UKC

Can you teach climbing? Returning after 15yr break.

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 flopsicle 18 Nov 2012
I'm currently hauling myself up 5as with much disco leg and many aborted missions. On the plus side I'm tallish and leanish, on the downside I'm 40+ and a bit rubbish. I've forgotten the name of the sense for knowing where your body parts are but I don't seem to have it. I know I can learn a lot from seeing other climbers but tend to go at cheap times when it ain't exactly heaving. Is it possible to teach climbing? Would having a lesson or two be worth it?

In reply to flopsicle: no I certainly wouldn't pay for any lessons if you're just looking to relearn how to climb as opposed to learning the safety stuff.

Just get to the wall/crag whenever you can and get climbing.
 SeasonalDrip 18 Nov 2012
In reply to flopsicle:

I agree with highclimber. Practice makes perfect. It might be worth popping a post on the lift & partner forum and meeting up with some people at a local indoor wall, or joining a club. Climbing with more experienced people can really help as they'll be able to offer some friendly advice here and there.
 biscuit 18 Nov 2012
In reply to SeasonalDrip:
> (In reply to flopsicle)
>
> I agree with highclimber. Practice makes perfect. It might be worth popping a post on the lift & partner forum and meeting up with some people at a local indoor wall, or joining a club. Climbing with more experienced people can really help as they'll be able to offer some friendly advice here and there.

And practicing wrong movements engrains them in your memory meaning they become your default way of doing things. Not good.

Many walls now do a cheap beginners intro to movement type class. Are the BMC still doing the movement class things ?

More experienced people often don't know why they do what they do and can find it hard to explain because that's just why they've always done it.

It took an experienced coach to notice i wasn't using my feet enough. they were in the right places, so it all looked good, but i wasn't working them anywhere near how i could. I regularly climb with people who are much better than me but no one else noticed it.

It may be that the OP just wants to feel less clumsy and in that case more time on rock and getting in with more experienced climbers could do the trick BUT if he wants to improve and get somewhere near his potential i believe coaching is the way to go.
 Fredt 18 Nov 2012
In reply to biscuit:

Proprioception.
 SeasonalDrip 18 Nov 2012
In reply to biscuit:

I was just going off her other post really. I don't doubt that coaching works, but personally I wouldn't bother if I was just returning from a 15 or so year break. Suppose it all depends on the level of climbing desired.
OP flopsicle 18 Nov 2012
In reply to flopsicle:
I'm not really sure what level I want to get to, but I would like to get more technical 'cos it's the head side of climbing I like. I like doing anything I was stuck on before, problem is then sometimes I get stuck on something I did!

I get to climb twice a week, once for a lunch climb and the second with a small group and my kid. On the second time I just grab minutes when I can. The rest of the week I work.

like learning so whatever aids it's all good!
 sianabanana 18 Nov 2012
In reply to flopsicle:

After climbing for a good number of years and getting really frustrated that I was unable to do any overhanging routes, I finally did a movement and technique course.

Just an hour or so taking me through different flagging techniques and best positions for reaching for holds etc.

It was a revelation and I was annoyed that I didn't do it earlier.

If your local wall / bouldering centre does such a thing, it may be worth it.
In reply to flopsicle:

What could you climb 15 years ago?
 GridNorth 19 Nov 2012
In reply to flopsicle: I think that you just need to climb more. Snatching sessions here and there is no use at all if you want to improve. I tend to work on the principle that you need to climb at least 3 times a week and about 2 hours per session to see any significant improvement.
OP flopsicle 19 Nov 2012
I haven't the foggiest what I used to climb, there were no grades on the uni wall and I don't think I ever did 'set' problems just whatever everyone else was trying at the time. I was very good at finger problems, naff at smearing, pants at balancing with a low hand hold, good at long stretchy traverses. It feels like I climb better now in a way because I'm not just relying on super strong hands (proir to uni I worked breaking horses).

I have the time I have but I know it's technique that I really want to improve, it's the head bit that makes it different from the hamster wheels in a gym.

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