Rock Climbing

[JoshuaA]

Just wondering if there are any rock climbers out there anywhere in the Fish Forum.

I've been on and off for around 2/3 years now and only just got back into it after a foot injury I received which never seem to go. However I only ever did bouldering/traversing outdoors and lead climbing etc indoor.

So I've started up again and hopefully be back on form for some summer climbing in the UK. I do all my indoor climbing at "Awesome Walls" Liverpool, so if anyone is in the area drop a message. Me and my friend are looking for another climbing partner to form a bit of a trio or quad to help motivate ourselves more and set challenges for each other.

 

[Carp4U]

Just wondering if there are any rock climbers out there anywhere in the Fish Forum.

I've been on and off for around 2/3 years now and only just got back into it after a foot injury I received which never seem to go. However I only ever did bouldering/traversing outdoors and lead climbing etc indoor.

So I've started up again and hopefully be back on form for some summer climbing in the UK. I do all my indoor climbing at "Awesome Walls" Liverpool, so if anyone is in the area drop a message. Me and my friend are looking for another climbing partner to form a bit of a trio or quad to help motivate ourselves more and set challenges for each other.

I was so happy to see this topic!
I'm a beginner but very enthusiastic and passionate rock climber and boulderer.
I started at the wall doing some bouldering last year and I did a taster day in the Lake Dsitrict doing V.Diffs (including the famous Little Chamonix) learning the basics with a great guy called Tim Mosedale www.timmosedale.co.uk. I absolutely loved the day out and I have been hooked since then. He can give advanced training so perhaps get in touch with him, he runs bespoke courses and if you do, mention that alex staniforth recommended him. Outdoors now I do some bouldering at Frodsham crag and on some rocks in my local forest. I do some bouldering at Awesome Walls in Stockport, and some top roping. This year I'm hoping to do some top-roping at Helsby crag, nearby. I want to have an introduction to leading this year too, probably on the wall first.

I'm hoping to try some more indoor walls and I've just bought some climbing holds to make a mini traverse wall in my back garden. I've been doing pull-ups at ever since trying to improve strength.

I'm thinking of going to Awesome Walls Liverpool one-day, so when I am I'll let you know. I'd like to be part of a trio. I doubt i'd be up to your ability level, but I learn quick and I'm always up for a challenge. It'd be great to meet some other climbers and climb with them indoors and out, and help each other out. Trying to persuade my family to belay me at AW Stockport is pointless- they hate climbing!

Regards, Alex

 

[JoshuaA]

I've always wanted to go to the stockport one in the old disused mill?

Sure if you give us a bell if you're going to liverpool awesome walls I'll take my rope and we can do some lead climbs. I imagine you will be better than me, me and my friend have only just started again properly really struggling to build the strength V4 bouldering routes at the moment are still killing the muscles haha.

We use to go indoors for around 4/5 hours each time and all we would do is go lead climb after lead climb. Some days doing 15 or so lead climbs a bunch of traverse routes. The one thing I am noticing a lot which I didn't during the progressive days of learning that technique helps a lot when you don't have the strength!

Lead climbing is easy and best learnt in doors in my eyes you obviously don't have to lay down your own protection or anything so just getting the confidence and technique to position yourself to hook in etc. Nothing beats outdoor climbing though I'm a wuss when it comes to a lot of the climbs, though my local woods have many rocks that make for interesting bouldering climbs.

 

[Carp4U]

I've always wanted to go to the stockport one in the old disused mill?

Sure if you give us a bell if you're going to liverpool awesome walls I'll take my rope and we can do some lead climbs. I imagine you will be better than me, me and my friend have only just started again properly really struggling to build the strength V4 bouldering routes at the moment are still killing the muscles haha.

We use to go indoors for around 4/5 hours each time and all we would do is go lead climb after lead climb. Some days doing 15 or so lead climbs a bunch of traverse routes. The one thing I am noticing a lot which I didn't during the progressive days of learning that technique helps a lot when you don't have the strength!

Lead climbing is easy and best learnt in doors in my eyes you obviously don't have to lay down your own protection or anything so just getting the confidence and technique to position yourself to hook in etc. Nothing beats outdoor climbing though I'm a wuss when it comes to a lot of the climbs, though my local woods have many rocks that make for interesting bouldering climbs.

