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Wadi rum is a nice way to avoid the northern hemisphere cold this time of year:     
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Nov 19, 2022 22:29
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Details on your trip, please. Have considered going there to canyoneer, unsurprising that there is climbing.
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Nov 21, 2022 00:45
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That's so cool, I visited before I started climbing and even just scrambling around on the rocks was great. Also very curious re details!
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Nov 21, 2022 00:59
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Get Tony Howard's "Treks and Climbs in Wadi Rum" which covers the canyons, bedouin routes and climbs. His other book with Di Taylor covers the rest of Jordan which also has loads to offer. The book's layout seemed baffling, then I realised that canyonland is fractally complex and the arrangement of the information suddenly clicks. The climbing advice in the book is still basically sound even after 20+ years. There's been some creeping modernisation with bolted belays and abseil anchors on some bucketlist routes, but not a lot. The climbing topos in the book are old school but you can get photo topos of a dozen or so selected routes in other books if you're the kind that feels lost without them. The route descriptions and diagrams of the canyons I walked through were first rate and enjoyable to follow. Ticket price for the climbing is mountain or sea cliff E1 in UK money. There's easier stuff but that grade will give you choice and some margin for speed and safety. The climbs are long and descents are either by stacked abseils, complex bedouin routes or both. The rock is generally very good and it seems like the darker it is the stronger it is. The very white stuff is like pressed talc but easy to avoid. Where the Howard book does show its age is logistics. Fly to Aqaba (free entry visa unlike Amman). Easyjet and Ryanair have started going there again recently. Wizzair also do. There's a single cash machine in the airport and people selling local SIM cards with data for about 20JD. The green airport taxis will take you to the village of Rum for a standard price of 45JD in an hour or two. When you arrive you pass the Rum reserve visitor centre about 5km out of town which functions as a sort of Ellis Island where tourists get intercepted and shuttled out to the camps for their night under the stars. It means Rum town itself is a bit quieter and occupied mainly by Jordanians and climbers. The old rest house in Rum seems to be shuttered up which is sad because I think it was something of a hub in days gone by, but there are plenty of other places to stay and you can find recommendations on UKC. I think they're probably all more-or-less the same. Camp beds, shy hot water and as much food as you can eat. There's a shop on the first side street in town visible from the old rest house, across the dry river. You can get fresh bread, bottled water and snacks for a couple of JD a day. Budget 20JD/day for survival costs, 50JD per bedouin taxi (hilux) pick-up or drop-off and 30JD to get back to Aqaba. Culturally and linguistically, Jordan is dead easy. Lots of English speakers, a multicultural society and a strong tradition of hospitality make it a really welcoming place to visit. The only hustling was taxi drivers wanting to give me a lift in downtown Aqaba, and even that was gentle. The rough guide or lonely planet will have plenty of detail on how to be a well mannered visitor in return. Setting aside Rum, there's still a good couple of weeks of sight-seeing in the rest of the country. Don't miss Petra. Skip Azraq cause it'll make you glum. Don't get the dead sea in your eyes.
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Nov 24, 2022 00:33
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I hope to one day have a climbing partner I like that much to travel with & climb in such amazing locations. Some impressive looking photos on Google if I search for it. Opted not to bring a crash pad home with me for the holiday afterall, travel schedule is just too tight as I'm not taking any days off from work. Instead I opted for going to a gym that's a bit further than I'd normally travel, supposedly the largest in New England, as it has this amazing feature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep30Q7THjaM They were actually graded like routes and not boulder problems, hah. I asked the staff if they knew what angle / how long the wall is but they weren't sure. I tried a 5.11 which was mostly decent/good holds and mostly straight forward but drat it was still hard. Really feeling the 10 pounds I've gained this Fall  I tried a 5.11- at the end of my session and it was much easier but I still didn't manage to send it.
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Nov 24, 2022 12:25
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Entered a local bouldering comp over the weekend. Got 28/40 and think I can go up a grade with projecting river the next couple days. Got one solid photo of myself from the photographer as well! (Too bad it wasn’t on something’s hard)
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Nov 28, 2022 23:17
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Thanksgiving at Rumney was super cold, but there were a couple days with the sun out that were good climbing conditions. Nobodu was around so I got to do a bunch of popular moderates that alwaya have lines and my wife scouted out her spring project. Didn't get on my projects, but almost sent Get It On, a fun short and crimpy route in 2 sessions. My foot slipped right after the easy V3 start and then I pulled right back on and climbed through the crux to the end https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XyHidhpNz0
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Nov 29, 2022 18:49
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New Ondra just dropped https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeMYbWxg-Hw E: Also new Megos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwjykRehg7M Hot Diggity! fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Dec 1, 2022 |
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Dec 1, 2022 04:29
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drat, excited to see more of Project Big. I've missed Ondra on the pro circuit lately.
