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holygecko
Apr 20, 2002, 1:45 PM
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Registered: Apr 17, 2002
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my bros and I have been climbing for 1 year and six months respectivly. lately we climb alot of sandstone. Most of the time it has good holds but sometimes we find areas that just look featureless to us anyone got any tips on how to spy or feel for a good hold.
(besides hitting the zone and starting to flow)
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climber_trev
Apr 21, 2002, 10:46 AM
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Registered: Apr 15, 2002
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generally i find that once you have been climbing on a certain type of rock for a while you become more responsive and intuiative to where the holds are this many people call "the feel" and takes time and persistence to get. This generally happens because each rock type takes getting use to and in each area the rock forms different features specific to the areas geology (heaps of pockets, underclings or flat areas). Depending on your respective ability and the grade of the climb you could be on a climb that is too hard or you just might be off the route. If you answered no to both of these then there are a few techniques you might use, the smear techique is a vital part of face climbing and especially effective on sandstone this is very true for your feet and often you must use the friction of the rock for your hands. Look to about waist height if there is any negitive ledges you can plam on to these and mantle up, another technique that is improtant to master (and often scary/hard when initally learning) is the layback, which as the name suggests involves using a hold facing to one side (oten a crack) and laying off it in the opposite direction, the feet find holds generally under the hand hold and by simply pressing up with the legs opposing your (straight) arm (if you could repost with more information on grade, rock angle leading or toproping, your current knowledge and your level then i might be able to be more accurate)
PS - hope this was mildly usful to you and keep at it, persitance, determination and self belief are your greatest assets as a climber and will get you further than your bicepts!
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holygecko
Apr 21, 2002, 3:14 PM
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hey thanks climber_trev
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vaness
Apr 22, 2002, 2:00 AM
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Registered: May 17, 2001
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take a hammer and make holds!
no im kidding
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climber_trev
Apr 22, 2002, 3:03 AM
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and still I just don't get why evryone gets so protective of the local crag's "classics" as soon as you break out the hammer (joke)
seriously its all about learning the rock, just pay a bit more attention to the hold areas and the types on the easier sections and when you jump on to the harder climbs you generally have a pretty good idea of where to look. This is true in most circumstances, but your still going to need to feel around in some sections and when you find the holds you note "that's a bit different"
employ the power of observation and have fun!
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miagi
Apr 23, 2002, 4:02 PM
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Registered: Feb 1, 2002
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Well, since there is no public climbing areas that are close to me, I hike every weekend. I can usually find some decent crags and boulders. On the crags, I usually have to rap down and clean the holds because no one has ever climbed them. They are FREAKING DIRTY! It is just impossible to climb them because the dirt just falls apart when you take hold and you slip. I try to onsight some of them but it's a hard task. While im cleaning the route of the soil and moss on rap, I usually scan around for good holds. I dont prefer doing this kind of scoping the route on rap, but since im cleaning the debris, I cant help to not notice them.
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rockjunkie
Apr 28, 2002, 5:11 PM
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Registered: Apr 16, 2002
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All you have to do is watch me send a route before you try it. I'm longer than you.
(just kidding derek)
Peace
~tommy
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