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singingwater
Mar 26, 2005, 7:27 PM
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I'm a 15-yr-old girl and I'm 5'. I currently can climb a 5.9 on top rope :oops:, and will soon be certified to lead at my gym. However, whenever climb I seem to get pumped right before the top. This worries me because when I start leading I'm going to get pumped even faster and not be able to make it up a 5.9. I also have trouble making some of the moves, though I hate to blame it on my height :(. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Elise
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theishofoz
Mar 26, 2005, 7:28 PM
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get to the point where you can tr 10's
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chalkfree
Mar 26, 2005, 7:40 PM
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or fall
It takes practice to take a lead fall right, so you may as well get some practice in the gym, just make sure you can get past the second bolt or so free and get it clipped.
And don't hurt your damn fool self, learn to fall right, wear a helmet, and get a belayer you trust who knows what they're about.
Just as an aside, a good belayer kept my ass from being splatter on tuesday on an onsight attempt of a 5.10d that definitely wasn't. I fell at the third clip (without having clipped it) and might have broken some limbs on a dihedral if he hadn't been paying attention.
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angry
Mar 26, 2005, 7:43 PM
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Five footers can still crank. There is this chick, Lynn Mountain, or Moraine, or Hill or something like that. She's pretty short and I hear she climbs pretty good for a girl.
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natrajk
Mar 26, 2005, 7:50 PM
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In reply to: Five footers can still crank. There is this chick, Lynn Mountain, or Moraine, or Hill or something like that. She's pretty short and I hear she climbs pretty good for a girl.
lol! :D
Slight understatement there!
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tallnik
Mar 27, 2005, 7:02 PM
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Get stronger, or lead easier lines.
G'luck
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vegastradguy
Mar 27, 2005, 7:25 PM
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at 5.9, two things will help considerably-
1) keep your arms straight (you may think you're doing this, but try to be aware of it)
2) pay careful attention to your feet and try to put as much weight on them as possible.
good luck!
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justafurnaceman
Mar 27, 2005, 7:29 PM
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I have heard of techniques that help you not to get so pumped out while climbing.
- do excersices that help build endurance
-while reaching for hand holds, shake your arms a little or flick your fingers to help keep blood flow in your arms
maybe others know any more.
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wa_hoo
Mar 27, 2005, 8:12 PM
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You may also try doing "laps" on the 5.9's or 5.8's on TR to build endurance. Instead of doing the route in the gym just once before switching with your partner, try doing them two or three times. Start on 5.7's if you have to.
Also, I am just leading 9's now and found I had to be TR 10- and some 10's before I was strong enough. You can always pass the lead test and then practice more on the 8's. I did that at first and it helped build my confidence while I got faster at clipping and better at resting, etc.
Someone tried to mention Lynn Hill earlier - she is one of the top women climbers in the world, and she may even be under 5'. She's tiny but strong and has superb technique! You can do it!
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j_ung
Mar 27, 2005, 8:26 PM
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I train in a 26'-tall gym, which is considerably shorter than most of the routes I do. To train, my partners and I tie in for three climbs at a time, instead of just one. Even two routes, back to back everytime you tie in, will make a huge difference in a matter of only a few weeks.
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sactownclimber
Mar 27, 2005, 8:45 PM
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You can't start leading at our gym until you can onsight 5.10c . . . that's cool that they're putting up routes in the 5.8 - 5.9 range that you can lead.
I'll second the advice about top roping higher grades, or doing laps, or both . . . finish out your workout by doing burnouts on something well within your range and I would expect that in a few weeks, it is likely that 5.9 will come much easier, with less pump at the top . . .
As far as being short . . . I climb with a girl who is about 5', and she cranks hard because 1) she's stupid strong, and 2) she has killer technique . . . so keep training, just have fun . . . and the numbers will come.
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scubasnyder
Mar 27, 2005, 8:53 PM
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I wouldnt start leading until you got on some real rock, and had some1 who was exp. to teach you learning in a gym wouldnt be a way id want to learn.... but thats just me.
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maculated
Mar 27, 2005, 9:34 PM
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Scuba, that's ridiculous. She wants to lead in a gym, let her lead in a gym. It's a safer environment to learn in anyway .. . pah.
Anyway . . . do laps on your routes. Get tied in on TR to a 5.6 and climb it over and over until you can climb no more. Then do a 5.7, etc. Routes require endurance, and climbing 5.10 won't give that to you if you're pumping at the top of the route. When you lead, you'll also be more pumped because you will probably take some time at the clips . . .
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drfelatio
Mar 27, 2005, 10:44 PM
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Running laps on easier routes is really good training. Another suggestion: if your gym allows it (rules wise and actual physical layout of the gym), traverse the entire gym and go back and forth a few times. I know some guys at my gym that do this for about 1 1/2 hours and they have some CRAZY endurance. Its definately a workout, requires no belayer, can be done anytime you feel like doing it, and if you fall its like falling off the bouldering wall. Oh and its actually quite fun!
