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Ski divas who also rock climb, outdoor or indoor?

Rainbow Jenny

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Back from a long hiatus from the site.

Any advice on online community that's beginner-friendly? Why does bouldering feel so much harder than top rope?

While recovering from a fractured ankle this year, my bilateral frozen shoulders mysteriously improved after plaguing me for several years. Couple months ago I took up gym climbing as I've dabbled once every few years for 20 years. Having gotten myself into dicey situation backcountry, climbing seems an important skill to develop. Good climbers are a joy to watch, they look like incredibly graceful dancers on the wall! I'm so enjoying this new sport in addition to road cycling when I'm not skiing. My level...at one gym I am consistently climbing 5.10a-10d and V0 and V1. At another gym, 5.9 is incredibly difficult for me, think it's the overhang.

By the way, attending a book reading by Deirdre Wolownick was certainly an inspiration for me.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Hey there! Glad to see you back.

There was a thread about climbing from a couple years ago. It's in the Other Off Season Sports section.

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/climbers.20831/

I do a little indoor rock climbing. But mostly as a way to get in HIIT cardio without have to measure time. Just intermediate level, meaning 5.6, 5.7 most of the time. My daughter really got into climbing when she was in Boston. Was pretty amazing to watch her tackle 5.11 routes . . . with overhang!

Bouldering is harder. Have to be willing to fall, and know how to fall properly.

Have you seen the 2018 movie called Free Solo? It's about Alex Honnold's quest to free climb El Capitan. Very well done. Absolutely amazing process to get to the point of being able to make such a climb.
 

SarahXC

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
That is a great film! I don’t climb often but my kids do and definitely say bouldering is harder as well. It would be interesting to see if it feels different if you have a spotter—know when I put the lightest finger on my daughters back in “the cave” she can make routes that are challenging her and that tiny amount of help certainly isn’t making a physical difference in her climb.
 

Rainbow Jenny

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hey there! Glad to see you back.

There was a thread about climbing from a couple years ago. It's in the Other Off Season Sports section.

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/climbers.20831/
Bouldering is harder. Have to be willing to fall, and know how to fall properly.

Have you seen the 2018 movie called Free Solo? It's about Alex Honnold's quest to free climb El Capitan. Very well done. Absolutely amazing process to get to the point of being able to make such a climb.

Thanks for the past thread link, @marzNC. So maybe this should go under other off season sports too?

I don’t think I’m too afraid of falling while bouldering, but first time on auto-belay was quite frightening. I’m use to it now.

What’s remarkable about “Free Solo” to me is not just about Honnold (who is certainly one is a billion) but Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, the director and storyteller behind the film. Sundance Film Festival rejected “Meru” by Jimmy Chin because it was just another climbing porn. Vasarhelyi was the one who found the human story. So I’ve been following her as a talented and dedicated filmmaker since 2015.
 

Soujan

Angel Diva
I thought Meru was a great film. I actually enjoyed that more than Free Solo. I climb a little. Both indoor and outdoor, preferably multi-pitch. I don't boulder. Having to fall on the pad scares the crap out of me.
 

Kimmyt

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I have been climbing for about 15 years (god that makes me feel old), and climb trad, sport and even occasionally boulder although I'm terrible at it and falling off a bouldering problem scares the pants off of me.

Bouldering feels 'harder' than routes because it is more intense but for shorter periods of time. This means that you may only do 6 moves to finish a problem, but they will all be very powerful moves, whereas on a route it is longer and will utilize more endurance (although there certainly can be sustained overhanging routes that feel bouldery and powerful).

Gym ratings vary, just as crag ratings vary across the country/world. There are many reasons for this, sometimes the gym ratings will reflect the outdoor ratings. For example, when I lived on the east coast, where a lot of the outdoor routes were put up in the early days of climbing when 5.10 was the hardest rating, the indoor ratings were stiffer as a result. I learned to climb outdoor at the Gunks where a 5.6 will feel like a 5.8 at many modern crags, and I still climb about two grades lower at my lowly old Philly gym than I do at my Colorado gym. Sometimes its just the way the setters put up routes, their 'style' might feel difficult to you because they have a preference for setting dynamic, overhanging, super technical etc routes.

