UKC

Ok never done it before so on the way home from work I decided to pop into a climbing centre to ask a few questions (ukclimbing a fault for having all them amazing photos and videos). Then went to book a starter session and got told 15 minutes, no time like the present i thought, thoroughly enjoyed it, ok the arthritis in my wrists/fingers held me back (lost my grip a few times and fell off the walls) then found it hard to grip the steering wheel and release the handbrake after, but well worth it, so an hour and a half of high walls, traversing, auto belay and bouldering, amazing! Just hope my hands/wrists recover for another session soon

John

In reply to VwJap:

Glad you like it!

In reply to VwJap: nice one, so when are you going again

In reply to deacondeacon: I'm hoping next Monday, would like Thursday but my wrists a hurting like buggery and I think there going to take some time to ease, but if my boys are interested I might take them bouldering at the weekend :-D

In reply to VwJap:

A bit of stretching, a warm bath, some good nights' sleep. Don't overdo it at first, and be sure to warm up before you climb. (Ask someone how.)

In reply to Tim Chappell: a traverse climb?

In reply to VwJap: Yeah traversing is perfect, nice and easy moves, perhaps a bit of a jog or skipping to get the blood flowing. Which wall did you go too?
Climbing will be such a joy with your boys. Some of my best memories are climbing with my dad.

In reply to deacondeacon:

I'd almost say that traversing is the core of climbing training, certainly for the vast majority of young folks who are not lucky enough to live very near crags and mountains. Traversing at railway bridges (which may be gritstone if you're very lucky), or climbing walls, or girdling huge ancient hornbeams (very rare), or rotten, bark-free oak trees - the two most rock-like. A lot of the smaller crags near civilisation are very good for this too, like Harboro or Pleasley. The thing about traversing is that a) you can do ludicrously hard moves in complete safety, just a few feet or even inches above the ground, and b) build up stamina.

In reply to VwJap:
then found it hard to grip the steering wheel and release the handbrake after,


Argh, the joys of a newbie climber.

I remember exactly the same, couldn't even undo the fig 8 after my 1st session.

In reply to deacondeacon: XC in Hemel Hempstead, my boys are kinda into playstation games, the closest they come to climbing is the mountains in skyrim lol. But I will ask (read pestering) them, then say it'll be fun, and maybe if I pester enough they might try it and like it

In reply to VwJap: Haha! Just wait until you start going in to gear shops, so much shiny goodness to help drain the bank balance! Glad you enjoyed it and keep it up!

In reply to VwJap: Glad you enjoyed it! Its nice to read and look back on when we all started.

In reply to VwJap: If you think that's good wait till you get outdoors and do some "real" climbing.

In reply to GridNorth: I don't think in good at all, in fact I think I'm really rubbish and I'm just doing it to see what it was all about

Anyhows I took my boys today, only allowed bouldering as I've not done any safety courses, they really had fun too, shame there wasn't more climbs for beginners and the easy holds were quite far away from each other for my youngest. But hey they both still enjoyed it, so I'm happy, only thing was my wrists and muscles hadn't recovered from monday lol

In reply to VwJap: When you learn how to climb properly it will be less painfull on the muscles but of course you will then start to try and climb harder routes and the pain comes back. Seriously the trick is to learn how to use your feet to greater affect. Most novices concentrate too much on their arms and hands and the character of indoor climbing doesn't really help much in that respect.

In reply to VwJap: "my wrists and muscles hadn't recovered from monday lol"

Unfortunately, this is what us older climbers have to put up with. Everything recovers more slowly - I'd suggest no more than one session a week for the first year, then your body should be ready to cope with more sessions.

In reply to BarrySW19:

Personally I'd disagree. I'd say it is better to go more regularly but for shorter periods. Certainly don't thrash yourself to exhaustion each time.

In reply to BarrySW19: lots to do with atheritic wrists, fingers and ankles from riding bikes to fast, but I don't need to be climbing anywhere fast, I can go at my own pace, I'm just enjoying the moment, plus the fact I get to do something in real life with the kids :-D

In reply to VwJap: Bit of a journey but this is were I took mine for the first time climbing, spent the day there with a picnic and played in the woods also, its great for beginners as well.

http://www.rockworks.co.uk/gallery/portfolio/46/

In reply to cfer: that looks cool!