No self respecting republlican is going to be caught DEAD in his wife's hybrid.

Cheers
DMT

So if I am brand new to climbing and suck... I should not go to a gym because I will look like a clueless poser? That is encouraging for someone going for the first time after work today.

If you want to touch it that's two dollars.

So I guess my question is. What is more important in a gym; The quality of the facility or the quality of people?

I am convinced that you will find three types of people in a gym, and all three include ropers and boulderers...

1. Those who are training on plastic between trips to real rock.

2. Those who are maximizing their ratings indoors, and don't really care about going outdoors.

3. Those who like to flex and strut and try to impress those who go for that type.

Group 3 has the lock on poseurs.

How much for Brant to watch?

$100 for Brant to watch.

Free for brent_e.

There are other gyms but these 2 have super friendly staff. Staff you will see out climbing on the weekends. Always a smile. The people who come in are the same basic group and they are all cool. No posing, no attitude, rarely or ever do I see some shirtless dweeb or clueless chick in a sportsbra trying to look "uber".

Rockn and Jamn is a world class facility with equally high level people.

I used to spend a lot of time in a gym in my home town. It wasn't a very nice gym. The walls had lost some texture, the rental shoes had holes, and you had a good chance of grabbing a spinner. I loved it, and the gym was always full of climbers. I soon figured out that it wasn't the walls, the holds, or the poor gear selection that was so appealing to people. It had everything to do with the quality of people that worked and climbed in the gym. So I guess my question is. What is more important in a gym; The quality of the facility or the quality of people?

I think the biggest reason to climb at a gym is simpe: the quality of climbing.


If you've climbed outside enough your constantly running into routes that are chossy, reachy, or flat out boring. The odds that rock is molded naturally into a "perfect route" are so low very few routes get 5 stars, which means very few are viewed by the world and the guidebook author to be as good as a route can be in a gym.



You see, in a gym, you have a veritable canvas. You can create the PERFECT route. Even bad routes at the gym are better than most routes outdoors. I've climbed Astroman and Crest Jewel and despite what Reid might say, they are AS GOOD as many of the super steep, super pumpy routes at the gym. In fact, in the gym, I can even eliminate holds to make it harder or add holds to make it easier. Where outdoors can you do that??? Some aid climbers use duct tape to mark sharp edges for future free climbers to use, but besides that there is no consensus for properly marking a route.

I've tried in the past to add holds to routes, but sometimes locals get pretty peeved. What I do now is just take up chockstones. If you want a long handcrack or fist crack to have good rests, you can just take some small stones and fix them into the crack. It creates a great rest to milk, you can use it as Pro, and best yet it makes the route more fun for other climbers (better routes are more fun!)


Now I climb almost exclusively inside. The variety can't be beaten. Last month I traveled all the way up the California coast, visiting every gym for a few days. I got super strong, and never had to touch a rock or hike an approach once! I defintely am going to apply my favorite types of climbs to some of my proj's in joshua tree this season. Earlier in May I used my cam-hold (camalot with a macro jug sewn into the sling) to help me send bachar cracker. I almost sent seperate reality with these, they really help.


Anyway, if anyone wants some more hints, drop me a PM. I'll be climbing while your stuck hiking crappy gear to a crappy cliff.

I think the biggest reason to climb at a gym is simpe: the quality of climbing.


If you've climbed outside enough your constantly running into routes that are chossy, reachy, or flat out boring. The odds that rock is molded naturally into a "perfect route" are so low very few routes get 5 stars, which means very few are viewed by the world and the guidebook author to be as good as a route can be in a gym.



You see, in a gym, you have a veritable canvas. You can create the PERFECT route. Even bad routes at the gym are better than most routes outdoors. I've climbed Astroman and Crest Jewel and despite what Reid might say, they are AS GOOD as many of the super steep, super pumpy routes at the gym. In fact, in the gym, I can even eliminate holds to make it harder or add holds to make it easier. Where outdoors can you do that??? Some aid climbers use duct tape to mark sharp edges for future free climbers to use, but besides that there is no consensus for properly marking a route.

I've tried in the past to add holds to routes, but sometimes locals get pretty peeved. What I do now is just take up chockstones. If you want a long handcrack or fist crack to have good rests, you can just take some small stones and fix them into the crack. It creates a great rest to milk, you can use it as Pro, and best yet it makes the route more fun for other climbers (better routes are more fun!)


Now I climb almost exclusively inside. The variety can't be beaten. Last month I traveled all the way up the California coast, visiting every gym for a few days. I got super strong, and never had to touch a rock or hike an approach once! I defintely am going to apply my favorite types of climbs to some of my proj's in joshua tree this season. Earlier in May I used my cam-hold (camalot with a macro jug sewn into the sling) to help me send bachar cracker. I almost sent seperate reality with these, they really help.


Anyway, if anyone wants some more hints, drop me a PM. I'll be climbing while your stuck hiking crappy gear to a crappy cliff.

I think the biggest reason to climb at a gym is simpe: the quality of climbing.


If you've climbed outside enough your constantly running into routes that are chossy, reachy, or flat out boring. The odds that rock is molded naturally into a "perfect route" are so low very few routes get 5 stars, which means very few are viewed by the world and the guidebook author to be as good as a route can be in a gym.



You see, in a gym, you have a veritable canvas. You can create the PERFECT route. Even bad routes at the gym are better than most routes outdoors. I've climbed Astroman and Crest Jewel and despite what Reid might say, they are AS GOOD as many of the super steep, super pumpy routes at the gym. In fact, in the gym, I can even eliminate holds to make it harder or add holds to make it easier. Where outdoors can you do that??? Some aid climbers use duct tape to mark sharp edges for future free climbers to use, but besides that there is no consensus for properly marking a route.

I've tried in the past to add holds to routes, but sometimes locals get pretty peeved. What I do now is just take up chockstones. If you want a long handcrack or fist crack to have good rests, you can just take some small stones and fix them into the crack. It creates a great rest to milk, you can use it as Pro, and best yet it makes the route more fun for other climbers (better routes are more fun!)


Now I climb almost exclusively inside. The variety can't be beaten. Last month I traveled all the way up the California coast, visiting every gym for a few days. I got super strong, and never had to touch a rock or hike an approach once! I defintely am going to apply my favorite types of climbs to some of my proj's in joshua tree this season. Earlier in May I used my cam-hold (camalot with a macro jug sewn into the sling) to help me send bachar cracker. I almost sent seperate reality with these, they really help.


Anyway, if anyone wants some more hints, drop me a PM. I'll be climbing while your stuck hiking crappy gear to a crappy cliff.

I'll second that. Wait until you go for a climb outside with a group of people you really enjoy, nothing compares.


>Cam

None of the above?

while I totally agree with the quality of rock n jam (I'm there 2-3 times a week), there definitely are a fair share of shirtless jocks posing. But I guess that inevitably comes when the gym population gets high enough. My favorite by far was the tool last week who showed up with full on taped crack gloves for his bouldering session... He totally thought he was hot shit. Wish I had brought my camera, oh well.