UKC

Re-starting/ long break help!

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 nikkihinton 10 Jan 2015
So, I just wanted to see if any of you had any experience with taking a long (and I mean long, at least 6 months plus) break from climbing, and how did you get back into it? How much had your ability dropped by and how long did it take you to get back to where you were (if you ever did!)
I used to boulder and sport climb at around 6a outdoors 6c indoors. I haven't climbed properly for at least a year, and considering getting back into it.
I don't want to put myself off though and give up straight away.
I got really unmotivated and stopped enjoying going last time and I don't want it to happen again.
Any ideas?
In reply to nikkihinton:

I have periodic bouts of no climbing despite living in Pembrokeshire and all these routes almost literally on my doorstep.
I've found if I want to start going again i always started out either with a new person or an old regular partner but always started back a couple of grades lower than i used to comfortably climb.
This way it can be fun and you feel pretty good about how easy it was to do that climb and how you could easily have gone bigger.
 trueuk1 10 Jan 2015
In reply to nikkihinton: I haven't climbed in 7 mnth due to a serious injury, Am itching to get back out, but looks like another 6 mnths, I expect to climb a lot lower grade than I was. Start on some nice easy grades to regain your confidance/love for the sport.

 The Potato 10 Jan 2015
In reply to nikkihinton:

you have a strange conception of long. 6 months?
 Jon Stewart 10 Jan 2015
In reply to nikkihinton:

Are there particular routes you'd like to do that would motivate you? What about planning a trip to do the classic routes in Pembroke around HVS/E1, like

Riders on the Storm (HVS 5a)
Cool for Cats (E1 5b)
The Arrow (E1 5b)
Rock Idol (E1 5a)
The Strait Gate (E2 5b)
Pigs on the Wing (HVS 5a)
Heart of Darkness (HVS 4c)

And see regular climbing as getting yourself in shape for that?

Or any other great climbing trip, like seeing what Gogarth is all about, etc. I recommend UK trad for this kind of thing, as we have classic routes steeped in legend and reputation, routes that you'll remember for a lifetime. If you do

Cemetery Gates (E1 5b) or
Astral Stroll (E1 5b) or
Central Buttress (E1 5b) or
A Dream of White Horses (HVS 4c)

you'll know why you got back into climbing again. These are amazing experiences that you'll remember forever (if they're not, you're a lost cause, give up and go to the gym instead!).
 jkarran 10 Jan 2015
In reply to nikkihinton:

The basic skills you had before are still there, they'll be rusty but it doesn't take long to blow the cobwebs off. Fitness comes back quickly and you don't need much physical condition at those grades (no offence intended, that's about my level at the moment). Just drop any preconceptions and do what you find fun, if you're finding one part of the climbing game frustrating, say onsight sport because you feel weak or unfit compared to how you were then do something else for a while, maybe bouldering or try redpointing.

jk
 IMA 10 Jan 2015
In reply to nikkihinton:

Took around 6 years out I guess, little more given how sporadic some of the climbing was before. Lost my partners as we all went to different universities or around the world.

Only got back into it as a friend by random chance had started, bumped into me and asked if I wanted to come along, now spending the money again and enjoying it. Don't climb anywhere near the level I did (6c+/odd 7a indoors and E grades outdoors) now I climb at 6a+ indoors after a few months and nothing great outdoors, how you get it back depends on you I guess. I cycle now as my main sport so I avoid any doing upper body weight stuff which I used to, but that is my choice.

My best advice, make it suit your lifestyle as a hobby (push yourself by all means) and find a partner who is a friend so what you are actually doing is just going to see your friend and not in the pub.
 psykx 11 Jan 2015
In reply to nikkihinton:

For me going back is about remembering it's not about the grade, it's about climbing and it being fun.
In reply to nikkihinton:

Depends on lots of things, age, how good you were before you stopped, how hard you were trying before you stopped, etc. I've stopped for several years on a couple of occasions; the first time I started again at more or less the same level, the second time miles lower.

If you're 21 and you were climbing 6a outdoors (assuming that means French 6a) then you should be able to do that again more or less at once, given that this is a fairly trivial level of achievement unless you're actually crippled in some way.

Enjoying it is a different matter. In my experience this is more or less entirely down to finding some agreeable people to climb with. See Alf Bridge to Kirkus - I forget the exact words. How to do that - well, frankly the best method, again in my (vicarious) experience, is to find a sexual partner who climbs. Failing that, it'll just have to be the usual ways people meet other people.

jcm
 mark s 11 Jan 2015
In reply to nikkihinton:
I have gone months without climbing over the last four years.

I notice the first time back it feels hard,but if I go within the next few days its so much easier.after a good few sessions I felt the only thing stopping me climbing as before was extra weight.
My mate I was climbing with Said he could see I still knew how to climb compared to others doing the same grade when we were at the wall.

Stick with it,it returns quickly.
Post edited at 12:01
 Mark Morris 11 Jan 2015
In reply to nikkihinton:

I was forced to stop for about 14 months after I herniated a disc in my back. I started back indoors some 4 months after an operation to decompress the nerve. You can imagine my state of fitness and flexibilty!

I took it easy, nervous of movements that twisted and bent the spine, falling and jerky movement. I concerntrated on smooth movement and good footwork, avoiding big rockovers and lay backing. I've made steady progress and am probably no worse than I was before even though I'm out of shape and overweight.

Outdoors, It's the stamina and lack of general fitness that effects the grade I climb.

Had a great week of climbing in Cornwall at the end of the summer and it was the first time in years I've climbed 6 days on the trot. Was getting really comfortable at HS/VS 4b and could have moved up a grade given some more time.

As said above, get out and do easy stuff and enjoy it.

 timjones 11 Jan 2015
In reply to nikkihinton:

> Any ideas?

It's hard to know what to advise without knowing what motivates you to climb.

For me it's about looking forward to and getting fit for good climbs and trips to great locations.



In reply to nikkihinton:
In the 20 years I've climbed, I've regularly had breaks varying from 6months to 18months from climbing. I've never had the slightest issue getting back into it.

At most, six weeks of decent training has generally got me back to within half a grade or a grade of my best climbing. That's been the case again over the last few months.

However, I've never been unmotivated as far as climbing goes and struggle a bit to understand how someone could be. But I do come into climbing from a very traditional hillwalking/scrambling background so whilst I've always climbed loads indoors and participate in trad, sport, bouldering, winter, big wall and alpine climbing I have never been overly preoccupied with grades. Climbing for me has always been associated with enjoying the outdoors rather than being just a performance orientated sport.

There are a lifetime of fantastic VDiffs and Severes etc. out there so I've always had the attitude that pretty much regardless of how fit/unfit I am or easy/hard I can climb there is still no shortage of inspirational stuff out there. One of my best days out last year was doing Tower Ridge for the first time in Summer.

I don't know what your background is or how you got into climbing but surely the whole point about climbing is that it is an inspiring, uplifting activity that is intrinsically enjoyable with grades and performance being of secondary importance.
 stp 11 Jan 2015
In reply to nikkihinton:

I've had loads of very long breaks from climbing. The last break lasted about 4 years. When you start back strength and fitness is pretty much the same as a complete beginner but much of you technique remains the same. Because you're so weak and unfit you tend to improve really quickly - as long as you go regularly of course. And that rapid escalation up the grades is really motivating to see. Though I don't think you need to improve too quickly. As long as you're making steady progress you'll stay motivated to keep on climbing.

That's a big difference between your indoor and outdoor grades. Maybe try to get some trips to some really great crags. There's nothing more motivating than visiting a fantastic area you've never been to before.

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