Rock climbing // Lead, Boulder, Alpine

[Kasper]

Any rock climbers on here?
Quite a few new events happening recently and I thought we could use a thread to discuss all sort of climbing related stuff, competitions, new routes etc. or just share cool videos.
After Ondra redpointed the first 9c in history two weeks ago, Margo Hayes just sent the second female 9a+ (and quite a famous one in Realization/Biographie) after she already did the first one earlier this year. Would be cool if someone recorded both full climbs to see a video soon.

Does anyone follow IFSC events? Not a big competition fan but live atmosphere is mostly great and the events entertaining

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I go bouldering a couple of time a week. I fecking love it. My number one hobby since a gammy knee forced me to stop playing soccer. I don't watch many comps but watched most of the recent IFSC bouldering event in Munich because one of the setters from my gym was competing. Found it quite addictive to watch. The official stream was crap though. Kept cutting out. The atmosphere looked INCREDIBLE. Guess it helped that a German won!

 

[RDCR07]

I just started bouldering last week. It was a 2nd date. Got hooked the first time I tried it. Just signed up for a monthly membership. But not knowledgeable enough to watch events and stuff on TV.

 

[Kasper]

I go bouldering a couple of time a week. I fecking love it. My number one hobby since a gammy knee forced me to stop playing soccer. I don't watch many comps but watched most of the recent IFSC bouldering event in Munich because one of the setters from my gym was competing. Found it quite addictive to watch. The official stream was crap though. Kept cutting out. The atmosphere looked INCREDIBLE. Guess it helped that a German won!

Funny that you say that as it's quite similar in my case. Used to climb a bit as a kid as my parents used to do it regulary but kind of lost interests in my teens (probably the classic 'refused to like what parents like' reaction). But after different injuries or problems from playing field hockey, football and basketball, I stopped doing those regulary and now climbing is probably my number one hobby again. It's one of those sports that barely has any negative long term impacts on the body, perfect for crap joints or ligaments like I have.

As for the IFSC, I agree, they're still a bit amateurish in lot of their events, if I remember correctly the stream stopped at the Munich event at the right moment when the winner Jan Hoyer did the deciding boulder? A friend of mine was there and he said the atmosphere that moment was brilliant.

 

[Kasper]

I just started bouldering last week. Got hooked the first time I tried it. Just signed up for a monthly membership. But not knowledgeable enough to watch events and stuff on TV.

Tbf it's not really a sport where being knowledgeable helps a lot. The pro's make the boulders/clims look so easy, one has no idea how hard they actually are. When I watch videos I've mostly no idea what grade that is if it weren't for the video title but just the atmosphere is often great by itself:
Hazel Findlay is amazing btw. at 3:04 in that video: "it's all a bit shit really" "best just not to fall"

 

[Balu]

As for the IFSC, I agree, they're still a bit amateurish in lot of their events, if I remember correctly the stream stopped at the Munich event at the right moment when the winner Jan Hoyer did the deciding boulder? A friend of mine was there and he said the atmosphere that moment was brilliant.

The atmosphere at the bouldering events in Munich is always incredible. Probably impossible to top the World Championship in 2014 though, when Jule Wurm and Jan Hoyer were on the wall for the 4th boulder at the same time with the chance to win it. That was absolutely intense. Innsbruck is also amazing and well worth the trip.

Climbing and bouldering are truely awesome sports. Besides the actual physical activity, which is so much fun, demanding and rewarding in so many ways, it's such a wonderful community and so easy to connect to other people whereever you go. Can't recommend it enough, no matter if you prefer indoor or outdoor.

 

[schwalbe]

Started bouldering around two years ago. Unfortunately injured my arm in january last year and couldn't really go since then.

I go bouldering a couple of time a week. I fecking love it. My number one hobby since a gammy knee forced me to stop playing soccer. I don't watch many comps but watched most of the recent IFSC bouldering event in Munich because one of the setters from my gym was competing. Found it quite addictive to watch. The official stream was crap though. Kept cutting out. The atmosphere looked INCREDIBLE. Guess it helped that a German won!

