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State of the Climbing
Sep. 1st, 2009 12:11 amLast time I posted about climbing, I'd just started tacking 6a (International, or 5.10b-ish for those reading in American) routes, and was rather wobbly, as the third video down on that post demonstrates.
Well, Zoe, Sylvia and I went to the Castle today, and we took some video of ourselves this time (we mostly don't bother, just do it occasionally so we can examine our technique and how we move), and I'm really happy with the progress I'm making on these. This is one of my favourite 6a routes at the Castle (I've climbed a good few of them now), and it's the third time I've climbed it (there are a number of routes on this panel - mine uses only the pink blobby holds):
You can hear the sound of a class being taught just off-camera. They seemed to be having a really good time!
A word on grading - all routes at the Castle are dual graded, with the international grade, which works in a similar way to the American system whereby it describes the overall difficulty of a route, and the British technical grade, which describes the difficulty of the hardest move on the route. Most 6a international routes at the Castle are rated 5a UK technical, as was this one. Occaionally one sees a 5+ international route rated 5a, which usually means it's going to have only a few difficult moves, as well as 6a+/5a routes, which tends to mean it's going to be unrelenting.
I'm mostly climbing 6a/5a routes consistently now, with only a couple I can't do (they tend to be ones with significant overhangs - I don't yet have sufficient arm strength/technique to handle to the overhang). I'm at the stage where I'm attempting 6a+ and even 6b routes (5.10c and 5.10d in the US system), as long as they're rather at UK technical 5b and below, and whether I get up them or not seems to vary. I figure if I spend some time consolidating the 6a routes, I might start to have more success on the slightly harder stuff. Regardless, I'm very pleased with my progress - I'm told that it usually takes a year before most people are climbing at that level, and I've been doing this for less than five months.
It also seems to be keeping me wonderfully fit, and is doing far more for my balance than Wii fit managed!
Originally posted at http://auntysarah.dreamwidth.org/209524.html - you can comment here or there.
Well, Zoe, Sylvia and I went to the Castle today, and we took some video of ourselves this time (we mostly don't bother, just do it occasionally so we can examine our technique and how we move), and I'm really happy with the progress I'm making on these. This is one of my favourite 6a routes at the Castle (I've climbed a good few of them now), and it's the third time I've climbed it (there are a number of routes on this panel - mine uses only the pink blobby holds):
You can hear the sound of a class being taught just off-camera. They seemed to be having a really good time!
A word on grading - all routes at the Castle are dual graded, with the international grade, which works in a similar way to the American system whereby it describes the overall difficulty of a route, and the British technical grade, which describes the difficulty of the hardest move on the route. Most 6a international routes at the Castle are rated 5a UK technical, as was this one. Occaionally one sees a 5+ international route rated 5a, which usually means it's going to have only a few difficult moves, as well as 6a+/5a routes, which tends to mean it's going to be unrelenting.
I'm mostly climbing 6a/5a routes consistently now, with only a couple I can't do (they tend to be ones with significant overhangs - I don't yet have sufficient arm strength/technique to handle to the overhang). I'm at the stage where I'm attempting 6a+ and even 6b routes (5.10c and 5.10d in the US system), as long as they're rather at UK technical 5b and below, and whether I get up them or not seems to vary. I figure if I spend some time consolidating the 6a routes, I might start to have more success on the slightly harder stuff. Regardless, I'm very pleased with my progress - I'm told that it usually takes a year before most people are climbing at that level, and I've been doing this for less than five months.
It also seems to be keeping me wonderfully fit, and is doing far more for my balance than Wii fit managed!
Originally posted at http://auntysarah.dreamwidth.org/209524.html - you can comment here or there.
