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jpearl
Dec 28, 2003, 12:02 AM
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Climbing at my gym is a simple affair: the climber needs only shoes, harness, and chalk. The belayer has an easy job as well: harness, locking biner, and a Gri-Gri.
Still, with the low-tech requirements of our gym, it is not uncommon to see someone toting up an ATC clipped to a harness loop or a daisy chain left over from the weekend at the Gunks. Others have been spotted with a couple of cams, quickdraws, and even a Nalgene attached to their harness (our walls are really small and climbed in about a minute).
So the question is this:
What gear do you climb with in a gym, either through neccesity, or to drag along to better simulate outdoor climbing i.e. a full compliment of cams for example, or even wear a climbing helmet?
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slavetogravity
Dec 28, 2003, 12:31 AM
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In reply to: Others have been spotted with a couple of cams, quickdraws, and even a Nalgene attached to their harness ?
That has got to be one of the biggest "LOOK AT ME I'M A FRIKEN' WANKER" moves I've ever heard of. :lol: Cams in a gym? :lol: That's like those guys in who hang out all night at the bar, with their ski goggles on their head. Or people who drive around town with mud caked on their trucks even though it's been two weeks since their truck left the pavement. Why not just where a cape around your neck that reads. "Please look at me! I think I'm hard core!! Now where's my Mountain Dew endorsement?"
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holdplease2
Dec 28, 2003, 12:42 AM
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Weird question, but it has to do with gear, even if its gym gear, so I couldn't help it. (climbed in gyms a ton because I lived in Chicago.)
One sling girth hitched to harness with a biner so I can clip into bolts on overhanging route to not swing out & have to start over (don't work overhangs much, though)
One draw to clip my walking around shoes (flip flops) since I change in and out of climbing shoes after climbing...damn slippers, hurt too much. This sometimes clips on my harness or I lose my shoes.
One biner for the water bottle, which also lives on the harness so I don't lose it while wandering around the gym or pick up someone elses.
Im sure this makes me a poser poser poser. Hey, at least I don't wear a camelback in the gym, that would be bad, right?
-Kate.
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holdplease2
Dec 28, 2003, 12:44 AM
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Oh yeah...and my ATC and biner NEVER leave my harness because I don't want to head up some route without them by accident. It is there without even me having to think about it (and yes, I can rap and belay using a munter and rap with a biner brake, I just like to have my ATC.)
I used to never take off the nut tool either, but one day of bouldering cured me of that. Yeow! Of course, one day of bouldering also cured me of bouldering. But that's another story.
Everyone's favorite poser,
-Kate.
(prana headband, anyone?)
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robmcc
Dec 28, 2003, 1:00 AM
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Nothing extra deliberately. There have been times when I've had a number of biners and a couple draws because I was running late, ripped most of the gear off the harness, then said screw it and left a little so I wouldn't waste more time. But nothing ever to simulate outdoors (I go outdoors for that), and definitely nothing to try to impress anyone. Think whatever you want. I'm here to climb.
Rob
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climbsomething
Dec 28, 2003, 1:02 AM
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I leave my personal anchor (girth hitched sling and locker) on but shed everything else. The clanging around is just too distracting and I wouldn't want to lose anything at the gym, but I never want my personal anchor to get separated from my harness. Because I also climb outside. Being hardcore and all. and x-treem. and just generally better than YOU.
Kate, dear, are you talking smack on my fat teal Prana headband that I use to keep the hair out of my eyes when I am speed-lapping those Vee-Thur-teens?
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hoofers_andy
Dec 28, 2003, 1:07 AM
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oooh, that makes me want to go to the gym with an entire trad rack on my gear loops. wait, maybe i should take a couple ropes up on my back too, just incase the gyms rope breaks... ooooh oooh! i almost forgot about the porta-ledge! shit, as long as i am taking the portledge, i better bring the full size haul bag and some cold weather sleeping gear just incase i get stuck on the wall overnight!
(would doing this make me a poser?)
