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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 23
Author
New to rockclimbing - where do i start?
gingerock
18-Feb-2017
1:21:58 PM
Hey,

I'm a 19 year old female who has always had an interest in rock climbing. However, I've never pursued it as a hobby and would just like some tips on where to start.

I've been trying to visit a rock climbing gym on a weekly basis, for basic bouldering.
I guess I'm just trying to learn more about the community of rock climbers - how do I make connections with people? Are there often group outings between little communities etc?
I'm also interesting in outdoor rock climbing. Any tips on where to start with this?

Thanks heaps !
Rawpowa!
18-Feb-2017
2:09:40 PM
Try to find some partners for indoor climbing first. You could join the Victorian Climbing Club and join whatever Facebook group they have in Melbourne. VCC would probably be the best if you're just starting out, I think they do a few trips a year and arapiles is great for beginners and generally really great for climbing. You'll probably meet people at the gym eventually as well. It wouldn't hurt to do a lead course to learn the basics of belaying and climbing, you need to be able to lead belay if you're going to do roped climbing.

ChuckNorris
18-Feb-2017
8:36:11 PM
Seriously mate you're doing it all wrong. Chockstone is where you go when you've stopped climbing.
hero
19-Feb-2017
10:55:55 AM
You could change your name to Jess and move to Natimuk?

ajfclark
19-Feb-2017
11:28:11 AM
On 18/02/2017 gingerock wrote:
>I guess I'm just trying to learn more about the community of rock climbers- how do I make connections with people? Are there often group outings between little communities etc?
>
>I'm also interesting in outdoor rock climbing. Any tips on where to start with this?

For gym climbing, the VCC sponsors the The Melbourne Indoor Rock Climbing Group.

For outdoor climbing, I'd keep an eye on the VCC's events list.
One Day Hero
19-Feb-2017
2:06:07 PM
On 18/02/2017 gingerock wrote:
>Any tips on where to start
>with this?

You're going to need to organise; skills, gear, transport, and partners.

Partners- Usually the limiting factor in the beginning. Try to get some of your friends into it asap. Later, when you've gotten better, waiting for them to learn basic skills will be a drag.

I'd recommend dragging anyone you know who has a vague interest down to the gym. You never know who will catch the bug. It helps to keep a couple on the backburner for when your main climbing partner ditches you to get into cycling or some other stupid thing.

Gear- Beg, borrow, and share at the start. You're going to need a couple of thousand bucks worth eventually. Get a harness, shoes, chalkbag, and belay device asap. Next will be a rope, then all the aluminium shit, but borrow and share this stuff until it becomes a hassle.

Transport- The goal is to get out to Horsham as often as possible, but this gets tricky. You either do the thing with the job, and the paying rent, and the late night driving west to sneak two days climbing in, then sucking at work on monday........or you go the other way, which is full hippy, abandon career, go live in the dirt and eat from a bin. It takes a bit of time to get comfortable with that idea, but lots of people enjoy the "lifestyle" for a while.

Skills- The second hardest bit after finding partners. Read books, get to know experienced climbers in the gym, go on trips with the VCC or uni clubs, maybe pay for a course out at Arapiles.
Climbing with a newish climber who can; belay, follow climbs without instruction, and generally take care of their own safety is one thing. Climbing with someone so green that they need to be told how to do every little thing is a chore. The goal early on is to become self sufficient enough that you aren't a giant handbrake to the experienced climbers you head out with.
Getting to that point is difficult and frustrating for everyone.
Jayford4321
19-Feb-2017
2:23:21 PM
R U replyerz sure op iznt anotha stuey troll?

>The goal early on is to become self sufficient enough that you aren't a giant handbrake to the experienced climbers you head out with.
>Getting to that point is difficult and frustrating for everyone.

Cept my fiend simes. He likes handbrakes of the female variety.


dalai
19-Feb-2017
6:29:46 PM
On 19/02/2017 gnaguts wrote:
>R U replyerz sure op iznt anotha stuey troll?

I was wondering the very same thing...
simey
19-Feb-2017
8:47:32 PM
On 19/02/2017 gnaguts wrote:
>>The goal early on is to become self sufficient enough that you aren't
>a giant handbrake to the experienced climbers you head out with.
>>Getting to that point is difficult and frustrating for everyone.
>
>Cept my fiend simes. He likes handbrakes of the female variety.

Most of the women I have climbed with were not exactly handbrakes. If they were psyched to climb, then it got me out climbing! And quite a few of them graduated to rope gun status pretty quickly.

