[alasdair19]

this is the most encouraging thread in ages!

6'2" and touch over 15 stone. Put on just ovre half a stone since October. Probably cause I've looking after the mini 19s since then full time.

bouldering at the mini works is back to about average. blacks 6a. at about 14.5 i was doing sport 6b/c and E2. Up until a tweaking my fingers on LPT and sulking for a month.

trad failures is usually pump out so weight makes a significant difference.

[SA Chris]

Getting Baked is really important.

[slackline]

Just out of interest, when did it start being socially acceptable to quote your height and weight purely in metric?

1965

[Dexter]

I think one key is where the weight is too. I'm fairly light at 188cm and ~70kg but thats mainly because I have tiny chicken legs and all my muscle is located on my back and arms, as such I tend to be a fairly burly climber with lank.

So just get in a  wheelchair and start atrophying those legs, after all they're just there to guide you whilst campusing the problems

[Bungle.]

I find stuff like this pretty interesting I'm 181 cm

I've always been heavy since mid 90's  probably between 102 - 115kgs pre that prob 90-95kgs

Post 95  I've climbed  up to V7/V8 normally dynamic vs power and fairly constantly v4/v5 . Admittedly I've spent a lot of time climbing I've been fortunate on the injury front with no finger injuries over that time .

Personally I think once your over V5/6 weight is an issue however up to that point technique and and an ability to climb efficiently will get you a  long way .

Obviously ditching weight will probably unlock higher grades however life is to be lived and I like career , eating , drinking , family and Socialising .

 Like everything life is a trade off and I'm happy with what I can get done climbingwise with all the other things I enjoy going on at the same time . I think like everything people should make a call on what they want and then accept the consequences.

 

[Pantontino]

I'm 45 years old, 182cmish (5.11 and a half - I'm sure I used to be 6ft but seem to have shrunk as I've hit middle age) and currently 86kg (at least that's what the old scales at my mother's house said at the weekend).

I climbed pretty well for me on saturday so I was surprised to see such a heavy weight - mind you previous dabbling with dieting has made me realise that I'm normally at least a quarter stone lighter in the morning, and those scales are probably not very accurate.

My weight does fluctuate a lot - basically, the less I drink mid week, the lighter I get and the better I climb. Last year I dropped a load of weight off and went down to 80kgs for a bit - climbing felt easy for a few months, but I soon crept back up to my more natural 'fit' weight of just above 13 stone. Last winter I had a bad finger injury so just went winter climbing; luckily it was a strong year conditions wise so I got out loads and again the weight dropped off me.

I tried running a few years ago and enjoyed it but I don't think it made me lose much weight. My flexibility worsened (really noticeable on techy vertical stuff) so I knocked it on the head.

My other top tip - apart from not drinking mid week - is to just reduce every meal portion you have by a quarter. You can eat what you like, so don't get pissed off with strict food rules. Simple but effective.

I boulder about 7A+ or 7B outside these days (and reckon I could seige 7B+ if I got psyched by a particular problem). Indoors I generally get my arse kicked a lot but amusingly I am currently in 6th place in the Indy Wall winter bouldering aggregate competition. I'm sure most of that is down to good tactics, but it's still funny to be a fat old git pulling a respectable score.

[Johnny Brown]

I have started keeping half an eye on my weight given I now can't climb half as much as I used to. I'm fairly heavy for my height and build - 76kg at 5' 8.5". Question is should I start trying to lose a few kilos for bouldering, or should I keep it on to better survive the few winter climbing days I might get?

[lagerstarfish]

people should make a call on what they want and then accept the consequences.

it'll never catch on

[petejh]

I have started keeping half an eye on my weight given I now can't climb half as much as I used to. I'm fairly heavy for my height and build - 76kg at 5' 8.5". Question is should I start trying to lose a few kilos for bouldering, or should I keep it on to better survive the few winter climbing days I might get?

Bashing through the winter days will shave off any excess weight, if you think you'll get out enough. Otherwise, you run the perfect cross-training facility - just demonstrate lots of rescues wearing warm clothing, or go around rigging, de-rigging and generally doing the donkey work.

[SA Chris]

went down to 80kgs for a bit - climbing felt easy for a few months, but I soon crept back up to my more natural 'fit' weight of just above 13 stone.

Mixing grading systems in one sentence is totally unacceptable.

JB, I think carrying an extra few pounds for winter routes makes no difference, I still feel fucked after a big day out if I've got some weight on or not; it's still a few extra kg you have to carry in and up the route. I only notice any weight loss in the week following a big day out anyway?

