[a dense loner]

how do people fare at walls? i went to glasgow last wk n climbed really well (for me indoors at any rate). went to warrington tonight n as soon as i walked in i knew i was gonna be toss. sure enuf i was proved right n walked out after about 40 minutes. fair enough i was tired from work but i was also tired last week. is this a question of motivation? or knowing immediately if the wall will suit you?

does anyone else hate using screw on footholds? i know they're there but it almost seems to me like cheating. personnally i like to use feet follow hands, n prefer to train in old shoes with no toes. i don't know why, perhaps it's cos i think that new shoes are for outside

[dave]

thing with doing feet for hands problems is they only get you good at doing big rockovers and using massive footholds (cos even small crimps are massive for feet), this is what i did all the time ni the edge woody. using small screwons is the only way you're gonna get any body tension etc.

[dobbin]

I think its a question of motivaction. Jacky Godoffe says its not who is the strongest, but who wants it most - and he is right.

[Fiend]

About the screw-on issue, my general preference is to have problems that have the most natural hold usage liked you'd get outside. I.e. extra footholds (e.g. screw-ons, features) are good, but only if they're not really good enough for the hands, that is, like outdoors you'd use them for your feet but not try to hold on to them.

Lack of screw-ons/features is worse for the reasons dave said.

Worst of all is hugely featured walls e.g. the really steep featured stuff at the Edge. That is bollox, they shouldn't make walls like that, totally bad training "oh here's a problem you can climb using a variety of 14,000 featured buckets to use any foot position you like.....just like outdoors" *rolls eyes*. Stuff like the Foundry and Nottingham wall are much more sensible for features (as are the Edge flat panels).

Rant over.

[dave]

the featured walls at the matrix also have far too many and too positive footholds.

[Bubba]

That's very true - need more shit footholds so you can't just plonk your foot down and forget about it.

[Bonjoy]

The foundry is the only wall i've been to which has the right amount of featuring on a bouldering wall.

[Graeme]

I like problems with set holds because its more like outdorr climbing then. And it becomes less like rockovers then, (mainly cos I'm shit at them)

[Simon S]

I guess that some nights it happens and other nights it just feels hard. I know when I did loads of cycling and used a pulse monitor, sometimes I couldn't get to a recent pulse rate no matter how hard I tried. Personally the cold wet weather always reduced performance dramatically. Obviously, climbing inside is unlikely to be affected in the same way but all the same some days it just seems to flow and others.....well its time to pack it in after an hour!!

Screw ons are really essential in terms of training body tension. I really wish the Bristol wall had less positive features on the boulder wall as there is just too much choice of 'natural' footholds. It just seems to make the transition to the outside world that much harder. That said they do set some wicked problems

[blockhead]

That feet follows hand stuff often ends up being 6c cranking with 4c footwork. The nottingham wall has got the features about right and it does make you work ya feet and  body tension but after while you get to know it so well you can climb new problems with ya feet on autopilot...autopifoot?

Its much better down in the cellar on the woody. Shit polished nubbins and wood slopers and on a steep board...nice  

[a dense loner]

with the screw-ons i mentioned it was like cheating, this is what i meant. i don't use screw-ons because i think it makes the prob easier, easier to manouver the body positioning etc. whereas not using them makes for much better body tension. my point is that if you have decent boots you may as well be standing on jugs, which you are with the feet follow hands. also i prefer not to bridge or use features for feet  :?

this of course is for actual wall probs n not training purposes. i am also not saying i do all these probs, just my weird way psyche

[a dense loner]

went 2wall 2nite with jim n clm, got burnt off left,right n centre. boots r next to bin :wink:

[Jim]

have to go to the wall again, you make me look good

[a dense loner]

god i din't realise i was that bad!

[account_inactive]

I've just spent the evening bouldering on what I think is the best indoor wall in the country.  The features only problems are total class.  The only problem is you need to be inventive and use only specific holds (just like the old days :wink: ).  It means that we have loads of 'simulation' problems that involve body tension and shit holds!

This is not a good picture of it but at least you get the idea.  It was built by Crispin 'The Wad' Waddy who in the world of wall designing is a true genious.  The only thing that spoils it is all the fucking bolt-on holds :x

http://www.castle-climbing.co.uk/walls/images/featuredbouldering1.jpg

http://www.castle-climbing.co.uk/walls/images/featuredbouldering3.jpg

[fatneck]

Awesome Walls have a fantastic resin wall. You think you're getting close to knowing it only to be shown another ten problems (projects for me!) by the old hands. Has to be my favourite indoor wall EVER!!

[bendy]

you should try rockcity in hull , bouldering has got to be best indoor in the country

[fatneck]

I have been told that by a mate of mine who's missus is from there.
Also, happened accross the Liverpool Uni climbing wall yesterday.....
Old Skool just about sums it up. They even have a off-width chimney to tackle on top rope!

[vivahate]

the uni wall is the worst thing ever, there are a couple of good problems but generally its shit

[bob]

when it comes to featured resin walls it doesn't get much better than the bangor uni fridd wall. it has a stunning array of crimpy things and not only recreates amazing limestone features but also the lack of friction. not to mention the warm moist atmosphere of thailand.
the makers even incorporated progressive erosion into the wall as im sure all the regulars are aware as a crucial hold for many a problem was recntly destroyed by some fat nacker.