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@devnull Not THAT weird... I've done it deliberately occasionally on autobelays to work a move higher up the route.

First send vid of the year, inspired by the upcoming cave reset. Actually pretty doable if you're only mildly wasted and not completely boxed before you try it... There's probably a lesson in there, but damned if I can spot it
#Climbing #Bouldering #IndoorBouldering #ClimbingIsMyPassion #WeaAeSpiderClimbers

@Badgardener @devnull @thefifthseason So if you really suck at slopers and want to have a go try this:
Pull your shoulders up by your ears
Now roll them back and down as hard as you can manage.
Can you feel that muscle group engaged in the middle of your shoulders somewhere low between your scapulae?
Focus on that feeling for a mo.
Now completely relax your shoulders and, focussing on that feeling, try and engage just that muscle group without tensing the rest of your shoulders... Generally takes a bit of practice, but it *will* work eventually.
Once you got it, find a suitable, sucky sloper and hang off it, feeling as insecure as you usually do.
Tense that muscle group; if you're doing it right, your grip in the same position should suddenly feel a bit more secure.

Bonus short method of testing; Have a friend poke between your shoulderblades in that spot when you're hanging on a sloper - it should engage the right muscles whether you can find them or not.

/clickbait article over

@Badgardener @devnull @thefifthseason 100% ... But that's *any* hold; if you imagine a line between your contact point and centre of gravity, your weight (ignoring all other forces you're applying) is pulling/pushing along that line. If your CoG is futher out from the wall than the hold you're pulling on, you're at least in some way pulling *out*. If the hold doesn't have an edge like a sloper, it's harder to maintain friction in that direction.
I was specifically talking about the "applying friction" componant of slopers and it actually feels kinda weird when you first try it. (Now I sound like a clickbait article: "Hold onto slopers with this one weird trick"

@devnull @thefifthseason So I think I've said it here before, but I'll impart my (second hand from one of the best coaches I know) wisdom on slopers:
"You don't hold on to slopers with your hands; you hold on with the middle of your back."
Still possibly the silliest sentence (top 5 at least) that's been said to me that turned out to be true...

@thefifthseason Whatever fingerboarding protocol you use, remember to train the grip position you're interested in strengthening; iirc, gains only happen in approx 15-20 degrees variation from the grip angle you choose - i.e. training in half crimp does not have major gains for slopers, 3-finger drag, or open hand (or pinch for that matter - thumb strength is a whole other thing)

@jeztastic Looks like a press move. The key is generally to get the arm locked *before* you do the move and rotate into it, so:
1. Make sure you place your toes carefully so you can rotate on the right foot - you'll need to turn into the move towards the end
2. turn your left hand to palm the other way - i.e. fingers facing out so your shoulder is externally rotated
3. Ok, now for the move: Twist your left shoulder in towards the wall, externally rotating it until the elbow is locked out. To acheive this, you will need to bend your right knee and push your upper body forwards over that foot.
1/2

@devnull If you're confident to do both of those things, then dealer's choice. On balance, I'd probably pick up rather than down given cruxes are typically a few moves (here I'm kinda assuming you're not totally sandbagging your second with a route they have no chance of sending ). TBH before either of those things, I'd probably start by maybe sticking a prussic on for some leverage and see if I could aid my climber past the crux with a bit of extra support.

@devnull Short answer is "Yes".
Guide mode belay devices released by a 'biner are largely, due to the way the blocking works, an on/off proposition when it comes to the braking applied to the rope - it's very hard/all but impossible to control the lower well especially over long distances. In the "braking off" position, you're relying increasingly on strength for control, which gets worse the heavier the climber. There are various ways to mitigate this, but it required quite a bit of knowledge and practice to do safely.
This is not to say it's impossible to fully lower in guide mode, but not a great option.

So, once again I find myself lacking actual mountains for #MountainsWrapped 2024, but I think @bergmeister 's year's summary of the outdoors idea is great, so Imma go with it again with some crag pics from the year that have some meaning for me. Sparser pickings for me this year as I haven't got much outdoor climbing in for various reasons; mostly the fabulous British summer, my fave climbing partner heartlessly pushing off to another country for a few months, and me doing a bunch of training courses and assessments. This year included finishing my RCI - which would have appeared in this post but for the minor problems of not having any pics, finishing it in the p**sing rain, and Sheepstor being about the least mountainous place I've climbed. So here goes; meaning as well as description in the AltText
#Climbing #Kalymnos #Dewerstone #WintoursLeap #Trowbarrow #LimestoneClimbing #TradClimbing #SportClimbing #GraniteClimbing

@Badgardener @mootParadox That's how it starts... You find yourself thinking, "But it's so eeeasy to go sport climbing", and, "It's sooo much lighter; so much less gear to carry!". Before you know it, you'll be in a beanie with your shirt off, wrestling pebbles above an oversized mothercare play mat... Just say no!
(Confession: Me, I love the technical movement challenge of sport at my limit *shrug* just a shame that British sport climbing is a bit weak compared to its trad)