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trguy
Dec 28, 2003, 4:56 AM
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I'm with Kate. My ATC and belay biner very rarely leave my harness. Knowing how to tie the munter hitch and make a biner brake are handy, but an ATC is soooo much easier.
On the flip side, my gym belay cert tag never leaves my haul loop so it's there when I climb outside.
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mkjwngoat
Dec 28, 2003, 5:22 AM
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Not really a gym... A freind of mine and I were slated to run the climbing wall at a camp i work at. In preporation, We built a portaledge out of an old army cot. We were to make the first grade VI ascent of a 20' climbing wall. Full Aid rack, ice gear... At least 6 days are required... though that no longer going to happen... one day, though.
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rck_climber
Dec 28, 2003, 12:56 PM
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Like some of the others, my locker and ATC never leave my harness, so indoors or out, I'm always wearing those. I've also been so lazy as to not remove my girth-hitched sling and biner and a couple of loose biners before, especially when I'm going right back outdoors the next day; but for the most part I like to strip my harness down to concentrate on pushing my limits.
On the other hand, I've seen a couple of climbers with full racks doing laps on gym routes - clearly training for outdoor routes with the additional weight necessary for outdoor climbing. It's pretty easy to tell the difference between a "Look-at-me" guy and a guy who's doing a specific training regimen - these guys were completely focused on their climbing, never glancing around to see who might be looking at how cool they look with the gear. At a gym in Phoenix, I saw a guy do some 15 laps (including downclimbs) on a stiff hand crack unroped with a full rack dangling from his harness - he was completely in the zone and I'd be surprised if he even noticed there was another soul in the gym at all. That said, there will always be those climbers just dying to draw attention to themselves or their shiny new gear.
"All climbers who climb with gear on in a gym are posers", is not necessarily a fair assessment, as training indoors just like you would plan to climb outdoors is a pretty valid training plan.
Just my thoughts.
Mick
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scubasnyder
Dec 28, 2003, 3:20 PM
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thats horrible your going to the gym you know what you need, theres no need to bring all sorts of stuff.
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organic
Dec 28, 2003, 3:42 PM
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I have seen people bring sets of nuts to the gym now that is horrendous.
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lollipopchic
Dec 28, 2003, 3:56 PM
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I've never brought any trad gear to the gym. Normally just have my harness, shoes and if I'm leading then the belay device. I have seen people bring weight belts in to the gym to climb, I was thinking of trying this sometime (use my scuba diving belt).
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holdplease2
Dec 28, 2003, 4:36 PM
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Hilllary...me talk smack about you? right where you could read it? never.
I am talking about my black prana headband which I wear all the time and lost in the bottom of my briefcase for a month. YAY its back.
But I will say that it smells really bad because I never wash it and it has hung upside down from a #3 RP before...does that make it less poser?
Hope your vacation climbing was great!
-Kate.
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dlintz
Dec 28, 2003, 5:29 PM
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There was this guy who used to bring his whole rack with him to our local climbing gym, I'm assuming to show how much of a badass tradster he was. He always toproped with at least 3 biners, an ATC and a figure 8 hanging off his harness. :roll:
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vegastradguy
Dec 28, 2003, 5:40 PM
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mick- i've done that a couple of times. when i was getting ready for my 1st trad lead, i racked up and did as many climbs as possible to get a feel for the weight. it was good practice.
however, these days, when i actually wander into the gym, i have a harness just for gym climbing, which hasnt seen anything on its gear loops in over a year, except the ghetto fabulous rental grigris at powerhouse, which are an art statement all in themselves. heh.
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youmeanupthere
Dec 28, 2003, 5:53 PM
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we have cracks at our gym that climbers can practice placing pro in so it doesn't bother me when i see people carrying that kind of gear. it would seem kind of silly in a place where there is no application for that stuff. as for the daisy and atc, i never take that stuff off of my harness. i rarely use a harness in a gym and i try and climb outside 3-5 days a week. its just easier to leave it on at the gym so i dont forget them when im outside.