[Pantontino]

went down to 80kgs for a bit - climbing felt easy for a few months, but I soon crept back up to my more natural 'fit' weight of just above 13 stone.

Mixing grading systems in one sentence is totally unacceptable.

JB, I think carrying an extra few pounds for winter routes makes no difference, I still feel fucked after a big day out if I've got some weight on or not; it's still a few extra kg you have to carry in and up the route. I only notice any weight loss in the week following a big day out anyway?

Apologies - I still think in imperial so slipped up (I've no real idea what 80kgs means).

I have  two conflicting theories about winter climbing heaviness. When I'm overweight the walk ins feel harder (they're always hard, but these things are relative after all) and I sweat more, so end up feeling cold on the belays. As the season goes on I get fitter and lighter. The walk ins feel easier and I don't sweat as much, but because I'm carrying less insulating fat I still end up feeling cold on the belays! Last season I really felt this change - by Easter I was super fit but after one chilly day I was discussing clothing layers with my mate and realised he had an extra layer on. In the end I added a layer, but walked in with the bare minimum on. Seemed to work. Oh, and having a super warm belaying jacket helps!

[petejh]

I can't recommend Brynje base layers highly enough. Wear these and never again feel the clammy damp coldness seeping into your bones as your belay stint turns into a semi-hanging mind-game of all the songs you can think of by artists beginning with G, H, I......


http://www.brynje-shop.com/index.html?language=en

[Pantontino]

I can't recommend Brynje base layers highly enough. Wear these and never again feel the clammy damp coldness seeping into your bones as your belay stint turns into a semi-hanging mind-game of all the songs you can think of by artists beginning with G, H, I......


http://www.brynje-shop.com/index.html?language=en

Interesting.

I have noticed that you seem remarkably unaffected by winter coldness. I had put this down to some sort of innate toughness, but now I see that it is all based on good technology. (Obviously if I try out this fancy base layer and am still freezing cold I'll have to concede that you are considerably tougher than me...)

[SA Chris]

Are you saying my helly from 2002 is substandard?

Any particular one from the range for "typical" UK winter conditions?

[petejh]

An innate stubbornness, 10 years of lying in cold mud being told 'my skin's waterproof', and the best Noweigan wicking underwear money can buy = above average resilience to cold weather. Also I'm always psyched out of my tiny mind to be winter climbing!

Love the feeling of getting hill fit for winter-climbing, hard to get in Wales though with the short conditions windows.


SAChris - I use the 'Super Thermo long sleeve shirt', and the 'super thermo 3/4 length hose'. They're the dog's bollocks 

[Pantontino]

Are you saying my helly from 2002 is substandard?

I'm sure it smells substandard!

[SA Chris]

Good info and this thread has had a bit of a hijack, sorry!

[Pantontino]

Love the feeling of getting hill fit for winter-climbing, hard to get in Wales though with the short conditions windows.

I love that feeling too - one day last winter I actually managed to keep up with Tim Badcock's furious marching rate. It was like I'd reached another level of existence. Can't remember what route we did that day, but it felt easy in comparison.

(Oh, and apologies to the original poster, we appear to be talking about winter climbing...)

[Johnny Brown]

Ha, good tangent! So the consensus is lose the weight and buy better underwear. Damn. My thought was less about feeling good on the day and more about not feeling fucked/ getting ill after a couple of monster days. I could just make sure the car is full of food and ensure the long drive home is a non-stop binge of scranning snacks and quaffing chocolate milk.

[Pantontino]

Ha, good tangent! So the consensus is lose the weight and buy better underwear. Damn. My thought was less about feeling good on the day and more about not feeling fucked/ getting ill after a couple of monster days. I could just make sure the car is full of food and ensure the long drive home is a non-stop binge of scranning snacks and quaffing chocolate milk.

I imagine my definition of 'carrying a bit of fat' is quite different to yours! Carry on nailing the chocolate milk shakes - best recovery fuel ever.

[SA Chris]

Choose strawberry - that way you can eat chocolate too and not feel too ill.

[rich d]

Choose strawberry - that way you can eat chocolate too and not feel too ill.

[tomtom]

Brilliant!

[pyrosis]

189cm, 90kg here - have managed to claw my way up 7C but only if it's reachy as fark

[petejh]

5 feet 10,  10.6 stone (178cm 67Kg). Finger strength never an issue, PE and all-day effort is.

38 now and I've been the same weight since 17, with a minor trip up to 11.5 stone during a donner-and beer-propelled year in my twenties.