Bridging The Gap, Inside to Outside

The nearest gym to me has a couple of less than vertical bouldering walls with super-balancy bouldering problems that have been extremely useful to me given that much of our local climbing is granite slab. Still, the vast majority of the gyms I've been to have little to no options that are less-than-vertical. Climbing overhanging routes just looks cooler, and with the new trend in gym climbing, it does not seem as if gym climbing is seen as training for "real climbing" like it was at the advent of climbing gyms. Gym climbing is, in many cases, the end game of gym patrons. With that model and mindset, why set outdoor-specific routes?

JCM wrote:I'm not necessarily sure it is desirable to make the gym a "more realistic experience". ... My ideal gym would have several hangboards, a campus board, a treadwall, an adjustable systems wall, a Moon Board or a "CATS"-style woody wall,..

Good points here, but what is this "CATS"-style woody wall?
I've not heard of it.

Ratings that are in the realm of reality. In my gym I climb 5.10c-d and can sometimes nail an 11a or b cleanly. Outside I am happy if I can climb a 5.8 and that is rare with roofs in the Gunks.
I started outside so I had an idea, but for others it could almost be dangerous. "Hey I can climb a 5.12c in the gym, so let me learn to place some gear and lead this moderate 5.10a"

rgold wrote:I don't mind music, but the volume shouldn't be up so high you can't hear the person you are belaying once they're more than halfway up. And the more crowded the gym, the lower the music volume has to be, because there are several people within a few feet of each other trying to communicate.

+100

A major problem with my gym lately. It's difficult to be safe if you can't hear what your climber is calling for.

Definitely more cracks of different widths, and chimney's. While slab would be great, I suspect it doesn't happen for insurance reasons. Too easy to tumble, cheese grate down the slab and get hurt if the belayer is not paying attention and/or has too much slack out.

anotherclimber wrote: +100 A major problem with my gym lately. It's difficult to be safe if you can't hear what your climber is calling for. Definitely more cracks of different widths, and chimney's. While slab would be great, I suspect it doesn't happen for insurance reasons. Too easy to tumble, cheese grate down the slab and get hurt if the belayer is not paying attention and/or has too much slack out.

Our gym has a slabby wall that's toprope only. Better than nothing.

My ideal gym would be the opposite of climbing outside - big holds, big moves, overhanging, sustained. I can train my fingers on a campus board if I have to, but my local crags feature plenty of crimpers already - no need to tweak my fingers climbing plastic, no thank you.

rgold wrote:One of the things I like least about the indoor setting I encounter is the "single foot---high step" propensity. You take a high step onto a hold and there is no place for the other foot until you take another high step onto another single foothold. After a winter of this, I sometimes find myself climbing this way outdoors when it is utterly unnecessary, and have to remind myself to pay more attention to all that real rock offers.

You nailed it with this one. I would rather see 4 very small chips for feet before bumping to that next hand rather than only being able to get a foot up in my crotch to make the next move.
The last few weeks getting outside I've had to remind myself to look for the smaller intermediate feet again. Last week I went to the gym and hopped on a 10+ that I had just run up when it was first set. Halfway up I found myself looking around thinking "where the hell are the feet? did I really go up in my damn ribcage last time!?"

This might seem random, but I'd like my gym setters to put up a route where there's a roof, and then set another route next to it that's it's mirror image. I want to work both one-armed pull-ups, both heel hooks, both arms/torso contortions for awkward clipping...etc.

I simply think this would be fun, and it occurred to me because my gym had a route set up for a while that I loved, and thought it would be cool and good for training to do its inverse (not sure if that's the right term).

Nick Drake wrote: You nailed it with this one. I would rather see 4 very small chips for feet before bumping to that next hand rather than only being able to get a foot up in my crotch to make the next move

Noted, thanks!

MelRock wrote:This might seem random, but I'd like my gym setters to put up a route where there's a roof, and then set another route next to it that's it's mirror image. I want to work both one-armed pull-ups, both heel hooks, both arms/torso contortions for awkward clipping...etc. I simply think this would be fun, and it occurred to me because my gym had a route set up for a while that I loved, and thought it would be cool and good for training to do it's inverse (not sure if that's the right term).

This sounds great, too! I'll work one in.

When i set in the Gym I like to try and reproduce outside stuff, things like stemming is fun as is using a giant volume(home made) to create a offwidth. The wall I work at is texturless but we will be getting some huge textured rails in soon, are just giant super textured strips (i believe they are made for decking) they are slightly raised to so will be really cool for shitty feet.

Really no one said it yet. YOU ARE GOING TO DIE! Well at least more likely than in the gym. That is the biggest difference for me, more likely to get hurt. People play music at the crags and Namaste in Zion is steep with HUGE holds. Bigger than the gym.

So learn the ropes first and hope you will not get bitten by a snake, roll in poison ivy, walk off a cliff or get in a fight with a grizzly. True story. calgaryherald.com/news/loca…