UKC

Hello.

I have set a short term goal of being confident and not being scared of uk tech 5a moves....

I am not sure if I am climbing the right circuit problems.

So therfore some advice would be helpful.

I boulder at many London Walls including The Castle, The Arch and Mile End.

At present I climb on vertical VB-V0 and V0 minus-V0+ problems at Mile End, At The Castle steep and overhanging V0-V1 problems and have tried some V1-V3 slab problems.

At The Arch on Friday I will do the same.

What do you think of my climbing/training?

Is there anything else I need to do to train better and to reach that goal?

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Mountain Spirit:

I would guess that the first step to not being scared is identifying why you are scared now - is that possible? You're talking about bouldering; are you scared of falling off, does the height of the move matter?

In reply to Mountain Spirit:
Hey Savvas - sounds like you have the right idea. Personally, I've been trying to make sure I can flash V1 most times and then I know I've got a good chance at most 5a moves. As is often the case however, who graded the problem and whether it transmits to rock will have a great bearing on the outcome!
Stick with it - aim for neatness and keep repeating those you can do till they feel easy and you have silent feet.

In reply to Mountain Spirit:

So you want to climb vs 5a, hvs 5a or e15a or boulder English 5a different advice for each.

Are you scared of falling?

You know the answer to this one! Get on thr lead wall three or four bolts up with a good belayer and drop off until it doesn't bother you any more!

Sounds like your current training is good for bouldering 5a, just remember to try harder grades and fall off, remember to watch others and ask them to advise you.

In reply to Mountain Spirit:





Go straight to 5b

In reply to Mountain Spirit:

Try completing a circuit where you can do all the problems but they are not easy for you (so a V0 circuit) and only giving yourself 4 minutes per problem or 5 goes. if you don't get the problem in the five goes, move on to the next problem in the circuit.

Try doing this one session per week. One session per week 4x4s, one session working problems you haven't done yet. BOOM.

In reply to climbwhenready:

Hello.

I think I am scared of not making the move then falling.

I decided this goal because I read on a thread here about setting goals that if you are scared of UK tech 5a moves do not bother setting high goals.

Bye

Savvas

In reply to mrchewy:

Hello mrchewy.

I agree with you all the way.

Some setters and graders do multiple centres like Gaz Parry, Steve McClure and Yann Geneux.

Thanks for that.

I could boulder in the Peaks on Sunday.

My feet are getting silent

forgot to say I have applied for a temporary receptionist job at Plas Y Brenin!

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Mountain Spirit:

Look, they're just numbers, and not always right. Just concentrate on climbing (a lot) and don't worry about artificial 'goals'. Particular classic rock climbs should be your goals.

In reply to rurp:
Hello.

For all those trad grades I would to do some lock off drills.

It is more to do with my more wider goals and what I read on another thread.

I am a little bit scared but not falling itself but the injuries from it that may put me of from climbing.

I think the lead route thing is a good idea

Sometimes I do have the balls to try such things as V3-V5 and V4-V6.

Bye

Savvas

In reply to dr_botnik:

Hello.

Many centres do not have V0 circuits but variants such as I have stated.

I like your ideas.

I think 4x4s are strength endurance training.

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Hello Gordon.

I kind knew that about grades.

Well.... I have some guidebooks: North Wales Climbs, North Wales Classics and Wye Valley Peak Limestone.

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Bulls Crack:

Hello Bulls Crack.

I think 5b would be V1-V3 or even V3-V5 on a slab.

What do you think?

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Jon Stewart:

Hello Jon.

That route looks scary especially if the loose rock and the grade.

Sea cliff climbs can be very intimidating and are very committing.

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Mountain Spirit:

If you want to climb better on rock, practice on rock..

In reply to Mountain Spirit:



Practise falling/jumping off problems and routes until it doesn't scare you so much (this will take some time & is a never ending process).

In reply to Mountain Spirit:

I second what Gordon said. If your objective is to climb 5a, then by all means train for the grade. If on the other hand your objective is to be a rock climber, then pick a route you'd like to do (eg from Classic Rock) and aim for that.

Andrew.

In reply to Mountain Spirit:

If its training for rock, I'd try to get to somewhere like Bowles sandstone and top rope a few 5as. Far more realistic than using colour coded blobs (and tough - you have to read moves !)

