender_blues 8d ago
This coming weekend I am cleared to start climbing again after my A1/2 strain!
1
u/nadimishka 5d ago
Hell yeah dude!! Getting cleared to climb after an injury is one of the best feelings. Be nice to yourself and take it easy.
10
8d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
7
u/Leathery_Teet 8d ago
Same, but old herniated disc injury flares up. I stick to the ropes for this reason and envy these young people flinging themselves around.
3
u/SoulConditioning 8d ago
Try talking to someone who works at the gym about it, generally they are pretty good about taking people suggestions regarding safety.
10
u/Salmon_rick 8d ago
Wife and I are learning how to lead climb tomorrow, pretty stoked. Tired of only pulling plastic, stoked for this to open the door to reel rockkk
2
u/nadimishka 5d ago
Real rock is for sure where it’s at.
I have this random fear of indoor lead climbing. I freeze up and can’t do a damn thing.
Sketchy runout Cochise/J Tree trad? Send it. Super fun time. Will do every single time even if I’m gonna fall.
A shiny new 5.7 in the gym? Absolutely the hell not. Brain will not cooperate. I will have a panic attack.
10
u/lectures 8d ago edited 8d ago
Sixth annual trip to the voo wrapped up.
I didn't fall on anything below 5.10, which is nice.
Even nicer is that I don't get as bloody on 5.8s as I used to. Was able to go 5 days without a true rest day day this year. I came home without scabs on my shoulder blades after 2 weeks of climbing.
But damn, 5.11+ offwidth is still pretty inconceivably awful and I'm not sure what it would take to send. What could I mix with morphine that would give me the pain tolerance, willpower and energy to project one (let alone send).
1
u/nadimishka 5d ago
Just thinking of 11+ offwidth makes my skin feel like it’s already removing itself.
Morphine, oxycodone, and maybe a Xanax so you forget the whole thing and are willing to try it again (make sure to get a video LOL)
7
5d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
9
u/Dotrue 5d ago
My favorite is when there are no routes or downclimbing jugs on the wall to let me practice the sketchy topout moves.
See also: moves that require momentum but if you overdo it you'll fly off the edge of the pad and land on the hard tile floor. Also tenuous moves where, if you blow it, you'll faceplant into the sharp corner of a volume
4
u/Thirtysevenintwenty5 4d ago
tenuous moves where, if you blow it, you'll faceplant into the sharp corner of a volume
The setters at my gym love these moves.
3
u/nadimishka 5d ago
This is why I like my gym. The entire floor in the climbing area is just one continuous pad wall to wall.
5
u/ver_redit_optatum 5d ago
is it really the sketchiest move though or does it just feel that way?
(signed, someone who regularly doesn't do the last move anymore)
2
4
u/AnderperCooson 5d ago
Genuinely, it's only sketchy because it is at the top, right? Like, insecure moves down low aren't really sketchy, but insecure moves up high are?
Unless they're just putting a bunch of stopper cruxes right at the top above shin breaking volumes it's kind of eh to me. Climbing do be like that sometimes.
2
5d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
5
u/AnderperCooson 5d ago
I mean I'm not saying it's unreasonable to avoid it. I've bailed off a 5.5 because I didn't want to do runout friction slab for 15ft and I've climbed V9. Sometimes you've got it in you to do the stuff that feels sketchy, sometimes you don't.
5
u/SilkyMilkers 8d ago
I just saw a clip from Tanner Wanish’s Instagram of he and his partner doing their Goliath Traverse, and it always blows my mind that people will free solo on absolutely dogshit rock. I know that’s what it often takes to do hard alpine objectives, and moving fast is a safety measure itself, but I can’t imagine seeking out objectives that would put me in that spot. I say this not in a judging sense of it being stupid, but in a “Wow, I will personally for sure never want to do that” sense
5
u/NoNoNext 8d ago
I’m very relieved that I’m basically back to 100% after an injury! This means that I’m starting to plan another RRG trip. I wanted to go to Rocktoberfest at RRG last year, but had to miss it. For those who have gone, what were some pros and cons about it?
7
u/lectures 7d ago edited 7d ago
Rocktoberfest is a great time to socialize with people who will tell you all the gumby lore and give you the lowdown on what Janja ate for breakfast. You'll run into people with fascinating opinions on gear, shoes, technique and the interplay of neurodiversity and gender in climbing. There will be a lot of great outfits to look at and so much performative outdoorsiness. Some people you saw in a Reel Rock video will definitely be there, even if you don't remember their names. It's awesome.
However, it is not a good time to actually get mileage on the rock if you don't climb ~5.12 sport or aren't willing to bushwhack in the north gorge.
2
u/NoNoNext 7d ago
Thanks! I’ve gotten some good info here, and lol I definitely don’t climb 5.12 sport! Some of the clinics from last year looked cool; I’ll probably do a few days of the festival for that depending on what’s offered, then climb for a few days with friends after.
1
u/Thirtysevenintwenty5 4d ago
willing to bushwhack in the north gorge.
Wall of Denial, here we come!
5
u/Thirtysevenintwenty5 8d ago
Last Year's Rocktoberfest
Pros:
- Weather was good
- Climbed some cool routes
- Went to a wall I'd never been to before
- Avoided Miguel's and LotA entirely
Cons:
- None
My friends and I backcountry camped in the North Gorge and climbed up there all weekend. Saturday we climbed at Purple Valley and the only person we saw was a dude named Jeff and his dog who were out wandering around visiting nostalgic spots.