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hosh
Mar 27, 2005, 11:22 PM
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Make sure that when you do start to lead, you clip with your arms straight (whenever possible and reasonable). This will help you to manage your pump clock a little better as you'll be hanging on your bone structure more than your muscles. Don't worry about the grades, just focus on doing the best you can do. If that's 5.9 TR and 5.7 lead, big deal! Just have fun and work on it until you can pull harder routes. Make sure you're super careful though, it sucks to take big lead falls, especially in a gym.
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mistertyler
Mar 27, 2005, 11:22 PM
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I'll second drfalatio's recommendation about traversing. I recently started training again after taking a few months off from climbing to travel. My first day in the gym was pathetic; horrible endurance, I was very weak, etc.
For 3 weeks now I've done nothing but traverse in the gym. (~4 days per week, an hour and a half each session, and with 3 or 4 minute breaks every 20 minutes or so to rehydrate...) The idea has been to keep moving as much as possible while maintaining a level of fatigue right around my anaerobic threshold -- at times a little below, and at times a little above. I work up a really good sweat doing this, get a lot of practice on my technique, and my endurance is now significantly higher than it was before my hiatus. The thing I really like about traversing is that you can keep moving for a lonnnnnng time, something not very easy to do on a roped climb in the gym.
Your mileage may vary, but traversing has worked very well for me.
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chogori
Mar 28, 2005, 2:04 AM
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Also, if you can, TR climb the route you're planning on leading. Get it dialed down so that you feel solid on every move. Then do it on sport. This will give you confidence number wise which will make other 5.9's start to seem easier. Climbing is at leat 90% mental, if not more. Good luck, and don't rush it. If you don't feel ready, you probably aren't.
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tallnik
Mar 28, 2005, 2:15 AM
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I don't think anyone has mentioned downclimbing while running laps on easier routes. But if you start downclimbing 5.8s you're technique will improve by leaps and bounds, and if you're running laps, downclimbing helps you build the endurance you'll need for leading 5.9.
Cheers,
Nik
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dklco
Apr 6, 2005, 8:09 PM
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alot of gyms dont even offer certifacation till you can climb atleast 5.10
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saxfiend
Apr 6, 2005, 9:25 PM
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In reply to: I'm a 15-yr-old girl and I'm 5'. I currently can climb a 5.9 on top rope :oops:, and will soon be certified to lead at my gym. However, whenever climb I seem to get pumped right before the top. This worries me because when I start leading I'm going to get pumped even faster and not be able to make it up a 5.9. I also have trouble making some of the moves, though I hate to blame it on my height :(. Does anyone have any suggestions?
I just recently did my lead training at the gym as well. The nice thing at my gym is there are some easy lead routes (5.7, 5.8) that are good for practice. I've been spending most of my lead time on those routes just to get my clipping efficient.
But as for leading a 5.9, I wouldn't worry about whether you can make it all the way or not (as long as you have a good belayer :) ). If you get part way up and you're too pumped out to continue, just get your belayer to lower you and try it again later. And you might surprise yourself and make it after all! At the end of my training class (after two hours of instruction and climbing), my teacher put me on a 5.9 into a roof. I was really tired, but had enough left to get the last two clips in the roof (couldn't make the anchors, though). I felt pretty good that I got as far as I did.
The advice about laps is great, and I need to do more of that. Don't plan on doing any very hard routes on days you do laps, it wears you out quick.
JL
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sactownclimber
Apr 6, 2005, 9:36 PM
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In reply to: If you get part way up and you're too pumped out to continue, just get your belayer to lower you and try it again later.
Just yell "take" and rest until you can continue. No reason to lower down.
Or climb until you can't possibly hold on anymore and take the whipper. Then rest, jug back up to your high point, rest some more, and then finish the route. Again, no reason to lower unless the route is so steep that you can't get back on route, not very likely on a 5.9.
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tweek
Apr 6, 2005, 9:54 PM
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I agree with the traversing and laps on the climb.
One other thing, practice clipping draws on the ground until you can do it rapidly from any angle with any hand. The less time it takes you to clip the less time you are just burning out your muscles. You can practice this even before you take the lead class in the gym.
Enjoy!
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lazygirl
Apr 6, 2005, 10:46 PM
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I second tweek's comment on practicing clipping on the ground. I teach a lot of young kids how to lead at my gym, and the first thing I do is teach them the most efficent way to clip and then make them practice it until they have it dialed. This relieves a lot of their stress (and mine) when they're up there, and they're are really thankful they don't have to struggle with it.
It also makes their parents more comfortable :) .
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jt512
Apr 6, 2005, 11:43 PM
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In reply to: at 5.9, two things will help considerably- 1) keep your arms straight (you may think you're doing this, but try to be aware of it) 2) pay careful attention to your feet and try to put as much weight on them as possible. good luck!
This is the best response in the thread, IMO. Pretty much everybody else, including the original poster, has likely been tricked into believing that a deficit in technique is a deficit endurance. Remember, it always feels like you're not strong enough, when ususally, in reality, you're not efficient enough.
-Jay
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dmb2mcb
Apr 7, 2005, 12:51 AM
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Try keeping your arms staight, use your grip on the hold as a hinge and push up with your legs. You are probably using to much upper body and that is why you are getting pumped at the end. Use your lower body to move you up where ever possible, and use your upper body to keep you on the rock by holding you in position until you can move your feet to a place where they can move you up again.
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