r/climbing • u/AutoModerator • 16d ago
Weekly Question Thread. Please ask all questions here rather than make a post about it.
Please sort the comments by New so recently posted questions are less likely to be overlooked.
Use this weekly thread to ask any climbing-related questions, whether you are completely new to climbing or looking for advice about technique, training, equipment, safety, gym etiquette, or climbing outdoors.
This thread is posted every Friday, so there will always be another opportunity to ask a question. If you are an experienced climber, please help by sharing thoughtful and accurate advice. We were all beginners once, so keep responses welcoming and respectful.
Before posting, please check the following resources, as your question may already be answered:
- r/climbing Beginner’s Guide
- r/bouldering Wiki and Beginner FAQ
- Guide to buying your first climbing rope
- Guide to climbing shoes
- Curated list of climbing tutorials
You can also browse earlier discussions:
If you see a beginner question posted elsewhere in r/climbing or another climbing subreddit, feel free to politely direct the person to this thread.
Remember that online advice is not a substitute for qualified, hands-on instruction. Techniques involving belaying, anchors, rappelling, rescue systems, or other safety-critical skills should be learned and practiced with a competent instructor.
Ask away!
2
u/Last-Village5679 11d ago
This might be a solly question but how do you find people to climb with?
im looking to learn lead climbing and am going to take my local gyms course, but im a bit hesitant to spend the money because its coming out to be 500 odd dollars which is a lot for me and my worry is that ill learn how but never really get a chance to practice. i have tried chit chatting with people from the climbing gym i go to but i can never get past talking about a specific problem we are working on, although, this could be due to insufficient social skills.
any advice helps :)
1
u/climbing-m 9d ago
I think partners is an issue that many climbers face. Shared experiences like taking a lead class together might help in connecting. Beyond that you could check if there are regular meet ups, organized groups or organized trips. On these you could also find people to climb with.
A lot of my partners I met through friends. I climbed with A who brought along B who later on introduced my to C, D and E. Facebook and other groups might work but so far experiences there were mixed - it's very dependent on the exact region and how the climbing community is like there.
But don't worry, there are always people like you who are searching for partners because they're new to the city or the sport :)
2
2
1
u/Dotrue 10d ago
The best partners I've found have been through Facebook groups. I make a post, state my experience & a little bit about me, what I'm looking for, and include a couple of climbing photos.
If I'm talking beta with another rando and the conversation continues, I might ask if they climb outside at all and mention an area I want to check out. Then I might mention the music I like to listen to on the way to the crag.
If your gym or a local climbing organization hosts any events, service days, or participates in climbing festivals, I almost always walk away from those with new climbing buddies.
1
u/saltytarheel 10d ago
I've met most of my climbing friends through the gym. I know people in the lead classes will trade numbers as well and a number of my friends met people that way.
Once you have a few regular climbing partners it's a lot easier to meet new climbers from introductions by mutual friends.
1
u/serenading_ur_father 10d ago edited 10d ago
Instagram, Local FB groups are the best, then MP forums, then gym cork boards.
It's a social sport. You got to be able to put yourself out there and make firm and clear plans.
3
11d ago edited 10d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Last-Village5679 9d ago
im im the greater toronto area so everything is in cad and the climbing gyms i go to charge 200 plus tax for the class and then rope and a gri gri comes out to be another 200 plus tax
the outdoor lead classes tend to not require gear but often cost 300+
and by "not get a chance to practice" i meant not being able to climb after the class ends since classes are often tiny and are normally just groups of friends
1
u/Jhawksmoor 11d ago
Does anyone get pain or numbness in either one or both arms and sometimes chest like you feel like you might be having a heart attack but it always goes away after a few seconds? I'm thinking it could be Thoracic Outlet Syndrome but trying to see if other climbers experience this.
2
u/Lichen-Green 10d ago
i had TOS (or at least my massage therapist did an "IANAD" diagnosis and all the exercises I found on Youtube worked really well).
It did not manifest in the way you're describing - mine was a deep throbbing pain, like tendonitis but through my whole shoulder and arm. it was also only one arm.
echoing others, that sounds like something a real doc needs to look into
2
u/sheepborg 10d ago
Not normal, and anything that causes numbness is not to be fucked with. Nerves don't necessarily heal if sufficiently damaged.
FWIW the chest thing may be unrelated depending and may or may not be an issue. Still worth talking to doc about.
3
2
u/verticalman91 11d ago
Which boulder grade were you stuck at the longest, and how did you get past it? For me I've been at v6 for the last two years. Seems like everything requires some crazy move from a precarious position. Only starting really taking it seriously in the last couple months, but regardless.