Hi again-
Yeah, it's in the disused mill- the highest in the country, 23.5 m lead wall (which I want to do!)
Yeah that'd be cool. You'd have to literally show me the ropes... I'm still a bit unsure on the top-roping and belaying but quick to learn. I doubt i'll be better than you- I'm only bouldering V0-V1 at the wall and I've only toproped 4+ at the wall too. But as I said, I'm up for a challenge, have quite a lot of strength and pretty fearless. I'm 15- don't know how old you and your friend are. Don't let that put you off, I'm 6ft 1 http/www.flickr.com/photos/47991854@N05/5336426344/

I wish i could do 4-5 hours at a time, but as I said, I have no family interested in it who don't get bored after an hour or so.
What you've been doing all sounds fun and I'd love to do the same to build up my strength and technique. That's why I got into bouldering- to give me my climbing fix and improve technique which it already has been doing. I like the ease of the indoor wall but you're right- nothing beats being out on the real stuff with nice weather and nice surroundings. I can be a wuss with the bouldering when outdoors because theres no crash mats. I have to sneak out to actually do some bouldering because my parents don't like me doing it despite the rocks being 2-3 metres tall.. LOL

 

[JoshuaA]

Heres a video of me top roping a wall in Awesome walls, I can't remember the grading on it but it was pretty low something like 5/6 or something, purely because it was a lead climb. However before the video I had climbed up and placed the rope in the top anchor and we just did top roping from there out. Awesome walls grading isn't fantastic though and sometimes they can be well off, for example I did a 6b top rope the other day that had 4 holds and about a 15foot wall, it was pretty simple as long as you thought it through, definitely didn't deserve the 6b rating.

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^ Clearly didn't work.

Try this http/www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=92668705198
I'm 20 at the moment and so is my friend, im around 5'10 but my mate is like 5'6 or something he's got a tonne of power to weight ratio though he's the kind of dude who can grip on the smallest of grips but just can't do those reaches.

I could happily "show you the ropes" on indoor lead climbing it's pretty simple and can be taught in minutes, the only down side is if you do it too much indoor you get a bit too comfortable belaying. In one case on the video if you can watch it about 3 months after that I was climbing a 6c on that wall and got around 4/5 holds from the end and because I was running out of energy I tried to burst up the last chunk without clipping into to the quick draws. In the end I fell from there to beneath that blue triangle volume. My mate being around 75% of my weight came up to about my height, was so funny but I was so grateful he was keeping a keen eye on the belaying department.

With strength and being a bit fearless you will adjust greatly to indoor leading, neither is required but do benefit you . with over 6ft of height to your disposal I'm sure you'll have little problem breaking 6a or so in the first climb.
Your parents are right to be concerned though, the rocks near me in the woods look safe but if you fell you're likely to roll back and break your back on something or worse just out right die. I've seen someone slip and serious hurt their ankle and they only fell like 20cm but because of positioning they were in all their weight went on their ankle in such a weird and awkward angle it just destroyed them.

 

[Carp4U]

Cool video, you seem much better than me- you climbed it really quick, almost like a monkey! (That's not a criticism!) I have a helmet camera which I want to use soon, especially doing some leading. I'm comfortably climbing 4-5 now.

Cool- I have long arms and legs so reaching is my strong point it's just when it comes to bare walls with tough grips then I start falling off.. I like routes with lots of jugs!

I'd like to do some climbing with you, like I said I have nobody else interested in my family so I'd really like to learn some more. I'm going to the Lakes again in July so I wanna get some training done before then so I can go past the V.diffs. I do like bouldering but I love the simplicity of the wall system and it's so easy to get to (and warm and dry inside). Belaying is definitely something I need to work on, and I won't get climbing outdoors much.

Sounds like a funny story- if I was climbing with my stepdad (he's taken me to AW twice) then I think the same would happen to me, I'm 10 stone and he's 14. But as you say, good he's keeping an eye on the belaying- which is always something that worries me.

Meeting you and your friend there one day would be good. I've added you on Facebook so it's easier to contact you to see when you're next going. I work Fri and/or Sat nights so we'd have to work it around that. It would be easier if you just let me know when you and your friend are going over and at what time. I'll bring my rockboots, that's the only gear I have atm. Which woods are local to you? Is it registered on UKC?

 

[JoshuaA]

Local woods is in Irby and I doubt it would be on UKC, I wondered who added me on facebook though I had a feeling it might be of been you.

Alright well if you come to Liverpool AW you can rent a harness and they will lend you the belaying tool as well, we can run you through it then and you should be able to pick it up so easily. No need for a helmet indoors though, you'd probably look a bit silly ontop of the fact it would no doubt fill up with sweat!

If you are comfortable climbing 4-5s in door then you will be able to climb a 5 lead no problem and possibly a 6a, a 6a just requires a bit of thought and some awkward holds but nothing too tasking if you plan it. The main thing is if you're lacking the muscle to shift your body weight properly and use your centre of gravity as much as possible to help you reach and lean.

We normally go on something like a tuesday night and friday/saturday, where abouts do you live? Would you be getting the train over?

 

[Carp4U]

Local woods is in Irby and I doubt it would be on UKC, I wondered who added me on facebook though I had a feeling it might be of been you.

