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ambitious goal needed

ebenweb

12-Sep-2011
3:29:19 PM

hi all,

i'm a relatively new climber (1yr gym climbing, now doing grades 17-22) and have about 18 months left here in australia before i start living abroad. before i leave, i'd like to set a very ambitious climbing goal that will force me to train rigorously. i'd like to be at my physical peak by the time i achieve the goal in 18 months--or as close as i can get by gyming about three hours a week and climbing two to three times a week.

at the moment i climb about twice a week and don't excercise beyond that.

can anyone recommend a destination and/or climb? i'd like it to include trad climbing.
of course i want to practice here in victoria but have no objection to interstate or overseas destinations as well.


ajfclark

12-Sep-2011
3:45:03 PM

Learn to lead on trad as that'll broaden your options. Then pick a line that inspires you. In Victoria, things like Passport to Insanity and Taipan Wall spring to mind. Tassie, things like the Totem Pole.

I think it needs to be your goal though, not someone else's. Something that jumped out at you when you saw it.

bl@ke

12-Sep-2011
3:48:14 PM

Well nothing on trad will be ambitious. Nor sport. Ambitious = bouldering. try Ammagamma. Or anything V3 or harder because everyone knows that no routes have any moves harder than that.


Sabu

12-Sep-2011
3:49:59 PM

Go to Arapilies and spent as much time there as you can afford. Climbing there everyday for a few weeks (with a few rest days of course) will do much more for your climbing than gym climbing ever will.

ebenweb

12-Sep-2011
4:04:53 PM

yeah, i get that the inspiration needs to be my own. i think i'm trying to get a picture in my head i can use to keep me going to the gym and watching my diet. outdoor/trad climbing is already the plan and i'm keen or it, but i'm worried that without a "push yourself" long-term goal i'll simply climb as well as i'm comfortable climbing


Sabu

12-Sep-2011
4:13:57 PM

I'd be thinking about whether you want to push grades outdoors (ie on sport and go as hard as possible).
OR
Whether you want to further your climbing abilities by mastering trad.

These are two completing different goals. One is consistent with what you had in mind with regard to training. The other will completely reset your priorities toward staying alive and climbing comfortably until you are at a stage where you can start to push.

Duncan

12-Sep-2011
4:23:18 PM

On 12/09/2011 Sabu wrote:
>Go to Arapilies and spent as much time there as you can afford. Climbing
>there everyday for a few weeks (with a few rest days of course) will do
>much more for your climbing than gym climbing ever will.

QFT.

Wendy

12-Sep-2011
4:35:13 PM

Have you actually climbed outdoors yet? The most efficient way of getting the grasp of the basics to keep yourself alive is to fork out for a guide for a few days. Handing out money is usually a good way of keep yourself motivated as well. Who want to waste all that money they spent?

After that, I'd focus on getting a good range of experience. Rather than going for hard goals (which are highly likely to leave you injured before you leave the county - our bodies need time to adapt to the stresses we put on them climbing and suddenly jumping on much harder routes or boulder problems is a really good way of hurting things before they have gotten strong enough for what you want them to do), maybe try some diverse, achievable goals. eg, To feel confident leading trad. To be able to climb range of styles. To have climbed on a range of rock types. to do a long route or 3 (by australian standards anyway!). pick a few routes that suit all of these to work towards if that helps you stay focussed. Maybe a few intermediate goals as well. develop a plan if you're that sort of person. Personally, I'd just learn the basics, find a motivated climber partner and go climbing. On rock. A lot. At lots of different crags. Arapiles is a very good place to start though. I'm sure climbing is supposed to be fun. At least, I think that's why we do it. Or I try and tell myself that whilst in agony, exhausted and terrified.

This sort of solid base of experience will make a world of difference to your climbing though - you would be able to turn up at crags all over the world and have a great time.


rodw

12-Sep-2011
4:37:51 PM

Climbing is meant to be fun...if that isnt enough to keep you going maybe climbing isnt really your sport?


benjenga

12-Sep-2011
4:38:49 PM

Link up with a climbing partner that climbs a few grades harder then you, so maybe someone who is leading 24, 25. Climbing with a stronger partner encourages you to climb harder as well, kind of a competition. Train and climb all different styles to become an all rounded climber. Boulder, trad,sport, slab, steep, crack, multi.
Aim high, try harder climbs then you think you can climb, but understand when falling on the same move 100 times is a great way to pi*s off your belayer.
I agree tapian wall is a rad training goal, it works for me and I don't even live in Vic..

Train hard, pull down hard, have fun.
Good luck.

mikllaw

12-Sep-2011
5:03:22 PM

start by going climbing* this weekend. And next weekend.

* outdoors


Zarb

12-Sep-2011
5:07:02 PM

Those grades you list... indoor or outdoor grades? Back when I paid attention to gym grades, a grade 22 gym climb roughly translated to about a grade 14-16 outdoors?


Macciza

12-Sep-2011
5:17:32 PM

On 12/09/2011 bl@ke wrote:
>Well nothing on trad will be ambitious. Nor sport. Ambitious = bouldering.

So the idea of free-climbing Gigantor (on DogFace) as a single ~100m pitch ( as originally aided) is not 'ambitious'?? And so I should go 'pebble-wrestling' instead??? Come'on . . .
I must be getting old . . . .


nmonteith

12-Sep-2011
5:22:08 PM

On 12/09/2011 Macciza wrote:
>So the idea of free-climbing Gigantor (on DogFace) as a single ~100m pitch
>( as originally aided) is not 'ambitious'??

No - that's just delusional! :-)

Wendy

12-Sep-2011
5:34:10 PM

Blake is a fine example of how to retire from climbing before your 18th birthday :)

hipdos

12-Sep-2011
5:44:38 PM

If you can do 22 indoors now you should target a three star 23 at Arapiles, like Birdman of Alcatraz or Despatched. You can't get better than that for a quality climbing experience and you won't have to blow out your tendons or elbows training for them.


nmonteith

12-Sep-2011
6:04:49 PM

I was thinking Kama Sutra would be a good first 23 at Araps.


wallwombat

12-Sep-2011
6:24:25 PM

Go to Nangar.

widewetandslippery

12-Sep-2011
6:27:29 PM

On 12/09/2011 mikllaw wrote:
>start by going climbing* this weekend. And next weekend.
>
* outdoorsbvbv. fiind rocks climb rock


wallwombat

12-Sep-2011
6:30:18 PM

On 12/09/2011 widewetandslippery wrote:
>>..........bvbv. fiind rocks climb rock

How many longnecks did it take to produce that?

There are 115 messages in this topic.