as long as you’re true on the style you did it in! Enjoy it
Hope this isn't the case, but I can't help reading this as a pretty negative post (maybe that says more about me?),
I'm not convinced developments in equipment should be regarded as reasons to downgrade. Boots, training facilities and methods etc have also come on a long way since the eighties; this is all part of the reason why 8b+ is no longer the cutting edge.
but when a girl does Mecca, then you start thinking about whether it's really 8b+ and open a thread?
There have been a lot of mutterings about whether the knee is on or not
I know this isn't an attack on Mina's ascent but here is my tuppence worth.Some people do get a lot back in the arms from the knee bar but its drains you in other ways i.e. your core and body strength. Also as Duma says leg length does play a part in how much help a knee bar can be. Mina actually fell off from the top of the groove because she tried to recover in the knee bar for too long. She got very little back because she didn't fit it that well. I think on her ascent she was in it for maybe 10 seconds at the most. Hardly a rest!However she knew that when she did Mecca there would be whisperings of a down grade! She thought it was amazing climbing and she made it look a damn sight eaiser than a lot of people I have seen on it. I reckon some big names have done Mecca and the 8b+ seems to have stood the test of time. In my opinion their should be more praise for the ascent, it's a bloody fine effort!When the footage appears of it we can all see!
Not the best timing for your post, Shark!!!
Hi Dave, Better out in the open rather than whisperings. Thanks for the detail. Sounds like the kneebar didnt help her at all. I hope it is 8b+ still. FWIW (very little!) pass on my praise. I thought it was impressive Lucinda doing a burly route like the Oak. Mina doing Mecca takes it to another level.SimonCheers, Simon
I don't want to get involved in the grade debate, but I just wanted to say what an absolutely amazing effort it was by Mina. Seriously impressive. I bet she crushed it too! That's what everyone should be talking about, not the knee bars.
Personally I'd say leg length makes more difference than pads to most knee bars, and since IME so long as you fit into the knee bar, the longer the better, Mina's on pretty safe ground.
As Nibile says, you could have timed this post better Shark. Almost worth a puntering.
Just checking the url.it definitely says ukbouldering, not ukclimbing.