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Man. Guide services are expensive 🙁 Tentatively planning a trip to Pilot Mountain in North Carolina and all the services I can find are $350/day. Would like to make it a 2 day trip. I don't know how to develop the skills / knowledge when I live ~2 hours from the nearest Sport crag in order to get comfortable enough to simply post on Mountain Project or random Facebook groups for a random partner 
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Mar 13, 2024 15:54
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Sab669 posted:Man. Guide services are expensive 🙁 Climbing is a difficult/expensive hobby to get into without a group of climbing friends. I made those friends years ago at my local climbing gym, but that's not always an easy thing to do.
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Mar 13, 2024 15:58
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Sab669 posted:Man. Guide services are expensive 🙁 I don't know how it is where you are, but in Dallas the outdoor community is relatively small, because there's no nearby accessible outdoor stuff, so you have to be dedicated to do it. I used to be a lot more evangelical about outdoor climbing and would try to get people to go and make an effort to show new people the outdoors etc, but with the explosion in popularity it's more awkward now. I'd bet if you can find who the people are that go outdoors though they' still be willing to just drag you along assuming you put a noticeable amount of effort in so it doesn't feel like they're guiding you for free. This is kind of my problem now, when I do end up taking people outside I feel like they just want me to do everything for them and I'm uh..not up for that. 2 hours isn't so bad though, the nearest sports crag to DFW is 3.5 hours if you're lucky and you have to drive through Austin which makes me want to die so I'd rather drive 7 hours to Arkansas. Anyway, I guess my point is I'd just find people at the gym who seem like they'd climb outdoors and try to get to know them, generally people who'll split gas/have gear are welcome. Sport climbing outside also isn't *that* different from the gym, pilot wasn't exactly sport when I was last there ...20 years ago, but if the anchors at your nearby crag have gear to lower off so you don't have to rappel it'll mostly feel like leading in a gym.
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Mar 13, 2024 16:15
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I did have a decent crew to boulder outdoors with a few years ago, but then broke up with one girl and pretty much stopped getting invited anywhere by the rest of the group  I've since started attending this like "Adult Team" weekly group at my gym to meet more people. 3 of us did go on a weekend trip last year, but of course the guy who organized that trip is moving across the country in a few months. I've tried trading numbers with probably a dozen people at this point for more bouldering or heading to Nemo / Rattlesnake, they all seem super enthusiastic in person and then whenever I reach out to actually get something going it's just crickets. And now it's winter and the crag is always wet so it's been a while since I've even broached the idea with any of the people I've reached out to in the past. Edit^^ MP makes it seem like it's way more of a Sport crag than Trad?
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Mar 13, 2024 16:40
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Keeping a climbing crew is a constant labour, especially if you've made it your main thing in life because most people will dip in and out. All my gang from 10 years ago are broken/parents/broken&parents now. It's easy to get morose about how things used to be. Hanging around the wall has given me some green shoots with a younger crew and I'm resigned to being that weird old guy to them. The club scene in the UK is strong- like national and regional equivalents of the American Alpine Club. They're really worth a look. I've got a lot out of joining some of those.
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Mar 13, 2024 23:53
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Endjinneer posted:broken/parents/broken&parents lol  Boulder has the BCC https://www.boulderclimbers.org/ which is a pretty good way to meet up with people by volunteering and whatnot.