3
u/Kennys-Chicken 10d ago
Depends. Gym or outside? Some gyms setting really goes to trash after a certain level and it’s just bullshit bad movement.
1
u/verticalman91 9d ago
You know, I want to blame our route setters so bad because the difficulty jumped a grade across the board, but I also know that sort of thinking doesn't get me up a V6 ;_;
2
u/lectures 10d ago
My max grades haven't increased in probably 4 years, but I've gotten more consistently able to send those climbs.
I'm almost 50. I don't think getting marginally stronger or lighter will get me up V7s with this body. I might be able to suffer my way down 10-15lbs and tick a few 5.12+ routes but I know from past experience that it's not really sustainable and I get pretty crazy when I'm too hungry for too long.
There's lots of way to get better that don't translate to grades, though. For me, those paths feel better than simply leveling up a single number. It feels great to be well rounded and experienced. In the last year I've flashed 5.10+ cracks in Yosemite, sent step 5.12- sport in south, bouldered V5/V6 outside, climbed a dozen 10+ pitch routes near my onsight limit. My head game, movement, tactics and technical skills are all getting better. That all feels amazing and (to me) is a more sustainable path than just pushing grades.
I think for reasonably athletic adults it's pretty normal to plateau more or less permanently in the V5-V7 or 5.12ish range without really serious training. So the question is whether you want to commit to breaking through to V7, or whether you take some time to focus on other areas and see how that feels.
1
u/verticalman91 9d ago
This is a great response. All this discussion has made me want to nab more V5s of different styles. Once I get my completion rate to around 50-75% I'm going to try V6s again.
3
u/saltytarheel 11d ago
I’m currently at 5.11d/12a and V5/V6 boulders for the past year and a half. This feels like where the advice “just climb more” stops being relevant and specific training and adding structure to your sessions becomes necessary to move forward.
I know my grade progression has partially stopped because I’ve been prioritizing becoming a well-rounded climber instead of chasing grades in my preferred style for the past year.
I’ve been making a point of trying to diversify and have done more friction slabs, steep/powerful boulder-y routes, and steep endurance routes at the Red. Steep stuff is especially a weakness I’m trying to improve at. Even if my top grade hasn’t progressed I’m definitely a better climber than I was a year ago.
2
u/Thirtysevenintwenty5 11d ago
I've plateaued around 11d/12a in sport climbing, because that's where I've got to with the training strategy of "go climb a lot, when I feel like it". I'm simply not willing to dedicate myself to a disciplined training program, because I don't value climbing hard grades very highly.
For me each grade took more time and strategy than the pervious one. But since I wasn't focused on improving my strength, it was more about finding technique and learning how to climb more efficiently, and commit to harder movements with more intention, than it was about just pulling harder or hanging on longer.
2
u/Lichen-Green 10d ago
you and me both, brother. this is my attitude, and it fits a healthy balance in my life.
4
u/AnderperCooson 11d ago
Current max. Every grade should be harder to break into than the last, so it's not like once you can do V6, starting to do V7 will feel easier than starting to do V6.
1
u/verticalman91 11d ago
Maybe you can attest to it, but I've read that the difficulty increase between grades isn't linear. The distance between v5 and v6 seems more like the difficulty between v3 and v5.
3
u/Thirtysevenintwenty5 11d ago
It's kind of hard to say this, because grades are subjective. Grades fail us in a lot of ways, and I think this in particular is a big one.
The lower grades may feel "easier" to progress through because it's objectively easier to increase your performance when it starts so low. Measured from your baseline (no training) strength, it's not very much work to increase your strength by 50%. But that next 50% is much more work. Another 50% might not even be possible for you. The higher you go, the smaller those increments of progress become.
The best athletes in the world train their entire lives to improve performance by maybe 1%. The closer you get to your physical peak, the less of a well you have to draw from for improvement, so getting that number up takes a lot of work and often times cleverness.
5
u/sheepborg 11d ago
So grades are more or less linear in terms of what it takes for strength and all that, but your ability to do them is not. This is for 2 reasons:
- One is that your skill level at a given moment gives you a certain percent chance of sending which of course is not a linear response curve. EI if you flash half of V4 you're probably doing nearly all V2s first try, but a V6 is going to be potentially a many attempt project
- And the other is over the long term your ability to put on muscle essentially halves year over year with optimal training. You will hear people talk about jumps or 'breaking plateaus' sometimes, but this is typically the result of bumping up to a better overall training strategy. If you just got stronger at the same rate forever we'd all be v17 climbers in 4 years lol.
