Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin

[30calDeath]

So for the past year and some change I have been doing the traditional gym route a solid 5 days a week. Just recently a buddy of mine quit and has has started in-door rock climbing. I think I am going to go this route, it is about $20 more a month than what I am paying now at 24hour fitness. The initial investment is about $400 give or take including membership at the in-door rock climbing gym. For about the past year I have been wanting to rock climb but didn't know what steps to take so when I get back from Idaho come beginning of November I am going to make the switch. Does anybody here at the 'Hide in-door rock climb? How do you like it? I figure this could be an awesome skill to have in my tool box.

 

[bjdm151]

Re: Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin

I haven't done it seriously sinc high school. Seriously lots of fun. As long as you are still getting in some other cardio It should be fine.

 

[45.308]

Re: Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin

Yes I have gym climbed, not extensively but I have. I did not enjoy the time I spent climbing inside. Loud music, nothing to look at but walls, stinky air, I am not a GriGri lover due to my traditional and alpine skills, some or most of the rules are ridiculous but I know and understand the legal ramifications when someone sues because they did something stupid not the gyms fault, one gym's climbing guru yelling to stay on route, do not touch the yellow, you are climbing red, you have to start over, absolutely stupid so I never went back. The main gym I visited had free weights and machine area too. My view would come from 2 different questions:

Gym climbing for exercise, if you go to a gym now the atmosphere will probably not bother you. Repetitive muscle movement will gain strength but most body movement is pulling not pushing and as your progress you can see some flexibility gains. The main gym I went too would at least let us do speed laps on 5.8 routes, we would climb up and down as fast as possible, still not much for cardio though. But if you want to gain muscle mass and strength, stay in a traditional gym.

Gym climbing for climbing skills, does not cross over. Skills for traditional climbing and alpine are very different, way too much to cover here but inside everything is given for you, outside you must access, know, understand, route find and build safety. A 5.10 route inside is nothing like a 5.10 traditional route that is much harder. I have seen many gym climbers move outside and do very unsafe things, like back clipping, not protecting anchors creating fall factor 2 (you cannot physically have a fall factor 2 but it is what it is called), single anchor point, and of the biggest skills is escaping the belay, because they have no idea. Obviously you would gain some climbing knowledge, more than you have now but gym climbing is very safe with minimal true climbing skills.

If you want skills for outdoor climbing, take a climbing course.

As far as gear, an expensive diaper sling harness like Black Diamond Alpine BOD will work just fine and save you money, not as comfortable as a full padded swami with leg loops though. Shoes are very personal but get the right fit and shoe. Most first time and second time shoe buyers get shoes way too big but you do not need 5.14 tight. Uncomfortable tight and pain tight get blurred when it comes to climbing shoes.

But, get rules and gear rules from what ever gym you plan to use before buying gear.

If you want and/or need help, let me know.

 

[30calDeath]

Re: Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin

Thanks 45.308, you sure seem to know what you are talking about. I appreciate the insight, ultimately I would love to be able to transition to the outdoors safely. I am sure it is a never ending process learning wise, I def need to know all these 5.10 "acronyms" though. Maybe some additional info I can read up on, websites possibly?

 

[bjdm151]

Re: Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin

45,

We used to hae a decent gym here in town. The owner was a trad guy, pretty cool guy. I had moved away for a few years and when I came back it was no more. Long story short, somebody though this town was big enough for two gyms and neither one survived.

Have you been out to the Red yet?

Sorry if this is a thread jack.

 

[30calDeath]

Re: Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bjdm151</div><div class="ubbcode-body">45,



Have you been out to the Red yet?

</div></div>

What is the Red?

 

[bjdm151]

Re: Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin

Red River Gorge, KY. It has some of the most accesable climbing areas in the country and it has probably the highest concentration of routes in any one area. I would have to dig out the guide book to give you actual numbers and that just doesn't sound to apealing from the confines of my couch.

 

[Graham]

Re: Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin

I climb at an indoor gym in winter, and because there isn't any decent rock in Michigan. Most indoor climbing gyms don't have sufficient (competition) height and the movements always seem artificial to me: having to turn your body sideways because the wall is flat. It's better than nothing, and it is a specialized skill, but it isn't rock climbing - in some ways it's harder.