The atmosphere at the bouldering events in Munich is always incredible. Probably impossible to top the World Championship in 2014 though, when Jule Wurm and Jan Hoyer were on the wall for the 4th boulder at the same time with the chance to win it. That was absolutely intense. Innsbruck is also amazing and well worth the trip.

Climbing and bouldering are truely awesome sports. Besides the actual physical activity, which is so much fun, demanding and rewarding in so many ways, it's such a wonderful community and so easy to connect to other people whereever you go. Can't recommend it enough, no matter if you prefer indoor or outdoor.

Which gyms are you going to?

 

[Balu]

Which gyms are you going to?

I don't live in Munich anymore. Used to climb at Heaven's Gate, which is closed at the moment as far as I know.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Started bouldering around two years ago. Unfortunately injured my arm in january last year and couldn't really go since then.



Which gyms are you going to?

I climb at a gym in Dublin, Ireland called “The Wall”. I’m in Berlin all week this week so have checked out a couple of gyms here; Boulderklub and Bouldergarten. Both excellent.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

The atmosphere at the bouldering events in Munich is always incredible. Probably impossible to top the World Championship in 2014 though, when Jule Wurm and Jan Hoyer were on the wall for the 4th boulder at the same time with the chance to win it. That was absolutely intense. Innsbruck is also amazing and well worth the trip.

Climbing and bouldering are truely awesome sports. Besides the actual physical activity, which is so much fun, demanding and rewarding in so many ways, it's such a wonderful community and so easy to connect to other people whereever you go. Can't recommend it enough, no matter if you prefer indoor or outdoor.

This is very true. I generally loathe small-talk and hate meeting new people but often go bouldering on my own and invariably end up working on problems together with other folk in the gym. Trying to work out the perfect beta for a really tough problem is a great ice-breaker.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Funny that you say that as it's quite similar in my case. Used to climb a bit as a kid as my parents used to do it regulary but kind of lost interests in my teens (probably the classic 'refused to like what parents like' reaction). But after different injuries or problems from playing field hockey, football and basketball, I stopped doing those regulary and now climbing is probably my number one hobby again. It's one of those sports that barely has any negative long term impacts on the body, perfect for crap joints or ligaments like I have.

As for the IFSC, I agree, they're still a bit amateurish in lot of their events, if I remember correctly the stream stopped at the Munich event at the right moment when the winner Jan Hoyer did the deciding boulder? A friend of mine was there and he said the atmosphere that moment was brilliant.

Yep. It looked almost un-sendable too. Nobody else came close to working it out. Then the stream died right before he walked out and flashed it. Annoying.

 

[RDCR07]

Tbf it's not really a sport where being knowledgeable helps a lot. The pro's make the boulders/clims look so easy, one has no idea how hard they actually are. When I watch videos I've mostly no idea what grade that is if it weren't for the video title but just the atmosphere is often great by itself:

No I meant if you have do climb then you can get an idea of the technique they use and the hand/foot placements. Right now if I watch it, I will just think they are using body strength to get from point A to B when clearly thats not the case.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

No I meant if you have do climb then you can get an idea of the technique they use and the hand/foot placements. Right now if I watch it, I will just think they are using body strength to get from point A to B when clearly thats not the case.

You’d be surprised how much you can learn from watching good climbers. Even if the subleties of their technique go over your head you’ll soon spot patterns of movement that you can use for yourself.

 

[RDCR07]

You’d be surprised how much you can learn from watching good climbers. Even if the subleties of their technique go over your head you’ll soon spot patterns of movement that you can use for yourself.

But as a beginner, I only use the V.0 and V.1 routes for bouldering. The climbers' routes are way too advanced to follow a similar hold or foot placement.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

But as a beginner, I only use the V.0 and V.1 routes for bouldering. The climbers' routes are way too advanced to follow a similar hold or foot placement.

