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beyond_gravity
Aug 6, 2002, 12:56 AM
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whats your opionin on slab bouldering? Personlly I think it's kind of dumb, and would rather climb an overhanging route.
But what do you think of slabs?
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clymber
Aug 6, 2002, 1:04 AM
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slab routes are great....takes abit more finess (sp) balance and thinking then musceling thru a overhang....dont get me wrong i like overhangs but im all about slab and face climbs
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gregarion
Aug 6, 2002, 1:07 AM
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I love slabs, just love 'em. Topped out 20-30 foot slab problems without that much fear. I think that there can be joy in doing very technical slabby stuff. Working almost non-existent holds, stuff that you can barely stay on but since your on a slab it's holding your weight, and in the right situations you can do alot of them in tennis shoes which i'm sad to say i'm not good enough to do on most overhanging problems.
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pushfurther
Aug 6, 2002, 1:11 AM
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woodse
Aug 6, 2002, 1:46 AM
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Slabs are cool, I just suck at them which is kinda cool cause it gives me something to work on when my tendons have had enough cranking for a session!
woodsE
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leadingedge
Aug 6, 2002, 3:08 AM
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Generally I slab climb last, after all the hard overhanging climbs. Even if your fingers are dead you can slab climbing. I also like going up with out useing my hands, try it... its quite tricky.
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topher
Aug 8, 2002, 2:05 AM
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if you think you can still do slab problems after getter recked on over hanging stuff your not doing hard slabs.
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aelita
Aug 8, 2002, 2:13 AM
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slabs are TOUGH but I really really like them, cause I can do harder slabs than overhangs
(I can't do dynamic moves with my right arm 'cuase my shoulder is bad so that kind of makes it hard on more overhanging and vert routes )
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jbone
Aug 8, 2002, 2:23 AM
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Been working this one Slab problem at Kelly Canyon for 4 days now. I've seen many get it in faster times but for me it is a great project after recovering from a broken wrist.
People tend to like whatever comes easy to them. So the more you like the better the climber.
J-Bone
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the_elk
Aug 8, 2002, 3:33 AM
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I read an article once where Chris Sharma said how he was hopeless on slab (or something to that effect), which just goes to prove how different people excel at different things... And I was kinda stoked because I had just done my hardest onsight on a slab, (grade 21, which I think is somewhere around the 5.10d mark, correct me if I'm wrong.)
And here's an interesting thought: Hasn't Fred Nicole done slab bouldering on overhanging stuff? I've seen the video, and if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it... the man is awsome!
Cheers
Elk
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pushfurther
Aug 8, 2002, 5:46 AM
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how can you do slab on an overhang?
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pbjosh
Aug 8, 2002, 6:08 AM
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Simple physics say that slab climbing on an overhang is impossible. If he's climbing overhanging rock with slab technique (friction) he's meerly finding a less than vertical path up what is more generally overhanging terrain.
Slab climbing isn't my strongest and I work on it but man is it sketchy when it gets hard (mid to hard 10 and up). Combine that with the fact that the majority of hard slabs at my local areas are a bit runout and I have a tendency to get on more crack climbs where I can sew it up when I'm sketched! The "when in doubt, run it out" mentality has never worked for me. Given that, I tend not to boulder more than even a few feet off the ground when slab-bouldering, too easy to grind all the way down.
Regarding climbing hard slabs in tennis shoes, I have one thing to say - bull. Even the slab masters of yore really were picky about shoe selection and many of them customized their shoes. Bob Kamps did the first ascent of Chingadera (5.11a) and Blankety Blank (5.10c) at Tahquitz in a pair of modified Pivetta hiking boots - granted they're not modern sticky rubber but nor were they tennis shoes. Even Randy Vogel and Bob Gaines say in their guidebook that most people today have a really hard time repeating these routes in sticky rubber, never mind hiking boots! And if you do insist you can climb slabs in tennis shoes then let's get together and climb, I've got some routes you can prove me wrong on (evil grin)
...josh
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crux_clipper
Aug 8, 2002, 7:55 AM
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elk, you probably thinking of Fred on EOS II. I've got it, and watched it NUMEROUS times, and would have to half agree with you.
It isn't overhanging, rather slab climbing on a verticle or slightly off verticle (getting towards overhanging) boulders. Either way, he is still so damn good.
Watch this video trailer: Http://www.uncarvedblock.com.au
Fred is the guy with the boofy hair, that can do everything!
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gregarion
Aug 11, 2002, 5:16 PM
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Hey, i said in the right situation you can do alot of them in tennis shoes, never said anything about hard slab.
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drewcoleman
Aug 11, 2002, 7:54 PM
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Slabs are cool, alot of balance involved. But you can't beat a sweet V9 overhang!
Drew
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beyond_gravity
Aug 11, 2002, 8:08 PM
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I did a really hard V4 slab. I couldnt believe a slab could be that hard. But like it was harder then I expected...like V4 hard!
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smellydude
Aug 14, 2002, 7:08 AM
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A new V7 Slab highball went up in Squamish a little while ago. It is the nastiest thing I have laid eyes on.
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metoliusmunchkin
Aug 14, 2002, 7:34 AM
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When it comes to climbing, in any shape or form, I have no particular preference. As long as I am in some way able to move about the rock and have a good time (honing my skills equally, however), I do not care. I have recently completed a slab boulder, and found it to be very challenging due to its lack of holds. In my opinion, slab bouldering is only enjoyable if there is a lack of holds upon the route. Other wise, what is the point in climbing a slab with huge jugs? You could walk up that!
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spacemonkey
Aug 23, 2002, 12:19 PM
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I prefer slabs to just about anything. For some reason, overhanging stuff whups my butt every time, but slabs I can crank right through. I suppose in theory that means I should be working harder on the overhangs, but man they get frustrating after a while.
Brian
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aarong
Aug 23, 2002, 2:20 PM
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Man, that Steak Dinner pic looks familiar.
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interruptor
Aug 23, 2002, 2:36 PM
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I don't boulder, but on the wall, I love slabs!!! SOOOO COOOOOL!
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