Ghostdog

I really still want to get into rock climbing and because I have been so busy I have not had the time to actually get my **** out there.

I did however buy a chin up bar over 3 months ago which I have been using almost daily to build my upper body up in prep. I can do 5 1-armed chin ups now so I am quite strong now, the question is will this help me at all? I do the pull-ups with my finger tips pointing away from my body (cause if you think about it you dont climb a wall with your finger tips towards you) but what else can i do to help strength. I guess I need to do some more finger work?

SteveV-WRX

a good climber uses mostly legs to climb and arms to balance.

work it out, you couldnt walk up a hill doing a hand stand so how do you expect to pull yourself up a cliff

finger strength is important especially on technical climbs, but if your starting off its not so important as finding your natural balance.



[Edited by SteveV-WRX - 8/28/2003 11:00:53 AM]

Ghostdog

Surely a good climber has great upper body strength in combination with legs?

andys

http://www.bodyresults.com/

SteveV-WRX

im not saying it isnt important, far from it, but the main propulsion is going to come from your legs.

ive been climbing for 6/7 years and used to do it very seriously, in that time ive seen all shapes and sizes become very good climbers. but, flexibility and balanced combined with a very good power to weight ratio is what i've found to work out best IMHO.

i've been able to do 1000 ft+ climbs that bigger blokes than me (im about 11 stone) couldnt do due to not being able to have the endurance to last (i also used to do cross country)
but on the flip side, i havent been able to do some climbs, physically because my upperbody strength wasnt upto it.

but anyway, my advice is to go into a climbing centre the british mountaineering council and have a go.

its a bit like scooby ownership, every person you meet will tell you something different, but its best to find whatever suits you and enjoy yourself. the is nothing to beat the feeling of sitting on a ledge 800 ft up looking out over the welsh country side and knowing you've managed to get up without killing yourself!

hth

Steve

Dark

iTrader: (1)

Good upper body strength will obviously help but there is no better training then climbing itself. Anyone not used to climbing will find that their finger strength is actually pretty poor and that their forearms get "pumped" amazingly quickly.

It also depends upon what sort of climbing you plan to do. Climbing at an indoor wall is usually very safe with either a top rope or bolts to protect a fall. Climbing outside, leading and placing your own protection is an entirely different game with a high risk of injury if you fall off.

To safely climb outside you need to climb with your head, start off on easy climbs and have somebody who knows what they are doing to teach you.

Regards, Mark

LG John

Bloody hell! That is an impressive strength to weight ratio you have mate well done

Ghostdog

HEEE-MAAAAAAAAAN

lol

LanciaChris

Sorry to disappoint, but one armed chin ups are fully the realm of what me & climbing mates call 'strong boys'. The term describes people who are bloody strong, but cant climb hard because they dont use their legs or balance.

My advice to you is to get a harness, a rope and some gear (a set of rocks and a few slings should be adequate to begin with) then get outside and do some climbing you can buy the guidebooks for everywhere at outdoors shops or from places like outside.co.uk As a rough idea of what to begin with, heres my description of the grades.

Mod - walk
Diff - walk uphill
V.Diff - walk uphill with very easy climbing involved
Severe - easy climbing
Very Severe - climbing
Hard Very Severe to about E4 - hard climbing
E5+ death inducing

Whereabouts in the country do you live? Ive done a fair bit of climbing in north wales, a little in the lakes and ive been to font
- and should be going again soon.

Ghostdog

Gimmie some E5+ action

Ghostdog

More seriously I want to get into indoor climbing type of climb, not walking up some grass bank then scrabbling over a few lumps of granite. So vertical climbs really which I KNOW you need good upper body strength as in some circumstances you dont have anything to put your feet on! Does anyone do that type of climbing here?

I dig them cool rubber shoes too

Dark

iTrader: (1)

LanciaChris

I think there will be a lot of blokes with beards at the BMC who will disagree with your description of the grades!

The majority of climbers in the UK (ie: >50%) probabily lead HS or below. Much fewer people lead VS and upto E2/3. The actual number leading E4 and above is tiny.

I'm talking about outside climbs using natural protection, not a climbing wall with bolts every 5ft.

Regards, Mark

Dark

iTrader: (1)

Ghostdog

There is always something to put your feet on, you just have to be creative!