 

[hankpac]

Re: Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin

I agree with most of what 45/308 says. I am a former climber, and did some steep ground rescue in northern CA in my youth.
My son owns a bouldering gym in Birmingham AL. He has free weights, machines, and has a Cross-fit program as well. There is also a Yoga course in-house, taught by a solid rock climber.
They are near Horse Pens-40, a world class boulder area, as well as a state park whose name escapes me at the moment. When it is too cold or hot to climb outdoors, the place is packed.
I no longer climb at all, but from what I have seen, the guys who are most fit, my son among them, hit all three areas constantly (weights, walls, and yoga) and get outside at every chance. Watching some of the women hanging from their arms, with just one toe holding them against a overhang, is amazing, since their arms, and lats just POP! These young people are FIT.
1st Ave Rocks.

 

[45.308]

Re: Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KillZone45</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks 45.308, you sure seem to know what you are talking about. I appreciate the insight, ultimately I would love to be able to transition to the outdoors safely. I am sure it is a never ending process learning wise, I def need to know all these 5.10 "acronyms" though. Maybe some additional info I can read up on, websites possibly? </div></div>

Yosemite Decimal System is used in the States to grade rock climbs. Grade 1 - 5 ascending number gets harder and their is an A grade that is aid climbing. Grade 1 is a flat hike, 2 is a steep hike on or off trail. 3rd class is a very steep hike off trail, 4th class is scrambling where you may or may not require a rope but no protection is required. Grade 5 uses rope with protection because a fall would not make ones day happy. The decimal behind the 5 starts at .0 up to .15 now and then at .10 you get a,b,c,d. Some areas have a plus / minus 5.0 up to 5.9. A lot of outdoor gradings are subjective to the area and the climber who did the FA / first ascent. Some climbers over grade their skill and rating and some under grade. Usually a climbing area is fairly close to each other in grades and then again some others are all over the grading system.

Inside and outside grades do not correspond to each other. I am not a get off the couch 5.10 lead climber yet when I went to the climbing gym first time, I jumped on a 5.10 corner route as the first climb of the day and had no difficulties. Hardest rock climb I ever did was Air Monsters in Arizona rated at I think 5.12b/c and nothing in a gym compares.

Anchor - Where the rope is fixed into the terrain; tree, rock, ice, etc.

Belay - fixed anchor where the belayer keeps the lead safe, or suppose too.

Protection - anything put into the terrain where the rope is clipped to it to keep the lead safe. Cams, stopper, nuts, pitons, SLCD, tris, a host of names.

Carabiner, biner, krab - metal snap link used to clip rope into the protection and used for many other skills too.

Rope - what the name says but it must be dynamic (stretchy) lead rope (Kernmantle / core under sheath) not a static rope.

Friction Device or belay device - used to control the rope by adding friction against the rope, allowing the belayer to catch a falling climber and to lower a lead climber. Most can be used as a rappel device.

Rappel or rap - sliding down the rope, most dangerous skill in climbing.

Lead climbing or lead - climber who ascends and uses protection and the rope to keep them safe. Sharp end, pencil point, gunner, lead gun, all kinds of names. How the rope gets up there.

Second or seconding - climber who climbs up after the lead pulling the protection, belayed by the lead from the top.

Top rope or TR - rope is anchored at the top and climbers climb and can get lowered. Not to be confused with seconding.

Pitching or multipitch - more than one lead, like a 1000 foot tall wall and it requires multiple leads to reach the top one rope length at a time.

Most guides do not teach old traditional skills and gym instructors teach even less skills. First skills taught should be knots, hip belay, building an equalized anchor, and rappelling before ever going on. Most guides have lost the skills and use nothing but GriGri and I understand most guide insurance requires the hand off lock up feature of the GriGri but what if you drop it 5 pitches up? Drop the question to your guide or instructor, "how do I potential belay", if they know then they should have good skills, get a puzzled look, go home and get your coin back.

You know what they say, those who can do, those who cannot teach, I am in the later.

 

[45.308]

Re: Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bjdm151</div><div class="ubbcode-body">45,

We used to hae a decent gym here in town. The owner was a trad guy, pretty cool guy. I had moved away for a few years and when I came back it was no more. Long story short, somebody though this town was big enough for two gyms and neither one survived.

Have you been out to the Red yet?

Sorry if this is a thread jack. </div></div>

Yes, been to the Red but is was so freaking hot, had a hard time leaving the car just to get a peek. My climbing days are behind me, too old and fat now but I still get the amp at times to get out. I sold everything climbing related gear I had to make this move to KY.....big mistake.

Are there any good climbing gear shops here?

