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Looking for a partner for Melbourne gyms

peteclimbs

4-Sep-2012
3:51:57 PM

Hi all,

I've just moved to Melbourne from Perth for a few months and looking for a regular partner to climb with during the week. I'm living in Carlton so Hardrock in the CBD has been the go so far, but happy to try out the other gyms, although I'm carless at the moment.

Happy to top rope and/or lead, ideally two or three times a week.

Drop me a text at 0420 971 341 if you're keen.

Thanks!
Pete

ajfclark

4-Sep-2012
8:48:58 PM

These guys run a regular Monday night in the CBD and various other nights (some at Nunawading): : http://www.meetup.com/rockclimbing-115/

It's a good way to meet other keen people.

Re: Leading at hardrock, you need to get a lead pass. From memory the hoops you had to jump through were booking a lead test on a Tuesday evening at the Nunawading gym. There's a written test (not joking) and a practical.

peteclimbs

5-Sep-2012
8:00:32 AM

Thanks and yup, I'd heard about the Hardrock lead pass palava. Pretty clear indication that they'd rather not have leading at all. When I spoke to the staff at the CBD gym they said only one guy across the two gyms was "qualified" to sign off lead climbers, hence the Tuesday night slot at Nunawading is the only time/place to get it done. Pretty poor show IMO.

dawyndham

5-Sep-2012
8:15:31 AM

That's almost as bad as the crap the gyms around Toronto pull, only having one person 'qualified' to sign off lead (but somehow all staff are qualified to supervise lead climbers).

At least hardrock hasn't got the wonderful idea that is spreading through Canadian gyms of charging $25 for a lead test (yet?).

ajfclark

5-Sep-2012
8:16:56 AM

If you fail the free one you have to do the two night course which costs $120.

That said, the written component is easy. Things like 4 pictures of a harness with "Which harness is correctly worn?". 3 will have buckles not doubled back or leg loops twisted and so on.

The practical is one fall and one catch.

If you fail it, maybe you should spend a few days with someone...

IdratherbeclimbingM9

5-Sep-2012
9:24:53 AM

On 5/09/2012 ajfclark wrote:
>The practical is one fall and one catch.
>
>If you fail it, maybe you should spend a few days with someone...

~> After 'you' get out of hospital!

The red tape discussed in this thread reminds me of why I never want to pay to climb on plastic.

I wonder if training gyms ask Usain Bolt to pass tests about how to become running-fit before using facilities linked to same?
;-)

dalai

5-Sep-2012
11:01:19 AM

From having worked in a gym for many years a while ago, just because someone has experience doesn't mean they know how to belay!

peteclimbs

5-Sep-2012
11:11:50 AM

I don't have any issue with them checking you out. Let's face it, lead climbing in a gym environment, particularly one where the lead wall and top roping are mixed, can get quite funky. My beef is that they make it so frickin' hard. I just want to climb!

I got back from a couple of weeks of climbing in the US yesterday. I actually hit up one or two gyms over there. Both put us through our paces with a fall/catch test. The staff there were friendly, knowledgeable and on the job. No complaints at all. From walking in the door to climbing was 10 mins.

Off topic, but I got my arse handed to me at New River Gorge this trip. I know there's a bit of debate about which is cooler, the New or the Red but, having now climbed both, the New is just beautiful. Grading is a fair bit stiffer and bolting is way more heady than the Red IMO. Sadly I don't trad as the options at the New are unreal.

peteclimbs

5-Sep-2012
11:15:19 AM

I absolutely agree Dalai. My issue is not that they want to check you out, it's that Hardrock make the process so damned hard, to the point that I'm tempted to go lead somewhere else. The gym in the CBD is super convenient but it's a mad house most of the time and queuing to top rope in a gym is wrong on so many levels ;)

dalai

5-Sep-2012
11:17:44 AM

Things have definitely changed! Just has to get one of us to come over and watch you belay...

Big G

5-Sep-2012
11:36:10 AM

In my experience - passing the test is easy, getting a test is the hard part. At SICG a mate of mine has tried for weeks to get a test but keeps getting the 'we're too busy at the moment' line.

One Day Hero

5-Sep-2012
11:37:44 AM

On 5/09/2012 peteclimbs wrote:
>
>I got back from a couple of weeks of climbing in the US yesterday. I actually
>hit up one or two gyms over there.

You went on a couple of weeks climbing holiday to the U.S and "hit up one or two of the gyms"?

Climbing holidays............you're doing it wrong!

peteclimbs

5-Sep-2012
11:41:23 AM

:) you're right ODH. Had a couple of days of work at the start of the trip and was trying to keep the fitness up.

dawyndham

5-Sep-2012
11:52:55 AM

On 5/09/2012 dalai wrote:
>From having worked in a gym for many years a while ago, just because someone
>has experience doesn't mean they know how to belay!

Which is exactly why there should always be a staff member available to make sure that the lead climbers are doing things correctly, not just a single staff member who isn't always there.

One Day Hero

5-Sep-2012
11:56:46 AM

Ah, that's different Pete. Scamming work to pay for your plane ticket on a climbing holiday.......you're doing it right! :)

There are 15 messages in this topic.