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Dec 1, 2022 20:39
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Sab669 posted:drat, excited to see more of Project Big. I've missed Ondra on the pro circuit lately. He's just been doing a new 9b+ and a 9a onsight. Keeping it casual this year
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Dec 2, 2022 14:30
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Sab669 posted:more of Project Big https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td__pF4Ff2o Some incredible climbing footage here. Holy poo poo 27:00 I don't really understand how bolting new routes like this works -- does someone just look at a wall and say to themselves, "yea there's probably a route there"? Then rappel down from the top to start "inserting" the anchors/bolts. But for something massively overhung like this, how would you work your way down and stay close to the wall to keep bolting? Also what exactly do people mean when they say "there's a boulder problem in it"? Just like some inordinately hard moves relative to the rest of the route? As primarily a gym climber that language always sounded off to me 
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Dec 4, 2022 18:01
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Typically they are bolted ground up using aid techniques from what I understand. The boulder problem typically refers to a very difficult power sequence vs a hard endurance sequence. So you might have some 5.14 endurance into a 5-7 move V15 then it backs off to the finish resulting in a 5.15something. Or you would have like 40M of just straight up 5.14 endurance and with no rests might push the grade up. The same 5.14 endurance with 3 good rests ends up with a lower grade. At the more human 5.11-5.13 it really is mostly about the hardest moves which really correlates to the V grade but it isn't really discussed. I have only ever climbed 12a though so I could be off but that is how I understand it all. spwrozek fucked around with this message at 18:33 on Dec 4, 2022 |
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Dec 4, 2022 18:28
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spwrozek posted:Typically they are bolted ground up using aid techniques from what I understand. You can do it either way. The same aid techniques let you get in by rapping down but its super hard work. I've never bolted new steep routes but I've worked deep water solos on a gri-gri and re-bolted steep routes. Dave macleod has a video on self belay with a shunt which shows various ways you can get into a steep wall without bolts in it already. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4N2WGcABLo
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Dec 5, 2022 11:54
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOuixakk3fQ I love how excited the actual Rescue team seems to be
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Dec 6, 2022 16:12
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Sab669 posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOuixakk3fQ WAs out there mountain biking the week before this and watched a guy slam hard and rag doll from base jumping. broken ankle/leg, real hosed up. two of us climbed up to him and another drove down canyon to get EMS up there. it was hosed.
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Dec 6, 2022 19:28
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Do you guys have any sort of advice on building endurance for someone looking to get into lead climbing? Technically I've already taken the test and am certified, but never really had a consistent climbing partner so 99% of my climbing "career" the last ~3 years has been bouldering. The few times I did get to lead, I had to climb 2-3 grades below my limit because the additional endurance requirements meant I'd just get way too burnt out fumbling trying to clip in lol. It was hard to get into it because I wasn't climbing anything fun / interesting that way. Finally found someone cool, consistent, and not likely to move away [like my last 2-3 partners] so we've been top roping a little bit the last month or two. We've been talking about taking the lead class together after the holidays and I should probably take this time to get back into shape. With the winter weather I've stopped biking to the gym and have gained like 10 pounds between reducing my exercise & just eating like poo poo lately. I've been trying to tell myself to start doing cardio when I climb but that hasn't happened yet. Alternatively I've been thinking about just doing laps on the auto belay 🤔🤷♂️
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Dec 15, 2022 18:53
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Sab669 posted:Do you guys have any sort of advice on building endurance for someone looking to get into lead climbing? It sucks, but ARCing is hands down the best way to build endurance. Find an auto belay and go to town. Power endurance is separate, and 4x4s or 6x3s on a board or systems wall is the way to go.
