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Mountain Climbing and Rock Climbing...do you do both?

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 12:16 pm
by emmieuk
So I am thinking of trying some indoor rock climbing and build up some upper body strength to help when climbing mountains...

who here does the two?? do you feel they benefit the other?

Discuss please...Im kind of in two minds...

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:17 pm
by Sierra Ledge Rat
Bouldering of any kind - indoor or out - goes a long way towards building forearm, hand and finger strength.

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:31 pm
by emmieuk
is it quite common then that mountain climbers also rock climb???

I am trying to convince myself I can afford the two interests because I have to ;) lol

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:36 pm
by Nanuls
Sure you can do both; lots of the skills are transferable anyway. Personally I prefer rock climbing, but that’s largely because the mountains around here aren’t that hard. If winter conditions prevail though, what I do is closer to mountaineering.

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:36 pm
by Nanuls
Also, you have great rock climbing just down the road, why not give it a go?

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:38 pm
by kamil
Training in a climbing gym will surely help you.
I used to go sport climbing a lot in the past and worked out in a climbing gym a lot for this purpose. That helped me later on with leading some bold trad routes when I lived in UK (of course 1-2 grades below my max on bolted ones) and still helps me feel confident on an alpine climb with chossy rock and shite pro :)

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:49 pm
by Jukka Ahonen
I started with rock climbing and indoors climbing years ago. I guess I still have some way to go before I get onto mountains which require any of the technical skills or upper body strength.

There is one added benefit, and that is getting used to ropes and other gear.

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:02 pm
by emmieuk
thanks guys

yeah dan awesome walls is meant to be pretty good for beginners...my trouble is that I am an absolute beginner and know nada about rock climbing and I dont want to go along and look like the stupid girl...maybe they have girl instructors!

Before I go along are those beginners rock climbing dvds good to watch or just a waste of money??

Does this mean my nails have to now go ;) Nooooo :lol:

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:13 pm
by Sierra Ledge Rat
There is NOTHING better than alpine rock climbing.

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:38 pm
by Nanuls
emmieuk wrote:thanks guys

yeah dan awesome walls is meant to be pretty good for beginners...my trouble is that I am an absolute beginner and know nada about rock climbing and I dont want to go along and look like the stupid girl...maybe they have girl instructors!

Before I go along are those beginners rock climbing dvds good to watch or just a waste of money??

Does this mean my nails have to now go ;) Nooooo :lol:


Doesn't matter about being an absoulte beggener, you've got to start somewhere. As far as I know Awesome Walls do beginner courses and will provide all the gear you need so there's no commitment. They'll teach you how to belay and tie in and stuff, the safety asects basically.

Rock climbing is quite a different experience to indoor climbing though, I know people who've never climbed out side and don't want to. I wouldn't bother with any books or DVDs until you've given it a go, an actual instructor will teach you a lot more. Then you might have some idea if you've got the nails for it :wink:

If once you've done a course indoors and still want to try proper rock climbing, give me a shout, I know lots of great places to climb in Wales and am always looking for new people to climb with.

By the way did you get up Snowdon in the end?

Cheers
Dan

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:54 pm
by emmieuk
thanks everyone :)

Dan I will deffo give you a shout once I have done the basics lessons!

Went up snowdon yesterday :D Did the miners path...took about 2 hrs 50 to get up which was good going for me hehe. had great conditions sunny and cool...up the summit it was pretty cloudy and not a decent view but it was a good hike so thanks for all your help!!

Right - run tonight...gym tomorrow...need to shift from a size 10 to 8 now if I want to rock climb....but i dont want madonna arms and boy chest!

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:18 pm
by Jukka Ahonen
A few pointers for starting rock climbing / indoors climbing:

1) Dont bother trying to get fit before getting started with climbing. You will have more fun getting fit while climbing anyway. Unless you know very well what you are doing, gym training does not easily translate into climbing fit anyway (later on it will help you out more)

2) Size matters, but don't focus too much on it. I started climbing again after years of doing nothing but office work, and I was pretty big: 246 pounds to be exact. Was climbing hard? Yes. Would it stop me from climbing? No.

Most of the instructional stuff out there on the Net about getting started with sports climbing (I use the term loosely here) is not really for beginners. I think the stupidest thing the climbing industry has done is to make sports climbing into something mystical and almost magical. They try to tell you that you should read at least 4 different books, spend 6 weeks preparing yourself at the gym working out according this or that training program, attend a course with a personal instructor. And I say they just want your money.

When I get asked by people how to get started, I usually tell them to take their normal gym clothes and go to the nearest indoors bouldering gym. They usually rent you gear as well, and 12 £ or so should be enough to get you shoes, a chalk bag, and entrance. Since it is a bouldering gym, you dont have to worry about safety gear etc. You wont get more than few feet off the ground, and if you fall you will land of soft cushions. And if you were able to climb trees when you were 6, you will be able to do it again.

Once you are comfortable at a bouldering gym, you may wanna start top-roping and by this time a course is a good idea, even for just safety purposes.

Bottom line: dont make it too complicated. :)

(Oh, and one more thing: Dont worry about getting too much muscle or becoming Madonna. It just doesnt happen by accident.)

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:30 pm
by emmieuk
Dubzion thanks very much that is very encouraging!!

I will deffo look for a bouldering gym.. The indoor climbing centre by me goes very high and no landing on soft cusions.

I am going to try taking it very slowly because my fear of heights also needs to be battled but its all in the mind!

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:50 pm
by SpiderSavage
Lot's of rock climbing makes a better mountain climber. There are tricky bits up there.

Anything to build strength and endurance.

Also you should find steep and loose crappy piles of things and scramble up and down those. YOu have to be able to look at talus and know what will or won't go.

To improve your route finding skills any activity which requires rapid fire decision making:
Skiing moguls, trees, anything steep
Computer solitare played as fast as you can against a clock. Go for time period below one minute per game.
Talus running
High speed bicycle, or motor sports with obstacles.

climbing

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 5:09 pm
by pyerger
mountain climbing, and rock climbing, really complement each other well. I'm probably a mountaineer first, and a rock climber second. But since mountaineering can be seasonal. rock climbing can fill the gap. Plus you need both skills for doing any kind of alpine climbing.

Don't forget about ICE CLIMBING!