Additionally routes within a certain gym (and also this happens outside), might feel easier depending on what your strength is. For me, I can climb much harder when I am climbing routes with multiple wall angles to utilize (dihedrals, aretes), slabs and more technical vertical climbs than ostensibly 'easier' overhanging jug hauls. My climbing partner prefers the overhanging stuff, and struggles more on the stuff I really enjoy. FWIW the more you climb the overhanging stuff the better you will get at it, but its pretty typical to drop a grade or so unless that is your strength.

As for online communities for climbing, I'm not familiar with any that are super beginner friendly. Back in the days when I started climbing we had rockclimbing.com and it was great for that, but it no longer exists. Mountainproject skews a bit bro-y but is ok and has some interest threads if you want to learn more about climbing, and I think TGR has a climbing forum but it is exactly what you would expect from TGR. Reddit has a pretty beginner friendly climbing forum, but it has a lot of gym stuff (as you would expect, which is why I'd call it kind of beginner friendly).
 

Rainbow Jenny

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@Kimmyt, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thorough and thoughtful reply. You wrote the best explanation for rating imaginable and it was so very helpful to me. I'm more of an endurance cyclists and dislike interval training, so it makes sense now that I find the intensity in bouldering most challenging. The first move on V2 problem I'm looking at this week has a 4 foot tall foothold... and I just cannot figure out how to get there. I will have to ask a staff to show me.

I'm much more focused on learning climbing than I ever have skiing. A friend had given me a ski journal a decade ago to track my progress and lessons learned, but I was never disciplined enough to keep it. This time around with this new sport, I make notes after each climbing session. Noting things like trimming my toe nails much closer than I have with my super snug ski boots, forgetting TWICE the loose end of the rope while belaying must be on the teeth side of the belay device, and using arete as hand holds, etc.

Smearing and heel hook get lost in my toolbox and I usually forget to use them...

I go to the climbing gym twice a week, plan to spend more time watching videos online and order couple books, in addition to sign up for more clinics. A 2 session fundamentals clinic I took was really helpful.

@Soujan clarification on "Meru," the first version submitted to Sundance was rejected. Chin asked Vasarhelyi look it over, she found the compelling story and remade it. I agree with you that I like the 4 stories in "Meru" better: Chin's immigrant family, Anker finding love after loss (I deleted the previously written spoiler), Ozturk's tenacity in recoverying from a devastating injury, and the friendship of these 3 men.

Excited about climbing being a new sport at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics!
 
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SarahXC

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@Kimmyt that is a fantastic explanation! Thanks so much for sharing. Random thought here that good setters and good boot fitters are alike—a task that can be merely acceptable or an art form when in the hands of an expert.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Random thought here that good setters and good boot fitters are alike—a task that can be merely acceptable or an art form when in the hands of an expert.
Good point about route setters for indoor climbing.

My fitness center has a climbing wall that's a pretty decent size. Early on they didn't have someone with quite enough experience as a setter. When I tried to do a 5.7, I found that there was a point that was virtually impossible for me because I'm only 5 ft tall and can only reach or jump so far. There was no intermediate hold. They wanted to get lots of kids involved in climbing. I pointed out that many of the younger kids were shorter than I am and they would get pretty discouraged. The thinking had been that there shouldn't be a way to "cheat" by using an intermediate hold. Needless to say, the setter was pretty tall. Didn't take long to change things though.

When I was talking to an experienced setter about the various college climbing walls in NC, it was interesting to hear that a new wall that looked very impressive wasn't being set well. He said the harder routes were the type that once someone completed it, they weren't really interested in climbing it again because it wasn't "fun."
 

Kimmyt

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@Kimmyt, I'm more of an endurance cyclists and dislike interval training, so it makes sense now that I find the intensity in bouldering most challenging.
So, a little more info on ratings. Bouldering follows the v scale, and generally it is accepted that v0 is roughly comparable to 5.9-5.10a. A v2 might be somewhere around a 5.11a, that is to say in terms of the technical moves you need to do on the problem. This is a helpful and interesting chart that compares the various worldwide climbing grades, although as I said there is always some variation region to region as well as even crag to crag (or even depending on who put up the FA on the route).