Ok, fair enough. Keep it up and you'll be flying up through the grades fairly quickly. Newbie gains definitely applies!

 

[Pogue Mahone]

But as a beginner, I only use the V.0 and V.1 routes for bouldering. The climbers' routes are way too advanced to follow a similar hold or foot placement.

Also. Watch this. Especially the episodes about flagging, outside edge and drop knee. Essential viewing.

 

[Snowjoe]

Been considering doing some bouldering for some extra grip and back work outside of the gym. Plus the one time I did it it was super fun.

 

[Man of Leisure]

I don't do any climbing but happened to catch Meru around a month ago on tv and was fascinated. The three main guys (Jimmy Chin, Conrad Anker, and Renan Ozturk) were so badass. Inspiring to watch. Got a question for you climbers... Would Alex Honnold be able to do what they did? I would assume that what he does would be more difficult since he goes out without any gear, but is that necessarily the case? There's gotta be something to be said for freezing your bollocks off and starving, sleeping on the side of a cliff. Or would it be a case of, neither being able to do what the other does?

 

[RDCR07]

Also. Watch this. Especially the episodes about flagging, outside edge and drop knee. Essential viewing.

Does outside climbing skills apply to indoor too?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Does outside climbing skills apply to indoor too?

Absolutely. Although there are skills you need when climbing with ropes (knots etc.) that obviously don’t apply when climbing without.

You also tend to need more stamina when climbing with ropes and more power when bouldering but the basics of hand and foot placement are more or less identical. With a little added flair!

 

[FCBarca]

My wife is an Alpiniste and loves this. Me, much less but mainly due to fear of heights. Indoor climbing walls & boulders/cubes on the other hand I enjoy to some extent. It's very popular here, especially Via Ferratas

 

[Kasper]

I don't do any climbing but happened to catch Meru around a month ago on tv and was fascinated. The three main guys (Jimmy Chin, Conrad Anker, and Renan Ozturk) were so badass. Inspiring to watch. Got a question for you climbers... Would Alex Honnold be able to do what they did? I would assume that what he does would be more difficult since he goes out without any gear, but is that necessarily the case? There's gotta be something to be said for freezing your bollocks off and starving, sleeping on the side of a cliff. Or would it be a case of, neither being able to do what the other does?

The bolded part is the answer I'd say. Most professional climbers/mountaineers are quite good in all sort of disciplines - compared to the average. But they're specialists in something for a reason. With a bit of training Honnold might be able to do the stuff the others do, a lot of sport climbers go more the alpine mountaineering way in their later years.

 

[RDCR07]

Absolutely. Although there are skills you need when climbing with ropes (knots etc.) that obviously don’t apply when climbing without.

You also tend to need more stamina when climbing with ropes and more power when bouldering but the basics of hand and foot placement are more or less identical. With a little added flair!

Dang! Those outside climbs look so dangerous. Anywho just signed up for a monthly membership yesterday. Time to buy shoes and chalk.

 

[Piratesoup]

I've never climbed so obviously I know nothing, but Ondra has amazed me for years. What a freak. More impressive than any track and field athlete in my book.

 

[Dargonk]

Is there any actual difference between bouldering and climbing? First time I've come across the term bouldering.

 

[mitChley]

Is there any actual difference between bouldering and climbing? First time I've come across the term bouldering.

Bouldering is usually only up to ~25 feet (at the very most), and involves no harnesses.

Bouldering routes are often much shorter, more dynamic and more powerful.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Is there any actual difference between bouldering and climbing? First time I've come across the term bouldering.

Bouldering means climbing without ropes at heights that won’t kill you if you fall. It’s called bouldering because people often climb big boulders, rather than cliffs. It’s a really popular form of indoor climbing because specialised gyms have padded floors which means you can rock up and climb without any need for another person to hold a rope (belay) to keep you safe.

Free-solo climbing is climbing without ropes at a height that will kill you if you fall. Alex Honnold is the most famous exponent. And also not a normal human.