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Dec 15, 2022 19:22
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Sab669 posted:Do you guys have any sort of advice on building endurance for someone looking to get into lead climbing? Lead climbing indoors? Yeah, then laps on an auto belay or with a partner on TR. If it’s specifically the extra time and effort of clipping that is holding you back, you absolutely can practice that particular skill by mock leading. Get yourself a 10-or-so foot length of rope (your gym might already have them to lend out or be willing to cut some if they have retired gym ropes) and practice clipping every time you top rope a route. For a while, I also practiced repeatedly clipping into my home anchor board just to refine the motion so that I spent less time fumbling, but that is probably excessive.
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Dec 15, 2022 20:34
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Like just tie in a secondary short length to my harness to practice clipping that will just get pulled out as I ascend? Interesting, never would have thought of that. I do have a short length (like only a foot) to practice with at home, but I found it hard to get motivated to just crank out reps with that 
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Dec 15, 2022 20:38
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A hangboard repeater program can help, but it’s even more boring than autobelay laps.
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Dec 15, 2022 20:40
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Sab669 posted:Like just tie in a secondary short length to my harness to practice clipping that will just get pulled out as I ascend? Interesting, never would have thought of that. Exactly. It’s great for developing the feel for good clipping stances.
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Dec 15, 2022 20:45
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Sab669 posted:Like just tie in a secondary short length to my harness to practice clipping that will just get pulled out as I ascend? Interesting, never would have thought of that. It's more useful to do it on top rope anyway, since the main time you're going to fumble a clip is when you're hanging at a weird angle or having to keep tension in your feet or something besides just put the rope in the draw. I think if you're mainly a boulderer the biggest shift is going to be consciously looking for and making use of rests in roped climbs. Sure, there's a large physical component to endurance, but resting is a big part of being able to complete hard routes and it takes practice to learn to recover while on the wall.
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Dec 15, 2022 20:50
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I have been trying to find rest spots when & where I can while top roping, but obviously only doing that 0-2x/wk since October isn't a ton of practice  Particularly more so since we've really talked about doing the lead class.
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Dec 15, 2022 21:21
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I've started running and found it helps my endurance but that was because my limiting factor on lead walls was getting out of breath. This added to my stress level and made me fumble clips more often, so maybe it would help you as well, but the best way to get better at lead climbing is to do more lead climbing, tbh. Apart from endurance, running is also a good off-day activity and will help you shed excess weight so hard to recommend against it unless you have joint problems or something.
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Dec 15, 2022 21:22
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Yea I keep saying to myself, "Stop being a baby, if it's not snowing then layer up and bike there" I haven't quite figured out a layering system that'll keep me warm but not drench me in sweat but the time I get there though. I hate running though I've tried numerous times to get into that and I just want to die for anything longer than 1.5 miles. But biking to the gym is only like 5 minutes longer than driving.
Sab669 fucked around with this message at 21:32 on Dec 15, 2022 |
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Dec 15, 2022 21:28
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Sab669 posted:Yea I keep saying to myself, "Stop being a baby, if it's not snowing then layer up and bike there" Start cold with minimal layers. I ride to work 3 miles in jeans, a button up, nano puff, and light wind breaker when it is ~10-20F. Good gloves and a buff are important. Then just slow down a bit and you will not sweat. People usually put way too many clothes on and then get all hot and sweaty.
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Dec 15, 2022 21:40
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Some options: warm up on lead on what you would've warmed up on anyway (i.e. the 3 grades below your limit). Then toprope the hard stuff you want to later in the session. This is my wife's strategy because she doesn't love falling on lead. Or, put up with a few boring sessions to build your clipping skills, and commit to leading everything in the gym. The easier stuff will probably feel more engaging when you're seriously concerned about taking a lead fall. ARCing will also help. I've done 20min on 10 off 20 on but probably really any long time on the wall will work.
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Dec 15, 2022 21:40
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Yeah for biking in the cold you should feel a bit cold when you step outside, with the exception being your hands and face. I bike in a base layer and rain shell (with pit zips) until about freezing, then upgrade to a midweight layer + rain shell below that. I only do base + mid layer + rain shell if it's like below 10 F. It sucks when the first part of your commute is a long downhill but it's worth it after that. Even in that level of dress I'm still usually unzipping my jacket before I get there. Beefy gloves are very important though.
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Dec 15, 2022 21:43
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alnilam posted:Beefy gloves are very important though. I'm not sure what they're called but I've got some kind of light glove with silicone all over the hands that I love, and then my Burton snowboarding gloves came with a removable inner layer that I can actually manage to wear underneath the aforementioned light glove. It's a great combo that hardly inhibits dexterity at all  I guess I do tend to over-layer; typically like some leggings, sweats, and jeans + base layer long sleeve, t-shirt and hoodie and coat.
