Alex321
Veteran
- Location
- South Wales
No.
I will always be willing to change my mind.
I don't actually see any contradictions there though. Perhaps you missed the "it means ..." which is what I was later changing my mind about.
Fitness, fun or both?
- Thread starter Rusty Nails
- Start date
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No.
I will always be willing to change my mind.
I don't actually see any contradictions there though. Perhaps you missed the "it means ..." which is what I was later changing my mind about.
Time Waster
Veteran
Not American at all but interested to know what the America phrase was.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Free climbing
I cycle nowadays to keep fit, but I also enjoy getting out on the bike, I rarely do group rides nowadays, I have done a lot of running alone so I quite like solo riding.
The running was to keep fit and for Orienteering, I still do a bit of running and MTB Orienteering.
The running was to keep fit and for Orienteering, I still do a bit of running and MTB Orienteering.
Time Waster
Veteran
Trad climbing is with nuts, cams and removable protection. Free climbing in the UK among my climbing friends is climbing without protection. Sport climbing is climbing with bolts for pro more common in North America and Europe in the past. Or at least that's what I got taught years back when I did such things.
Time Waster
Veteran
I stand corrected!
BMC CLIMBING LINGO
BMC CLIMBING LINGO
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Yep, and as I was saying the term you used is an American one.
Time Waster
Veteran
I never really thought climbing made me fit. It made me able i hand upside down for really long times and do over 100 chin ups in one go. But then I was only 9.5 stone and 6 foot 5 when I climbed. I could hang from one arm to rest, put the other hand on rock or more likely climbing wall then lift my legs up to the overhang I was climbing on. One climbing centre (Cliffs Barn somewhere near Preston or Chorley iirc) had a tricky overhang problem that on my one lass and myself managed to climb. There were a few better climbers than me but I was a lot lighter and could do the tricky move around the corner by climbing upside down at one point before correcting myself. Not a good style but it worked.
I never felt fitter though. I was still at the back of the group when walking with the mountaineering and walking group.
I never felt fitter though. I was still at the back of the group when walking with the mountaineering and walking group.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
What was your lead grade?
Time Waster
Veteran
Not sure. I wasn't a climber.
Seriously, I wanted to go out walking in interesting places in winter with other people because I didn't think I had enough experience to go out on my own. There were no walking groups but there was a mountaineering group that also did walks. To get in with them I used to go to a climbing wall on club nights and climbing days too. I figured climbing would help my fear of heights but roped climbing didn't, scrambling did.
On the climbing wall I rarely went up but used the traversing wall instead to practise moves. The group were only into trad back then and I hadn't heard of bouldering but that was kind of what I did.
I was comfortable up to HVS I think but my fear of heights kicked in. Technically I was probably capable of a few E numbers up but exposure stopped me.
I don't call myself a climber because I didn't kit up and didn't lead much. It wasn't my thing but a necessary social thing to get out into wintery hills.
I did meet some interesting people. One guy was a retired public school teacher who in his youth used the longer school holidays to go exploring in the 4ps or 50s I think he said. He knew all the old explorers and was honorary, life members of some very exclusive climbing clubs. A guy who did things like buy a donkey to get out into Patagonia or similar to climb on his own before many Europeans had even seen some of the peaks. Often meeting the more well known explorers of his day. He was old when I knew him but still climbed well, could get up hills quicker than many of us youngsters and often ski mountaineered to on group winter walks because it was easier for him to climb then ski along the ridge to meet at the top than take our route. To be fair though he did have Parkinsons at the time.
Seriously, I wanted to go out walking in interesting places in winter with other people because I didn't think I had enough experience to go out on my own. There were no walking groups but there was a mountaineering group that also did walks. To get in with them I used to go to a climbing wall on club nights and climbing days too. I figured climbing would help my fear of heights but roped climbing didn't, scrambling did.
On the climbing wall I rarely went up but used the traversing wall instead to practise moves. The group were only into trad back then and I hadn't heard of bouldering but that was kind of what I did.
I was comfortable up to HVS I think but my fear of heights kicked in. Technically I was probably capable of a few E numbers up but exposure stopped me.
I don't call myself a climber because I didn't kit up and didn't lead much. It wasn't my thing but a necessary social thing to get out into wintery hills.
I did meet some interesting people. One guy was a retired public school teacher who in his youth used the longer school holidays to go exploring in the 4ps or 50s I think he said. He knew all the old explorers and was honorary, life members of some very exclusive climbing clubs. A guy who did things like buy a donkey to get out into Patagonia or similar to climb on his own before many Europeans had even seen some of the peaks. Often meeting the more well known explorers of his day. He was old when I knew him but still climbed well, could get up hills quicker than many of us youngsters and often ski mountaineered to on group winter walks because it was easier for him to climb then ski along the ridge to meet at the top than take our route. To be fair though he did have Parkinsons at the time.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
In which case you didn’t have a lead grade. Which is fine, not everyone leads.
Time Waster
Veteran
Oh those were good times as I had the mountaineering group to go out with on the nice weather days and kayak club on the wetter days. I later dropped the mountaineering club and got serious about kayaking. Which also didn't keep me fit. Climbing and kayaking did give me a strong set of core muscles. I could do stomach curls on inclined bench for fun!
BTW if you're a gym bunny find one with a freedom trainer. You can set the arms up to allow you to mimic kayaking paddle stroke complete with core rotation. Sitting on a gym ball gives you instability too which makes it very hard exercise. There simply isn't any other gym kit I've found that works your arms, core, leg muscles as effectively. My core was strong but 3 sets of 15 reps would leave my core muscles, adductor and other groin muscles forked more than my arms.
BTW if you're a gym bunny find one with a freedom trainer. You can set the arms up to allow you to mimic kayaking paddle stroke complete with core rotation. Sitting on a gym ball gives you instability too which makes it very hard exercise. There simply isn't any other gym kit I've found that works your arms, core, leg muscles as effectively. My core was strong but 3 sets of 15 reps would leave my core muscles, adductor and other groin muscles forked more than my arms.
Time Waster
Veteran
Poor form and etiquette not to do your share of leading I thought. Of course in a club there's often people quite happy to lead for you either to encourage a less experienced or to gain leading experience.
I did lead the odd VS but tbh I could climb that level without protection so it was kind of pointless. Did that when climbing through I think it's called, where you second then keep on going to lead the next pitch.
I have no idea what i was really capable of if I hadn't got a fear of heights. I know bouldering problems I could do harder than a guy claiming E3 lead, E4 or E5 second. He was a German guy and competitive so didn't like that. He twisted my arm to do the big wall to show me up. Told me it was equivalent to a grade I could trad climb at but it wasn't, a lot harder and I reached my fear limit and refused to let go to be lowered down. Instead I downclimbed taking out quick draws as I went! Everyone thought I was weird! He learnt his lesson and never climbed with me again at the wall.
Back then it was considered a good climbing wall. In Preston in the 90s.
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Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Climbing walls in the 90s were fairly basic. Not comparable to leading outdoors at all. Nothing wrong with only seconding. Not everyone has a head for leading.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
There is also another reason why I keep cycling, even having picked up some serious injuries in the past.
This might offend some...
But there is no way, whilst their is still air in my lungs, am I ever getting an e-bike.
I have a few other cycling mates with the same opinion.
Note: This opinion is the poster's own words so don't get upset.
👅
This might offend some...
But there is no way, whilst their is still air in my lungs, am I ever getting an e-bike.
I have a few other cycling mates with the same opinion.Note: This opinion is the poster's own words so don't get upset.
👅
