Juggling Mike

I went rock climbing yesterday for over 4 hours with Dharti and some friends. I have come to realize that I have so much to learn. Primarily, I need to learn how to properly use my legs to take most of the force. I am still relying a lot on my hands and arms to pull myself up. This leaves me with extremely dead forearms by the top. One of the guys that we climb with is really good, and just watching him climb is inspiration to continue. The way he moves his body to get the perfect balance is quite impressive to behold. Check out any expert climbers on youtube and you’ll get an idea of what I mean.

On the bouldering front, I managed to get higher on a V0 I could not complete, and I FINALLY understood how to grab that next hold in a certain V1 route. I usually just labored my way up and around the ceiling area, but after seeing others do it, I realize that you have to stick out your left foot and twist your body to be able to reach it properly. It is extremely gratifying to finally understand how to reach a hold. I’m sure I will be able to finish that route soon.

I also started practicing silent feet and glue hand, although I definitely need more practice. We have a sort of oddly shaped block of walls which has a lot of holds near the bottom (of all types) so I can traverse it horizontally without fear of falling and getting hurt. The exercise “Silent feet” is to look where you want to place your foot and place it there without scratching the wall or making any noise. The “glue hands” exercise is to visually choose a handhold and then stick to it. Considering how many different types of holds there are, I would often grab the wrong one (for the movement) and have to exert more force to traverse to the next step. After a couple of runs, I was more properly grabbing the proper holds and shifting my weight accordingly.

Even though my fingers hurt while I am typing this, I want to go back and climb some more. I’m no expert at this sport, but I love it and want to keep at it.

Current status:
Rockclimbing: 5.7- (minus)
Bouldering: V0-V1

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I was lucky to have Monday off today to complete a four day long Easter weekend, and I made sure to use it properly. Dave and I headed off to Allez-Up for some climbing and exercise. We started off with climbs, but then we decided to try the bouldering wall. The bouldering wall is similar to a rock climbing wall, except it doesn’t go very high, and you are not attached. There is a large crash pad to cushion your fall if your hands slip, or for when you reach the top. There are difficulty levels on the walls as well, but at first it can be very confusing as to where to go. The wall is completely covered with blocks, and small pieces of coloured tape show you what holds to grab.

We started with a V1 (V0 is the lowest difficulty), and it really was not that bad. We both managed to get to the top without much problems. Feeling good about ourselves, we attempted a V2… and failed miserably. This one in particular would start really low, work you horizontally, before going upwards on an inclined wall. We never got past the first couple of grabs before falling off. You really need to be able to grab with your fingers and hold it well. We tried another V2, to no avail, and we also worked on a V0. Now, this should have been easier, but I have yet to reach the top. It is not difficult, but there is one grab that feels just a bit too high, and my fingers slip every time. I will definitely get it the next time we go.

I had ignored bouldering before, since there was no element of height, but after today, I think I might actually prefer it! I plan on bouldering a lot more often, and we’ve been told that everything we learn on the boulder, also applies to the wall climbing. In particular, my sense of balance is off, and I think this will greatly help. Allez-Up will be hosting the Tour De Bloc bouldering finals in a couple of weeks, so I might go and check that out. I have been watching videos online by the experts, and it is indeed an impressive feat!!

Here is a video of the ABS Bouldering Competition, which will give you an idea of what it is, but if you want to see some really impressive work, you need to check out Chris Sharma!

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As mentioned in my last post, one of my summer goals is to go rock climbing. Currently I have been dedicated to my once-a-week schedule with Dharti. We have never gone alone, and our partners vary every week. One of Dharti’s friends has been coming the last two weeks, and since he is a big fan of the sport, I think he will be a regular as well. The first time I went rock climbing we had the introduction course, which explained how to tie the knot and belay the person climbing. It was a simple course, and we didn’t learn any techniques or anything advanced. I managed to climb a route that was marked 5.9, and I thought I was hot shit. I only realized the week afterwards that a route is designed with holds of a certain colour. Had I tried to have done the course properly, I would have failed miserably. I realized that a 5.6 is difficult enough as it is, and this weekend I actually completed a 5.7. (For those who don’t know what the 5.x stands for, it is their measure of difficulty. )

If I were to gauge my current level, I would have to say that I am at 5.5. Although I completed some 5.6 and a 5.7, I did not do them “fluidly”, and thus I do not qualify myself to that level. I am sure that I would consider myself to be at the 5.6 level within a few weeks, but for now, I consider myself near the bottom rung. Some things I have to work on are balance, route planning before climbing, and not worrying about falling. Balance is used to help you climb. Looking at other climbers, it is amazing to see them move in all sort of shapes to reach the next climbing hold. You have to trust your legs, even if the hold is just 1cm thick. You need to mentally prepare yourself before a climb, so that you have a good idea as to what grabs you will be using when ascending the wall. I try to plan my route before climbing, yet I always ended up wondering how the hell I will reach the next hold. As for the last point, I have always had a fear of heights. It was nuts when I was a kid, but I have curbed the fear with various activites, such as bungee jumping and trapezing. My biggest fear is dropping from the wall and plummeting to the floor. The whole point of the belayer is to stop that, but there has been times when I have fallen (not from too high) and I turned around to see that Dharti was higher than I was. Of course, I weigh a lot more than she does, but it still gets at me every time. With time, I hope to qualm that fear, and have total trust in the belayer, cord, and harnesses.

My rock climbing goal for this summer, would be to properly be able to climb a 5.9 route. I was told that the difficulty level gradually increases with the numbered level, but that 5.10 is a crazy jump that is not easy to handle. Thus, I want to at least reach 5.9, and then maybe take the lead-climbing course. Currently, I am accredited for top-rope climbing, but lead-climbing is a whole different ballgame. Instead of having your rope already hooked at the top, you climb with the rope and hook it into quickdraws as you ascend. Your belayer can never hold you tightly with the rope, and you will definitely drop several feet if you fall. That said, it looks like a lot of fun and seems like the natural evolution to properly enjoy the sport.

I can’t wait until next weekend.

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