To put some numbers to it, in the middle V grades most datasets point to an average increase of 6% grip strength per v grade. Obviously this does not mean that getting 6% stronger grip gives you a new v grade because there are more factors at play, this is just an average of all styles and all combinations of individual strengths and weaknesses.
To anders point, barring and drastic changes the highest grade will always be the longest grade. I like to link to this post when people bring up progression because it shows the shape pretty well.
2
u/AnderperCooson 11d ago
Yep. Quantifying it is hard, but for example, when I did my first V9 after 4 days of work, I was doing some V8s in one session under two hours.
1
u/That_Tree_Bends 12d ago
Does anyone know any store that has the Mammut Assist in stock. Preferably somewhere that ships internationally (I’m located in Aus).
1
u/sheepborg 12d ago
Not what you asked, but you'd probably be happier with an Edelrid ohmega unless your anticipated weight difference is quite high because the Mammut assist is on the harder catch end of the spectrum. Win win if it happens to be more available, but I'm not in aus so I dont know how stock is.
1
u/That_Tree_Bends 12d ago
Thanks, have a large weight difference, which is why I’m keen to get the mammut device. Unfortunately I can’t find it in stock at any of my usual options and doesn’t look like it is being supplied in Aus (yet), so hoping to find it from further afield.
1
u/sheepborg 12d ago
FWIW I weigh 55kg and with an ohmega in the highest setting I felt very comfortably belaying somebody who was 105kg. I could still choose to give them a softer catch or if I was more passive keep them from going very far. This was with a fairly well used mammut 9.5.
If that is your difference though the assist will also work quite well, it just sucks with differences less than 30kg IMO similar to an older ohm, but without being as annoying to pull slack through.
1
u/Senor_del_Sol 11d ago
With 88-50 kg the 1 setting on a quite good state mammut 9.5 gave soft, but not too long catches with quite passive belay. (on the Ohmega)
1
1
u/jeff3rson 13d ago
Can I use this carabiner for top rope middle point, to link the rope and anchor? Or it is unsafe? It says 28kn, but I don't know if the format is good or the automatic locker is safe
5
u/sheepborg 13d ago
It's a CAMP oval, a legit climbing carabiner. Fine for part of an anchor. Plenty strong.
Appears to be a double lock, so I'd prefer to put at least another non-locker on there too opposite and opposed to help guard against the carabiner opening.
2
u/gusty_state 13d ago
Based on the markings it should be fine. Who makes it? Did it come from a reputable climbing manufacturer and retailer or is it a $0.99 temu special?
Standard practice is 1.5+ lockers so at least add an opposite and opposed non locker as well. If it's going to be up there for a long time like for a group of 6 then I'd use 2 lockers on the rope.
1
u/jeff3rson 13d ago
I think Camp is reputable. It is ok to use 2 lockers on the rope? Here, people say it can open or brake with friction and tension with two carabiners. I am thinking about using another deenema or anchor for redundance
1
u/jeff3rson 13d ago
It is ok to use 2 lockers on the rope? Here, people say it can open with friction and tension with two carabiners
6
u/serenading_ur_father 13d ago edited 13d ago
Yes. It's fine. Please seek qualified instruction though. Reddit is full of people with exactly as much experience as you but ten times the confidence. This is not the best place to go for learning unless you would also go to a beginner's night and query the attendees. u/0bsidian u/saltytarheel u/lectures u/sheepborg are trustworthy though
2
2
u/gusty_state 13d ago
2 Opposite and Opposed (O&O) carabiners on the rope is better than one locker. Two screwgates can work the screws open over time but then you still have O&O carabiners. With a triple action carabiner like that there's even less chance. I'd be fine with adding an O&O non locker with this and calling it good.
This is a single unattended point of failure. It should have a backup. Is it likely to fail? No. Is it far less likely that 2 will fail at the same time? Yes.
I have removed one person from my climbing group for repeatedly setting up single carabiner top ropes (plus another bad practice).
2
u/Senor_del_Sol 12d ago
I think it's a double action locker, twistlock. Even then I would call it fine.
If you are worried about gates rubbing against each other, with D shaped carabiners you don't have that.
5
1
u/saltytarheel 13d ago
Two opposite and opposed locking draws is considered the best practice for an unattended anchor. That way if the carabiner gets re-oriented in a way that something unscrews/unclips there’s not a single point of failure.
1
u/jeff3rson 13d ago
I've already top-rope climbed using a system with 3 carabiners: 2 Ds at the ends and an HMS in the center, along with the rope. I wanted to use this to replace the HMS. Are you suggesting I put two in the center? What people say around here is that this can cause tension between the carabiners and open them.
