Well whoever it was inspired me to pop out, I want my money back. Damp and greasy, climbing like a bag of spanners. Popped off a mono with a mollusc at the back. Should have gone for a ride 🙂
footflaps - Member
Used to climb loads before getting into MTBing more. Haven't climbed for years though...
Seconded, hence my user name.
Gave it up when my taller climbing mates started to take up yoga to make them more flexible. Plus I got bored belaying.
Mostly indoors, but regularly. Have occasional trips to grown up crags, but only with experienced folk - I have neither the expertise nor the gear for leading.
MTB first for me.
got into climbing a few years back when I returned to Uni - having the spare time was the key to sustaining any kind of level. Got to leading E3, finished Uni, started work and was on a VS yesterday papping it!
Climb regularly at Calshot indoor wall.
Try and do 2 or 3 trips a year to small crags (Swanage etc) but there's not really much within easy reach of the wilds of Hampshire to make it a regular activity, and then I just ended up feeling rusty with my ropework...
i climb my bike does that count?
He's an interesting one for the STW folk who climb and bike....
I've ridden bikes and snowboards for around 15 years. I would consider myself competent, but far below the standard I should be for the length of time I've been doing those sports compared to some.
I took up winter climbing and summer rock climbing more recently as sort of a "natural" progression to the fact that I spend a lot of time walking/scrambling and generally fannying about in the mountains.
I'm at the stage now on rock where I ought to be a competent leader up to VS or even HVS, but it can be a real struggle sometimes...the head game. 🙂
The question is this....why do I battle more against a head game in an activity which (if I'm being reasonable) is often planned, methodical and ultimately quite safe from serious injury (at my level anyway), yet despite all the horrific injuries I've had from snowboarding and riding DH over the years, hitting trees at 30mph (which happens a bit too often) never seems to bother me in the long run. 🙄
IMO, riding DH carries a much higher chance of hurting myself than climbing a well protected HVS, yet I tremble like a dogs leg on a crag at times 🙂
Is it the chance of a ground fall or death? The fact that you're more aware of the cost of a mistake on a climb (even though it's quite remote), you're pumped at times, fiddling with gear thinking "oh **** oh **** oh ****"... whereas you don't even have time to think on a flat out DH ride?
I dunno I just think the fear of falling off stuff is more innate than the fear of travelling quite quickly on a bike.
I used to climb loads, did a fair bit and go into the Sheffield scene in the mid 90's. Did a year sponsored by the DSS like most other wannabee wasters and was hanging around the Foundry and seeing all the big names in there and going drinking in the Broadfield with a few, while doing time on the campus boards in The Office upstairs at the Foundry.
As a whipper snapper I remember thinking I was quite strong, until one day I was bouldering on the wave in the Foundry with only 3 other people on there. Ben Moon and Jerry Moffatt to my left, doing a photoshoot for DMM and Ron Fawcett doing laps on the other side. Pretty humbling!
Still mess about but these days, my mind is willing by the fingers are not!
I do! Been climbing for a good few years now, climbed in the UK and the Alps. Good fun and some good adventures! Although the 30ft fall on the indoor wall in warrington where i broke my wrist did hurt a bit. Rock N Roll.... Still climb now and love it.
My son was the climber,so I got dragged along as belay monkey.
Started to enjoy bouldering ,and our wall does some great fun comps over the winter.
I am an addict now 🙂
He is now big enough to belay me (top rope),so we climb 2/3 times a week 🙂
Going through to the [url= http://www.tca-glasgow.com/ ]TCA[/url] at Glasgow next weekend for the Youth Boulder comps,not been there yet ,but it looks amazing 😯
peter - I know what you mean. I'll ski steep and narrow, have ridden fast and loose but climb safe and steady. It's hard to put in words but I think it's down to imagination and anticipation.
When I climb my imagination goes wild and I get the 'Presleys' on the sharp end of a rope on easy routes. When I'm riding/skiing hard it's so hectic there's no scope for imagination to take over. By the time I am in a dangerous situation, I'm buzzing, focussed and able to suppress the fear easier.
Going through to the TCA at Glasgow next weekend for the Youth Boulder comps,not been there yet ,but it looks amazing
I was there today, tend to go at least once a week when i find myself with an hour or two spare.
Great venue, it really is. Enjoy!
Peterfile. I agree with your comment about not having time to think when on the bike.