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Mar 14, 2024 02:09
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why the hell won't my fingers get any stronger? ive been climbing for about 18 months now. in that time, my dead hang on a 20 mm edge basically hasnt improved. i remember testing at like ~3 or 4 months as a curiosity. i climb regularly 3 times a week. i started hangboarding about 6 months ago to try to improve finger strength as id noticed after testing again that my brother, who started around the same time as me and tested the same at that 3-4 month mark, had gotten waaaaay stronger in his hangs and also was climbing way harder grades than me, surpassed by a fair bit. i have another friend who started about a month before me, and same story. i hangboarded for about 2 months, saw basically no improvement, then stopped altogether for a surgery that took ~6 weeks to recover from. it was an axial lymph node excision so it understandably affected my overhead hang/pull my overhead pulling is basically back to normal (pull/chin ups as a benchmark), as is my overhead gripping/hanging. ive been climbing regularly again. now only 3 times a week, then hangboarding 3 times the next week (i alternate having my kids one week at a time with my ex and i climb on non-kid weeks, hangboard on weeks i have them). but... its basically back to normal, where normal is just not very good. i'm stuck at the 5.11-/5.11 range in my indoor gym, and have been for like almost a full year. really frustrating and disheartening, esp as the climbers who started around the same time as me surpass me easily (and even someone who we just introduced before my surgery seems to already be surpassing me...)
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Mar 15, 2024 23:25
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hot cocoa on the couch posted:why the hell won't my fingers get any stronger? ive been climbing for about 18 months now. in that time, my dead hang on a 20 mm edge basically hasnt improved. i remember testing at like ~3 or 4 months as a curiosity. i climb regularly 3 times a week. i started hangboarding about 6 months ago to try to improve finger strength as id noticed after testing again that my brother, who started around the same time as me and tested the same at that 3-4 month mark, had gotten waaaaay stronger in his hangs and also was climbing way harder grades than me, surpassed by a fair bit. i have another friend who started about a month before me, and same story. i hangboarded for about 2 months, saw basically no improvement, then stopped altogether for a surgery that took ~6 weeks to recover from. it was an axial lymph node excision so it understandably affected my overhead hang/pull what are you doing on the hangboard? you got vids of yourself climbing?
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Mar 16, 2024 00:54
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It sure is frustrating. My finger strength is really low for my climbing experience/level and I have a lot of trouble improving it too. Especially on a hangboard (I do feel stronger when climbing though, not sure if it's just technique or if I can't really use my strength on the hangboard somehow) A lot of people I know progress wayyyyy faster than me especially in finger strength. Sometimes I blame age, sometimes I blame my weight (I'm 5'8 170lbs which is sort of heavy for climbing) and I may even blame my 3 kids. sometimes I care, sometimes I don't. It's annoying to see people progress faster than you, but in the end does it really matter? We all suck and are pointlessly climbing rocks for fun. Training helps, but it's not fast. If your current training does not work, then pick another method. Make sure you are really consistent and sleep well and eat enough and you'll see progress over time 100% certain. Just don't compare with others, there's a million reasons which you have no control over that could make you progress slower than other people. KingColliwog fucked around with this message at 01:26 on Mar 16, 2024 |
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Mar 16, 2024 00:57
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hot cocoa on the couch posted:why the hell won't my fingers get any stronger? ive been climbing for about 18 months now. Tendons take a very long time to adapt. What is your hangboarding routine?
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Mar 16, 2024 02:10
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KingColliwog posted:It sure is frustrating. My finger strength is really low for my climbing experience/level and I have a lot of trouble improving it too. Especially on a hangboard (I do feel stronger when climbing though, not sure if it's just technique or if I can't really use my strength on the hangboard somehow) I am currently fat and sassy at 5'10 and 205. Trying to become 5'10 and 180 over the spring and summer. Somehow still climb V4 tho lol
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Mar 16, 2024 08:33
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hot cocoa on the couch posted:why the hell won't my fingers get any stronger? ive been climbing for about 18 months now. in that time, my dead hang on a 20 mm edge basically hasnt improved. i remember testing at like ~3 or 4 months as a curiosity. i climb regularly 3 times a week. i started hangboarding about 6 months ago to try to improve finger strength as id noticed after testing again that my brother, who started around the same time as me and tested the same at that 3-4 month mark, had gotten waaaaay stronger in his hangs and also was climbing way harder grades than me, surpassed by a fair bit. i have another friend who started about a month before me, and same story. i hangboarded for about 2 months, saw basically no improvement, then stopped altogether for a surgery that took ~6 weeks to recover from. it was an axial lymph node excision so it understandably affected my overhead hang/pull Do you Boulder? It’s really unlikely finger strength is the limiting factor for you, it’s most likely a lack of technique. I would suggest getting a training plan or a coach.
