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General Climbing Discussion

Author

Melbourne CBD Gym 2007


Ben

29-Nov-2006
6:11:04 PM

Just to add my $0.20 I climb at nuna hardrock an awful lot, and I do not generally have any problems with people swinging around. You get the odd problem with people (often beginners) using the wrong rope and thus risking a sideways pendulum. This is normally corrected by the staff (or other climbers) pretty quickly.

The main culprit used to be the articlating/hydrolic wall which is steep. Beginners would ethusiastically hop on here and then swing out massively 3 meters later. With this wall now being lead only it's fixed the problem.

Otherwise I haven't seen any swinging problems for ages at hardrock.

Maybe I just don't notice them anymore?

Or perhaps it's just what you are used to. Obviously it is a much larger concern if you are climbing on the big steep ame wall at cliffhanger which is massively overhung and definately needs reclipping on toprope. (I recall the reclipping being harder than the initial climbing).

Do any walls at Cliffhanger other than the AME wall and the strange rooflet clip require reclipping? It's been a while since I was there last.

Fish Boy

29-Nov-2006
7:01:00 PM

On 28/11/2006 gfdonc wrote:
Come climb on the AME wall at Altona - I dare you to try anything without the
rope clipped....

I join up at her gym if I could see Sue do that!


brat

29-Nov-2006
8:25:37 PM

Hi Sue, any heads up on prices, presales of memberships?

gfdonc

29-Nov-2006
10:52:10 PM

On 29/11/2006 Ben wrote:
>Just to add my $0.20 I climb at nuna hardrock an awful lot, and I do not
>generally have any problems with people swinging around. You get the odd
>problem with people (often beginners) using the wrong rope and thus risking
>a sideways pendulum. This is normally corrected by the staff (or other
>climbers) pretty quickly.
Not my experience at all. Every time I am there I see problems with swings. Two cases in point: (1) beginner off the articulating wall who swung well into the room at head height, fortunately everyone ducked (2) fairly experienced climber (attempting gr 22/23 I think) who came off on LH wall, rope swung into and across my partner who was leading the headwall above the cave, almost knocking her off. tsk tsk.

>The main culprit used to be the articlating/hydrolic wall which is steep.
Yes as noted above. Didn't know it was lead-only now.

>Maybe I just don't notice them anymore?
Very common and hazardous IMHO.

>Do any walls at Cliffhanger other than the AME wall and the strange rooflet
>clip require reclipping? It's been a while since I was there last.
1. AME wall
2. Entreprises wall (shorter version of the AME facing the same direction, to its left around the corner).
Central tower has one clip near the top.
Headwall high up on the left, above the cave. (the "cave" itself is lead-only).
"Strange rooflet" - I think you mean on the right near the entrance - no reclips there.


Organ Pipe

9-Jan-2007
4:06:34 PM

Hi Sue,

I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that we're keen for an update on how the gym is progressing!

Cheers.

Fish Boy

12-Jan-2007
7:45:48 PM

Union site - Xmas holidays - No progress.......


steph

18-Jan-2007
2:20:23 PM

On 28/11/2006 Sabu wrote:
>One question.
>
>Cracks? If so, how many?
>just for some of us aspiring beard tuggers.... !

Lol and what about trenches... somehting along the lines of Ivan at Araps would be suitable - except much longer! Pretty pleeeeeeeeeeease!


Dizzy

4-Feb-2007
6:46:02 PM

Any updates on when the gym is opening (or if it's open already)? Can't wait.

wyt91t

4-Feb-2007
11:37:32 PM

to solve the draw problem you put 2 different draws on the mallion say one black and one red.the you put up a sign that say people on top rope must reclip the red draw on the way down.the other draw , the black one is for lead climbing.

or even put a hook in.


lwheat

5-Feb-2007
10:11:13 AM

uh, back on topic, what's the expected date of completion? and costs? will there be bouldering? student discount? monthlies etc?


adski

5-Feb-2007
1:43:24 PM

Monthlies make me frustrated. I prefer pay-per-entry.


westie

6-Feb-2007
11:26:55 AM

Hi Sue,

Can you give me an overview of the spec of the new gym - height, number of routes up at one time, difficulties, special features etc... what'll the pricing be like, any half price nights?