I would add that I always felt the head game started long before getting to a climb, sometimes the day before, then during the walk in. Also I think there are more factors out of your control when climbing, especially in winter. Also, you tend to be in inherent danger for a longer period when climbing. Could be hours with your arse in the breeze. A lot of time to contemplate what could go wrong.
Finally, the relationship you have with your climbing partner has to be strong, because you put your life in their hands.
Cheers Peter
Looking forward to it,although I heard that some of the problems have 'scary high' finish moves 😉
Nice pics Stuartiec. I really should've gone there when I was into it.
I used to do a fair bit in the Peak, Lakes and Wales and had a couple of UK road trips which were fun but never realistically got beyond VS. I preferred the multipitch routes and stopped getting on with climbing in the Peak which is local for me. The highlight was Dream on Gogarth back in mid-nineties which was flippin awesome and I was buzzing for a week.
I had a dabble last year but with kids now it's far more amenable to hop on the bike. I did buy a kids Petzl body harness on ebay recently though...
Looking forward to it,although I heard that some of the problems have 'scary high' finish moves
There's a lovely red which has been set fairly recently, at the big overhand round the back...starts with a lovely traverse quite low from left to right (really stretchy moves) and then climbs out and out at 45 degrees to the very top of the room. It's a REALLY big finish and if you're like me, you'll be pumped out as you make the last couple of moves, meaning a fairly big push for the last hold (i.e. "all or nothing")...you'll see what I mean when you get there....it's a long way down if you push for that last hold and miss!!
Also I think there are more factors out of your control when climbing, especially in winter. Also, you tend to be in inherent danger for a longer period when climbing. Could be hours with your arse in the breeze.
Absolutely. I can actually be a bit of a grump on the morning of a big climbing day out, think it's just tension/nerves.
With a bike, snowboard or skis, everything just "flows". On a climb (whether on the sharp end or belaying), there is just so much to think about, so many things that "might" go wrong. As you mentioned, complete trust in your partner is essential - probably another wee thing that gets to me is on muti pitch routes when the next belay is out of sight and it's windy - that's COMPLETE trust, getting a couple of tugs on the rope and seconding up a sketchy pitch hoping that those two tugs did actually mean "that's you on belay, climb when you're ready", as i'm dismatling my own belay and getting ready to climb 🙂
Well, just failed on my first E1 today.
Started up Stinker at the Pass of Ballater (been on it before, so no on sight to blow...)
Got up to the crux no real problem, but just couldn't make headway over the bulge. 25 deg of heat wasn't the best conditions and the jams were ripping my hands apart. Hey ho.
Didn't even manage it clean on second but at least I know where I am.
After 3 (Norhtumberland) v diffs and an on sight VS earlier in the day maybe it was just a little ambitious. Still, if you don't try...
Just started again after a few years break -trying to climb indoors once a week, as an alternative to going to the gym. Have kinda made a deliberate decision not to climb outdoors as the biking would suffer. I do a fair amount of industrial access stuff too at work. Sort of a shame as Froggatt, Burbage, Millstone Edge, Stanage etc are all just at the top of the hill.
Happy leading low 6's indoors, but after years of rigging gear in venues where everything is calculated, tested, yada yayda, the idea of trusting my life to a couple of bits of funny shaped metal wedged in a crack doesn't fill me with great glee. Where's the gert great eyebolt with the 1 tonne tested tag on???
Been climbing for 20 years or so now. Mostly boulder or easy solo these days.
In response to the question about nerves on lead vs dh riding, I think we all develop drills subconsciously to help us feel in control and relaxed when riding or climbing, and they're subtly different for the two disciplines.
Part of the 'disco leg' problem is about muscle fatigue in calves and thighs rather than mental state, but it does tend to be a vicious circle - look, I'm trembling, I must be nervous, I am nervous, I'm trembling more...
Down the wall is great. But it's all *training* isn't it?
And training for what. The outdoors. I was out sport climbing Tuesday. But trad for me is where it's at.
That said, I'm still hoping to get back to Kalymnos this year. That is soooo much fun. I was there 2010 and it was the final straw that broke the non-climbers back. As soon as I hit uk phone space at the airport I was off emailing a mate to see if he fancied going out climbing the next day...
Climbing inside when it's nice outside, kinda breaks yer heart, no?