In reply to Mountain Spirit:

I found myself intimidated by tech 5b. I could climb VS5a or HVS5a OK, but failed on 5b every time. I found that bouldering gave me the chance to repeatedly try this level of difficulty so that I went from failing 100% of the time to succeeding 50% of the time. That at least gave me the confidence to try routes with 5b moves (but well protected!). Still a major hurdle for me, but some progress was made.
There's no substitute for doing this on real rock though. Climbing/bouldering indoors helps but I find little comparison to the real world.

In reply to Bulls Crack: Agreed - I first tried Mousetrap in the early eighties, got off route and 30m above the gear - ended up doing a gibbering downclimb and run away! Went back many years later when the peg on the first pitch was but a stain and did it but still an intimidating 3* route.

In reply to philhilo:

I fell onto that peg back in the early 70's. There was more metal exposed than there was in the crack. God knows how it held, I was having a rest in the grooves above and squeezed a couple of holds a little too tightly and they shattered like a Crunchy bar. When I came to rest both me and my mate were dangling someway up the cliff. Interesting predicament to say the least.

In reply to Mountain Spirit:




I don't the grading at your walls but V1 in Hueco Tanks (where the V grades originated) would be 5b at minimum, probably harder. V2s in Hueco could be up to route grade of English 6a or even 6b. V3 was almost always at least 6a. V4s and above tended to be 6b, often hard 6b.

In reply to chris j:

Hello Chris.

Great idea!

I tried it before after a few moves on overhanging walls at the Mile End Wall.

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Jamie B:

Hey Jamie.

I am heading for the Peak District (Stanage) this weekend!

Bye

Savvas

In reply to planetmarshall:
Hello Andrew.

I do not know much about routes because I have only climbed outside once.

For trad I like cracky routes with plenty of gear.

I have only placed gear at The Outdoors Show though.

If I was doing a route with 5a moves it would be VS 5a or HVS 5a (a bit steep or vertical with great gear) on second.

Bye

Savvas

In reply to GrahamD:

Hello Graham.

I am off to Stanage this weekend and depending on my foot I will either boulder, sport climb or second.

Any good uk tech 5a routes or sport routes you recommend?

Bye

Savvas

In reply to hang_about:

Hello.

If I were trying to climb 5b I would do F6a, F6a+ and maybe F6b sport routes as well.

I like well protected routes to!

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Mountain Spirit:


Have fun. Stanage in early spring is the Source.

In reply to Jamie B:

Hello Jamie.

Thanks.

What do you mean by the Source?

Bye

Savvas

In reply to stp:

Hello.

I think at walls it all depends on the setter.

I do not know much outdoor bouldering....

Why have they turned to font grades in The Peaks?

Is it something to do with the gritstone and sandstone being similar?

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Mountain Spirit:

Do you have a guidebook ? Stanage is brilliant for 5a from slabs to brutal crack climbs. If it has a star its definitely good.

In reply to GrahamD:

Hello Graham.

Deacon is bringing his!

I know a few 5as like Today;s Wall, Right Unconquerable and Bond Street.

I have a bit of a cold and Io am not sure if I should climb or nit.

Is it safe to climb with a cold?

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Mountain Spirit:


That means it's very good indeed. Don't be surprised if you find the 5as quite techinical - I'd start on Severes.

In reply to Mountain Spirit:



It depends on the altitude, more importantly the air pressure.

This is a handy website for checking:

http://www.metcheck.com/HOBBIES/climbing.asp

http://www.metcheck.com/HOBBIES/climbing_forecast.asp?LocationID=95

In reply to Jamie B:

Hello.

I was planning to start with a V.Diff or two and then move onto Severes.

What is Stanage like in April?

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Mountain Spirit:


At its best. No bracken, cool, grippy.

In reply to Jon Stewart:

Hello Jon.

Awesome.

Cool as beanz

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Mountain Spirit:
Go somewhere sheltered. it's been blowing a hooley up here since Friday night and hasn't let up all day. The weather forecast says pleasant but it's not in my back garden! ( in sight of stanage pole).
Rivelin?

In reply to hang_about:

Hello.

Thanks for the advice.

I will keep Rivelin in mind for new opportunity.

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Mountain Spirit:
Did you get up to the Peak at the weekend?

In reply to CurlyStevo:

Hello.

I have answered you via facebook.

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Mountain Spirit:

Hi Savvas, to sort your head out bouldering indoors you first need to figure out what it is you're afraid of. Is it failure or getting hurt when landing or just the shock of suddenly falling mid move?

If it's fear of failure then I can't suggest much.