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Mar 17, 2024 07:20
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Sharks Eat Bear posted:what are you doing on the hangboard? you got vids of yourself climbing? interrodactyl posted:Tendons take a very long time to adapt. no vids of myself climbing until literally just yesterday when i climbed outside. my phone was too poo poo to take video for a long time. hangboard routine is - 3x10 7/3 repeaters at 65% of my max in 2 hand positions, open hand and crimp. i do a set of 10 open hand 7/3s, rest a minute, then a set of 10 crimp 7/3s, then rest ~3 minutes. i do this on tuesdays and sundays - 5x2 7/3s at 90% of my max in 2 hand positions, with the same modality as above. i do this on thursday. my max is ~180, and my body weight is around 170 right now fed and clothed. so my heavy days on thursdays are basically body weight. and i struggle with those. feels really pathetic to struggle at body weight 7/3s on 20 mm as my peers basically warm up with that KingColliwog posted:It sure is frustrating. My finger strength is really low for my climbing experience/level and I have a lot of trouble improving it too. Especially on a hangboard (I do feel stronger when climbing though, not sure if it's just technique or if I can't really use my strength on the hangboard somehow) im about the same height and weight, and simultaneously doing a strength training routine this year. i agree with the mentality of "who cares, just try your best and have fun, and don't compare to others", but it's really hard for me in practice. ultimately i just want to improve, i don't necessarily need to match my peers. but being plateued so early for so long is so frustrating Ubiquitus posted:Do you Boulder? It’s really unlikely finger strength is the limiting factor for you, it’s most likely a lack of technique. i was bouldering until my schedule forced me to curb my gym time. now i try to exclusively lead climb in the gym, as my focus and intent is to improve outdoor sport climbing. my bouldering was fine, i just don't really like it as much as sport. it would be really distressing to learn that after 18 months not only am i still weak but i also suck lmao my brothers friend is the head routesetter at our gym and he's told me the #1 easiest way for me to improve right now is my finger strength, so that's why ive chosen to focus on that. i otherwise maximize my goal specificity spending all my gym time leading
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Mar 17, 2024 21:20
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7/3 repeaters are good for training your body to deal with being pumped. If you want to see Number Go Up, you should try a max hang protocol for a few months. By analogy to running: 7/3 repeaters are a tempo workout, you're applying a medium-hard stress for medium duration. Max hangs are a sprinting workout: high stress for a very short period with a lot of rest in between. Max hangs teach you to recruit the fast twitch, powerful muscle fibers in your forearms. The great thing about that kind of training is that you are learning to make better use of the mass you're already carrying around, it doesn't make you heavier. ploots fucked around with this message at 21:51 on Mar 17, 2024 |
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Mar 17, 2024 21:42
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yeah sorry i generally fail due to pump/pump management. which is why ive chosen that protocol. misusing the word "strength". ive alternated between peak strength protocols and endurance protocols and feel like i basically never improve e: i guess my problem is that it feels like i can't make any objective improvement to my finger characteristics which is obviously one of the most important physical attributes associated with strong climbing hot cocoa on the couch fucked around with this message at 22:03 on Mar 17, 2024 |
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Mar 17, 2024 21:58
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I think the routesetter is wrong. Finger strength is not holding you back from advancing at 5.11 unless your finger strength is abysmally bad. If you're pumping out then train endurance on the wall.
