6 posts tagged “rock climbing”

Went climbing last night and finished the 5.11d chimney. Woot!

Very tired today after doing a bunch of 5.10d's and finished off with a 210-foot speed climb on a 5.7.

Went climbing yesterday with Karl and there was this 60-foot 5.10d that I decided to try just for the heck of it. 5.10a's and b's are the climbs that I am usually pretty comfortable with. I thought that if I could get up at least part of the way the 5.10d, I would be happy. After much effort on narrow fingertip grips and a few falls, I managed to make it all the way up. My fingertips still hurt, but I feel good.

I also brought my wheel over to Duke's to get trued. Hopefully this solves the problems I've been having with the trainer.

Everyone seems to be jumping onto the rock climbing bandwagon these days and for good reason. It provides a great full body workout that fits people on a wide range of fitness levels, training strength and balance. Contrary to popular belief, rock climbing is a very easy sport to get into and is relatively inexpensive.  Most importantly, rock climbing is a social sport, depending on communication, trust, and meeting other climbers. It doesn't take much to get started, just some basic knowledge.

Note: Under no conditions should you attempt rock climbing without proper training from an instructor. Rock climbing is a very safe sport but only if you have been trained to use the right equipment. This guide does not teach you how to do this. See an instructor.

Indoor Climbing Gyms

Most people will want to get started in an indoor climbing gym. This provides a well controlled environment with instructors to teach you how to use your equipment safely and provides a good variety of difficulty levels. Most gyms will be able to provide all the equipment that you will need. More frequent climbers may wish to purchase their own equipment to offset the price of rental.

Indoor climbing gyms contain artificial rock hand holds bolted to angled walls. Find a climbing gym near you and sign up for a beginner's lesson. They will teach you the important concepts of communication, using the safety equipment, and climbing form. The gym I go to charges $29 for a beginner's lesson including equipment rental and unlimited climbing.

Climbing Methods

Most beginners will want to get started with a method of climbing called top roping. With top roping, a length of rope is already attached to the top of the wall. The climber ties one end of his rope to his harness while the other end feeds into a belay safety device operated by his climbing buddy (the belayer) on the ground. As the climber climbs up, loose rope is pulled through the belay device by the belayer. If the climber happens to slip, the belay device locks the rope, preventing the climber from falling.

Bouldering is all the craze amongst climbers. This is a great exercise for climbers to practice their technique. It involves low climbs (usually under 5 metres) without using rope. Climbers are challenged on using their balance and skill to exercise new strategies.

Ever watch a movie or documentary and wonder how climbers get their rope up the mountain in the first place? More advanced climbers practice a technique called lead climbing that allows a climber to route the rope up the cliff-side. The climber climbs up and locks the rope into carabiners attached to the wall while his belayer stands ready below. As he climbs higher, he continues to attach his rope to more carabiners in regular intervals. If the climber falls, the belayer jumps up using each his weight to slow the climbers decent. The climber will only fall as far as the last carabiner that he clipped in to his rope.

Equipment

Depending on what type of climbing you will do, different equipment may be necessary. Top roping requires a harness, shoes, chalk bag and a ball of chalk. Bouldering requires nothing more than just shoes. Lead climbing involves at least a harness, shoes, chalk bag, chalk, rope, belay device and a locking carabiner. More equipment like open carabiners and bolts may be needed for outdoor lead climbing. When shopping for gear, make sure you take your time to try everything on for fit and comfort. Don't be shy to ask other climbers and experts for advice. For beginners looking to buy their own equipment, you are probably looking at around $150.

A proper harness should be chosen to fit snugly around your hips while being comfortable enough for you to remain flexible. If you should ever get inverted while climbing, the belt strap needs to be tight enough to hold your pelvic bone preventing you from slipping out. Proper length leg straps prevents the harness from riding up (which would be quite uncomfortable). $50.

Rock climbing shoes should fit very snugly to your feet with very little empty space, but should not pinch. Comfort is the most important factor for shoes and make sure you try on as many pairs as possible before settling on one. Don't look at price tags or fancy features. You will see slippers, velcros and lace-ups as different methods of keeping your shoes on your feet - choose one that you feel comfortable with. You should pay attention to how "aggressive" the shoe is. More aggressive shoes will tend to have a hook-like appearance that some experienced climbers like for climbing overhangs. Less aggressive shoes are more relaxed and generally more comfortable for beginners. Also try on different sizes of shoes and ask to see if any particular models are prone to stretching. When shopping for my shoes, I've found that different models may vary in size despite the number printed on them making things a little confusing. Thankfully, the sales guy was patient. About $100.

