One of the best ways to improve footwork is to try tolimb slabs without your hands and try and climb vertical stuff with only one hand. This forces you to really think about your foot positioning and the orientation of the forces you put through your feet. You will be surprised by:
a) the steepness of slab it is possible to climb no-handed
b) the amount of times you can take both hands off on a vertical wall with a bit of foot trickery.
When I started really climbing (i.e. doing it lots) I quickly realised that I was never going to be that strong or flexible or a big stamina monster (I have none of these things natrually and I'm too lazy to train properly) so I really focused on technique and footwork. My top secret training device is a piece of ply wood about 3 foot high by 4 foot wide which I have in my garage covered in a range of slopy holds. Rather than mounting it in the air and hanging from it I have it set up at a slabby angle on the ground. I then jump onto it with both feet at the same time and try and land in balance on the footholds without using my hands. Doing this is very frustrating and hard but it will give you killer balance andordination with your feet.
Grimer, you don't remember everything. I was with you, you fool.I think that's what he meant here Andy, just forgot the ? at the end and some basic Grammar.
Hi Andy. Remember going to Burbage with Jonny Woodward one day?Punctuation, eh? :lol:
Grammar IS important.
And if the smear didn't feel right (even if it looked identical to the previous times it was used), it was more likely to go.
then stick perfectly 5 times....whoop I've got the feel? No....then slip immediately 5 times...
Johnny Dawes might actually have a valid scientific point with his meta-physics electro-wire tube thing. With the stability.
A lot of standard smearing advice tells you to get as much surface area in contact with the rock as possible - "to maximise the friction". If you have a constant normal force uniformly distributed over a surface area of constant coefficient of friction, supported by a constant friction force then it doesn't matter how much planar surface area you;'ve got - the friction is the same. Unless there's somehting funny going on with vectors, or supporting a torque through friction, or uneven friction or surface shape and no doubt a whole host of other real life disclaimers.
But the more surface area you've got, the larger your `base is' so you're more stable like a pyramid, as your centre of gravity has to move further before you over balance and need to pull in with your arms.
I think the size of the perturbations you a a climber produce to this simple stability thing also increases, as your balance (or general skill) decreases, and as you get more drunk. That's kind of what happens during slack lining. You not only learn to correct the pertubrations, but not to produce them in the first place, or correct them earlier before they become as large.
I'm sorry if I've gone on - it's only about three lines of maths.
Have been practising this recently or at least trying to, playing around on The Tiny Slab at Burbizzle Nozzle. Paying particular attention to squeaking my shoes, keeping my heels low, staying relaxed and trusting the friction, etc...
It was quite a disturbing and demoralising experience ???
The most notable thing that it felt very random as to whether a smear would stick. For example on something I found tricky, the same smear in what felt like the same position, could slip immediately 5 times, then stick perfectly 5 times....whoop I've got the feel? No....then slip immediately 5 times... Hard to let it sink into my brain when it behaves differently.
The things that did have some consistency: Tightening my shoes helped noticably. And if the smear didn't feel right (even if it looked identical to the previous times it was used), it was more likely to go.
Ho hum, more practise again and again...
Johnny Dawes might actually have a valid scientific point with his meta-physics electro-wire tube thing. With the stability.
A lot of standard smearing advice tells you to get as much surface area in contact with the rock as possible - "to maximise the friction". If you have a constant normal force uniformly distributed over a surface area of constant coefficient of friction, supported by a constant friction force then it doesn't matter how much planar surface area you;'ve got - the friction is the same. Unless there's somehting funny going on with vectors, or supporting a torque through friction, or uneven friction or surface shape and no doubt a whole host of other real life disclaimers.
Buy yourself some decent shoes Fiend, i'm guessing you were wearing either those five ten Newton things or your mad rock phoenix's ??? Just look at the types of shoes uber slab meisters wear, you won't see a single pair of punter boots with laces right the way down to the toes.
For example, take something as pure as, say, Angel's Share.
IMO opinion the fully direct start without holds out right is harder than the start of Shirleys
The other thing that might help is a copy of Fawcett on Rock if
The other thing that might help is a copy of Fawcett on Rock if, god forbid, you haven't already seen it.
Yeah, brilliant photo! Have you learnt the inverted forefinger pebble mantel yet Fiend?
Satin always looked nails in that....although he does use a pretty duff sequence,
Can't say I've noticed much diff from the old rubber. The new heel for the velcros, on the other hand, is a revelation
So have they ruined the Pinks as well? Bastards.
Do you know what law they do follow then? A nonlinear one?
Can't say I've noticed much diff from the old rubber. The new heel for the velcros, on the other hand, is a revelation
.....The problem is excaberated due to the fact the velcro straps are about 3inch longer than they used to be (and need to be) so they tend to pull open on the ground, and the strap is stiffer so the velcro can't get a good purchase on the curved surface of your foot.
Rubber don't follow no law. Rubber is a renegade, operating above the law.
I wouldn't say 5.10 were shit, they are still the best performers. During the window between breaking in and falling apart/ wearing out they are amazing, you just have to put up with that window being smaller than with other manufacturers.
Surely there's a lot more to slab skills than rubber though otherwise how would wooodward ever got up anything!
Oh well left to dream of a slightly softer Sportiva Katana with 5.10 rubber..... (mind you they no longer even stoock non-imaginary Sportiva's in the North East anymore).
my right ankle is a bit shot from breaking it and hence i can't raise my toes on that side. it makes standing on smears impossible - i'm basically front pointing. is there a corrolation between ankle flexibility (into dorsiflexion) and slab skills?
Need to work a bit more on edgy slabs too (quarried grit styleee). Have been revising the section in Fawcett On Rock. Any other pointers??
For edgy slabs, go to Millstone with a few pads and do Sex Dwarves etc. You might need to ditch the baggy galileos though. After that any other holds will seem massive.
Keep reading Fawcett on rock until you can recite most of it. Get the wife to give you caption tests on the photos.
I am not trying to be smart here but the eyes play a major part in balance.
I agree that having strong legs helps with high steps etc.
Main thing though is that the rubber is fantastic - I've never owned new shoes with either C4 or Onyx and it's been a revelation (I had always been a bit sceptical). Not sure whether the frictional properties are strictly any better but it just feels somehow more trustworthy. There seems to be less "creep" before it gives which encourages a positive approach and hence better slab skills (was very useful in Ariege).
How many people who love and stand by 5.10 have tried anything else in the last 5 years?
It just occured to me that a physio exercise might be quite good at developing balance and leg strength.
The exercise involves standing on one leg with your eyes closed for as long as you can - ideally over a minute. Easy enough if you have a fully working leg. But try doing it whilst standing on your toes...
I'm sure practicing this must have slab climbing benefits. Obviously balance is partly a knack, but having stronger legs has got to make it much easier...
The hold out right on Shock Horror, yeah I saw one, a shallow pocket thing. I just thought since the guide was clear about no boulder, that one was supposed to start very direct. That hold could have helped...Threadomancy alert!