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ryanwms
Mar 2, 2006, 3:03 AM
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Registered: Nov 17, 2005
Posts: 36
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Hey folks -
You might recognize my name from my posts about the "Cave" I built in my backyard. (http://www.rockclimbing.com/...ewtopic.php?t=107233) If you notice the past tense in the previous sentence ("built"), you can probably guess that my next step is to actually climb on it.
This is where my challenge is.
Are there any rules of thumb on what constitutes V0, V1, V2, etc? I know it depends on size of holds, types of holds, length of move, etc. What are the specifics?
Any and all advice is much appreciated. Well, advice that says "If you have to ask, you shouldn't be doing it" isn't appreciated, because it isn't constructive or informative. I do have the Louie Anderson book (Well, my partner/girlfriend/course-master has it at the moment) - I'm also looking for other veterans' real-life experiences to help me out here.
Thanks a million!
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decemberdays27
Mar 2, 2006, 3:46 AM
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Registered: Oct 12, 2005
Posts: 18
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have you ever climbed before? im not being stupid, im just wondering... because its all in the feel and experience. i think you have to climb the levels first. then after you set a route at home, climb it. think about past problems you have climbed on and use that as a judge of what your route really is. i have a wall in my yard too, i like to occasionally model some routes after ones i liked outdoors and ones that ive climbed in gyms, fun for practice sometimes. overall, the grading system is kind of just a guess, no real set specifics that must be in a route to make it a v4... well get used to the feel of climbing different grades and you'll understand. i hope i helped a little..... bye
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ctardi
Mar 2, 2006, 5:46 AM
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Registered: Oct 8, 2004
Posts: 1278
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If I had a home wall, I wouldn't even bother setting routes. Just put up a bunch of holds, and climb moves that challange yourself.
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rockrat_co
Mar 2, 2006, 5:52 AM
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Registered: Sep 26, 2004
Posts: 194
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hmmm,
Last resort:
Contact me...id be more than happy to set them!! :lol:
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nevenneve
Mar 2, 2006, 5:55 AM
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Registered: Jul 15, 2004
Posts: 454
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I second that, take the time to find what movements work.
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jeep914x4
Mar 2, 2006, 3:39 PM
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Registered: Nov 29, 2005
Posts: 52
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When I first put holds up on my wall, I just randomly put them up and started climbing. Soon, I had a few routes that I worked out. As I added more holds I sort of placed holds where I wanted but mostly just did it random for now. Tape off some sequences that are challenging and enjoy your home wall.
My favorite route is "around the world". You start in the lower left corner, work your way to the upper right. From there go down to the lower right corner, up to the upper left and straight down to where you started. Cool thing about it is you can do laps around the world! :lol: At first I could only make it once, in three months I have worked up to almost three laps without touching the ground.
So don't stress about grades. Some problems my climbing buddy and I decided were v0's turned out to be pretty hard for other people. Just climb on and enjoy your wall!
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jgross
Mar 3, 2006, 2:17 AM
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Registered: Dec 4, 2005
Posts: 26
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Like jeep914x4 suggested, a good way to start is just by putting up holds, footholds first, and then add handholds where they seem to fit. One thing I did was ask myself after a while: which holds are not getting used? Those holds are obviously in the wrong place, so I moved them somewhere else likely.
Later on, I started trying to actually plan some routes. Here are some concepts that have worked well on my home wall (which is 8' high, 15' in perimeter, with 3 outside corners and 2 inside corners - it goes around the back corner of my house and around the chimney):
- a low route: tape a line halfway up, and only holds below the line can be used
- a high route: apart from a couple of holds at the start & end, only holds above the mid-line can be used.
- start with a special hold and plan a move around it. For example, I started one route based on forcing a hand/foot match on a large ledge hold I have; the route wound up working out such that all four limbs used the hold at some point in the route!
- with lots of holds on the wall, find the route that uses the minimum number of holds (we usually only count handholds) to traverse from start to end
- theme routes: all underclings, all woodgrips, all animal holds, all one colour, all little tiny crimpy holds, ...
Basically, just get a few friends over and climb on the wall as you put up the holds, and be happy to move them around. You will have fun & find ways to set interesting routes with the right amount of challenge for you.
jg
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ryanwms
Mar 6, 2006, 4:39 PM
Post #9 of 11
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Registered: Nov 17, 2005
Posts: 36
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In reply to: theme routes: all underclings, all woodgrips, all animal holds, all one colour, all little tiny crimpy holds, ...
We set up a route with all of the orange holds we had in the box. We're calling it "The Blue Route" :D
Here is a very serious question:
Do holds tend to "Settle" on the wall? Or just loosen on their own? I put up a bunch of holds in one day, and on the very next day, several of them spun on us. I went back with my wrench and tightened them, and I was surprised at how much I could turn the bolts.
How tight should you tighten the bolts? How tight is too tight?
What do *you* use to put holds on the wall? A hand-wrench or an electric /cordless drill?
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jjhellstrom
Mar 6, 2006, 5:48 PM
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Registered: May 31, 2005
Posts: 20
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I have a climbing "wall" in my garage.. Actually the entire garage is a wall, but I've noticed that when the holds are new, they tend to loosen up on their own the first few days... However, I've also noticed, when I haven't moved a hold for a while, some types bond to the wall more than others. (one hold I had to pry off w/ a screw driver and it took the top layer of the plywood off!) But usually after the first few days, they tend to stay screwed in better.
As far as what's too tight... other than just feel... I would just tighten them until they can't spin any more, applying medium pressure. Over tightening is the best way to end up holdless, and those babies aint cheap!! Never use a drill to put holds on.. speaking from experience... it is very easy to over tighten and cross thread the t-nuts.. and if your wall is like mine, the back is inaccessible to replace the ruined t-nut, so now you have one less hole/option. Manual is always better IMHO..
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cintune
Mar 6, 2006, 6:08 PM
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Registered: Nov 10, 2004
Posts: 1293
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When you start climbing on new holds your weight tends to pull the t-nuts deeper into the back of the plywood, thus loosening them. A hand wrench is safer because you can feel the resistance; using a power tool can easily break holds. It's also pretty common for new holds to bond to the wall surface because the resin is relatively fresh and soft. Best way to knock them free is with a rubber mallet.
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