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sick_climba
Nov 12, 2005, 6:02 PM
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Hey I was just wondering do the majority of climbers out there think that rock type affects climbing skill?
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bensnyder
Nov 12, 2005, 6:49 PM
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Do you mean what kind of rock generally has the softest grades?
Or what kind of rock is best to learn on (i.e. requires good technique)?
??
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cintune
Nov 12, 2005, 8:14 PM
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Kind of depends on what skill you mean, doesn't it?
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punk_rocker333
Nov 12, 2005, 8:22 PM
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I think he means climbing ability. I would have to say that sticky, exfoliated granite seems to be what most climbers can do the most impressive routes on. You can smear on most anything. I also think this is the funnest rock type to climb.
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climbing_steve
Nov 12, 2005, 10:09 PM
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I know I can climb more blank faces if there is more friction, but if the climb didn't have that same friction, it would be graded more hard.
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cintune
Nov 12, 2005, 10:16 PM
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Or granite-like, anyway. How bout "coarse crystalline rocks" in general, granites, quartzites, sandstones, even coarse limestone?
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sick_climba
Nov 12, 2005, 11:43 PM
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What I meant is does rock type, like granite , limestone, sandstone, etc affect how well you climb. Like for me granite tears up my fingers and I don't climb as well and this area called the pouxe near where I live has limestone and I really don't like it. I was wondering if other climbers experienced the same thing.
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cintune
Nov 13, 2005, 1:11 AM
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Yes. Textured rock is fun. Your hands will develop thick skin over time. Slippery rock is difficult. You will improve your technique by climbing it.
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ahwoo
Nov 14, 2005, 7:37 AM
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i don't think it affects your skill. i think that it does affect the level at which you can climb (say a 5.9 on granite vs. a 5.9 on polished off limestone). all a matter of adapting to the rock type really. wish there was something a little more grippy here in austin (yes... i'm too lazy to make the drive out to erock)
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moss1956
Nov 14, 2005, 12:42 PM
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I am not sure how you would compare climbing skills gained from climbing pocketed overhanging rock to skills coming from slabby frictiony rock. They take different muscles.
Also, crack climbing is a completely different set of technics than face climbing, even on the same type of rock.
I am not sure there is a single skill set called ``rock climbing''.
I have never climbed on any rock that I didn't like. I enjoy learning new technics and learning to read different types of rock. You are really lucky to live in Colorado and have the opportunity to climb on a variety of rock without having to go a long way out of your way.
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cintune
Nov 14, 2005, 4:52 PM
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Exactly. The best rock type is the one that you have the most likelihood of getting on in the near future. If you actually have choices, you should be grateful. I'd like to meet a climber who grew up near overhanging soapstone. Those would be some skills.
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renohandjams
Nov 14, 2005, 5:23 PM
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In reply to: What I meant is does rock type, like granite , limestone, sandstone, etc affect how well you climb. Like for me granite tears up my fingers and I don't climb as well and this area called the pouxe near where I live has limestone and I really don't like it. I was wondering if other climbers experienced the same thing. |
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obnoxice
Nov 15, 2005, 5:27 PM
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All forms of rocks are fun. I grew up in Asia and most of our crags back home consists of overhanging limestone. Routes have a lot of jugs but the angle makes for powerful moves. 5.9's that I've climbed back home seem to be at a 10 to 20 degrees past vertical angle.
I moved to SoCal and climbed at Williamson where routes are mostly balancy slabs although the hard routes are quite steep.
Climbing in the Santa Monicas on the other hand is pretty similar to Asia. Steep, juggy and a lot of pockets.
Just climbed at New Jack last weekend and noticed a mix of both. Routes are pretty technical with a mix of steep juggy overhangs.
As for the texture of the rock, I've noticed that granite seems to be more rough on the fingers. Routes on granite faces have small crimpy holds but the rough texture makes you stick on them like sand paper. Speaking of sand, sandstone texture seems to be a bit similar to granite although sandstone routes have a more rounded edge in my opinion. Sandstone routes are quite sloppy but the texture makes the routes doable.
Limestone, ahhh... I grew up on Philippine limestone. I don't know if it's the humid weather, the heat, the close proximity to the sea, the texture property of the stone itself or maybe a mix of all factors but in my experience, limestone feels a bit polished. It's OK though since it's juggy.
So yeah, all types are fun. Each have their distinct property that gives the routes it's uniqueness (if there's such a word). I love climbing in all so I can learn the different engrams involved to climb different routes and rock types. After all, regardless of the type of rock, it's climbing and i love to climb. :)
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