Any Fetchie (rock) climbers out there?
33 watchers
Sep 2011
8:56pm, 6 Sep 2011
17,078 posts
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idio
Anyone want a Troll harness in medium comes with a Karrimor chalk back,screw gate and belay device similar to this freewebs.com All i'm asking is £10 and thats including postage.
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Oct 2011
8:53am, 8 Oct 2011
2,236 posts
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emmie
Could anyone offer advice to a fledgling climber? I've been going twice a week for nearly a month and I'm progressing nicely. I do find that I get cramp in my hand during a long climb though. I assume this just means I haven't got the strength/endurance yet. Is there anything I can do? Incidentally, the cramp isn't painful, my hand just becomes very stiff.
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Oct 2011
9:02am, 8 Oct 2011
17,217 posts
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eL Bee!
emmie - lots of wrist curls. Forearm strength is the thing that limits most climbers |
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Oct 2011
9:49am, 8 Oct 2011
2,456 posts
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Mountain Cat
I disagree - it's highly unlikely that it's your strength that's holding you back. It sounds like you're overgripping, and if you've only beeen doing it for a month then it's likely that your technique needs work (this is true for most climbers, regardless of how long they've been at it). To start with, focus on climbing with your feet, and grip lightly with your hands. Twisting your body into the wall and good footwork will allow you to push far more of your weight through your legs and reduce the work your arms have to do. There are lots of good books / websites about how to improve your climbing technique out there - use those and follow the exercises/drills recommended. (The UKC website did a good series of articles on how to improve recently. There are also lots of good threads on UKC) Climb the full range of route types - aretes, slabs, mild overhangs, steep overhangs, walls. Play games with yourself like trying to climb one-handed, or trying to climb as quietly as possible. Don't worry about what people think, and feel and don't feel you need t constantly get on harder routes - time spent perfecting technique on easy routes is always worthwhile. Practice pivoting through your foot. As you continue climbing you will get stronger, but most climbers are definitely not held back by lack of strength. Of course when you move on to outdoor trad it'll be different again - there it's likely that your head will hold you back! |
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Oct 2011
9:57am, 8 Oct 2011
17,219 posts
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eL Bee!
MC - overgripping tends to happen when you tire, and the muscle group that tires first is the forearm and grip muscles. And a 'fledgling' climber will NOT have built up the strength and adaptation for climbing, and they will also not recover as quickly from the over-work. Of course overworking those is also related to technique, so work needs doing on all areas. In a way - the thing to do is just lots of regular climbing!! And a hour spent doing easy but completely controlled non-stop low level traversing will really improve both technique and strength. |
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Oct 2011
12:30pm, 8 Oct 2011
2,457 posts
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Mountain Cat
Overgipping is not just a product of tiredness (it can be due to unconcious fear, and the conviction that an iron-hard grip is needed for upward movement), and even if it were, the tiredness is likely to be due to poor technique. I see lots of novices who use their arms far more than needed, and tire themselves out as a result. I see very few novices who are tired solely due to lack of strength. Good technique conserves energy and lightens the load on your arms & hands. It's true that a novice won't have built up much strength yet, but a novice is likely to be on the easier routes. On easdier routes, strength should not be a limiting factor. I agree with your last statement though - climb lots, and practice technique on long traverses etc. (Bouldering areas are good for this). |
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Oct 2011
12:34pm, 8 Oct 2011
2,458 posts
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Mountain Cat
Bear in mind that Emmie has only been climbing 8 times (based on twice a week for a month). Strength training definitely isn't needed at that stage! Emmie - what grade are you climbing? Do you warm up and down (I.e. start and and finish on climbs at least 2 grades easier than your top grade)? Did you receive any advice on technique when you did an induction course at the wall? (I am assuming you've had the basic training) |
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Oct 2011
12:37pm, 8 Oct 2011
17,220 posts
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eL Bee!
MC - for sure, poor technique is a significant factor - and you see it in many people who would consider themselves to be experienced climbers.... and "forgetting that you have got feet" is the worst offender! 
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Oct 2011
7:59pm, 8 Oct 2011
2,237 posts
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emmie
Thanks for the advice! MC to answer your questions, I'd been climbing a few times with an instructor who gave me advice (often "you can stand on your feet all day, but how long can you stand on your hands?), then I signed up at this place. It's only bouldering, no ropes, so they don't require you to do a course. I warm up on a couple of grade 4 routes and this cramp is on a 5+ on a slanted wall so I'm not sure how I can put more weight on my feet! I've improved a lot over these past few weeks but obviously technique and strength both come with time and practice! eL Bee, it is definitely my forearms that feel this one! I'll try out wrist curls
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Oct 2011
8:08pm, 8 Oct 2011
17,226 posts
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eL Bee!
emmie, by turning sideways you can position yourself so that more of the weight is in your feet - and on an overhanging wall keeping your arms straight (so the pull is through your skeletal rather than your muscular system. BUT - overhanging stuff IS brutal on your arms, and they will tire quickly. So mix it up so that at you get back on to easy angled slabby stuff to rest your arms and don't overdo the 'grunty' stuff. Wrist curls - do lots of reps with light weights until your forearms 'burn' - up to 60-70 reps per set - 3 sets - and do them regularly initially. Because you are just starting out you need to strengthen and adapt the muscles and tendons before using heavier weight |
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