If you only want to climb indoors then find a local climbing wall and enrole on a beginners course. This will teach you how to safely tie into a rope and belay. After that you'll be free to thug your way up any number of steep, overhanging routes and demonstrate your prowess!

Mark

LanciaChris

I would recommend outdoor climbing over indoor - its so much more fun - indoor means you get choked with chalk dust, horribly greasy holds from the millions of people, unchanging terrain and the view of a bunch of scaffolding with some panels stuck to it.
Outside means stunning unspoilt(mostly) terrain, fresh air, far less queueing and the exposure and amazing feeling when youve gotten to the top, unlike indoors where you get to the top, inhale some more chalk dust, cough, then get lowered back down again. Of course, its still how most people get started climbing, so I suppose I shouldnt slag it off too much, but im never going back

As for the grading, I find the grades to be amazingly inconsistent. At a point where I had only seconded, I was comfortably seconding VS/HVS, which I thought felt about right. Then I went soloing on a day when my mate was too busy being on the phone to belay me. I went up a vs and a severe no problem, then got told 'try that one then' by my mate. I tried it, it was tricky but not truly hard. Got to the top and he told me it was e3 6a! felt more like a vs 5a to me! (yes, checked the guidebook). I still very much enjoy climbs like v.diffs though, its all good!

obi

Ghostdog

Upper body strength will help in certain circumstances but it is no substitute for technique and good footwork. Watch any very competent climber and you'll notice that even in the steepest terrain they're making use of footholds etc. Reason is simple..if my foot is on a hold then its weight off my hands and the conservation of my energy is an important skill. A strong and 'bulked up' upper body may also have further disadvantages in that it is prodominately fast twitch muscle fibre which may offer explosive power but has no endurance. So after a couple of minutes it becomes usless weight that has to be carried by your slow twitch endurance muscles for the rest of the route or until you reach a position of repose( yes - this is a very simplistic view). These days the usual route into the sport is to get lessons at you local climbing wall and then link up with other users there. Most users are friendly (competitive) and will suggest some routes to try (sandbag you). Climbing walls usually offer Technique Modules and these are very good value when you're beginning, plus you'll meet other climbers on the course who may go on to become climbing friends. Enjoy yourself..have fun and develop you whole body...being a 'bumpy boy' isn't necessarily going to make you a good climber.

ps: a one arm pull up is ok but a one finger one arm pull up...now thats when you've built up a modicum of strength.
pps: Don't even think about it until you've built up you're tendons because it will DEFINATELY end in tears

blueE9

i enjoy my climbing and have learned to use trad gear in the last couple of years, but retain a slightly woosy sport-climbing preference. Is this maybe because there is more sport climbing where it's sunny (France, Spain, Italy), and less where beard wearing and too much gear chat is mandatory ( here!).

Never mind the one-armed chins in my opinion (tho it's impressive I'll give you that), but get down the climbing wall and then outside as quick as poss. The climbing wall is the place to hook up with others for trips anyway.

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

I wish I could do 5 both arm chin ups!

Don't mind the knockers Ghostdog, you obviously sound commited to developing you strength and skill and you'll get there in the end. Prolly time to start on a training wall though now you've got some strength, time to develop the technique

jjones

wanking is good for wrist strength.

Franx

I'd say you might be better finding a good indoor place to begin with, then once you have a bit of confidence, maybe think about going on one of the outdoor climbing weekends run by such places.
That would tend to be easier than learning stuff outside - although it's better, it can be a bit offputting, when bits of rock fall off in your hand etc.....
Where abouts are you anyway? There are hundreds around the country to chose from, so that shouldnt be a problem.

LanciaChris

'it can be a bit offputting, when bits of rock fall off in your hand etc.....'

Nah, thats all part of the fun! especially when youve just done a move where you put all your weight on it, then accidentally tap it as you move off and it falls

Of course, indoors you just have to put up with holds spinning round. Although come to think of it I have seen an indoor hold break.

And another great aspect of climbing is that the roads to get to crags tend to be wicked twisty a-road stuff. Then theres the occasional straight (anybody know that one near transfyndd in wales? my friend with the alfa, and the speeding tickets, has seen 127 on that! Irresponsible yes, but it is a big straight road with no houses and perfect visibility for at least 5 miles.