If it's getting hurt that's a reasonable fear and you need to be aware of your limitations but you can also change those limitations by learning to fall and land in more control. Small things like making sure your feet release from the holds quickly when you let go with your hands or that you don't let a big swing develop when your feet pop off make a big difference. Land with bent knees and crumple/roll to absorb the impact if it's a big one. This is stuff you can train fairly safely staring with taking small controlled jumps from the wall (maybe 30-50cm to begin with) and building your ability/confidence gradually. My partner has this fear, she's mostly a runner and fears hurting her feet. To begin with she'd fall like a sack of spuds but bit by bit she's getting better at landing in control and as a result is less afraid to try moves while climbing

If it's the shock of an unexpected fall then again learning to control how you release from the wall and land can give you the confidence you need not to fear this.

jk

In reply to jkarran:

Hello jkarran.

This really helps.

I think I will try and do some more fall practice next time at a wall.

I think it is the fear of injury from a fall not the fall itself.

Would some roped fall practice help?

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Mountain Spirit:

Maybe try working on some boulder problems that are a grade or two harder than what you can currently get after a bit of work - problems where you can do one or two of the moves but not many.

Trying some stuff that's too hard for you is probably good for your climbing in general, plus you'll find yourself falling off a lot while not far from the ground.

Do this as well as climbing stuff that you can actually get to the top of, not instead of it, though.

In reply to Ramblin dave:

I think the majority of Savvas's climbing sessions would be best placed enjoying climbing and getting the problems within a few trys. It's beneficial to try some stuff that is too hard for sure, but not to spend too much of the session doing drills and climbing stuff he never gets up from start to finish without falling off!

In reply to Mountain Spirit:

Safe roped falls and bouldering falls both require some skills in common, things like releasing from the wall in control so you fall feet first without any rotation/tumbling and looking where you're going good and early. There are differences too, with bouldering you're looking to land with your weight over your feet. On a rope there's more to consider, will you be hitting the floor or caught by the rope for example? Where is the rope, are you tangled in it? Once you've figured you'll miss ledges/holds etc and sure the rope will catch you you're looking for more of a seated position using your legs and possibly hands to cushion the swing in to the wall. Getting this right is really important as landing in a seated position could cause serious injury so sometimes the safest option is to go feet first and accept the bruises from swinging into the wall. Lots to think about eventually but unless you're already leading lots and fear of falling is really holding you back I'd start with the bouldering. Many of the skills are transferable and it's much less irritating than falling on a rope for you and your belayer.

Do be careful, you don't need to do whole sessions of it or big jumps, it's rough on your knees and feet. To begin with just take an occasional step/jump off from a move or two up, it can form part of your down-climbing routine, focus on remaining in control and landing how/where you want to. You don't want to be getting too high too soon either, build your confidence and skills together, there's less chance of a setback (twisted ankle!) if you go slowly.

jk

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Hello dave.

That sounds like a plan.

There are circuit problems with a higher gradings V4-V6 (Mile End, The Castle) and V3-V5 (Mile End only) that I can do a first few moves on.....

V1-V3 problems would be the next stage after the V0 variant circuits.

So it would be a good idea of divideing the session into two?!

Bye

Savvas

In reply to CurlyStevo:

Hello.

Thanks for the advice.

Bye

Savvas

In reply to jkarran:

Hello jk.

I think next time I will do like 5-10 mins of jumping.

I have never lead at all - I did try a F4+ lead at The Castle one late afternoon after I finished from the BlokFest there.

Thanks

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Mountain Spirit:

I would agree with what Stevo said though - working at stuff that's way beyond your limit should be a fairly small part of what you do. If you aren't also getting to the top of plenty of stuff then you definitely want to try more easy problems - stuff that you can get onsight and stuff that you can get after one or two goes.

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Hello dave.

I agree with him to.

Isn't the term onsight used for sport and trad?

In bouldering I think the terms are flash and worked.

It also depends on the centre and setter.

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Mountain Spirit:
I'd have said that onsight is on your first go without any prior information about (eg) hidden holds, "tricky" moves, gear or whatever, while flash is still on your first go but with some of that information. And either can be used for bouldering, sport or trad.

In any case, the main point was that you should definitely be doing plenty of the sort of stuff that you can get to top of in the first couple of goes with a bit of effort, and if you aren't doing that then you should do before you start looking for other ways of training...

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Hello Dave.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

I think that is why I chose uk tech 5a - because I know i could get it easily.

Bye

Savvas

In reply to Mountain Spirit:
Update:

I now regularly practice jumping of vertical and slightly overhanging problems.

I just go for the holds now as I know I can fall on my feet.

I think by the end of the month I will have achieved this goal.