UKC

Hi! I started bouldering in Jan/Feb time and have since done a load of indoor bouldering and climbing. With the weather on the turn for the better I have been trying to get outside as much as possible which is great but bouldering outside seems like a different league all together! I managed a V2 at kentmere the other day but still struggle with V1's! I've maybe set my sights a bit high but was at least hoping to give V3-4's a good effort! Is it a totally different kettle of fish or do I need to be patient? I probably struggle most with finger strength but I can read a problem pretty well so know what I SHOULD be doing! Lol

In reply to madyarra:

Keep at it. It does get easier, but it's rare for someone to climb the same grades outside as they do indoors.

In reply to madyarra:

>"Is it a totally different kettle of fish or do I need to be patient?"

The question answers itself. It's diffrent but the same. When you are doing as much outdoors as indoors is all starts to feel of similar difficulty.

In reply to JLS: Yeah, I wasn't sure how to word it! But I know what you mean. I should forget about the indoor grades and take the outside grades as a better judgement of ability.

Coming from the same place, I'd say it's a subtle switch.

Indoors is often focussed on arm/core strength.
Outdoors is much more fingers and footwork, especially footwork.

In reply to madyarra:

I think one of the biggest factors is the ability to read a problem - not having brightly coloured hand holds, or obvious foot holds can make a massive difference when you first go outside.

Also, you find that outdoor problems tend to be more difficult to "Unlock" simply because the technique needed (drop knee etc) is not obvious.

On top of that, there is the mental side where rock doesn't seem to have the level of friction you are used to, and the mats seem further away and less confidence inspiring.

Keep at it though, and you'll find it much more rewarding

In reply to balmybaldwin: Thanks for the advice everyone! I definately find it more satisfying! You couldn't wipe the smile off my face with steel wool when I topped out on that V2! Also yes footwork is on much smaller holds and edges and picking out holds once you're on the problem is awkward and challenging but all part of the learning curve I guess!

In reply to Durbs:

And there isn't a big glaring coloured hold for you to know what's next.

Neil

In reply to madyarra: Stick at it and don't compare the two. They are chalk and cheese. The real satisfaction is nailing problems outside that will be around for ever (hopefully). Indoor problems will be gone in a week or two.

In reply to madyarra:

indoor and outdoor are virtually two different sports. I'm still quite inexperienced outside and they just aren't compariable from my view point.

In reply to madyarra:

Worth assessing your ability by what you climb outside. Could be your local climbing wall is grading softly. Good thing about outdoor bouldering is it stays the same, so you can have a go at something and find it hard, go away and practice similar moves and hang off similar holds indoors, and come back to see how you're going.

I find I climb slightly harder outside than at my local wall - probably because outside climbing is more inspiring/less sustained than indoors.

In reply to madyarra:

I haven't climbed much outside, but feel that without mats underneath me, that I only dare risk fairly easy climbs. Entry level on the local bouldering wall hard. On the wall I feel able to take on bigger challenges, though the cracked or bruised rib I'm still recovering from right now demonstrates how indoor climbing is not risk free.

In reply to Annoying Twit:

If you're bouldering outside you can have mats, or climb bigger stuff with a rope!

I find harder bouldering mats put me off, though. The Beacon is particularly guilty of this, where the mats are so hard that they almost might as well not be there.

Neil

In reply to Neil Williams:

I haven't bought a mat yet, though I suspect that will be a summer purchase. The mats at my local bouldering wall are IMHO very effective, and I've fallen onto them from quite some height a number of times without ever suffering damage. My rib problem is where I half fell, caught myself, but my chest hit a protruding hold very hard.

On a family trip to a local park I had a look above a number of outcrops, but couldn't see anything to attach a top rope to. I'm wondering if there is some sort of screw or other anchor which can be inserted into soil to a sufficiently solid degree, without doing lasting damage to the environment.

In reply to Annoying Twit:



I find indoors walls that like to over-set are the most dangerous in this way. Almost smashed my kneecap apart spilling off a polished as hell heelhook, my inner knee smashed into not 1 but 4 holds of other problems on the way down. About 4 other people i know had the same injury.

I had my first proper outdoor bouldering session last week, after spending a year indoors and I couldn't agree more! It was far more enjoyable and rewarding though! Can't wait to go again, but for the bloody weather!

In reply to RockSteady:

Yeah, that does happen a lot, noticeably in the lower grades: a lot of walls want to grade from V0 up, so V0 means a ladder of massive jugs up a vertical wall for nervous beginners to build up some confidence on, with V1 and V2 being only incrementally harder. Meanwhile outdoors V0 can involve some fairly tasty stuff, hence confusion. Still don't understand why they insist on doing this rather than picking an appropriate grading system in the first place, but there you go.

In reply to Ramblin dave: I see what you mean, I would say i'll have to get 3-4 grades up inside before it starts to resemble a V0-1-2. Think i need to try and push my grade up. I think from when i started i've kind of hit the wall where improvement is going to slow down a lot but i suppose i havent been climbing that long and really its just my fitness and strength that are holding me back. Thanks again everyone!

In reply to madyarra:

Its also a case of the technique differs slightly.

Indoors your usually climbing on flat slippy boards of ply where the hand/foot holds are obvious and on the same plane.

Outdoors things tend to be a bit more stuble and '3D' (for want of a better term), so foot placements etc aren't quite so obvious.

In reply to madyarra: Kentmere is pretty cool isn't it - I've had a couple of sessions up there lately. What would be worth trying is throwing laps on problems once you have got them, although tiredness makes them harder - familiarity makes them easier and then next time you visit they will seem easier

Probably see you up there sometime!

BW

In reply to Baron Weasel: I loved Kentmere! Went up to the valley of the kings and only seen 2 fell runners and some cyclists all day! That fallen tree could do with being removed from boulder 1 though! Maybe see you there!