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Dec 15, 2022 21:50
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you can also do thin gloves and bar mitts. I used to run that setup when I bike 11 miles to work.
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Dec 15, 2022 21:50
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Baronash posted:For a while, I also practiced repeatedly clipping into my home anchor board just to refine the motion so that I spent less time fumbling, but that is probably excessive. I actually don't think this is excessive at all. Hanging a draw up at home and practicing different clips can be an excellent way to just get in a bunch of reps. I had been leading for years before I finally did this and still found benefits to it. Watch a bunch of videos online about clipping and watch various pro and comp climbers lead and pay attention to how they clip. Then try the different styles at home. Actually attach the rope to you (can just be a belt loop) and commit to the practice. It doesn't take long to quickly get at least some experience with different clipping methods and, at least for me, it really transferred to real climbing.
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Dec 15, 2022 23:09
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I'd suggest NOT top roping with a secondary rope to practice clipping. IMO the biggest part of learning to lead is becoming comfortable clipping while tired and not freaking out about potential falls, and practicing on top rope doesn't help with that. If you want to practice clipping technique get a quickdraw and short rope and practice clipping whenever you have some free time at home
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Dec 15, 2022 23:39
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Xyven posted:I'd suggest NOT top roping with a secondary rope to practice clipping. IMO the biggest part of learning to lead is becoming comfortable clipping while tired and not freaking out about potential falls, and practicing on top rope doesn't help with that. This is bizarre advice. If you’re top roping or on an auto belay at the gym anyway, it costs nothing except a bit of time to clip draws on your way up.
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Dec 16, 2022 05:06
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Maybe my experience is abnormal, but I'm rarely concerned about clipping even while tired. Lead routes in gyms and outdoors almost always setup clips near bomber holds and it's covering the intervening terrain that is the issue. TR routes in gyms generally have garbage clipping stances, but you can generally find something.
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Dec 16, 2022 06:46
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asur posted:Maybe my experience is abnormal, but I'm rarely concerned about clipping even while tired. Lead routes in gyms and outdoors almost always setup clips near bomber holds and it's covering the intervening terrain that is the issue. The majority of TR routes at my gym can be climbed on lead as well.
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Dec 16, 2022 15:37
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Baronash posted:This is bizarre advice. If you’re top roping or on an auto belay at the gym anyway, it costs nothing except a bit of time to clip draws on your way up. The point is that you shouldn't be top roping at all if you're trying to get better at leading.
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Dec 16, 2022 16:08
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Xyven posted:The point is that you shouldn't be top roping at all if you're trying to get better at leading. While I agree with this overall, there's a bunch of situations where you cannot lead say if you have to go train alone on auto-belays or with a friend who can't belay on lead yet. In those situations top-roping with a short rope to practice clipping can be a useful thing to do. But yeah, if you have to option of actually leading and want to improve your lead then do that. Slimy Hog posted:The majority of TR routes at my gym can be climbed on lead as well. Yeah same here. There's like 10-15% of the gym that is top rope only with no quickdraws, but the rest of the gym is either lead only or lead with a possibility of top rope. KingColliwog fucked around with this message at 16:22 on Dec 16, 2022 |
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Dec 16, 2022 16:18
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Xyven posted:The point is that you shouldn't be top roping at all if you're trying to get better at leading. Yea but my original question was what can I do the coming weeks leading up to [re-]taking the lead cert next month. And same, everything that can be top roped in my gym can be lead. There are some lead-only sections, though.
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Dec 16, 2022 18:02
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IMO, the only situation where it makes sense to pretend to be leading while still on a loose top rope is learning to place trad. That's more involved than just clipping bolts. Anybody learning to lead sport should just go do it.
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Dec 18, 2022 19:49
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gohuskies posted:IMO, the only situation where it makes sense to pretend to be leading while still on a loose top rope is learning to place trad. That's more involved than just clipping bolts. Anybody learning to lead sport should just go do it. I agree with this perspective too, but everyone is different. For me the hard part about leading is being run out - that’s whenI find it more difficult to clip efficiently. The only way to practice the often weird and unideal positions you’re in when clipping is to lead
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Dec 18, 2022 20:10
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