Recommend me the STW equivalent for forums / advice / piss taking.

ukclimbing is the only one that I'm aware of.

Here is good.

But lots of other niche sites. Where's your nearest wall?

EDIT: Eve beat my ass to it.

yeah UKC is th main one.. although i dont like it as much as this forum, even though i climb as much (if not more) than i bike

Indeed, what meeeee says. TheSwede, I reckon there are a fair few climbers here.

Cocktalk will eat your brain. Best avoided, imho.

My nearest is 1 mile away. Half the reason why I've started.

No, as in, where geographically?

Ah, evesham near worcester, so gloucester and b/ham not too far.

I used to go on ukc quite a bit – there's lots of good people and advice on there but also lots of weird macho posturing and snobbery. Bit like here really.

Try going on there and asking for a good location to take a big group top-roping 😉

Barely climbed at all in the last year, must get back into it.

Got the bug well and truly. Hate heights though which is maybe why I got a buzz from it. Out on bike today and was just thinking about climbing. Another outlet for cash wasting. I f**ing loves it I do. Come on postie. 😀

I used to climb, hence the name.

Like riding I was crap at that as well, but I've spent too much on biking to give it up 😆

Bored of spending money on bikes now so it's great although climbing is a lot cheaper.

Hate heights though which is maybe why I got a buzz from it.

Same here – I ended up bouldering 90% of the time. For bouldering chat, check out http://ukbouldering.com/board/

Ok to save me looking a fool on UKC, do Real climbers frown at gri gri's and use atc's or is it just a personal thing. Using one the other day and they seem to make a lot of sense but looking around at the gym rats they all used tubulars.

Gri gri's – Think on here of asking "Do real mtbers frown at singlespeeds?", or "Do real mtbers frown at gears?", to get an idea of the response 🙂

Can of worms yeah.

IMO-A Gri-gri is appropriate at the wall or sport climbing. Its slick and, if used properly, fail-safe (handy when easily distracted at he wall). Where as an atc is simple, cheaper and shouldn't be a problem if you use it correctly.

Gri Gri fine at the wall, don't use it outside unless you're sport climbing. (Mainly because most climbers tends to use double ropes outside).
If you like shiny things climbing is not cheap what with cams at £40 each plus a krab.

There's a few people use them at Leeds wall, usually the good climbers, so I don't think they're frowned upon. I always thought they were a bit of a poseurs kit, for people with more money than sense, totally unnecessary. So it's the sort of thing that a STW mountain biker would buy immediately. 😉

Agree with the guys above, I've never seen them used outdoors.

Never used one, but I think it can be summerised as when used correctly it is very good, or not. When used incorrectly they are very bad, or not.
Which is true of pretty much anything, the problem being (or not being) that it can be very convienent to use them incorrectly.

Its slick and, if used properly, fail-safe (handy when easily distracted at he wall).

Isn't this attitude the whole problem with them? 😉

Mate you really are overthinking this, I worked at a wall for years and no way would give a turkey what you used. I cant ever remember anyone even making a comment, use what your happy/feel safe using. Gri Gri's are great if used properly for sport climbing, in the hands of a complete novice they can be dangerous for the climber as rope can pay out very quickly, bit like any other friction device. Basically be vigillant about your belaying, pay attention to the climber, always keep a hand on the dead rope and check each others knots / buckles etc and you will have a great time.

Agree with Liquid, learn how to use the kit.

Any probs…get a bouldering mat 😀

As said above, Grigris are fine. Like anything, they can be used incorrectly, but are the ideal belay device in certain situations once you're used to them. Nothing to do with posing – if you're working a sport route it makes far more sense to use one than to use a 'normal' belay plate.

If you've never seen one used outside, I'm guessing you climb trad more than sport.

As for forums, again, as mentioned above, either UKC or UKbouldering. The latter is way more amusing.

Cheers peeps. Ordered 😉

go bouldering – on the whole the folks are more chilled out, take the piss more and are less like ramblers with a pair of kamet joshua trees instead of brashers

many years of sport/trad/bouldering and mountaneering until bouldering finally killed my fingers 😥

anyone want a sh*t load of bouldering kit and climbing shoes?

yep im a climber…. tho since getting my new bike in may, i dont climb much anymore..oh dear !
ive been to the Manchester climbing centre and scaled those high walls-gulp, thats hard work for a 5ft dwarf ! lol.. done alot of 'Bouldering' at 'Rochdale climbing wall'…and have bouldered and climbed outdoors ..but now my cycling has taken over…

oh yep i used to go to witches quarry (a limestone escarpment near clitheroe…did alot of top-roping there and also had my first taste of lead climbing…serious stuff…… oh and 'Boulder uk' at Blackburn is a top venue for the serious boulder and some famous dudes go there too.. yep if you dont like heights, then bouldering is the way to go.. i have also bouldered at Bridestones in the home of singletrack area !

grigri's are commonly seen on worked single pitch sports routes

seen some near misses – (but also with other devices) – but with grigri easy to be complacent with them and develop bad habits and what you can get away with varies by rope

http://www.petzl.com/en/outdoor/belay-devices/grigri includes a video

not from Evesham but have a mate who lives near there – theres a toproping wall just opened in the new leisure centre – down by the river somewhere

antigee – Member

grigri's are commonly seen on worked single pitch sports routes

seen some near misses – (but also with other devices) – but with grigri easy to be complacent with them and develop bad habits and what you can get away with varies by rope

http://www.petzl.com/en/outdoor/belay-devices/grigri includes a video

not from Evesham but have a mate who lives near there – theres a toproping wall just opened in the new leisure centre – down by the river somewhere
Posted 1 day ago # Report-Post
Yeah I've seen all the vids and read all the bumf on grigri's and the leisure centre is where I've been going.

no problem, glad you've bothered to read/watch – trouble is as you get older you worry more about people just going out and having a good time and learning the hard way

the more you climb the more you see bad belaying technique – sometimes taught, sometimes bad habit
and climbing is great

other wall my mate likes is in Worcester