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Mar 17, 2024 22:45
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imo try max hangs as your only hangboard exercise for a couple months, 2x a week is probably sufficient. back off the resistance a good amount and make sure you're completing each rep and set with perfect form, fingers stay crimped, scapula stay engaged/retracted. only increase resistance if you complete all the sets without a lapse in form. there's a million max hang protocols you can follow, this article is a good enough write up: https://mojagear.com/building-maximum-finger-strength-with-hangboarding/ don't worry too much about the technique vs. finger strength debate. you need both and as long as you're being intentional about both, there's no harm in spending a couple hours a week on a hangboard. make sure you don't fall into the "just climbing" trap though, mix it up between gym sessions where you log a lot of easy mileage, try to redpoint a few climbs below your max, or project routes that are a full number grade above your max. also a good idea to incorporate hard bouldering from time to time too, even if your goal is outdoor sport
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Mar 18, 2024 00:34
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hot cocoa on the couch posted:no vids of myself climbing until literally just yesterday when i climbed outside. my phone was too poo poo to take video for a long time. As someone else mentioned - being head route setter doesn’t mean poo poo for understanding physiology or how to make a climber better. Finger strength has a very low likelihood of being the limiting factor at 5.11. I would suggest getting a coach, they will be able to give be you the best targeted, personalized training for maximizing improvement and overcoming your plateau. improving your technique /endurance on the wall should easily see you to 5.12 - if you can’t afford a coach get a training plan from a reputable coaching company - power company, lattice, or a myriad of others out there. If you can’t, then mix in a day of limit bouldering, and a day of doing sport laps , Keeping 1x/week of max hangs, one day of trying to max routes. Then once ~ 4-6 weeks is up, take a deload and mix up the routine Hangboarding 3x a week is not what any coach would prescribe for you Ubiquitus fucked around with this message at 06:13 on Mar 18, 2024 |
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Mar 18, 2024 05:52
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hot cocoa on the couch posted:my max is ~180, and my body weight is around 170 right now fed and clothed. so my heavy days on thursdays are basically body weight. and i struggle with those. feels really pathetic to struggle at body weight 7/3s on 20 mm as my peers basically warm up with that We have basically the same max. I'm not even sure I can do repeaters at bodyweight on a 20mm. I've been climbing for 4 years I think. Mainly boulder and sent V5s outdoor and high 5.11 outdoor (never projected more than 1 session so I guess I could send harder). My main climbing buddy (same weight/height) can add 25-30 on 20mm and we climb very similarly, but I tend to send a bit more hard stuff than him in most styles. Probably because he has poo poo tactics quote:im about the same height and weight, and simultaneously doing a strength training routine this year. i agree with the mentality of "who cares, just try your best and have fun, and don't compare to others", but it's really hard for me in practice. ultimately i just want to improve, i don't necessarily need to match my peers. but being plateued so early for so long is so frustrating Certainly is frustrating like I said. I need to talk to myself every now and then because frustration is not a great path for my main hobby. Also I used to need to remove 75% of my bodyweight to hang on 20mm so I'm happy with the progress even if everyone I know that has been climbing a year or two can hang as much/more than me quote:i was bouldering until my schedule forced me to curb my gym time. now i try to exclusively lead climb in the gym, as my focus and intent is to improve outdoor sport climbing. my bouldering was fine, i just don't really like it as much as sport. it would be really distressing to learn that after 18 months not only am i still weak but i also suck lmao If you can fit 1 day of bouldering (especially board climbing if that's accessible to you). It would probably be the most sport specific way to improve your strength and power. quote:my brothers friend is the head routesetter at our gym and he's told me the #1 easiest way for me to improve right now is my finger strength, so that's why ive chosen to focus on that. i otherwise maximize my goal specificity spending all my gym time leading I know that's not popular, but I also believe improving your finger strength is probably the easiest/fastest way to improve. I know it would be for me and was in the past. I'm not sure I would do repeaters though, especially if you're only lead climbing at the moment. Use your hangboard time to improve max strength and your climbing time is already focussed more on endurance (unless you mostly do stuff above your limit and basically boulder on a rope) KingColliwog fucked around with this message at 12:38 on Mar 18, 2024 |
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Mar 18, 2024 12:36
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KingColliwog posted:Scarpa instinct 90% of the time. I usually keep my shoes with reasonable smell for at least 1 resole. Last batch got vile like I explained. It was "I can't take them off during the session at all" level of smell. After the vinegar treatment they are as good as new. i just prevent them from getting there in the first place. i make sure they arent left in my bag for days, and i have a can of that foot spray that i spray on before i put them on
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Mar 21, 2024 05:18
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Ubiquitus posted:As someone else mentioned - being head route setter doesn’t mean poo poo for understanding physiology or how to make a climber better. hangboarding can be free with a gym membership. i dont think coaches are free. it takes a long time to benefit from tendon hypertrophy. why discourage someone from starting it if they're interested?