I've done this same strategy a few times and it's great. I've never went down to the Red during Rocktoberfest with the intention of climbing PMRP/MF, and I can't imagine why anyone would.
I'm sure that Cliffview, Ash Branch, PMRP, Bald Fork, Miller Fork and Muir will all be absolute clusterfucks, and if you want to climb those areas you're much better off going the weekend before, or the weekend after, Rocktoberfest.
But if you're mostly there to party, there's no better time.
5
u/nadimishka 7d ago
Here’s your PSA for any kind of climbing/mountaineering training- if you’re lifting a heavy pack, do not twist while lifting. There’s a little bone in your vertebrae called the pars and when it breaks, it is an absolute bitch to fix and heal.
I got lucky. My surgeon refused to fuse my spine and instead opted for a rather unconventional repair. I’ve had three surgeries so far, and I’ll have one more to remove all the big hardware you see, which will give me back full range of motion in my spine.
Just got cleared to climb and I start PT this afternoon. It has been a hell of a year.
4
u/nadimishka 7d ago
Also- when the hell did indoor climbs and bouldering get banned from sub posts lol. For whoever cares, this was my first time climbing this year.
ETA: yes it is plastic and yes it is bouldering, don’t come at me lol. I’m normally a trad climber who ventured into mountaineering. If I’m climbing indoors I prefer to boulder for the quicker strength gains.
1
u/AthlonEVO 7d ago
I recognize that offwidth.
3
2
u/nadimishka 5d ago
Bouldering Project in Tempe AZ my man, most of these kids wouldn’t even know what to do with an offwidth 🤣
1
1
7d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/nadimishka 7d ago
I joined in the exodus for a long time LOL forgive me if I haven’t been a regular in this sub for a while, I was surprised myself when I went to make this a regular post in the sub and it informed me that it broke subreddit rules by being indoor AND by being bouldering 😅🤣
4
u/serenading_ur_father 6d ago
Gotta keep the riff raff out. Also you have an invite to where the regulars went.
1
4
u/Leathery_Teet 8d ago
Just bought a black totem. Never tried one but the hype is what got me. Anxious to try it out.
5
u/Thirtysevenintwenty5 8d ago
Practice aiding with it. Find wonky placements and clip a long sling to the totem, then stand it in. Really learn the limits of what will and won't hold; that's the magic of the totem.
Like fender_blues said, as a single axel SLCD they do have limitations. One of the big ones is that they can't be placed passively. C4 Camalots are amazing passive pieces, I've placed loads. Passive totem placements will explode and cost you $116.
Maybe the best advice I can give is that when you get the totem, make sure to take it out to the parking lot and scratch it up on the pavement. You don't want other climbers peeping that brand new totem on your rack, thinking you're a goober.
4
u/lectures 8d ago edited 8d ago
They're a double edged sword.
You'll place it often because they give the impression of being really solid (moreso than something like a 0.2 Z4). They bite into the rock better and don't move much when you wiggle the stem around.
But remember it's not magic, it's still a microcam. Whip on one that isn't perfect and it's still got way less margin for error than a bigger piece. I'd much much rather fall on a good C4 in 0.3 or 0.4 size than on a black totem even if the black "feels" better.
None of this is so suggest that totems aren't awesome. They'll hold in flares that other cams would rip out of and have saved my butt on a couple of occasions, but the black is one I'm extra careful with. If you're climbing near your limit on small gear it's best to have a wide variety of stuff to choose from (including tricams and ballnuts).
3
u/fender_blues 8d ago
Make sure you properly understand how to place a single axle cam and you're golden.
2
u/sheepborg 8d ago
Totems make me happy. Except for the load wires being wear items, that part makes me sad.
2
u/nadimishka 5d ago
Ironically, the piece I have fallen on the most times is my black totem because aside from loving them in general (I slowly gained a whole rack), it is my go-to “oh shit” cam and if possible, my first backup piece if I’m nesting as well.
2
2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/NailgunYeah 2d ago
Do some training, put on some muscle, eat enough, try hard climbs, repeat hard things you’ve already done, make sure you’re taking enough rest days. Climbing is a long game unless you win the genetic lottery, in which case you’re good immediately.
1
2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Thirtysevenintwenty5 1d ago
For most established climbers, climbing once per week is essentially just slowing down your regression. Here's my totally official guide to climbing frequency:
Once per week: Slowly losing performance
Twice per week: Maintaining performance
Three times per week: Slowly improving performance
Four times per week: Moderately improving performance, lightly risking injury
Five times per week: Moderately improving performance, moderately risking injury
Six times per week: Slightly improving performance, moderately risking injury
Seven times per week: Slightly improving performance, definitely risking injury
2
u/question_23 3d ago
Weekend fell apart
Friday partner bailed because she got sick, again. Then my car broke down, so I couldn't make it out any way
Saturday partner bailed because he thought it'd be too rainy. It's dry and part cloudy. So I'm sitting at home on a climbable day eating crackers
Sunday partner wants to climb somewhere where it has rained today. Maybe it'll be dry by then?
At least I cleaned my fridge out after a year of delays
2
u/Thirtysevenintwenty5 3d ago
Suxx. I spent all day cleaning even though it was 75 and partially cloudy.
1
u/cinnamon-troll 7d ago
What’s a nice place to climb in Spain, for someone that loves overhang pocket climbing and/or climbs around 7a-7b?
Thinking of travelling there with friends in October.
7
16
u/Thirtysevenintwenty5 8d ago
The wife and I picked up archery as a new hobby (her idea).
Sadly, making one repetitive motion over and over again using my shoulder and back muscles has not exactly made for a productive "rest day" activity.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.