Good friends with Siri who owns ARG Alaska Rock Gym and she had many legal headaches. Why would anyone incorrectly tie a knot to their harness, fall and deck and then sue the gym for not keeping them safe? One reason I gave up guiding, people do very stupid things and then expect someone else to take the blame, saw it coming and decided to keep my house. I never had an injury more than a bruise. I guided for someone else for that reason but they had two guides, husband and wife that did a very dangerous skill killing two and hurting more so the director made is so restrictive that climbing there lost its adventure and fun. Guiding became babysitting for a bunch of yuppies. I had two up from Berkley Kali who did not know anything about the outdoors on a winter backpack trip, did some of the stupidest things, first night had to call safety and was darn near ready to send runners for help and/or make the mayday call on guard Icomm VHF. The days of true adventure and climbing are gone. Most charges who hire guides now are yuppies who have no desire to learn the skill and take if to new levels, more like a bucket list to take pictures and brag about while they sit around Starbucks.

I had one spoiled rich charge, this 10 year old up from the states LA I think and his older parents wanting to walk and do some climbing on a glacier, you have no idea what those two days were like. They hired me for their son and my second guide to take care of them....chairs with shade umbrellas and demanded tofu sandwiches and wheatgrass drinks. That is when the switch flicked and I started losing interest. And their toke was might small for the adventure I put together.

Ramble off, still love climbing and the outdoors!

 

[175G]

Re: Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KillZone45</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So for the past year and some change I have been doing the traditional gym route a solid 5 days a week. Just recently a buddy of mine quit and has has started in-door rock climbing. I think I am going to go this route, it is about $20 more a month than what I am paying now at 24hour fitness. The initial investment is about $400 give or take including membership at the in-door rock climbing gym. For about the past year I have been wanting to rock climb but didn't know what steps to take so when I get back from Idaho come beginning of November I am going to make the switch. Does anybody here at the 'Hide in-door rock climb? How do you like it? I figure this could be an awesome skill to have in my tool box. </div></div>

The first part of your post leads me to understand you will be doing it for fitness. The last part of your post leads me to understand you are interested in rock climbing as a skill. Obviously the other responders have more experience in rock climbing but in terms of a physical workout indoor rock climbing has been in my experience somewhat lacking in terms of conditioning if you are not doing anything else. When I was a little kid we would literally tie a rope to the base of a tree and with a running start leap off a cliff above the river when we were overseas and bounce down the side till we could fall into the river. Naturally when I got back to Australia as a teen I took up abseiling/rappelling which was not only incredibly fun but physically and mentally challenging (for me at least). When I came here I tried a number of times indoor rock climbing and found it boring and somewhat unchallenging not to mention the nazi-ish way the indoor gyms are run (with good reason - liability at all what have you). If you are having fun with it then that's awesome but from a fitness perspective strictly indoor climbing after sometime might not cut it.

 

[Graham]

Re: Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin

Climbing gyms are fine for developing endurance, skill, and gymnastic technique - all of which you can also get from bouldering outside at your local crag.

An indoor gym can't give you either exposure or the commitment level that comes with runout.

Keep in mind that, like .45.308 said, all climbing grades are subjective and ususally decsribe the crux of the route in the opinion of its FA climber: a 5.12a with sustained 5.10 climbing and 140' of runout on natural pro two piches up is not the same route in terms of difficulty as is a single move 12a bolt route. That, and the same route might not be a 12a to a climber who is five feet seven inches tall if the climb was bolted by a six-footer.

I prefer the European grading system because it includes an extreme rating: E76C is more descriptive to me.

 

[30calDeath]

Re: Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin


The first part of your post leads me to understand you will be doing it for fitness. The last part of your post leads me to understand you are interested in rock climbing as a skill. [/quote]

Yes this is exactly what I meant. Thanks for all who have replied so far it has been a big help!!!

 

[bjdm151]

Re: Bye bye traditional gym hello In-Door rock climbin

45.

Yea, the Gorge can get a little steamy.

There are two decent shops here in town. Phillip Galls is of New Circle in the woodhill shopping center and the other on other is J+H Landmark on moore drive just off nicholasville rd north of the circle. Now remenber when I say decent shops I mean for a town of 400,000 an hour away from the climbing. You can get mostly whatever sport gear you need and a decent bit of trad gear. These are not, however, the well stocked outfitter shops you would find in large cities or even a smaller city out west.

If your in the Gorge don't forget to stop by Miguel's Pizza. Awesome pizza, free(?) camping, and a small selection of gear.

For more info check out rrgcc.org (red river gorge climbers coalition) or if you like the typical mixed retardedness and intelligence of a forum check out redriverclimbing.com