Author: em04 (Page 1 of 2)

Hello! Here goes the last post for my rock climbing free inquiry! I have really enjoyed getting to document my journey with bouldering over the term. I have seen myself grow both physically and mentally with this sport. Rock climbing is an activity that requires a clear and focused mind because as soon as you’re out of the zone, things can get scary. This was a struggle for me as I would get up high on the wall and feel myself getting tired and not trust my grip to continue. Feeling scared as you reach the top of the wall is normal but what matters is pushing past that and trusting in your abilities. As the term went on I felt myself conquer this fear. Naturally I still have a sense of caution but I don’t feel the immobilizing fear as much which allows me to complete more climbs.

Here is a climb I completed this week:

This is a green level climb and you can see it starts near the bottom left and finished up the top where the little piece of green tape is. At first I was hesitant to try this climb as the holds are a strange shape. I decided to give it a go and ended up flashing the climb (flashing means you complete it first try). I ended up actually really liking this climb as once I figured out how to grab the holds it was fun to climb up.

Green tape overhang climb pictured above:

This week I had the opportunity to go to CraigX climbing centre downtown where they offer top rope climbing. Top rope is where you are harnessed and attached to the wall while someone belays you with a rope at the bottom. Although I didn’t get a chance to try the top rope, it was cool to watch others do it! The wall is so high and even though you are always attached it can be nerve-racking at those heights.

Overall I had a great time documenting my climbs this term and can’t wait to keep reaching new heights! I hope you learned something about climbing!

Hello! Back at it again. Last entry I dove into outdoor bouldering a little bit but I’d like to go back to indoor bouldering. During my climb this week I took a few pictures of the different walls to show each style of bouldering. My favourite right now is slab! Here’s a few pictures of different walls. Think about which wall seems the easiest/hardest/most intriguing!

Slab Wall:

Here is a slab wall. You can see it’s actually inclined a little bit towards the wall which allows for easier balance. Looking at the different runs, we can see the different starting points. There are various circles that say “start” and they are each a different colour. In my first post I explained the colour levels but I’ll give a little reminder. The easiest seen on this wall would be the yellow tape on the far right side and the hardest would be pink tape which finished up at the top with the green holds. When climbing sometimes it gets hard to differentiate the different runs as someone may say “hey want to try the purple run?” and you may not know if they mean the purple holds or the purple tape. Sometimes people will say “Let’s try the green yellow” meaning they would be talking about the green tape with the yellow holds.

Overhang Wall:

Here is an overhang wall. Quite the opposite of slab… power is key here. You can see how angled it is compared to the vertical walls next to it. The holds here are easier to grip as gravity is now working against the climber. The large triangles you see on the wall are called volumes. If they are not taped by a colour, this means they are “free game” and can be used by climbers as holds to put feet on or to grab. They can be especially helpful with overhang walls as they can provide a bit more leverage.

Hi again!! This week I want to explore the world of outdoor bouldering. This is not something I’ve ever tried and don’t plan on it soon but I wanted to do some research. First of all, lets look at outdoor bouldering spots here in Victoria BC.

Fleming Beach:

• Known for Top Rope, easily accessible anchors tp hook up to
• Location: 10 minutes away from Macaulay Point Park in Esquaimalt
• This is a solid place to go with your first rope as a new climber

Mt. Wells- South Cliffs

• Known for a mostly sport route, intermediate
• Location: 30 minutes from Goldstresam/Langford
• Lots of lead climbing here
• There is more climbing available around Mt.Wells but more harder sport

Glen Lake Crag

• Known for sport similar level to Mt.Wells
• Location: 25 minutes from Langford
• More of a moderate climb for certain routes

Nanaimo: Sunny side

• Known for sport
• Location: 90 minutes just before nanimo
• Full of sun good place to go in the spring
• You can also cool off in the Nanaimo river post climb

Hello all! I’ve been able to get back at the climbing wall as my injury was short lived. This week I did work on some slab. Slab is interesting because it’s not so much about upper body strength but it involves more coordination balance, and you have to think about where you’re placing your hands and feet. Here’s some slab tips:

• Avoid pulling down, use your hands to only keep your balance which will result in more stamina.
• Keep as much pressure as you can on your feet.
• Take your time: slab cannot be climbed fast, it’s about footwork not power
• Heels down, this will help you keep friction with the wall and prevent your calfs from working too hard and cramping
• Hips out, this will keep pressure on your feet and give you an extra bit of grip
• Stay on your dominant foot when you can to stay on balance
• Focus on finger and core strength when climbing slab, compared to overhang climbing which requires more back strength and power

Here is a good video I found on slab techniques:

Hi everyone! I’ve been back to the climbing wall and I got the chance to go the Langford Boulderhouse location. Ava and I went in the early afternoon which actually provided a really nice, calm and not busy environment to climb. Sometimes it’s hard to work on your own technique and see improvement if you have to share a circuit with 5 other climbers. It can also be intimidating to climb when others are watching and waiting to attempt the same route after you. The Langford gym is a bit of a bigger location so there was more to try.

This week I felt I grew with the fear element and trusting myself. Sometimes when I get up too high it’s the fear that takes over and convinces me my grip strength will give out. I found myself attempting bigger reaches or more risky moves even though it usually resulted in falling off the wall (which is not a big deal). Next week I want to focus on some slab climbing. Thanks for reading!

Hello everyone! I went for a climb today, Sunday the 5th at around 11:30 am with my friend Ava. We switched it up again this week and didn’t go on Wednesday. I thought going on the weekend may lead to the climbing wall being on the busier side but it actually ended up being quite manageable! Turns out the Wednesdays are one of the busiest days of the week as that’s when the walls get switched so new circuits are available. Today I tried some green tape level overhangs, although I was not successful with completing the circuit I made it over half way and did my best. The nice thing about climbing is that if you don’t get it the first time it is enjoyable to work on the following session. Watching fellow climbers attempt it, asking for beta and watching videos online of higher level climbers to observe technique. These are all ways to improve individually as a climber.

Here is a climb I did today. I first did this last Friday at the halloween climb and it took a few tries but I watched others do it and took some strategies from them. I feel comfortable with it now and it felt good to watch the improvement from the first time I tried it till now. Green tape vertical climb:

Till next time! Thanks for reading!