Disclaimer: This is a reflection from a newb climber. May contain misleading and incorrect information. Seek a real rock climbing expert for better suggestions.
Tomorrow marks the end of my two week membership at Boulderz Climbing Centre at Junction Triangle in Toronto. I’ve been going to that gym once every 2 days. Which means I have 1 day to recover, and that was incredibly challenging for me especially when I injured myself. But I gotta make the most out of my membership right? (It was just 30ish CAD)
How it all Began: Two weeks ago Steven Xiong, a friend in my class, asked me if I wanted to rock climb with him. I had the thought of doing it a few times in the past but never had I actually gone to try it. So I replied with a BIG YES!
I mean, I am strong enough to hold a handstand and I can do at least 5 pullups; so surely moving my weight between rocks wouldn’t be too difficult right?
I was wrong
Sorry about the gory image above. I got a flap. Apparently it’s a common injury in climbing. I was lucky it wasn’t deep and could’ve prevented it if I moisture my hands enough or be more careful when climbing.
Some pros I see in that gym didn’t seem as well-built as I expected them to be. I get the impression that all you really need, is to be Technique-ally capable (excuse my English), and that takes LOTS of experience and training.
Here are the few points I learned over the past 2 weeks:
Focus on legs and ass
I should focus on legs instead of climbing with my arms, since my legs are so much stronger. Therefore carry your wait on your foot.
For example, I should decide which footholds to step on before shifting to the next position.
I pay a lot of attention on my ass while climbing. Not because of the people watching :peach:, but I think that it shows where my center of mass is. It’s bad if I have to carry my weight around. Instead, I should shift the weight to my legs. For example, I would try to shift my lower half to be close to my foot so that it carries all the weight. In short, bend the knees.
Hands straight
I heard this advise a lot. Like how its easier to carry a shopping bag, or how monkeys hang on a tree, a straight arm put less strain and energy compared to a bent arm. Of course, you will need to bend your arms to move around, but when I’m holding a position, I find it really helpful to extend my arms.
My fingers hurt
I am still having trouble with it, but I do feel more conformable climbing with my fingers now compared to when I first started. I think I should use more of my distant phalange (the upper section of the finger) more than the middle/proximal phalanges (lower section of the finger). For one thing, it hurts less. When I grab the rocks using the middle phalanges, I feel tortured. It felt like that part of the fingers are pinched so hard.
My fingers are still too weak for the hangboard. You are supposed to hang yourself with only your fingers on the board. It is torture but I hope my fingers can get strong enough for it.
Flagging and Back-stepping
When I see pros climb, they seem to make moves that is not apparant to me. After some research I discovered the arts of Flagging and Backstepping. It provides balance, and they are aware of which positions would be the most efficient (minimal strength). I’m guessing this is something I’d only get by more practice. Being self-aware about my balance positions.
Shoes
Halfway through I just realized that everyone wasn’t wearing socks. Which was a big revelation because exposing your toes on the shoes definitely gave me more control. Another thing I noticed is it gets so smelly after climbing! I’m rethinking if I should buy my own climbing shoes.
Strategy
Its all about the Beta. You’re given a bunch of rocks on the wall and you should plan out how to reach the top, in the most effective way of course.
How I think I can improve
- practice
- watch people do it and imitate
It’s unfortunate that I don’t have climbing friends to go with me. I feel it would help lots if someone spectates you as they can give you a better feedback than your own pair of eyes.
Would I do it again?
Hell yeah! Definitely going to extend my membership. It was fun.
- What I love about this sport is that it doesn’t feel like working out. It’s about problem solving.
- The only thing I hate is my weak fingers and arms. They’re not letting me get to where I want, and they get worn out quickly after just a few climbs.
So I’m trying to do it as efficiently as I could so I can conserve my energy for longer climbs. But as for now, I’ll trust that my fingers will get stronger over time.