UKC

I like many others have built a home wall during the lockdown. It is a simple 8'x8' 45 degree board. I have noticed on social media and in my climbing circles that most committed climber friends that have the means to, have done the same.

Surprisingly, despite the small board size, I have felt the strongest I have ever felt on rock, after getting in a good few weeks of routine training in. Most likely due to the fact that I have been able to set my own problems, and be very specific in training - which though seemingly obvious has been a revelation to me.

Almost to the extent that I feel I may not need renew my membership at my local wall when it reopens (perhaps a 10 entry punch card to vary the training/socialise). A lot my friends share similar opinions. Anybody else feel the same? Those that have built a board - will you be going back to your local wall in the same way? Do you think this will affect business at local walls?

I certainly feel stronger in terms of endurance than I did before lockdown, from my 8x8 board and hangboard. But I don't go to the wall just to train, I actually find doing interesting boulders with big volumes fun, so I still plan to go when it becomes possible again. Maybe less frequently than before, but probably still more than once a week.

Yeah I'm not going to be going to my local wall as often, maybe once a week. It saves money/time/energy to not travel to it 4x a week, but ultimately for me it just comes down to my home wall being more fun! - There's no grades to judge myself by, I can play my own music, don't have to worry about people staring at me, no waiting around,  and no feeling rubbish looking at others flashing my projects. For me having a home wall has really stripped it back to the pure  joy of climbing without having to go through the motions of worrying about insecurities related to grades and judgement. 

I'm still keen to support my local wall and give them business and obviously its a very different and interesting challenge to have longer/better/challenging indoor routes set by professionals. But I get strong on my homewall to improve outside and have fun on it so I don't need to go as often. 

Interesting thread, I am currently resting under my board, preparing for another go at a circuit I cannot do. 

I built my wall 10 ish years ago, used it initially, got into dry tooling and used it a lot for that. It was a 1hr drive to a decent wall. KK opened locally and I stopped using my wall. I was thinking of removing it when covid struck, very glad I didn't. 

I use the wall 4x a week and feel stronger for it but I have no benchmark. I am not climbing outside for a number of reasons. I have certainly fallen back in love with my board and when normality finally returns I think I will continue to use it particularly if time pressed or too grumpy to socialise. 

Whether the perceived gains are due to the board vs KK or due to an increase in available training time/head space due to working from home, I cannot say. 

Yes I will most likely be giving business to my local wall in some form when it reopens, as it's simply fantastic and I love indoor climbing as much as I love making ticks outside, but I think the focus of movement on a single home board is quite effective to outdoor climbing, for me this means climbing a steep board for the type of problems I like to go for outdoors. Notwithstanding the ability to set your own specific problems which obviously has very direct benefits for climbing specific things outdoors.

I feel modern walls and the modern setting that inevitably comes with it can actually be quite a negative for outdoor climbing in my experience if you lack focus at times during training like me. Of course the climbing wall isn't just about 'training' and can be about enjoying climbing indoors and being part of the local climbing community.

If the only reason I was trekking all the way to a wall was JUST for the physical improvement, then I'd never go. Problem solving, socialising, huge variety of routes and styles etc will always be the thing getting me out on a wet winter evening. 

Yeah I agree. Like I say, I'll continue to go for the same reasons! Perhaps slightly less as before though, as I find a lot of joy in the training itself, particularly with the benefits of doing it on a home wall as others have mentioned. I might also add that I've found benefit in climbing on my board which is in my garden forcing me to appreciate the subtle nuances of climbing outdoors which in my books has better prepared me for going out.

I'm sure come winter and rain I just might have reinstated my full membership by then anyhow

I built a 45 and got a massive acceleration in strength/power in the past three weeks or so. Maybe the earlier days training are kicking in; but the combination of board sessions with time on real rock again has felt beneficial.

Got up a 7c last week, a few weeks after no climbing for the previous nine months. Feels like its working!

I nver went to indoor walls anyway, so I reckon the time just spent pulling is going to really help as I'm all outdoors normally.

A couple weeks ago a pulley had a bit of a wobble, so I'm off the board already!