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@garretble Ah that makes more sense! Sounds like a good workout before you got chased off!

@garretble I'm guessing you toprope/boulder? Most gyms here you can get on lead routes even when it's crammed with kids - most of them don't tend to lead! Maybe more adults lead where you are and fill up those too?

@devnull Not all of them... There are 10 in total; 4 are rentable for short clip&climb sessions as well as general use, 2 are overflow. The other 4 are set mostly for experienced climbers and have draws.... But it's really handy as an coach for teaching lead and handy as a climber to get some stamina and clip position practice in at the same time...

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

@mrFred489 The cave always has a number of boulder routes as well as the "normal" boulder problems - 20-60 moves sometimes instead of the more normal 5-10. That one actually felt "short"*(ish) by comparison with some; the 6c (yellow that starts in much the same place but wanders more diagonally) felt like a teenager in a car - "Are we there, yet?"

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

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 @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)

@mootParadox @kodraus "Entrapment" has never been my problem with cracks... shredding my hands with sucky jamming technique, sure, but never got stuck in one

@kodraus Sadly it was done away with due to space issues, by my gym used to have 2 massive volumes that often got put up as the "Christmas Crack" that would have met all your chimnying needs

@jeztastic
2/2
4. Once the elbow is locked, engage your core and lift through the hip, pushing the hip upand the knee even more over the right foot, mantaining the tension between locked right arm and pressing right foot. Your left leg will come off the hold and dangle - it can be used for balance.
5. As the hip lifts, rotate your body back towards the left hand (be careful to keep your core tension and your hip as close to the line between hand and foot as possible. The left palm may rotate on the hold, the right foto definitely will. Keep lifting the hips and pushing your core back somewhat towards the foot.
6. If done correctly, you should end up more or less leaning forwards onto your left hand and should be able to bring the left foot up under it to the hold (or even a hand/foot match)
7. If you can't get the foot up high enough, push the hips back further, sliding them along the wall.

Hope that helps.

@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

@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)

@Badgardener It *is* a pretty epic line at the grade to be sure

@Badgardener Well spotted on the route btw...

@Badgardener Clearly you've never been to Wyndcliffe Quarry in the Wye, The Cuttings on Portland, or (especially) New Wall in Avon Gorge if you think that's polished! Still, it *was* a little slick in places... but as much down to being mildly damp air as the polish. The worst bit was the sheltered bit under the roof on Harijan and Hollow Earth that was all kinda damp-dusty.

@Badgardener Warmed up on Barrier Reef (fun), then did Harijan (definitely harder) after Jean Jeanie (both fab routes). Also seconded seconded Coral Sea, Hollow Earth and Assagai - all fun and wouldn't mind trying a lead on a less slippery day.