UKC

What are the collective thinking about indoor bouldering on slabs?
I'm thinking...

pros... builds technique and leg/foot strength
cons... increased risk of slips, increased risk of hitting stuff in a fall, wears out shoes faster, gets into the realms of heightism easily, more skin loss and flappers, harder to gain finger strength without increased risk of tweaks, grazed knuckles, boring after 5 mins...

Have I missed something?

In reply to JIMBO:

why does it wear out shoes faster?

In reply to JIMBO:

They make for some really interesting problems and don't need to be tweaky or high injury risk, it just depends what holds and volumes are fitted where.

jk

In reply to Howardw1968:

More weight on a smaller hold will give greater pressure to deform, rip or remove rubber in s slip.

In reply to jkarran: good route setting is always important to reduce risk and up fun. However, hard slabs have smaller holds which reduces things to hit, but increases tweaking?

In reply to JIMBO:

I don't find them good in any way. Life is too short for smearing on plywood and bruised shins from sticky-out jugs. Zero applicability to actual climbing.

In reply to JIMBO:
Not sure about the tweaky thing - Most of the tweaks that I can remember have come from small pockets or crimpy undercuts on steeper stuff.

In reply to JIMBO: I'd disagree with whoever said they are of no use, as I find the harder ones at the climbing hangar great fun. They often require lots of subtle shifts in balance, tidy footwork and often momentum to weight the holds enough to make the next move possible.

In reply to JIMBO:

Where do you climb?

I find the slabs indoors the more useful training for actually climbing outoors, with tenuous foot placements, smears, neglible holds... (assuming they're well set).

Roof problems are good for building strength, but the technique for most outdoor stuff of low-moderate grades will mostly be learnt on slabs..

In reply to Jon Stewart: Indoor slabs are 'actual climbing'.

In reply to Durbs: I understand what you are saying but even better for technique is climbing outdoors. Indoors was invented for getting strong.
As a thought from this, do you really need to train technique for low grades? Is technique like riding a bike, once you have it you don't really forget?

In reply to JIMBO: And for when it's too wet/cold/dark.

In reply to JIMBO:

Yeah, but a five hour round trip to the nearest proper rock doesn't really appeal after work on a tuesday...

In reply to Ramblin dave

Good point but do you need to train technique every Tuesday? Wouldn't strength, endurance and stamina be more productive?