With these dark nights around us, and the very elements making the crags wet on the few days we have available.
climbing walls are integral to all who want to stay rock fit, learn more about themselves and generally push their grades.
They are fantastic places, and safe, with the correct knowledge, to push oneself, generally getting stronger and fitter. Climbers can learn body postions for "moves" they might experience on the crag.
Without wanting to get into "training ethics" or individual motivation they are great places to meet other climbers, discuss routes for next year, generally gossip and talk the p*ss of your partner for falling of the "blue route" when you cruised it!!!!!
Get out(or in there!!) be safe, and and have fun!!!!! you'll be out cragging in spring so much stronger!!!
But please dont take the p*ss out of me when I fall off the the "blue route"
ps please note that I have an interest in climbing walls as am a volunteer member of the BMC who chairs the Climbing Wall Committee
I live in the South of France where the crags are generally bolted sport climbing havens frequented by bronzed stick-thin French climbers who zip up 8A routes as part of their warmup, as if they were stepladders. So they really aren't that dissimilar to the indoor climbing experience; at least the contrast isn't as obvious as it is in the UK with trad routes & changeable conditions. I showed a French climbing partner some pictures of Cheddar Gorge back when it was only accessible in the winter months. He nearly died laughing at the sight of climbers in woolly hats...
There are lots and lots of pros to going to indoor walls - all year round IMO and not just in winter - but there are also a few pitfalls from my experience. I'm not a very good climber by any measure - after many months of regular visits I just about managed a couple of French 6B routes indoors. And I have undoubtedly improved my skills & climbing-fitness there. But I have also suffered several injuries (mainly tendon problems in my hands) precisely because of what has been stated in the article & reiterated by Nick... in the 'safe' surroundings of the indoor wall, you push harder. And in my case, my lack of skill combined with muscular strength and high body weight (from rowing) meant that I made a couple of errors in the bouldering area that pinged fingers. I'm not sure if they'll ever fully recover... The ironic part is that I'm comparatively better at bouldering (up to Font 6A) despite the fact that it does me the most harm!
I have taken a few months off to concentrate on my other sports (mainly rowing & running) and look forward to starting up again in January; but I know that my highest risk of strain injury comes from the climbing wall. On real rock, I am far less eager to find myself on the end of the rope and consequently take a more disciplined approach.
I have been climbing for only about 4-5 months now, and when i started i was looking at doing v diffs in stickies, however now im capable of v diffs in my big winter boots and in my opinion, its all down to indoor climbing walls.
Whilst i agree with john about you wanting to push harder and thus become more suceptable to injuries I also feel that pushing yourself harder is the only way that you learn, think of the Comfort - Stretch - Panic model and you will see where i am coming from.
I have spent many, many hours in the climbing wall sinse i started most of them in leeds wall but also at awsome walls in liverpool - i know the geography is a bit strange but my home town is chester and now i am based up in North Yorkshire. I constantly want to be there, getting my fitness up and pushing myself. I want to do this because when it comes to 'propper' climbing I don't want fitness to be the defining reason as to why i can't do a route.
I think that schools should have a climbing wall built inside them as when i was young it was never an option, meaning that my body took on a completley different shape to what is required to be a good climber.
I think that schools should have a climbing wall built inside them as when i was young it was never an option, meaning that my body took on a completley different shape to what is required to be a good climber.
My school sort of did... at least there was an outdoor wall with some 'features' that was meant for climbing on albeit pretty rubbish. And I started climbing there at the age of 13 and soon took the role of running the club. But I have little natural aptitude for the sport... and I made the choice to pursue my rowing more seriously which for many years meant that I didn't climb regularly as it interefered with my training.
Now, in one sense I'm paying for that as I do have a build that works better in a boat than on the end of a rope. But on the other hand I'd never have got particularly good at climbing compared to the 'naturals' and I did enjoy some success on the water so I don't regret it. And now I don't particularly care about performance in rowing so can afford to jump in a boat the day after a hard session at the climbing wall.
For me, personally, the wall is the the highest risk factor for minor injuries that can spoil my fun in other sports. I find it hard NOT to push myself indoors as it feels like a gym session... training FOR real climbing somewhere else. Outdoors, however, I find myself in a different frame of mind where enjoying the exposure, the setting & the natural puzzles that aren't colour coded is far more relaxing. I don't concern myself with what grade a climb may be outdoors as long as it poses a challenge and yet doesn't have me in a frenzy of frustration!
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