Get Fit Fatty

[Duvet]

I don't feel like making a new thread and thought that I could just post in this one instead, but I've been getting really into bouldering. dan, varun, a few of our buddies, and I have been going bouldering almost every sunday for the past couple of months (the former two have been consistently going since the end of 2015). I've also been following world cup bouldering competitions and professional climbers on social media, lol.

>no motivation to lift
>all that motivation is in becoming a better climber instead

I'm also kind of starting to get into the habit of filming myself climbing just so I can reference what I'm fucking up and/or struggling with when attempting certain problems. here's a couple vids of me from recent sessions (these ones mainly focusing on dynos, in other words launching yourself up to the next hold):


an easy one


this one I'm currently projecting in my sessions. maybe one day I'll be able to top this boulder before it's replaced with something new...

[Hauskaz]

Where is this? That looks fun as fuck and a lot safer/legal than climbing the warehouse racking at work or truss rigging on shows.

[Duvet]

The gym we regularly go to is the Hub in Markham (Hwy 7 & Woodbine). A fair distance of a drive for our main rock climbing gym, but it's a well maintained facility (cleaner than other rock climbing gyms nearby) and there's a wide variety of problems/routes to try out. Also, can't fuck with the Hub's Dragon:



The closest rock climbing gyms to Brampton would be Aspire in Milton and Boulderz in Etobicoke, both of which I've been to before. Aspire is primarily a top roping gym, but they have a ninja warrior course for youths and their bouldering section is limited to one corner of the gym. But the nice thing about Aspire is that it's quiet due to the middle of nowhere location (what the fuck is even in Milton?) and that it just recently opened up in April of this year. Boulderz Etobicoke is a decent rock climbing gym with a balance of top roping and bouldering sections, but the gym is dirtier and not quite as well maintained as the Hub. The problems/routes there are also rather awkward and aren't quite as enjoyable/fun compared to the Hub.

Other rock climbing gyms in the GTA, which I actually haven't been to yet, are: Basecamp, Boulderz Toronto, Rock Oasis, and True North.

Currently, I've got a 10-visit pass at the Hub, and a 30-day pass at Aspire that expires in 2 weeks. I'll most likely drop by Aspire at some point within the next 2 weeks to try their bouldering problems/routes (when I visited Aspire, I went top roping for the first time). Most likely going to the Hub this Sunday as per usual.

I bought a chalk bag, climber's tape, a fancy brush, and two pails of chalk last month, and I recently just ordered a pair of rock climbing shoes which I should be receiving by the end of this week. All bought from MEC because it's the only place in the GTA that actually sells climbing gear.

[Hauskaz]

That looks fucking sick. I'm probably gonna check this out the next time I have a day off. Do I need to take chalking and stuff seriously or can I just fuck around?

[Duvet]

The only thing you'll require other than purchasing a day-pass is the shoe rental. For picking the optimal climbing shoe size, a general rule of thumb is to have your toes comfortably curled at the top. Try your regular shoe size first and then move up or down a 1/2 size (or full size) depending on how your toes feel from wearing the shoes.

Chalk and all that stuff are optional, but it's difficult to get good grip on holds if you naturally get sweaty/moist hands, especially after climbing a few problems/routes. Chalk bag rentals are available as well, but if you're just fucking around, you probably won't need it. First time visitors need to fill out a waiver, which you can do either online or at the gym when you visit (and obviously you'll need identification). You'll also need to go through a quick 5–10 minute orientation where someone will show you how to fall safely on the mats, as well as give you a tour of the facility.

If it's your first time rock climbing, make use of your footholds as much as possible and try to keep your arms straight because you're literally going to annihilate your forearms otherwise. Try VB/V0 difficulty problems first before attempting V1/V2 problems/routes. Each increase in grade is exponential, so expect problems/routes to get harder—the Hub's grading is fairly lax, so there are some problems/routes that are underrated or overrated depending on your strengths and weaknesses (upper body strength, grip strength, finger reach, etc.). You should expect to feel some soreness in your hands or arms after your session within 48 hours, I'll tell you that much, lol.

Anyways, I went to the Hub today with the boys and got to break in my new climbing shoes. Need to get used to wearing them, since I'm accustomed to wearing the Hub's shoe rentals, but at least my grip against the wall is eons better than it was before. The downside to having to wear shoe rentals is that they have really shitty grip when you're in situations that require the use of the wall. Didn't really do anything spectacular in today's session, mostly climbed V3s and did campus board training—I injured my left groin area last Sunday from doing nothing but dynos, so I was getting a dull pain from just lifting my leg up for a full week and I didn't want to fuck that up again today. At the moment, I'm able to climb easy V4s at the Hub, and I'm able to climb all the way up the wooden rungs on the campus board and down climb about halfway before falling off (video to come at a later date). When I first tried out the campus board, I could barely support my own weight with my fingers on a single wooden rung, so it's interesting to see my progression up till now. I'm trying to work my way up to be able to do some of the stuff from this video (currently can only do the first one):

[Duvet]

Went to Aspire today and did both toproping and bouldering. Their bouldering routes/problems are actually pretty good and fun, so I'll probably be bouldering here on a random weekday when I don't feel like driving all the way to the Hub (outside of my Sunday routine). I'm contemplating on going back to Aspire either Tuesday or Wednesday of this week by myself—my 30-day pass expires this Friday so I should probably get another session in before then.

[Duvet]

sent a V4 dyno today. none of my climbing buddies are capable of doing this one atm, and I make it look easy as fuck, lmao. it's easy for me due to my reach and solid finger/grip strength.


a vid of me climbing the wooden rungs on the campus board, although I wasn't able to down climb today since this was towards the end of my session.

[Hauskaz]

Jesus you're killing that. I also realize I used to drive by Aspire like almost every day, I need to find a day to check this shit out.