I recommend getting a chalk bag and a ball of chalk to keep your hands from getting sweaty. You carry your chalk bag around the waist, behind your back so you can dust off with more chalk during climbs. Inside your bag, you carry a ball of chalk which is a stitched cloth ball containing powdered chalk. A friend of mine joked that if you were really thrifty, you could make your own with an old sock. Just make sure you wash it first. $15.

Ropes vary in properties, most notably stretch and some are fitted for differing conditions. Consult an expert when buying rope. Price varies.

The most commonly used belay device is called a Grigri, manufactured by Petzl. The rope feeds in one way, locked with a carabiner. It has a spring loaded release lever that automatically locks when under a shock load. $80. CliffhangerB mentioned that, "an ATC belay device is a good alternative to the Grigri, very simple to learn how to use, efficient (with an alert belayer) and cheaper." $20.

There are a wide range of carabiners for different uses. Consult an expert to get the right carabiner for your needs. Price varies.

Having Fun

Gyms will provide you with a wide range of difficulty levels, great for the novice and expert alike, so you can choose whatever suits you. Routes are usually graded (typically YDS Class) for easy identification. Climbing involves more thinking than most exercise routines, requiring you to plot a route and strategy, then testing your technique and balance. It involves cooperating with your partner to work your way to the top. Rock climbing is about having fun, so bring a friend, meet new people and enjoy the feeling of being at the top.

Wednesday was all about failure, but defeat just makes me angry.

Just for kicks, I (or rather Jeff) decided that I should try top roping a ceiling climb after I had been bouldering around for some 30 minutes. For those of you who aren't familiar with rock climbing terms this one should be easy because a ceiling is... well, just what you would imagine it to be - a ceiling with handholds scattered about. This was to be my first ceiling climb, but since it was rated a 5.10c how hard could it possibly be?

Hanging on a ceiling by your arms and legs, with your back facing the ground 40 feet below is a strange feeling I imagine only spiders and flies can be accustomed to. I could feel my stomach muscles burning, trying to hold a reverse crunch so that my feet could stay on the footholds. Well, I didn't get far before falling and swinging wildly from my rope like a pendulum. Once you fall on a ceiling, that's it... no way to get back up, either start from ground level again or quit. I chose option #2.

I also had problems with a 60 foot 5.11b. They decided to stick a shelf hanging almost vertically with virtually no other handholds around it. The idea is that you are supposed to hold the vertical shelf with both hands and force all your body weight to the right, away from the shelf. Then you should be able to gain enough leverage to shimmy your way up to the next handhold. Well, I got past the hard part, only to find my fingers and forearms feeling like Jello and I kept slipping off my right foothold. I quit halfway up.

This leaves me with a feeling of disappointment, some bruises and scrapes. But in truth, I guess that's what I like about rock climbing. I always walk away feeling a little dejected, but that only makes me angry and determined the week after. I like the feeling of coming back stronger and determined. The joy of reaching the top and and conquoring that which was once so unatainable. I refuse to submit, I refuse to accept defeat, I refuse to give up. I think that's the true challenge of the sport.

After having taken about a month off to train on the road bike, I decided to join Jeff and Robin for some rock climbing today. A month really sets you back a lot. I could feel my forearms getting stiff really fast and I seem to have lost my super kung-fu grip. I still managed to do some 5.9 climbs, though I'm really lacking in endurance.

I lost my grip on one of the climbs about 40' up and ended up tearing a piece of skin off my right-hand pinky. It looks really gross. I'd post a picture, but I don't want people passing out in front of their monitors. Maybe I'll email a photo to Patrick in retaliation for that freaky spider picture.

Interesting how there are different kinds of pain. There's the pain of bruises (none of those today), pain of muscles aching, and there's the ones I really hate, the ones that sting like someone's popping needles in your pinky.

But don't get me wrong, I really love rock climbing and it's a really good workout. I'm just unlucky (did I ever tell you about the time when I was swinging from the rope in a giant arc... upside down? Nearly bowled Jeff off his feet.). Fun times.