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I messed up building my woodie (pic) help me make the most of it

Original Post
Bierson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 20

Just moved into a new place and decided to make a woodie. I based my plans around 12'x8' of climbing surface. I didn't realize how over hung (60ºish) it would be due to height restrictions. My two problems are twofold

1) I'm not sure how to train for climbing power endurance in the Obed/Red (trying to break into the 13s) on such an overhang where doing more than one lap is desparate
2) My girlfriend climbs 5.10. Barring upgrading the girlfriend, how can I adapt the woodie to make it fun for her.

Thanks for the help,

Brendon

Nashville Woodie

Nash woodie side view

Woodie angle

Cor · · Sandbagging since 1989 · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 1,445

all you need is more positive / juggy holds.

then she can have fun, and you can do endurance.

make some circle routes that are the same grade no matter
if you go clockwise or counterclockwise...

Steve M · · MN · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 100

Have her climb up the backside?

atp · · Gualaca, PA · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 2,110

I agree about getting more positive holds, or reduce the height of your wall, then you could adjust the angle to make it less steep (it'll take a little more work, but might pay off with you using it more in the long run?...)

Rui Ferreira · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jul 2003 · Points: 903

You can add a kicker board at the base of the wall, possibly 2 to 4 feet tall and either place it at a lesser angle than current or even vertically.

Jay Samuelson · · Colorado · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 1,896

Maybe remove the header board so you can tilt the wall up to a less severe angle; you may be able to drill holes and set it up so you can easily change the angle between 60 degrees and the less severe angle without the header board. It looks like you used bolts to put it together so this shouldn't be too difficult to modify and setup.

also bigger jugs. always bigger jugs.

Eric N. · · Iowa · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 0

You could make it adjustable. Looks like at the top of the angled wall, you could use one big bolt instead of two to hold it and then your wall would be able to pivot on the bolt. On the middle braces, also use a bolt, and drill holes in the brace to be able to use different holes for different angles. You would need to then cut some length off of the bottom so that the wall could pivot down to the floor and then add another brace like you have in the middle to be able to use a bolt to fasten the bottom. For stability you will probably have to add another angled support piece on the side that angles the opposite way on your current middle piece. Down fall is your wall loses a little distance and when you reset it back to the 60 degree angle the bottom would not touch the floor. If you were fancy, you could hinge the bottom piece that you cut off so that it would fold up onto the back of the woodie when you want to move it to 45 degrees. Looks good though and jealous I don't have one.

Bierson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 20

I'll get some better jugs and see how that helps. Any one have any big jugs they recommend? I've tried asking google for recommendations but I keep getting sidetracked. Good call on the reversible circle routes.

Otherwise it would be pretty badass have the ability to adjust the incline but hopefully I could avoid that since it would be a boatload of work. I'd have to cut apart the the frame and everything.

Cor · · Sandbagging since 1989 · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 1,445

make sure when you set the circle routes, that you have a beer cozy
attached to the wall. (with a beer in it of course!)
this way you can stop and take a drink without getting off the wall.

this my friend is the key to endurance! :D

ps: any jugs are fine, just shop around looking for good prices.
on another thought, sometimes gyms sell a few old holds when
they get a bunch of new ones in...

skeeter · · Lakewood CA · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 10

big jugs and lots of them...looks nice

Rob Cotter · · Silverthorne, CO · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 240
Andy Librande · · Denver, CO · Joined Nov 2005 · Points: 1,880

I have had a woody at that angle before and as everyone has stated above it is all about the jugs. Good foot holds are also key which will make the handholds much easier. With your current set-up it looks like you are lacking in both.

Otherwise it should be a totally doable angle as when we had it most of us where barely 5.10 climbers. Once you get use to it you will be surprised at how small of holds that you can use on it.

Here are some good jugs that I love on my roof (which is much steeper then 60 degrees):

soillholds.com/gingivitis-jug

atomikclimbingholds.com/p/1…

climbit.com/index.php/holds…

etc...

Anyways if you keep your woody it looks like it is going to flex a lot since you have the 2x4's running horizontal instead of vertical. Easiest solution to that is to make a couple of braces. I assume your wall is 12 ft tall x 8 ft wide on the back frame, so you will need at least 2 braces spaced 2-3 ft in from each side.

For 2 "L" braces you will need 4 pieces of wood, preferably 2x6 (but 2x4 works) at 12 ft long (or whatever the length of the back of your wall is). For each L Brace take two pieces of 2x6 and lay them down to make an L shape; 1 2x6 sits vertical and the other one sits horizontal, put a screw every 8" or so into it from the vertical side into the horizontal side. Then mount it onto the back of your wall running vertical and screw 2 screws into each spot where the L brace crosses the framing on your woody.

This will be much stronger and I had to do the same with the roof on my wall. I don't currently have a good photo of it, however you can see the brace in this photo running along the top (the vertical side is facing us): andylibrande.com/homeclimbi…

Enjoy your wall!

tks · · Boston, MA · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 20

I really like synrock. my wall is at a 45 degree angle, and is only 12 feet tall so i needed holds that i could climb up and downclimb. the metolius jugs were tearing my hands apart. The synrock is much kinder to the hands. just make sure you get the biggest jugs.

synrockholds.com/ergo-bucke…

Brendan Blanchard · · Boulder, CO · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 590

The same way you would upgrade the girlfriend. Bigger jugs.

Finn The Human · · The Land of Ooo · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 106
elementclimbing.com/Elevati…

We have some of these jugs at the gym I work at. Best jugs I've ever used.
Phil Lauffen · · Innsbruck, AT · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 3,098

Think she's going to really need to climb on that for that long before getting bored...? Build it how you need it, and add some jugs for the first week.

Rajiv Ayyangar · · San Francisco, CA · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 220

Perhaps Volumes would break up the angle a bit? Home-made or Motavation: motavationvolumes.com/produ…

mtn smith · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 0

Andy is definitely right about the horizontal 2x4 issue. You gotta do something to give it some sort of flexural strength vertically. Its not such a big problem since the span is not too large, but you will notice a strange flex while hanging in the middle of the wall. All ya gotta do to fix this is add 2 or 3 2x6s to the back of the wall. Tie the 2x6s to each of the 2x4s with one of these guys and you should be set.

Kevin Stricker · · Evergreen, CO · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 1,197

I think Andy is putting it nicely, your wall pretty much throws conventional building practices out the window. I would take it apart and rebuild it.

Move the top panel to the bottom(as a kicker) now you can keep your ankles off the ground.

Re orient your joists vertically. Whitewood 2x4's are pretty whimpy, Vertical framing is much stronger.

Screw your plywood into your frame every 6 inches around the perimeter and at least every foot on each interior joist. It is the plywood that makes home walls strong, it's a web that ties everything together.

There is no reason to go steeper than 45, 60 degrees has little training effect on actual climbing unless all you climb are roofs. New wall at 45 with kicker and more jugs means a better training vehicle to make you and your girlfriend stronger.

Bierson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 20

Thanks for the tips. Andy and JGoldsmith, I have noticed some flexing and it sounds like the 2x6s would cover that. I'm avoiding it by only using nuts close to 2x4s until I can get to home depot.

I just picked up a set of atomik roof jugs. Great holds, but I'm worried the friction is too good. We'll see how it goes when the training regimen starts post Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Steven N · · CO · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 80

Like others mentioned, the framing is wrong and the studs need to be moved vertically. Hack off about two feet and move the wall to a less steep angle.

You could build a separate stand for the hangboard or just mount it over the doorway. Then you'll have room for a small campus board maybe only 4-5 rungs with a sit start but its a nother training tool to have

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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