Apr 13, 2007, 10:11 PM
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Registered: Apr 24, 2006
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where do you climb better?
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The basic impression I've got from alot of people I climb with is that they climb harder inside than out. However, I've climbed about a v5 outside where usually I scrape by on v3s indoors, now I know some of this might be the route setting in the gym, but I've travled to different gyms and it's usually the same story. Route climbing too, I toprope outside at about a 5.11 and inside I do about 5.10
where do you climb harder, inside or outside. any thoughts on why perhaps
As ratings have no scientific basis, you are literally comparing apples to rurps. I would have to say that the route setters and the local outdoor climbers have a different idea as to what consistutes a 5.10.
In addition there are a variety of factors to climbing and differing skills, not all of which can be learned in the gym. It is not unusual for someone who learned to climb in the gym to be stronger at gym climbing.
For example, I climbed with a guy from my gym last weekend who climbs low 5.11s in the gym and fell on a Yosemite 5.6. (no wide crack or chimney skills can be learned at the gym)
(This post was edited by summerprophet on Apr 13, 2007, 10:19 PM)
I climb harder outside than in the gym. I cannot make myself try hard enough in the pointless gym to make a really hard (for me) redpoint. If I fall and fall on a gym route, i just go on to something else. Outside I will work out the problem and send it quickly because I am more motivated by a real route than a plastic one. I just care more. For onsights, I also do better outdoors because typically at my gym the hardest routes are kind of at my onsight limit and they usually involve some bizarre move which can be really hard to read. Also, gym routes at that level typically have no rests, just increase in difficulty the higher you get towards a crux. Outside, I have learned to rest on what used to be the cruxes, so I can really do well onsighting by climbing slowly and utilizing creative rest positions. Realistically, most climbers who climb hard in gyms climb harder outside. Top level comp climbers all onsight 13+ outdoors, and even a world cup level finals route is maybe 13b or c. There are many styles of outdoor climbs, and all gym routes are basically one style, so that also contributes to being able to climb harder outdoors because you will find some styles easier than others, where the one gym style may not suit your strenghts.
I think I climb about the same grade level inside and out (which might simply mean that the ratings at our gym are close to the ratings outside...)
But I definitely climb differently inside vs. outside. Indoors is more like gymnastics. And I am more likely to try deadpointing, dynoing, etc. indoors. I can see deadpointing up to something outside-- not on the onsight attempt, but if I am working something... But dynoing on lead? Fat chance! And also, I have tried things like figure 4 indoors. Never had a chance to use fancy stuff like that outside.
And also, Outside I have never gotten on the same project more than 2-3 times. The things I have redpointed outside are the climbs that I could do cleanly in 2-3 tries.
Whereas indoors there are some climbs that took me 5-12 tries to redpoint.
Gym climbing is for training. Indoor grades are relevant to each other only (at best), and cannot indicate how hard a person climbs outdoors. In other words, the question of "V3 indoors" vs. "V5 outdoors" is pointless.
This said, I train harder indoors because I can stack boulder problems, sport routes, and/or cracks together in any combination and any quantity on any given day. Further, I can climb myself into complete exhaustion without worrying about my safety, getting caught in the dark, etc. And then I can hop in the sauna and relax (rather than having to think about hiking down a talus field in a hypoglycemic stupor).
I climb harder outdoors because it's the real thing. It's more beautiful, inspiring, risky, permanent ... shit, it's just better climbing in every single way. I honor that by giving it everything I've got. Period. I don't need some chump routesetter's grades to validate my efforts.
well...i climb harder outside. in the gym the grades say that i climb harder but i always downgrade the routes to what they really feel like. i feel like i climb way harder outside
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