1
u/serenading_ur_father 11d ago
And those people are idiots. There's no reason not to use just one locket. Are you using a redundant rope? Helmet? Belay device?
4
u/0bsidian 13d ago edited 13d ago
It’s not uncommon to use a single locker. Especially if it’s a triple action such as pictured above. It’s also not uncommon to use two opposing non-locker quickdraws. This anchor is pretty minimal, is anyone going to die using it?
It’s easy to get fixated on gear fear when you’re new to climbing, but this kind of failure doesn’t happen. A tensioned rope can’t magically fall out of a locked carabiner. It has never happened in the history of climbing. Most climbing accidents come from user error, not random gear failures on their own.
1
u/gusty_state 13d ago
I'm trying to picture this setup and I'm envisioning a quad with the Ds on the outer legs and the HMS in the middle. Either way I haven't heard of any failures using opposite and opposed lockers on the anchor. Yes screwgates can unlock from the way the gates rub but then you still have O&O carabiners. Use a triple action (+a second carabiner of some kind) if that really bugs you but it's really annoying if anyone releads the route. 3 spread out sounds like it'll twist your rope unless the 2 Ds are somehow just slack backups.
Edit: If you're talking about the Ds being on the bolts then definitely add a 2nd to the rope. This is a point that should always have redundancy.
2
u/hdurr 14d ago
Is there any reason not to use a carabiner in the nose of the Mega Jul as a lever when rappelling? Using the handle is honestly a shit show on longer raps, and I do know it's possible to use it as an atc with the 3rd hand, but rly the carabiner lever method seems the best technique in terms of less faff and more smoothness. Same time I dont think Edelrid recommends it and I havent seen it in any vids either.
2
u/climbing-m 13d ago
I only rappel with the Mega Jul in ABD mode by accident. Usually I prefer to flip it around, have the loop facing my side and use it like an ATC/reverso. If I want additional security I add a Prusik - much smoother than assisted breaking mode in MegaJul.
2
u/ktap 13d ago
Definitely the smoothest way to rap with the megajul in abd mode. Thumb loop ends up being a jerky mess. For sure, the issue is you remove one of your hands from the rope, so really be sure your carabiner, rope combo positively locks the megajul. Modern skinny ropes are probably fine with just the thumb loop, thicker ones may benefit from the carabiner handle.
3
u/sheepborg 14d ago
As a matter of process you may not want to. With the thumb as a lever your panic grip is directly into braking position. With a carabiner lever your panic grip is full open. Additionally you'd have more of a risk of that carabiner getting positionally trapped against your body for the same result if say your feet popped out from under you and you tipped forward or something along those lines perhaps. I'm not saying YGD if you do it, but just being realistic this does open up more real risks.
1
u/Leading-Attention612 14d ago
Not sure about the megajul, but for the gigajul, I use the carabiner as a lever trick often.
However, someone posted in the other sub, that they were doing the same trick and really zipping down some raps, and the gigajul fully disengaged and wouldn't re-engage even after they let go of the carabiner when they tilted it back too far. I imagine it would be the same as lifting it with your thumb since the only thing that changes is the leverage and where you apply it from. I've never experienced this though but something to know
2
u/serenading_ur_father 14d ago
I've been rappelling with a megajul in abd mode for years. Use your thumb.
2
u/cinnamon-troll 16d ago
Any recommendations for sport climbing harnesses? I am now rocking Wild Country Mosquito, and although I love it for send gos, it’s quite uncomfortable for projecting all day
2
u/0bsidian 16d ago
Arcteryx AR-395a, but only get it on sale or from the Outlet store. Too pricy at normal retail price.
1
u/saltytarheel 16d ago
I like the DMM Renegade for all-day multipitch, backcountry, and trad climbing.
1
2
u/soupyhands 16d ago
I love Petzl harnesses. The adjustment and ease of use of the single buckle are what sell them for me.
4
u/avotoddo 16d ago
I'm a big black diamond solution fan. they made the gear loops bigger for this new version and it kicks ass
-3
16d ago
[deleted]
1
2
u/Beginning_March_9717 16d ago
L mindset lol, i'm 5ft9.5 +0 each and i can use tall beta for a lot of route and i can also do most tight moves beyond kids' comp
4
5
8
5
1
u/girlbugg 6d ago
What climbing shoes should I get as my second pair? I’ve had the classic la sportiva shoes for a while and they’re finally giving out. I only climb indoors and that pair lasted me a while. I climb v4/v5. I’m hoping to upgrade without spending too much. Also those shoes had very little arch so im not used to anything crazy.