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Mar 21, 2024 05:33
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Verviticus posted:hangboarding can be free with a gym membership. i dont think coaches are free. it takes a long time to benefit from tendon hypertrophy. why discourage someone from starting it if they're interested? I’m not saying don’t hangboard, I’m just saying 3x a week is overkill for almost anyone except maybe Alex honnold
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Mar 21, 2024 06:13
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Ubiquitus posted:I’m not saying don’t hangboard, I’m just saying 3x a week is overkill for almost anyone except maybe Alex honnold Would tend to agree if they’re already leading a few times a week One exception though is if their outdoor goals are not really replicable in their gym. Lots of outdoor sport climbing has way smaller, less comfortable and less positive holds than you see on a lot of gym lead walls. Can be worth doing 2-4x days of really low intensity, long duration “density hangs”, primarily for injury prevention but strengthening too. This, along with really conservative max hangs, has been really helpful for me when my goals were outdoor crags with lots of small pockets, sharp half pad crimps, or wide pinches — stuff that my gym just doesn’t set much of. Can climb much more decisively if you’re not worried about popping a pulley or readjusting to make a hold feel more comfortable
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Mar 21, 2024 06:55
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i climb 3 times every other week in the gym, then hangboard on the other weeks. im not hangboarding on weeks that i climb. week 1 - climb tues, thurs, sun week 2 - hangboard tues, thurs, sun (no climbing) hot cocoa on the couch fucked around with this message at 13:18 on Mar 21, 2024 |
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Mar 21, 2024 13:14
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I think you'd benefit more from climbing on the days you hangboard and not skipping weeks if that's an option.
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Mar 21, 2024 15:25
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Verviticus posted:i just prevent them from getting there in the first place. i make sure they arent left in my bag for days, and i have a can of that foot spray that i spray on before i put them on I never put them in a bag ever and always air them out and spray them after every wear. Sometimes after 2 resoles shoes get gross and/or you gently caress up once and then you have to act. That said, I tested denture cleaners with the other stinky pair and turns out it's even better than vinegar. It's so cheap and you just fill your shoe with water. pop 2 tablets in each shoe. wait a couple of hours and then they are minty fresh. I'll do that with every pair before sending them for resoles now. asur posted:I think you'd benefit more from climbing on the days you hangboard and not skipping weeks if that's an option. I think doing a few reps or a couple sets of hangboarding when you're completely warmed up and ready to jump on your hard projects/limit bouldering is the first thing to try as far as hangboarding routine go. Do that a couple times a week for a few months and see if your finger strength progresses. It'll cut a bit in your climbing time, but it gets you really to climb hard and it's extra stimulus for your fingers KingColliwog fucked around with this message at 15:29 on Mar 21, 2024 |
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Mar 21, 2024 15:25
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asur posted:I think you'd benefit more from climbing on the days you hangboard and not skipping weeks if that's an option. i agree, but it's not an option, as i mentioned, which is why i hangboard. i'd rather not hangboard at all
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Mar 21, 2024 15:32
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hot cocoa on the couch posted:i agree, but it's not an option, as i mentioned, which is why i hangboard. i'd rather not hangboard at all Oh wow, totally glossed over the having kids part. Can you build a home wall? Get the kids into climbing? Skipping climbing every other week is 100% the limiting factor here - consistency is king for gains
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Mar 22, 2024 07:35
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I didn't know this thread existed. Both my kids have been climbing for about a year now and they are obsessed. I have been doing it 1x a week while they are in practice and man does it kick my rear end. I wish that I could have done this when I was 10.
