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Why are black climbs impossible to climb?


The Puppet Man

13-Oct-2004
9:27:12 PM

I consider myself as a regular indoor climber, at least twice a week. I’m getting up all the red climbs at my local gym pretty easily and most of the purple ones. Which, I feel puts me in the top bunch of climbers there, but when it comes to blacks I have no chance. I get this felling that the people who put the grips on these black climbs are super human, or they don’t really climb them. All of the climbs are missing foot grips and the handgrips are really bad. Is it just me or are the climbs ridiculous?

dalai

13-Oct-2004
9:56:17 PM

The black climbs are not climbable, merely marketing tools by the gyms. Set for new climbers to be frustrated by and aspire too, they naively then start training more frequently thinking these climbs will be conquered with extra work. The end result is more visits = more money...


dan

13-Oct-2004
10:03:48 PM

Blacks tend to be chips and mall crimps set on odd angles. They require a little technique. Work on your weighting when climbing. Foot and finger strength. My recomendation. Climb real rock.


The Puppet Man

13-Oct-2004
10:19:50 PM

Why do they waste everyone time in putting up black grips? I was climbing at SIRG at St Peters, and I tried this blue climb on their steep wall. Now I always do the blue climbs first go, but this one I couldn't do the first move! I felt that something is wrong there with their colour system. Are the blue climbs there hard, or was I having a bad day?

Duncan

14-Oct-2004
12:07:27 PM

I seriously hope this is a troll.

kitk

14-Oct-2004
2:40:41 PM

St Peters is hard, but because it requires _technique_, and not just brute strength like some other gyms.

deadpoint

14-Oct-2004
2:42:30 PM

The Muppet Man has raised a valid point, at my local gym all the black climbs seem to get easier the more you apply chalk. Black --> hard White --> Easy.

Just use more chalk, the black climbs will get easier and you will die of cancer.

(See Cancerous Chalk Thread for more details)

dalai

14-Oct-2004
3:14:56 PM

SIRG at St Peters grades are out, so you weren't having a bad day.

With the great hold ordering disaster of 2003, there was an error with the ordering and purchase of holds that year. The sizes and colours ordered were incorrectly read off the fax sent to the manufacturer and ended out by one colour grade. Hence the blues are in fact blacks, and the blacks are well even more impossible if thats possible!!


elmo_lives

14-Oct-2004
3:24:08 PM

I think we should treat all climbs the same. Black climbs, white climbs, tall climbs, short climbs. They are all the same when it comes down to it. I look forward to the day when we can all enjoy the climbs for what they really are, not for what they look like.


Andrew_M

14-Oct-2004
3:34:00 PM

That's probably because there was a climbing comp at St Peter's recently and the climbs are still up. If it's the same blue that I think you're talking about, then it was the 'under 12 girl's final' or something. I only managed a about half way myself :( rather embarrassing!


wombats

14-Oct-2004
4:27:05 PM

On 13/10/2004 dan wrote:
>Blacks tend to be chips and mall crimps set on odd angles. They require
>a little technique. Work on your weighting when climbing. Foot and finger
>strength. My recomendation. Climb real rock.

I agree with Dan, the hardest climbs generally make you look at your technique (stand up, don't pull!) and working on your finger strength also helps as there are a lot of crimpers in black climbs!

Interesting point that dalai brought up about 'the impossible'... didn't know about that. At our gym (up in the NT), the blacks are certainly very hard but definately do-able.

But again... I would have to agree with Dan, get on some real rock... it's a different climbing experience. I only use the gym to train on endurance and strength (or when it's too wet outside to climb!!!) but each to their own.

and remember... just because you can't do it YET doesn't mean you can't do it!


Den Starke Mannen

14-Oct-2004
7:45:41 PM

The Puppet Man must be a joke!!! "I can climb all the reds...." he is full of it or a Troll! As for black routes improve your technique, come on those ones at St Peters which the muppet is on about, if he really does exist, are far from good routes to train on and DO NOT improve your technique! As Dan has pointed out to you plastic pulling folk the rock is the place to improve, NOT INDOORS.....


the puppet man

14-Oct-2004
11:34:32 PM

Thanks for the advise Dan. I want to get outside on the rock, but really don't have climbing friends that have the gear or the knowledge. I don't know how hard red climbs are outside, does anyone know? Also where would be a good place to start? My girl friend comes from Stawell and we are heading there for a next week, is there any good climbing there? She remembers big rocks when she was growing up.


mousey

14-Oct-2004
11:55:25 PM

>I don't know how hard red climbs are outside, does anyone know?
that kinda dependson the grade. on a trip this easter i insight soloed a red climb, then right next to it was another red climb that took 4 shots to redpoint!! (there wasa difference in grades of 11)

earwig

15-Oct-2004
11:17:54 AM

Not far from Stawell are the Grampians and a little further Arapiles. Both are reddish sandstone.

earwig

15-Oct-2004
11:21:32 AM

On 14/10/2004 Mighty Mouse wrote:
>on a trip this easter i insight soloed a red climb

Aaah, climbing with insight - guess you had real good beta.


wombats

15-Oct-2004
5:18:45 PM

On 15/10/2004 earwig wrote:
>On 14/10/2004 Mighty Mouse wrote:
>Aaah, climbing with insight - guess you had real good beta.

Insight = Onsighting indoors??


Rich

17-Oct-2004
4:42:42 PM

ah yes red climbs near stawell.. you'll be looking for taipan wall, i'm pretty sure most of those climbs are red so you should be sweet! have fun and don't forget to bring some change for lattes in the cave..

deadpoint

18-Oct-2004
9:25:28 AM

There is chalk all over those climbs, must be red.

PS. Don't forget to bring you inline skates, they don't call it Flat Rock for nothing.

tastybigmac

18-Oct-2004
10:37:35 AM

i prefer rock toboggans. you see heaps of them around in the northern gramps.

There are 23 messages in this topic.