UKC

Having climbing every day last year, Monday the 9th of May marked my 500th day of consecutive climbing. Am I mad or an achievement to be proud of?

In reply to FiestaBlue:

Well done. Feel better now?

In reply to FiestaBlue:

Good effort. How do you afford to climb all the time? That's the impressive bit! Or does 20 minutes on a finger board count as climbing for a day?

In reply to FiestaBlue:

That is in my view very impressive. Most people have life or injury get in the way. I think the longest period I've climbed every day is less than a month and thats on a climbing holiday.

In reply to FiestaBlue:


Certainly not mad. It's not easy to achieve though. My record is 180 consecutive days - not one off - rock climbing in the UK. I remember those 6 months as among the best in my life.

I wasn't married at the time: many will understand this point!

In reply to FiestaBlue:

Very impressive, I have have probably never climbed on more than about 4 consecutive days, even on a climbing holiday I like the odd day off.

I'm a keen runner these days, but probably have two days a month when I'm not running. The most famous case of running everyday is Ron Hill, who hasn't missed a day since December 1964.

In reply to FiestaBlue:

Let's have a look at your logbook

In reply to TobyA:


It's nowhere near as expensive if you get an annual subscription to a wall.

In reply to FiestaBlue:

Impressive in an unusual way.

It would be interesting to know more about what your climbing days consist of, what grades you climb, roped or bouldering, how many hours you climb, whether your grade is going up and at what rate?

In reply to FiestaBlue:

Well done! That's something to be proud of.

In reply to FiestaBlue:


You must almost be at the top by now?

In reply to FiestaBlue:

Have you reached the top?

In reply to FiestaBlue:

to make a 500 day claim one must post evidence for example ones UKC logbook. IMO training is not climbing, training is training. I also imagine that for wall workers then it is not so hard to rack up many consecutive days climbing be it route setting, checking safety then climbing on days off work.
Still records are there for claiming like the multi day marathons, fastest up a route, hardest routes so why not how many days on th trot.
Cycling has the most miles in a year record that has stood for many years.
They are all valid but just as earlier mountaineers claims they have to be evidenced or stand to be disregarded by the wider community.

In reply to FiestaBlue:


You tell us.

In reply to FiestaBlue:

Troll

In reply to stp:

I started climbing less than three years ago, and spend between 2 and 6 hours a day climbing — bouldering (mostly long circuits) everyday with additional climbing sessions. I accept that this is indoors, and to some that this may not count, but this years challenge is to transfer to the outdoors. My climbing grade has improved, not at a rate that I would have hoped, but I fear that is due to coming from a starting point where I had no technical ability, physical strength, or flexibility, and sadly age is not on my side. I agree I must make the best use of an annual subscription, as most days it can be a double session.

In reply to FiestaBlue:

Thanks. I think it's really interesting. I assumed at least a lot would be indoors as for half the year the weather is so poor (and often the other half isn't always ideal either).

The prevailing wisdom is that you should take rest days regularly and if you don't you'll overtrain and get injured. So 500 days of climbing is a pretty rigorous test of that idea. But I suppose it depends on what you're doing and particularly how hard you're pushing yourself each day.

Did you think about rest days at all and what made just keep going all this time? Could lack of rest days resulted in slower progress? Do you take supplements or have a particular diet to enhance recovery?

In reply to FiestaBlue:

I took you to mean that you had been climbing on rock every day, which would be very impressive - almost impossible. Whereas if you are talking about climbing walls that is much more ordinary. Eons ago, when I was at Leeds University, I think I visited "the Wall" almost everyday because it was very close to the department where I studied, but I did not really think of that as climbing every day.

In reply to FiestaBlue:
So you've spent 500 consecutive days indoors? You need to get out more!

In reply to Lion Bakes:

Plastic Prince or any-weather Rock God?

In reply to FiestaBlue:

What sort of climbing if you've managed decent leads on rock every day it's seriously impressive. If it's indoor bouldering then I admire your stubbornness more than anything else.

My record would be 17 consecutive days on multi-pitch rock routes in the States. TBH I was utterly destroyed and don't think I would have managed much more.

In reply to FiestaBlue:

500 days of indoor climbing is I suppose impressive in terms of commitment but also sounds horrifically depressing, particularly during the summer months.

Do you think it's actually helped your climbing grade wise? If you just climbed two or three times a week but really pushed yourself then allowed yourself to recover before the next session do you think you'd have achieved more than you have in terms of quality rather than volume?

Did you not find you were constantly not feeling on top form, always compensating for being worn out?

I guess it gets you out the house but in terms of improving at climbing I think to some degree less is more until you're climbing so hard you can train many days in a row but that's only really for the very elite level people.

In reply to Lord_ash2000:


And stp asked FiestaBlue: "It would be interesting to know more about what your climbing days consist of, what grades you climb, roped or bouldering, how many hours you climb, whether your grade is going up and at what rate?"

Lord_ash2000, my 180 consecutive days without one day off were in the 1970s and all UK trad rock climbing. Yes, it helped a bit climbing grade wise: but the main gain was in general fitness, technique, confidence, and enjoyment. If I'd just climbed two or three times a week, no I wouldn't have achieved more in terms of quality rather than volume. About "Did you not find you were constantly not feeling on top form, always compensating for being worn out?:, no, the opposite happened, I felt on better and better form and never felt worn out. stp, my climbing days consisted of a lot of roped solo combined with a lot of leading, I was leading E2 at the time. I climbed about 4-5 hours on an average day, and my grade slowly went up. All the climbing was between VS and E2. No bouldering.

In reply to FiestaBlue:

You don't seem to keen to share the grades you are climbing, i guess you must just be a really modest 8a climber, as this is easily reached with a little effort, if you have the time an inclination, well according to UKC anyhow. Wow all those days in doors, quite an expense, with a season pass you will certainly get your'e monies worth.

In reply to Andy Clarke1965:


define 'easily' :P

In reply to FiestaBlue:

Suggs says he's that mighty proud of you Prince Buster.

In reply to FiestaBlue:

More importantly, did TCA provide a prize for the 500th day??

In reply to FiestaBlue:

Your skin must be pretty tough! My finger tips are destroyed after a couple of hours bouldering at Stanage last night. Usually for a day or two after climbing on rock my iPhone fingerprint sensor doesn't recognise my thumb!

In reply to FiestaBlue:

Impressive, but not in totally good way. Sounds a bit obssessive, weird, and unhealthy to me tbh. Seems quite odd to do anything like that 500 days in a row really.

In reply to JayPee630:

Not necessarily obsessive and unhealthy. The only thing I've ever done 500 days in a row is...... well, never mind.