Overheard/overseen at the gym

Josh Rappoportwrote:

Thanks

It was more the random and definitive nature of the comment

Also I think it was a high first clip with a sketchy start 

A sketchy start on a gym route. Sounds like a bad route setter to me.

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsionwrote:

A sketchy start on a gym route. Sounds like a bad route setter to me.

Correct.

Most gyms recommend not spotting because most people do it wrong or are bad at it and the mats do a good job. My rule of thumb is that you should only do it in a gym if the climber specifically asks for it.

Also a good gym employee would wait to address any issue until everyone is back on the ground.

To be more on topic, I saw a dad about to belay his daughter, trying to clip the grigri into his rental harness that was on backwards. He said "Oh yeah, that makes sense," when I pointed it out to him. Probably shouldn't have been belaying!

Desert Rock Sportswrote:

Re: trad gear... I have mock lead cracks at the first gym I was going to long before I ever lead outside. No one in my friend group at the time was interested in trad. Same with building anchors. Same idea as bringing trad gear to sport areas to mess around with during down time... It was a weird but cool gym. Had a rap tower. Once I was known well by the employees I got an unusual amount of freedom to teach friends and prepare them for multipitch with anchors, top belaying, multipitch rap efficiency, etc...

I'll occasionally load up my gear for training purposes. Can't climb outside during the winter months and I want to keep my endurance up with the extra weight. I'm in the same boat too, it's fun setting up mock multi-pitch for teaching. I bet people have looked at me and said wtf, but most are curious and want to learn.

Mike zzzwrote:

I'll occasionally load up my gear for training purposes. Can't climb outside during the winter months and I want to keep my endurance up with the extra weight. I'm in the same boat too, it's fun setting up mock multi-pitch for teaching. I bet people have looked at me and said wtf, but most are curious and want to learn.

no judgments at all, I’ve actually hung stoppers on every gym draw and then clipped into each one, because my buddy and I couldn’t stop laughing

but cant you just use a weight vest or a weight belt?

“I think I need more aggressive shoes for the V2 overhang” 

“Should I hire a guide to boulder in yosemite?”

“Why hasn’t someone invented a top rope you can leave set up outdoors? Seems like a billion dollar idea!”

…all within a 5 minute conversation 

At the university wall getting in some laps when this pair comes in and picks up their rental shoes. Seem to know all the staff so must have been in before.

They tie in and climber says “on belay?” Belayer says wait a sec and proceeds to pull the rope in as hard as he can, loading it like you would to start jumaring. OK weird sure.

Hour later guys have left, new group comes in to take top rope belay test, belayer does exact same thing, gets rope as tight as possible before climber gets on the wall.

The gym must be teaching this.

Birch Bryantwrote:

The gym must be teaching this.

never thought I’d say this but…what’s the problem with what they were doing/what the gym is teaching here?  A tad over conservative maybe, but better than having loosely belayed noobs twisting ankles from stretch decking close to the ground. 

rock climbing wrote:

My climbing partner expects me to do that because he is too lazy to do the same move twice. If he drops 1ft because of rope stretch, he turns around and just stares at me. Eventually, he says "what the hell?" "Shitty belay!" and goes back to climbing.

Perhaps you should intruduce your partner to lead climbing.

Complaining about people keeping their partner safe for the first 5-10 ft? I ask for it if the start is bouldery or extra awkward. Absolutely normal by anyone's standards. 

Matthew Jaggerswrote:

Complaining about people keeping their partner safe for the first 5-10 ft? I ask for it if the start is bouldery or extra awkward. Absolutely normal by anyone's standards.

Yeah sounds like personal preference and route specific. If I think I’m gonna fall off the first couple of moves, I’d rather there be no catch than have the rope mess up my instinct to land on my feet. In the gym at least.

rock climbing wrote:

My climbing partner expects me to do that because he is too lazy to do the same move twice. If he drops 1ft because of rope stretch, he turns around and just stares at me. Eventually, he says "what the hell?" "Shitty belay!" and goes back to climbing.

Sounds like you need a better partner 

i finally heard something worth mentioning. a guy i met at the gym said that last year, he was given a hip belay up a multi pitch by a guide who weighed 75 pounds less than he does.

he seems like a straight up guy and not one to exaggerate but i don't know him that well. this seems insane.

ilya fwrote:

i finally heard something worth mentioning. a guy i met at the gym said that last year, he was given a hip belay up a multi pitch by a guide who weighed 75 pounds less than he does.

he seems like a straight up guy and not one to exaggerate but i don't know him that well. this seems insane.

My gym partner likes to say to me as I'm about to lead "Is it okay if I hip belay you?"  I respond with "Sure, as long as you wrap the rope around your ballz, cause I'm clipping the first bolt and dropping"

ilya fwrote:

i finally heard something worth mentioning. a guy i met at the gym said that last year, he was given a hip belay up a multi pitch by a guide who weighed 75 pounds less than he does.

he seems like a straight up guy and not one to exaggerate but i don't know him that well. this seems insane.

Assuming the most likely scenario if he was climbing with a guide, is that the guide was leading and it was easy terrain where the guy isn’t going to be free hanging in space if he comes off.   This is common.   For example in the Tetons, a hip belay is what I use most of the time when “guiding/mentoring” on long easy multipitch like upper Exum Ridge

cool thanks for the explanation, i was imagining something much more grim. 

Climber A is learning to climb gym crack and getting beta from two different partners (B and C) on two different days.

Climber B: Think about how you sequence your hands and feet. Think about having your hips out as you move your feet up, then hips in as you pull down with your arms and stand up straight. You can rest in almost a figure 4 with your top foot (knee pointing out), your weight on your lower foot, and your hips against the wall. Move your arms up while your weight is on your lower foot. If you have a thumbs-down jam with your upper hand, here's how you shift your body weight. You never want to have both hands in a thumbs-down jam at the same time. Etc...

Climber C: I think you have the idea. You're just too timid. What scares you about crack? 

Sean Tuttle wrote:

Hahahahha.  I don’t know about y’all, but I hate being told what to do [in general], especially while climbing.  lf I was on the wall listening to this shit not only would my zen vibe and fun time gym sesh be seriously getting fuucked, I’d be likely snapping and yelling and ready to whoop some ass when I get down.  I’m working on learning to take beta when I’m up there, but I’m not there yet.. yikes.  Furthermore, I have a really hard time not making fun of dipshits sprayin beta at their girlfriends and shit. It’s almost as bad as the old billiards wrap around 

I can understand that. I don't like beta in general either, and I especially don't like being sprayed down when I'm working a sequence.

This was happening at the base of the crack after Climber A asked for beta to improve her crack skills. Climber B, also a woman, gave detailed technique advice and body position demos that Climber A worked to apply on her next burn. Climber C did not give advice on technique, just speculation on timidity and fear. Climber A did not respond especially warmly to his thoughts. 

TBlomwrote:

Perhaps you should intruduce your partner to lead climbing.

Or Vaseline in his chalk bag.

Girl being shown around the gym during her first visit: "I've been climbing off and on since 2016 but haven't been recently. I used to climb 5.10b or 5.10c regularly but climbed a 5.11b once." 

Same girl 5 minutes later: :is this how the bag of chalk goes on?"

watched a guy who easily climbs v8s and up in our gym power scream excessively and fall off of a v3 i was working on. was really strange to see that reaction, especially because it was kind of just a high heel/mantle move? and even stranger because i had been able to do the move he fell off of since my beginning attempts (and i only climb v8 in my dreams). made me feel kinda good about myself though, i wont lie