As for learning to lead climb, I still advocate paying a guide (preferably me) to teach you. If there are two of you, then you almost halve the cost. A weekend at Mt Arapiles will give you enough know-how to start bumbling up easy multi-pitch climbs yourselves, providing you have the gear (although I am often happy to lend gear to beginners for a few days). The sooner you learn to lead the faster you will progress with your climbing as you will have a greater awareness gained from real world experience.

patto
19-Feb-2017
9:38:49 PM
Given your age I would recommend one of the university outdoors clubs. A vibrant atmosphere full of people of similar age and enthusiasm.

Even if you aren't studying they are generally open to all. Melbourne Uni, RMIT, Monash all have vibrant clubs with many climbers.


Like others have say paying for a guide is a fast way to progress. But it costs money and is less social than joining others in the community.
kieranl
19-Feb-2017
9:43:07 PM
On 19/02/2017 dalai wrote:
>On 19/02/2017 gnaguts wrote:
>>R U replyerz sure op iznt anotha stuey troll?
>
>I was wondering the very same thing...

Gingerock Sharma ??? Obviously a surname plucked at random from the ether.
simey
19-Feb-2017
10:22:15 PM
On 19/02/2017 patto wrote:
>Given your age I would recommend one of the university outdoors clubs.
> A vibrant atmosphere full of people of similar age and enthusiasm.
>
>Even if you aren't studying they are generally open to all. Melbourne
>Uni, RMIT, Monash all have vibrant clubs with many climbers.
>
>Like others have say paying for a guide is a fast way to progress. But
>it costs money and is less social than joining others in the community.

All pretty valid points. At the end of the day you need climbing partners and equipment, which clubs do offer. University clubs have gone from being notoriously sketchy (albeit fun and social), to nowadays where they offer much safer and more considered tuition (although the process can be long and drawn out).

My early days involved some sketchy self-tuition, joining the Victorian Climbing Club, wangling onto Melb Uni club trips (even though I was never a student there) and hanging out at Araps and hassling whatever dodgy characters I could find to climb with. They were some of the best climbing experiences of my life (particularly as I survived).
stugang
20-Feb-2017
1:32:41 AM
Simey - I'm new to the game so still building my repertoire. But I was a bit confused by your post - what position is Rope Gun? Is it the same as Top gun? Cowboy? or Goosechoke?
simey
20-Feb-2017
9:16:42 AM
You will need to elaborate Jayford as I'm afraid my repertoire doesn't extend to Top Gun, Cowboy or Goosechoke. What are these positions that you talk about? I usually start with the basic frontal position, followed by the Egyptian, but of course my favourite is the Dynamite Starfish.
dalai
20-Feb-2017
10:18:41 AM
On 20/02/2017 Jayford4321 wrote:
>Simey - I'm new to the game so still building my repertoire.

Stu, how do you remember the password to all your aliases? Use the same one or use a spreadsheet to keep track?
One Day Hero
20-Feb-2017
1:47:08 PM
On 20/02/2017 dalai wrote:
>Stu, how do you remember the password to all your aliases? Use the same
>one or use a spreadsheet to keep track?

Pretty sure the aliases all remember their own passwords........I imagine they also have their own costumes on a labelled coathanger.
dalai
20-Feb-2017
3:05:35 PM
Hadn't considered that Stu would wear a costume for each persona!
One Day Hero
20-Feb-2017
5:07:52 PM
On 20/02/2017 dalai wrote:
>Hadn't considered that Stu would wear a costume for each persona!

"Stu, can you get off the computer and help me with dinner?"

..................

"Stu?"

"Stu isn't here"

"Sigh...........Jayford, tell Stu to get the f*#k off f*#king chockstone and get his arse in the kitchen!"

Duang Daunk
20-Feb-2017
8:25:52 PM
On 20/02/2017 simey wrote:
>You will need to elaborate Jayford as I'm afraid my repertoire doesn't
>extend to Top Gun, Cowboy or Goosechoke. What are these positions that
>you talk about? I usually start with the basic frontal position, followed
>by the Egyptian, but of course my favourite is the Dynamite Starfish.

Maybe sister Wendy can clarify the rope gun thing for Jaybro, having climbed with you extensively in the past...
The position thing is optional...
The Dynamite Starfish thing is too much information for this family friendly site.
simey
20-Feb-2017
8:54:00 PM
From Wikipedia - Glossary of Climbing Terms...

Dynamite starfish - Tightly gripping handholds, simultaneously flagging out both legs then proceeding to violently kick downwards and inwards in a desperate attempt to produce upwards motion; making the climber resemble an explosive bottom feeder

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 23
There are 23 messages in this topic.

 

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