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keinangst
Dec 28, 2003, 6:00 PM
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The other day I was swimming some laps at the pool, and when I came back in I saw a bunch of guys hanging around lifting large metal bars with rounded, iron plates hanging from them. They were obviously trying to simulate working in a quarry or foundry or some such...I mean, these guys probably have office jobs! :roll:
what a bunch of losers!
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dredsovrn
Dec 28, 2003, 6:03 PM
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I pretty much only go to the gym if I can't climb outside. When I do go, I usually just take the bare essentials. That being said, it would be wise to climb with all of the crap you carry on a regular climb. Maybe even more. When I boulder on my home wall, I often hook every piece of gear I own to my gear sling and climb with it on. That adds an additional 35lbs or so, and changes my balance somewhat.
It would probably be a good idea to do the same at a gym while running laps for endurance. I don't, though. It is obviously frowned upon by gym ethicist. People seem to be too worried about who everyone else is trying to be. Including themselves I suppose. I look at the gym as a place to train.
If the gym is your entire goal, I guess you get worried about who the poser rock climbers think they are trying to look cool in your gym. Maybe they are just training as close to real circumstances as possible while the weather sucks.
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thegogirl
Dec 29, 2003, 3:27 AM
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That has got to be one of the biggest "LOOK AT ME I'M A FRIKEN' WANKER" moves I've ever heard of. :lol:
No-here's abig o'l wanker:
here in FLorida it's about 70% humidiity all freaking year-guy shows up, wants to top rope, been climbing 7 months and swears by his gri-gri. I shrug my shoulders but telll him I'm doubtful I'll be able to get down as between the humidity, the gri-gri and the rope around the pipe at the top, well, I'll just pack a lunch/dinner! sure enough! 1st trip up....I'm still up there and have to pull on the rope to get myself down!
still a die hard and no nonsense boulderer-just my shoes, chalk bag and a good brush, bring my own crash pad if the mood suits me. A gri-gri for top roping??? please.
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coldclimb
Dec 29, 2003, 4:31 AM
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I gotta admit, I have a HUGE gym rack, but for a good reason. I have three or four friends who depend on me to bring gear when we go to the gym. I bring three harnesses, two sets of shoes, my chalkbag, two belay devices, and all the slings and biners to hold it all together well. ;)
And that tibloc ascender is only on the biner with my tape and knife because I didn't have any better spot to rack it. ;)
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kahuna3602
Dec 29, 2003, 5:00 AM
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Sometimes you forget you have stuff on your loops and there's no harm in that. If you're just strutting around with the stuff on you're a major poser and your belayer has the right to "escape belay" and leave you hanging for everyone to point and laugh. Of course if you're the supreme poser you'll never get on the wall for fear of showing your true colors.
Aside from the basics I carry an extra beiner to clip my sandals and Gri-Gri or ATC to. That's all folks. Now if I'm cleaning or setting a route I get to wear all my cool gear and look like a real poser!
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j_ung
Dec 29, 2003, 8:07 PM
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Indoors? Just a biner and a belay device on my harness, thank you! The most poser-like things that I see regularly indoors are:
(in order of poser-like-ness)
1. bouldering in a harness (uber posers only)
2. carrying multiple belay devices (never trust anyone who can't decide how they want to catch you)
3. stuffed animals clipped to chalkbag (cheap tori-allen knock-off affect)
4. wearing wife beater to show off wife-beating tools (the gym is in NC)
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thun
Dec 29, 2003, 8:48 PM
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In reply to: 1. bouldering in a harness (uber posers only)
so if i don't want to be an uber-poser, i have to take off my harness if i want to boulder some between sport routes? :wink:
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frolic
Jan 9, 2004, 5:44 AM
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Shoes, harness, chalk bag -- and a rope. doesn't anyone else lead in the gym?
The total wanker move is guys in the gym in bright colored spandex. SO WRONG!! :roll:
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