Wondering what other people do when it comes to picking holds for stand starts? Obviously, some guidebooks or topos state the actual holds you have to use for some problems but what about the ones that basically say climb to the top?
The reason I ask is, in part, because I've been out and about with Ruth Jenkins' brother Paul a lot the last couple of years and he's a little like me, in that he never seems to go for the highest hold he can reach or the one slightly to the side if it looks like 'too good to use', even if it's easily in reach.
We went to Churnet on Sunday and put a mat under Rocket Ride. Paul ticked it after a fair few goes, spent mostly on working out his feet for his starting holds and I was glad to eventually end the day getting to the press, even if I was too achy fingered to use it by then. There was an obvious two fingered slopey hole all chalked up that was easily reachable but Paul automatically used a mono for his right hand that was lower down and a rubbish pebble for his left, also lower. Using the same right mono, I used an undercut pocket for my left that was maybe a metre below the easily reached obvious hold. Blue Circles at Anston is another one - I can't make out the circles, so the holds we used are lower than any video I've seen.
Looking at videos of Rocket Ride when we got back, everyone used the obvious higher hold (left or right handed) which makes the whole thing a fair bit easier we thought.
So what is 'standard practice'? Reach as high as you can? Seems daft I'm only asking this now but generally I've just used the holds of the person who's gone before me and if it's anyone, it's usually me that cries 'that can't be in'. Usually it's obvious where to start but after watching the videos of Rocket Ride - well, I can't help but feel Paul and myself are making things a lot harder for ourselves than need be.
It was a fun problem and I won't be changing how I do it low down, it's more of a general question.