The first move on V2 problem I'm looking at this week has a 4 foot tall foothold... and I just cannot figure out how to get there. I will have to ask a staff to show me.
Definitely ask an employee, or just watch another climber work it. Bouldering is great, and a very social part of climbing. It wouldn't be weird if you were to see a climber who is stronger than you doing some problems and asking them to show you the moves on a tricky route. As you get more experienced you will be able to look at a route and visualize what moves you need to do. If the first foot jib is really 4 feet high, it might be something not so straightforward like doing a heel hook on the start hold etc.

A 2 session fundamentals clinic I took was really helpful.
If you are interested in more technique, check out the Neil Gresham Masterclass series of videos on Youtube. Very helpful explanations of various techniques and when they should be employed to make your climbing as efficient as possible. Good climbing is definitely a beautiful thing to watch!
 

Soujan

Angel Diva
Ratings are very subjective. Depends on your gym and the route setter. It's also very subjective climbing outdoors too, depending on the climbing area. A 5.9 in Red Rock is very doable for me. 5.9 in the Gunks is impossible for me.

@Rainbow Jenny I'm not excited for climbing in the Olympics. I don't find speed climbing very interesting
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
@Rainbow Jenny : have you ever seen a bouldering competition in person? It was quite fun when I went to spectate at my local climbing gym a while back. They left the routes up afterwards so people could explore them.

What was really eye-opening was the dyno comp. Especially when the kids were jumping.
 

Rainbow Jenny

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
[QUOTE="Soujan, post: 396769, member: 3346"
@Rainbow Jenny I'm not excited for climbing in the Olympics. I don't find speed climbing very interesting[/QUOTE]

I had to look up speed climbing... but sounds like there are 3 disciplines in next year’s Olympics.
 

Pequenita

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Thanks for the past thread link, @marzNC.
What’s remarkable about “Free Solo” to me is not just about Honnold (who is certainly one is a billion) but Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, the director and storyteller behind the film. Sundance Film Festival rejected “Meru” by Jimmy Chin because it was just another climbing porn. Vasarhelyi was the one who found the human story. So I’ve been following her as a talented and dedicated filmmaker since 2015.

Honnold’s relationship and interaction with his girlfriend gave the movie a lot more material than if it was just about him. Dawn Wall came out about the same time, and it bums me out that it didn’t get similar attention.
 

socalgal

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hi! So, I have been climbing now for about 3.5 years, all indoor, but soon (I hope!) venturing outdoors. Possibly Joshua Tree or maybe the Alabama Hills area to/fro from Mammoth. I mostly boulder, but do some lead and top rope when the mood hits. The whole family climbs. We love it.

Everyone has their own "style" or preference of routes (and even specific holds) that they are best suited for. You'll find out your own rhythm. Two days a week is a great pace to start. It gives your body (especially your skin) a chance to recover.
 

echo_VT

Angel Diva
Yes, we’ve also noticed that the gunks are harder in terms of the rating comparatively. Some climbs in the Adirondacks, Peterskill, etc - the rating system can be inconsistent.

I mainly climb bc my husband and daughter climb. I can follow, but I have yet to learn how to lead but hopefully I’ll get to do so at my local gym at some point. I also tried learning knots from my husband but I really just know 3 knots. I have a lot to learn. Bouldering also scares me.

Heck, climbing in general scares me. A steep slope to ski or snowboard- I’m fine, but I don’t do well with heights when climbing. I forget to breathe and freak out a bit. It’s not ideal for muscles bc seizing. Not sure how to overcome the fear when climbing real rock (gym climbing doesn’t spook me, maybe bc the walls are so short)
 

Rainbow Jenny

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hi! So, I have been climbing now for about 3.5 years, all indoor, but soon (I hope!) venturing outdoors. Possibly Joshua Tree or maybe the Alabama Hills area to/fro from Mammoth. I mostly boulder, but do some lead and top rope when the m@

Everyone has their own "style" or preference of routes (and even specific holds) that they are best suited for. You'll find out your own rhythm. Two days a week is a great pace to start. It gives your body (especially your skin) a chance to recover.

We need to connect skiing or climbing, @socalgal!
 

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