Talking to Steve Dunning at the Depot a lot of the newcomers seemed surprised that a. people climbed outside b. would want to and c. would travel the world to do so.
The future of British climbing is indoors. What it lacks (other than the Schoolroom) is set problems/routes that never change, that would be as memorable a 'tick' as if it were an outdoor climb.
I assume the holds in the School Room don't get cleaned/changed. Is this because they are predominantly wooden?
If using resin holds, would these need to be changed/cleaned?And how would you mitigate for cleaning of holds!?
Would the grade change by the number of attempts/ascents since last cleansing!?
Am I taking this far too seriously?
What you've got to remember is some walls already have permanent testpieces. There are some features-only problems on the Foundry, and old bendcrete walls like Eldon Square in newcastle are 99% permanent problems. These don't need climbing they just stay up and nobody expects them to be like they were brand new
If only someone could come up with a standard template for a bouldering wall, and use the same set of holds and document a set of problems online so everyone could try them and claim they are all undergraded.
Quote from: SA Chris on January 27, 2017, 11:16:49 amIf only someone could come up with a standard template for a bouldering wall, and use the same set of holds and document a set of problems online so everyone could try them and claim they are all undergraded.Isn't that a moon board
people will laugh at the idea of walls as primarily training facilities
If using resin holds, would these need to be changed/cleaned?And how would you mitigate for cleaning of holds!?Would the grade change by the number of attempts/ascents since last cleansing!?
Quote from: Bonjoy on January 27, 2017, 01:20:45 pmpeople will laugh at the idea of walls as primarily training facilities Walls are primarily entertainment facilities, any coincidental value they might have for training is already very secondary.
Quote from: fatneck on January 27, 2017, 10:59:15 amIf using resin holds, would these need to be changed/cleaned?And how would you mitigate for cleaning of holds!?Would the grade change by the number of attempts/ascents since last cleansing!?I can't see the lifespan of heavily climbed on resin being much of a problem compared to the lifespan of heavily climbed on limestone, and with resin it's a lot easier to do something about it.
Quote from: Mark Lloyd on January 27, 2017, 02:03:17 pmQuote from: SA Chris on January 27, 2017, 11:16:49 amIf only someone could come up with a standard template for a bouldering wall, and use the same set of holds and document a set of problems online so everyone could try them and claim they are all undergraded.Isn't that a moon boardThat was the joke
Quote from: SA Chris on January 27, 2017, 11:16:49 amIf only someone could come up with a standard template for a bouldering wall, and use the same set of holds and document a set of problems online so everyone could try them and claim they are all undergraded.Isn't that a moon boardDid the Climbing works have a replica of west side story once, maybe they could continue with the theme andhave a boulder of the month, a replica of a classic problem
Yes!! Loved Broughton wall on the few occasions I have been able to visit... Is it still going?
Quote from: fatneck on January 30, 2017, 11:25:22 amYes!! Loved Broughton wall on the few occasions I have been able to visit... Is it still going?No, the council shut and sold the building a couple of years ago.
Quote from: Mark Lloyd on January 27, 2017, 02:03:17 pmQuote from: SA Chris on January 27, 2017, 11:16:49 amIf only someone could come up with a standard template for a bouldering wall, and use the same set of holds and document a set of problems online so everyone could try them and claim they are all undergraded.Isn't that a moon boardDid the Climbing works have a replica of west side story once, maybe they could continue with the theme andhave a boulder of the month, a replica of a classic problemBack in 2007 The Westway did this, with not replicas but attempts to get close as possible to the moves and style of (from memory) Peak classics like Strawberries, Trackside and Deliverance. Needless to say that despite being able to do laps on Trackside at Curbar, I got totally shut down by the indoor "equivalent".
Just saw this: http://www.klattercentret.se/akalla/the-black-diamond-project/Is this a case of multiple discovery of a desire for permanent benchmark plastic by independent great minds?
Following on from some comments on the BMC thread, noteably...Quote from: SharkTalking to Steve Dunning at the Depot a lot of the newcomers seemed surprised that a. people climbed outside b. would want to and c. would travel the world to do so.I was genuinely surprised by this and whilst I know there are a lot of new climbers who don't climb outside, I kind of felt they knew that it was based on "real" climbing and would somehow aspire to do this eventually...
Quote from: SharkTalking to Steve Dunning at the Depot a lot of the newcomers seemed surprised that a. people climbed outside b. would want to and c. would travel the world to do so.I'm not sure if the 'newcomers' referred to in that were specifically people they'd spoken to at the Depot, but if it was then I can see how that'd be the case. There seem to be quite a few people who go there who seem to be crossfitters/gym refugees (either have that "skipped leg day" vibe, or are surprised they can't kip their way up things), so I can see that to them it'd just be a 'thing' you did at a place like that.....
if it's a choice between not really knowing what I'm doing on a crag somewhere vs. sipping my flat white like a prick between flailing at some plastic at the Depot it's pretty easy to just go for the latté
There seem to be quite a few people who go there who seem to be crossfitters/gym refugees (either have that "skipped leg day" vibe, or are surprised they can't kip their way up things), so I can see that to them it'd just be a 'thing' you did at a place like that. For them it probably is just a functional thing, so they wouldn't have any interest in where it might have come from or where it might take them - as an after work exercise/fitness option it's ideal.
With places like the Depot in Manchester and - say - the Climbing Lab in Leeds being nicely finished, well laid out places with a good atmosphere and good problems set for people who are new I can see it catching on more with people from that kind of background.
I'm increasingly aware that I'd much rather have a really good indoor session than an fairly average outdoor one. A few hours at Bowden or Hepburn on a glorious autumn day is always going to beat Climb Newcastle but pulling on Shaftoe scrittle over a muddy puddle does less and less for me.
I decided that I'd have more chance of doing said problems if I spent those days training indoors and only go out when it's guaranteed to be bon.
Quote from: 36chambers on February 07, 2017, 11:41:08 am I decided that I'd have more chance of doing said problems if I spent those days training indoors and only go out when it's guaranteed to be bon. The problem with that approach is that, 1, that guaranteed good connies day might never happen, and 2, when it does, you're putting yourself under a lot of pressure to perform.
Quote from: dave on February 07, 2017, 11:56:09 amQuote from: 36chambers on February 07, 2017, 11:41:08 am I decided that I'd have more chance of doing said problems if I spent those days training indoors and only go out when it's guaranteed to be bon. The problem with that approach is that, 1, that guaranteed good connies day might never happen, and 2, when it does, you're putting yourself under a lot of pressure to perform.The life of a weekend warrior.
There's a load of low safe stuff at Shipley too, especially directly beneath the car park. You just need to understand few concepts like safe pad placement, and how to read the guidebook and figure out where the problems actually are which, with a place like shipley can be a bit bewildering.
With regards to the Climbing Lab, I can't remember seeing any guidebooks (or general outdoor equipment) for sale. If this is the case it's easy to imagine how beginners don't make the connection between climbing indoors and climbing outdoors. For me, owning a guide book was easily the main catalyst for venturing outside. After spending many days trawling through all the wonderful looking venues and conjuring up sequences for the various 3 star climbs I couldn't wait to get out.