High-ball bouldering is climbing without ropes at a height that probably won’t kill you (just feck you up)

 

[Dargonk]

thanks for that @Pogue Mahone and @mitChley

From the sounds of it, bouldering would be fairly fun.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

thanks for that @Pogue Mahone and @mitChley

From the sounds of it, bouldering would be fairly fun.

It’s fantastic fun. Gets you strong as feck too. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

 

[RDCR07]

It’s fantastic fun. Gets you strong as feck too. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

My arms are on fire man. The feck did I get myself into? Like I am not able to drive the car back home after climbing. Is it supposed to hurt like that or am I doing something wrong?

 

[Ainu]

I go bouldering twice a week and have been for about 1.5 years now. I started off going just once a week and progressing very slowly but since I committed to it and went the extra time a week I've been completely addicted to it. There's nothing quite like nailing a tricky route you've been working on for a while. Overhangs still wear me out way quicker than I'd like though.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

My arms are on fire man. The feck did I get myself into? Like I am not able to drive the car back home after climbing. Is it supposed to hurt like that or am I doing something wrong?

Only the first 2 or 3 times. Settles down after that. Next bit of physical drama will be waitig for the skin on your hands to toughen up. A few weeks of blisters and flappers then you’re good to go. Won’t have much pain to deal with from then on.

 

[Kasper]

Amazing how quick things go forward, just a month ago when I started this thread Margo Hayes sent her second 9a+ and now Angela Eiter has climbed the first female 9b with La planta de shiva, a route that is even regarded as one of the harder 9bs around by the only two people to climb it before her sent (Ondra and Schubert).

Outstanding achievement, I mean there are about a dozen of people on the planet to have climbed 9b and only two (Ondra and Sharma) have done a harder grade.

I've never climbed so obviously I know nothing, but Ondra has amazed me for years. What a freak. More impressive than any track and field athlete in my book.

His determination, training mentality and allround ability (as in rock climbing, competition, bouldering) is incredible, I wonder how far he can push the climbing boundaries. I mean he was already the best climber in the world five years ago and still managed to improve. He has certainly surpassed Güllich as the GOAT, although Güllich will always remain as the mythical sport climbing defining figure for me.

 

[Ish]

Great sport and pretty difficult as well. Though a friend of mine (more a high school friend, and we weren't that close since we graduated) passed away July this year from the impact of a climbing accident/fall. She was 31 years old.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

This is quite cool/interesting. The above two videos show the setters putting up problems for the Legends Only event which will be live-streamed on youtube tomorrow night. It's a a redpoint competition so they have three hours to practice four of the problems (which they're doing right now). Then there's a fifth, "secret" problem will be climbed onsight. A bunch of the best female boulderers are competing (Shauna Coxsey, Stasa Gejo, Petra Klingler, Mélissa Lé Nevé, Katja Kadic and Fanny Gibert) I find it fascinating to see the whole process of putting together the problems. They look insanely difficult too. Can't wait to see the pros have a crack at them.

 

[Buchan]

Not a rockclimber myself but I watched 'Meru' on Netflix the other day. Found it rather good, and I suppose even more interesting for those interested in the discipline.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Not a rockclimber myself but I watched 'Meru' on Netflix the other day. Found it rather good, and I suppose even more interesting for those interested in the discipline.

Cool. Just put it on “The List”. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Buchan]

Cool. Just put it on “The List”. Thanks for the heads up.

No worries, mate. I thoroughly enjoyed it, I'm sure you will, too. Rock-climbers sure are teak-tough athletes.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

No worries, mate. I thoroughly enjoyed it, I'm sure you will, too. Rock-climbers sure are teak-tough athletes.

You might enjoy “Valley Uprising” too. Kind of a rock-climbing history lesson but way less dull than that sounds!

 

[Buchan]

You might enjoy “Valley Uprising” too. Kind of a rock-climbing history lesson but way less dull than that sounds!

I've started that, would you believe? I don't know how those folk do it. So much admiration for them.