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Mar 22, 2024 15:34
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I also wish I discovered climbing at a much younger age  Where I lived in college had a decent few options for gyms and a coolish bouldering crag but I was too busy cramming pizza and cheeseburgers down my facehole and playing video games. Would've been real good to have a physical hobby then lol
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Mar 22, 2024 16:42
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Mahatma Goonsay posted:I didn't know this thread existed. Both my kids have been climbing for about a year now and they are obsessed. I have been doing it 1x a week while they are in practice and man does it kick my rear end. I wish that I could have done this when I was 10. You can get plenty strong as an older adult, but it will take a while(and admittedly training more than once a week) but even then your average 12+ year old team kid will be stronger than you forever. It's a great hobby though and you can do plenty of cool stuff outdoors even if you don't get incredibly strong.
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Mar 22, 2024 17:45
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I have known some extremely hardcore climbers over retirement age who weren't lifers who started in their teens so don't worry fellow old bastards
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Mar 22, 2024 17:52
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RabidWeasel posted:.... started in their teens Nice. At this point I just want to be able to make the approaches. Tagging along with another family this spring break so my kid can climb with theirs, and the first one they want to do is a 3 mile class 3 scramble. Fuuuuuuck. Thoughts and prayers for my reconstructed knee.
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Mar 22, 2024 18:24
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i keep going to the traverse 7a that you can climb without protection. I'm almost finished with the first pitch, once I am it will be a 6c in actual rock in the bag.
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Mar 23, 2024 15:22
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Did my first trad of the season today. I'm stoked for it to be consistently warm!
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Mar 24, 2024 01:24
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M. Night Skymall posted:You can get plenty strong as an older adult, but it will take a while(and admittedly training more than once a week) but even then your average 12+ year old team kid will be stronger than you forever. It's a great hobby though and you can do plenty of cool stuff outdoors even if you don't get incredibly strong. Stevie Haston climbed 9a for the first time at age 52. Of course he had a long history of high level climbing, but the body is definitely still capable of doing cool stuff even after turning 30.
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Mar 24, 2024 20:05
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big scary monsters posted:Stevie Haston climbed 9a for the first time at age 52. Of course he had a long history of high level climbing, but the body is definitely still capable of doing cool stuff even after turning 30. Yep - Dai Koyamada sent a v14 at 47, and Yuji Hirayama just sent a 5.14 trad route.
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Mar 24, 2024 20:22
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drat, dai is 47?…
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Mar 24, 2024 22:21
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Ha, I am just happy when I can keep up with my 8 year old. She tells me I cheat by having long arms and I tell her she cheats by weighing 40 pounds. We went to a different gym in the chain that we usually go to and they had moon board and another thing that you could adjust the angle on that seemed similar. They both seemed really hard.
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Mar 25, 2024 01:20
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Mahatma Goonsay posted:Ha, I am just happy when I can keep up with my 8 year old. She tells me I cheat by having long arms and I tell her she cheats by weighing 40 pounds. The easiest moonboard climb is best described as very hard, but the kilter and grasshopper can be adjusted to be fairly beginner friendly. Even then I have a hard time getting any of my beginner friends on them, gym climbs are usually more fun. Good for you for you getting into it though, I recently had to listen to a bunch of parents scream at my daughter's coaches about safety while simultaneously being unable to come up with the word for "belay" and I really wish other parents would take a more healthy interest in their kid's hobbies...
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Mar 25, 2024 01:36
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