UKC

During the winter I spend my climbing time in a local climbing wall (Kings Lynn Leisure Center Hanger) with some climbing mates,its only a 7m wall so we spend our time working on techniques (we treat it as a bouldering wall). The routes are changed every fortnight or so but we want to find more to do at the gym. Any ideas/things you guys do?

In reply to mriches98:

Scotland. The lakes. Wales. Plenty of winter action.

In reply to mriches98:

Why not go climbing?

In reply to mriches98: Bit hard in my neck of the woods and due to family and work commitments during the winter to get away, so try to get to the gym as often as I can, just looking for more things to do whilst climbing indoors until spring/summer...

In reply to mriches98: try these out indoors pal

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16500&...

In reply to mriches98:

Is there anything in particular which makes climbing outside possible in the summer but not the winter? I live in London and get plenty of stuff done over the winter, just need to be careful with the weather forecast and the destination...

In reply to seankenny:Climbing outside in the winter is not for everyone!
Ideas to make your indoor session more interesting could be doing laps on routes for stamina training, try on-sight only to improve your on-sighting, and also try picking a route too hard normaly and work it by getting every move wired one at a time.
Also try getting to any other wall within reasonable distance.
I realise those ideas could make some peoples wall session even more boring but there you go!

In reply to mriches98:

If bored silly games...assuming the floor walkers let you get away with it, which is unfortunately rare nowadays.

Wall 'twister' is a bit of a laugh, you can get seriously pumped hanging on. Remember minutes count as much as moves when training, hanging on placing gear has nothing to do with technical moves, and a short wall will probably be giving you only stamina for short routes, so less moves and move time will help.

'Blindfold' climbing can teach you a lot about smooth balance transfer, and stop you doing the climbing wall institutional 'lunge and slap'...how often do you actually do a series of dynamic moves on rock......again its slower, so helps develop stamina. It also teaches spotters to clearly articulate instructions and communications. How often have you been reaching round a corner where you can't see but your second can, and all they have said is 'err no, no, no, up a bit, errr no....nearly, no ..aagh nearly, no'

'Clockface' you define a points of the clock around the wall, climber starts in the centre and then has to move to which ever hour the spotter chooses, in as near a direct line from their current position, till they fall off or get pumped. Benefit, climbing walls give you alot of up and down practice, if you chose traversing, but often limited diagonal movement in both the up and down direction.

Style climbing, set a route, and score everyone not on success but on style....smooth climbing scores high, demonstrates your in control, makes you think more about body position and transfer.

When I was more active in climbing and living down South I use to get out on my bike on road and off...

You could drive up to the wall at Milton Keynes

I think driving 2 hours for a climb is areal gamble in the winter. I climbed through a winter when I lived in Sheffield but never managed it from as far South as you

In reply to seankenny: during the summer I have more time for holidays, going up to the lakes, ect compared to winter - living in the flattest place in the Uk has its disadvantages...

In reply to mriches98:

There's a current mantra on UKC that winter is no different to summer in terms of rock climbing opportunities (which is clearly b*llocks when you think about it) but you may want to think about bouldering/climbing trips to the Peak or Portland for example on a good sunny forecast?

In reply to mriches98:

A bit of wall tourism is always good. Gets you out of the mindset of just the route setters at your local wall.

In reply to seankenny:

For starters:

Not enough daylight
Rock constantly piss-wet through
Freezing, howling gales
Snow/ice on rock (or on top of rock)
Melt from snow/ice (see point 2)

In reply to Jon Stewart:

In reply to Pinged: I was on my way to the wall last night, it was 4.5 degC,hamering down with rain, pitch black. All I could think about was you outdoor heros wraped up in your waterproofs with your head torches on, looking hard for a fun line to do that might be dry, hardcore!
I am sure that would be a good time to visit Stanage popular end and see the popularity of your mindset.

In reply to Phill Mitch:

Im sensing (perhaps wrongly) a smidgin of sarcasm in your post Mr Mitch? And I wouldnt balme you!

I certainly would not be looking for routes in the hammering rain - just like everyone else I'd be at the local wall. However as soon as it stoppped I'd be out and hunting a dry route or two. Im always suprised at how many dry routes you can find if you dont mind a scramble around an an hour or so's mooch. All part of the enjoyment for me. I will climb in the freezing cold...I like it a lot in fact.I will climb in strong wind...I mlike it a lot in fact!

The headtorch comment was mnore for weekends in winter...can mean getting an extra route or three in towards end of day. I have climbed a fair bit on cold, dark winter evenings but I dont make a habit of it!

In reply to Jon Stewart:
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Well... for starters I really feel the cold and don't particularly like getting wet. But it's still possible to get plenty done. Just go to sun-trap crags with little seepage! I don't get a lot done in the winter, but I find I can get out fairly consistently.

Lack of daylight is an issue but given that today is the Equinox, it's all downhill from here until June.

In reply to mriches98:

Surely whether or not the OP should be chancing the weather, looking for dry (how dry is dry?) climbs, using a headtorch or not etc is irrelevant, as they have stated the cannot get out in winter.

In reference to the original question above, why not try linking climbs in to one another, or missing out holds (quite often I find an indoor climb very interesting once you start eliminating holds). This can be great fun with competitive friends