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rock_junkie
Mar 21, 2006, 7:21 AM
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I was wondering what kind of speeds are we talking about? What about grade?
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bob123
Mar 21, 2006, 5:39 PM
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The speeds obviously depend on the height and difficulty of the route. The Russians totally dominate at the world cup level. At the Boston Adult Nationals on a 40 ft wall the times were around 10 seconds per climb.
With respect to grades there are two schools of thought. Most of the world seems to favor 5.8 jug hauls. The other group favors something more in the 5.10 range.
Traditional climbers / boulders frequently bad mouth speed climbing. However it is an internationally recognized discipline and the most television friendly of the three disciplines.
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healyje
Mar 21, 2006, 6:12 PM
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In reply to: The speeds obviously depend on the height and difficulty of the route. The Russians totally dominate at the world cup level. At the Boston Adult Nationals on a 40 ft wall the times were around 10 seconds per climb. With respect to grades there are two schools of thought. Most of the world seems to favor 5.8 jug hauls. The other group favors something more in the 5.10 range. Traditional climbers / boulders frequently bad mouth speed climbing. However it is an internationally recognized discipline and the most television friendly of the three disciplines.
The Russians should be - they were pushing this sh#t as an olympic event back as far as the early-70's. While it falls under the category of "if you don't like it, don't do it", I find it a perversion of movement. Clocking times up the Nose at least retains a man vs. nature component - the man vs. man thing simply reduces climbing to just another apparatus for a competition where climbing is entirely peripheral to what's going on. Using climbing as a vehicle for this kind of human-sorting, be it speed or any other climbing, is just so antithetical to the reasons I climb as to be laughable. I honestly find these sorts of competitive circuses a sad extension of either a patently commercial impulse, a pathetically crippled ego, or someone that misses the old "team" spirit.
Harsh I know, but entirely unchanged from my when I first heard it from the Russians in '74. Just seeing climbing co-opted for yet another gratuitous form of explicit man vs. man competition blows and that it is the "most television friendly of the three disciplines" highlights both the ego/commercial interests involved and pretty much says it all.
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bob123
Mar 21, 2006, 6:19 PM
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I'm guessing that you don't care for any kind of climbing competition or is it just speed that irritates you?
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healyje
Mar 21, 2006, 6:25 PM
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In reply to: I'm guessing that you don't care for any kind of climbing competition or is it just speed that irritates you?
I clearly said I don't care for any of the explicit man vs. man comps (largely spawned on plastic) and find speed to just be particularly ergious for its complete lack of grace and elegance.
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olderic
Mar 21, 2006, 6:38 PM
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I will be the first to spray that direct competitions go against the spirit of most of what climbing has been to me. But I'd be a hypocrit if I didn't also mention that I have taken part in a number of comps over the years and have encouraged and supported my kids when they have done so. And the comradarie of events like the PBC is (was) pretty special. How's that for wishy washy?
As far as speed goes - I don't have a fast twitch cell in my body and can't do anything fast. But the really talented speed climbers demonstrate a grace that is enjoyable to watch.
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rock_junkie
Mar 21, 2006, 7:06 PM
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Well healyje, I'd like to know where you've been climbing at all winter if you dont use the gym? This has been the worst winter season for rocks in the NW for some time. I've made a few trips south and its been shit weather down there too. Love the gym or hate it, but without it us Oregon folks wouldn't get much climbing done douring the winter. Trust me outside is where its at, its like comparing jerking off to sex.
Its not that I cant hack it in the difficulty rounds, i'd just like to expand my horizons.
Thanks Bob123, I think I'll give it a shot.
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healyje
Mar 21, 2006, 7:14 PM
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In reply to: Well healyje, I'd like to know where you've been climbing at all winter if you dont use the gym?.
Unfortunately I've had to rest my shoulder all winter. But you are talking about a different issue. The issue with gyms is that after twenty years people are no longer interested in emulating outdoor climbing inside, but in emulating indoor climbing outside. That was an unexpected turnabout; gyms commercially pushing competitions of every stripe to insure their tidal flow of customers was not.
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cragkiller
Apr 26, 2006, 6:37 PM
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I totaly agree the whole competition thing really does take the fun out of it
espicially for everyone I climb with they just cant win
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