I'm gagging for it!


cliffhanger

8-Feb-2007
2:22:19 PM

At the risk of also copping a serve.... i agree! climbers pay to climb on a variety of walls and routes - something that can be changed regularly to make it constantly interesting!!

On 28/11/2006 garbie wrote:
>Yeh the policy of not reclipping top ropes is a strange one, don't understand
>the reason. Top-ropers need some steepish climbing too, or a rooflet or
>two, and the swings are dangerous. If you design the gym to avoid swings,
>it's not going to be steep enough.
>
>Also can't understand the reason for staying with the concrete walls.
>I'll risk getting a serve from Sue, but I can't see why you would build
>a wall that you can't screw things onto - jibs, blisters, volumes, modular
>cracks etc etc. (Not to mention it costing double or more). Sure it looks
>impressive to the general public, & I suppose this venue is going after
>that sort of market.


steph

9-Feb-2007
11:05:25 AM

I heard a rhumor that the gym will be set up with auto-belays. Obviously this won't affect lead climbers but what does everyone else think about how that will affect the partner and trust aspect of climbing?

I can definitely see how it would be much safer and less prone to human error though, especially with 1st time groups and noobs etc.


alrob

9-Feb-2007
11:27:26 AM

anaconda in townsville had auto belay. is it the same as the melbourne store? climbers said they could feel it pulling them up slightly, but they seem a good idea.

Stuey

9-Feb-2007
11:34:51 AM

On 9/02/2007 steph wrote:
>I can definitely see how it would be much safer and less prone to human
>error though

One Autobelay failed recently at the Westway in England and dropped a guy from the top of the wall. They've all been taken out of commission pending a full investigation (apparently it was a machine error and not a pilot error)

Theres also the problem that as the person is climbing alone, there is no-one checking that the climber has tied in etc - A few Darwinian candidates have climbed to the top and then realised as they fell to earth that they hadn't clipped into the Autobelay at all.

Autobelays also encourage the true gym bunnies who have no interest in 'real climbing' and simply want to run laps to keep fit etc. The machines really yard you up the wall too so you're getting alot of assistance.


brat

9-Feb-2007
8:01:19 PM

Auto-belays on a couple of climbs would be great, I feel awful asking my GF/partner to belay me doing laps!

PensionerPower

9-Feb-2007
8:42:48 PM

On 9/02/2007 Stuey wrote:
>One Autobelay failed recently at the Westway in England and dropped a
>guy from the top of the wall.

The Westaway climbing manager said:

"In view of the speculation that [the relevant thread on the UKC forums] has generated I feel that it is right on this occassion to post a reply directly onto the forum. ... I would like to point out that although there have been several postings ... from individuals who either appear to represent the Westway, or be in a position of knowledge concerning the events of the 15th of January, this is in fact not the case. ... The investigation into the events of that afternoon is ongoing, and will not be completed for some time. ... I would simply say that nobody knows at this stage what happened, or how, or why, and it will be some time yet before we do know."

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=221994#3264064

PP

dave

11-Feb-2007
11:05:18 PM

As far as i know there will be a few ropes with autobelays as well as top ropes simply to allow speed climbing...rest of the gym will be normal


garbie

13-Feb-2007
1:53:53 PM

We've bought three autobelays, of a different brand to the one involved in the Westway incident. We set one up on the side of the tower & its been good for training espec. when you're partnerless. A bit spooky when you let go, you accelerate freely for a fraction of a second, but long enough to wonder if its going to work, then it lowers you nice and easy.

Mike/Sydney Indoor Climbing

There are 67 messages in this topic.