Alright well if you come to Liverpool AW you can rent a harness and they will lend you the belaying tool as well, we can run you through it then and you should be able to pick it up so easily. No need for a helmet indoors though, you'd probably look a bit silly ontop of the fact it would no doubt fill up with sweat!

If you are comfortable climbing 4-5s in door then you will be able to climb a 5 lead no problem and possibly a 6a, a 6a just requires a bit of thought and some awkward holds but nothing too tasking if you plan it. The main thing is if you're lacking the muscle to shift your body weight properly and use your centre of gravity as much as possible to help you reach and lean.

We normally go on something like a tuesday night and friday/saturday, where abouts do you live? Would you be getting the train over?

All sounds really cool, I'll have a look on google at that. The wood I go to is called Primrose Wood but the 'crag' there isn't registered on UKC at all.
Yeah no need for a helmet, I can put my helmet cam on a headstrap.

That'd be good, I'd love to learn. I live just outside Chester, and it's only 40 mins or so to drive. My dad would probably bring me for a couple of hours and wait in the cafe and watch me or something.. if theres a cafe at Liverpool? Theres one at Stockport and its great for refuelling. Saturday day time should be good for a couple of hours. Thanks for offering to help teach me anyway, I really want some 'climbing buddies' because otherwise I'm never going to build up any strength. Probably going to be busy until May, but after then I'll keep in touch via FB and see what we can arrange.

 

[JoshuaA]

Alrighty,

There is unfortunately no café in awesome walls liverpool, we are left without such refueling station how they do sell some snacks and there is a climbing gear shop within the building.

Well after May... that will give me and my mate some time to get better before you analyse us haha, look forward to climbing with you though.

 

[mike os]

not been for several years now, getting old and too busy .... used to be every weekend from march-october, some days and evenings too

Got to be real rock tho.... quarrys & walls just dont do it for me.

 

[JoshuaA]

Yeh I enjoy the odd spot of bouldering outdoors and the fact the routes are not defined is much more enjoyable. However at the other end I think I generally prefer the Resin purely because of the plethora of routes and of course safety . No need to climb down after a route just fall! (Controlled landing).

Hopefully won't get too lazy this time, I'm intending to go back to the Dolomites this summer. Went last summer and went to Tre Cime and I did a tiny free climb on it but I was there to intentionally go for a nice massive walk. This time I'm intending to do some Via Ferreta which could be interesting, never done that.

 

[spectrum]

I enjoy a trip to the local climbing wall ('The Face' in Derbyshire) I enjoy bouldering the most, leading is always fun. I've gone off top-roping a bit because I don't like the way I can 'cheat' and let the rope take my weight if I get tired . Not done a great deal of outdoor climbing, I don't have my own equipment or anyone experienced to climb with. Been doing it for aroun 6 years on and off now and never stopped enjoying it

 

[JoshuaA]

So it looks like this July I will be going back to Cortina in the Dolomites. I'm likely to do some "Via Ferrata" which feels a bit like cheating whilst climbing. However since there are no actual "rules" to climbing it's not. There seems to be some very basic routes from 1A up to 5C on the Via Ferrata rating. I'm wondering if anyone has done Via Ferrata before as I have never done it and to get a feel for it I might quickly go to the lakes in the summer beforehand.

I also don't have an idea on what sort of grading I will be able to do, as with protection I'm a very competent climber and the Via Ferrata although looks like a great safety device looks like it will just keep me hanging from the cliff with a broken shin.

Anyone ever done this before? Struggling to plan routes!

Edit: In fact some of these Via Ferrata seem to include a lot of traversing along cliff faces, in which walking boots would be helpful... however I really really can't climb in anything but my climbing shoes. What footwear is expected or should I pop both in my bag and swap when necessary?

Edit2: Suffered a very unfortunate injury preventing me from climbing and it relates to fish keeping as well! Was smashing up some Lava rock for my new tank and it was slicing off like shale. I picked the rock up by hand and went to throw it down on the floor as it came out my hand it sliced through my middle finger right on the tip. It's a about .25cm deep which isn't much but my fingers are thin and boney. I attempted to climb with it plastered and taped over the second there was any friction of the finger it ripped the cut back open. One of those really annoying "injuries".

Currently my aim is to be at a level I have the endurance and technique to climb the highest grade Via Ferratas in Cortina which hopefully will get me great experience in outdoor climbing.

 

[JoshuaA]

Well good news for people climbing in Liverpool...

A new climbing centre has opened, The Climbing Hangar apparently fully opened today/yesterday which I never knew about, unfortunately I'm tied down with masses of revision and procrastinating from that revision but I will hopefully be visiting Monday night! Looks like this place has the potential to be epic.

I also got to meet the Pou brothers and talk to them in person, truly down to earth guys with a wealth of experience they want to share.

 

[simonas]

I love it and in fact might climb a rock face today!! Thors Rock in Thursaston