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Running laps in the gym

Original Post
Dead Head · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2017 · Points: 65

I was at the gym the other day and wanted to get on the crack using the same rope that two other people were using, I thought of this as no big deal, and I finished my climb.  They weren't finished when I was done, and I went to get on another route.  I finished.  And came back.  They were still there.  Turns out each one climbed and down climbed it about 4+ times.  They were able climb it with ease.  No anger towards the people mentioned.  Just curious what everybody thinks about this?

Peter BrownWhale · · Randallstown, MD · Joined Aug 2014 · Points: 21

Good training

J Squared · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2017 · Points: 0

4x4's are a common endurance train..

Anonymous · · Unknown Hometown · Joined unknown · Points: 0
Joe Lindberg wrote:

I was at the gym the other day and wanted to get on the crack using the same rope that two other people were using, I thought of this as no big deal, and I finished my climb.  They weren't finished when I was done, and I went to get on another route.  I finished.  And came back.  They were still there.  Turns out each one climbed and down climbed it about 4+ times.  They were able climb it with ease.  No anger towards the people mentioned.  Just curious what everybody thinks about this?

How I warmup in the gym every day I go to climb rope. We normally don't do the same route though but try to find 4 easy routes we can go up and down without changing ropes.

Ted Pinson · · Chicago, IL · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 252

Yeah, really good endurance training.  There are other routes in the gym.

rafael · · Berkeley, CA · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 35

Unless they are doing it on new routes its fine by me. 

will ar · · Vermont · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 290
Joe Lindberg wrote:

Turns out each one climbed and down climbed it about 4+ times.  They were able climb it with ease.  

They probably spent far less time on it than that 5.10 climber who insists on getting to the top of the 12a, but can't do more than a single move in a row.

Did you mention that you wanted to get on the route? In my experience most gym climbers will be open to sharing or cutting short their time on a route if they are aware that you want to get on it..

Dead Head · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2017 · Points: 65

Isn't 25+ minutes a little excessive?  It was also the most popular time of day.

Ryan Pfleger · · Boise, ID · Joined Sep 2014 · Points: 25

Youre lucky there were other routes available. The only gym in Tahoe is currently packed from after work until around 8pm. Hard to get on anything. Gyms are for training. They were training.  

Franck Vee · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2017 · Points: 260

I think they are ok overall... As stated, some newer climber may spend a very long time flailing helplessly on the same route (and if it's a beginner pair, then make that count double). If you're running laps on a gym route, it would only take a couple minutes a go.

Also some people climb in trio - in which case it's also going to be pretty long if they don't have the route dialed.

At the end of the day, if there are X pairs of climbers in the gym at a given moment climbing more or less continuously, there will be X routes taken. Some may stick longer in one, others may change quickly. Doesn't really matter imo - you have a route going, you can do whatever your want with it...

Dead Head · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2017 · Points: 65

The training area of  gym is for training, the climbing area is for spending 15- minutes a climb, there was room for other routes of the same grade, they could have quickly moved from route to route.

Franck Vee · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2017 · Points: 260
Joe Lindberg wrote:

The training area of  gym is for training, the climbing area is for spending 15- minutes a climb, there was room for other routes of the same grade, they could have quickly moved from route to route.

Did you tell them you wanted to do the route when they were done? What did they say?

Regarding training... well running laps on route/boulder is a fairly common way to train, actually... I think if you take that stance, the wider community is not likely to be on your side... As mentioned above a lot of people see gym primarily as a training thing in itself, the distinction you are making is somewhat arbitrary from that perspective...

NegativeK · · Nevada · Joined Jul 2016 · Points: 40
Joe Lindberg wrote:

The training area of  gym is for training, the climbing area is for spending 15- minutes a climb, there was room for other routes of the same grade, they could have quickly moved from route to route.

Routes are usually there the next time you visit the gym, and cracks are extremely unlikely to be reset.

It sounds like you really wish people wouldn't do this, but it's commonly considered okay but not common enough to really be a huge problem.

Tomily ma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 520

Did you try glaring at them? Or stand in their personal bubble. Micro aggressions like whispering, barely audibly , “I wish these fools would hurry up!” work wonders too. 

My local gym has a designated staff memeber to curtail arcing and signs to say no arcing zone or no arcing from 5 pm until 8pm Monday-Friday. 

Dead Head · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2017 · Points: 65
Everett wrote:

Routes are usually there the next time you visit the gym, and cracks are extremely unlikely to be reset.

It sounds like you really wish people wouldn't do this, but it's commonly considered okay but not common enough to really be a huge problem.

Just curious what everyone thought of it.  I suppose I am bit opinionated because they took upwards of half an hour.

Climb On · · Everywhere · Joined Jan 2016 · Points: 0
Joe Lindberg wrote:

The training area of  gym is for training, the climbing area is for spending 15- minutes a climb, there was room for other routes of the same grade, they could have quickly moved from route to route.

Wrong. The entire space is for training, others have mentioned the 4x4s/laps are a common training exercise. Just because you didn’t like what they were doing doesn’t mean it was wrong, there is no 15 min limit on a rope.

Be thankful your gym doesn’t have a mile high month, the entire gym turns into people doing nothing but laps.

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsion · · Colorado · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 35
Tomily ma wrote:

Did you try glaring at them? Or stand in their personal bubble. Micro aggressions like whispering, barely audibly , “I wish these fools would hurry up!” work wonders too. 

My local gym has a designated staff memeber to curtail arcing and signs to say no arcing zone or no arcing from 5 pm until 8pm Monday-Friday. 

Breastfeeding works too. 

Franck Vee · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2017 · Points: 260
Joe Lindberg wrote:

Just curious what everyone thought of it.  I suppose I am bit opinionated because they took upwards of half an hour.

Yeah but did you tell them you were waiting after it or no?

Bill Czajkowski · · Albuquerque, NM · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 20

Pretty sure that’s training and that’s what gyms are for.

Eric Engberg · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 0

The VSC (Very Serious Climbers) with their entitled attitudes do tend to be obnoxious.

Bill Czajkowski · · Albuquerque, NM · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 20
Eric Engberg wrote:

The VSC (Very Serious Climbers) with their entitled attitudes do tend to be obnoxious.

If there weren’t VSCs there likely wouldn’t be any climbing gyms, just that tower at the mall.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

General Climbing
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