Climbing

[extrapenguin]

A friend had a milestone birthday and decided to invite people to a bouldering gym; I went. (She doesn't actually do bouldering. I think she and I both only had our first times bouldering when another friend invited a bunch of us to try bouldering on a whim a few years ago as a "yay places are open again!" thing, and this time was the second.)

Anyway, it was fun! My forearms are slightly cramp-y still, and the skin on my fingers is partially scraped off, but: worth it. The sense of achievement when you get up is gr8, especially when it gets to the tougher/more creative routes where you have to eel yourself around something or use a knee or something. I managed a bunch of 5/5+ routes and a 6A, and according to a more pro-climber friend of a friend who actually does some bouldering, this gym underscores stuff, so that a 6A is more of a 6B. Last time I went, at a different place, I only managed 4s and 5s. Improvement!

(If you're wondering how a n00b like me manages to do climbing so non-suckily, it's because I have above average upper body and grip strength, as well as flexible hips and enough core control not to flop around. Definitely lacking in forearm muscle endurance, though.)

Comments

[ursula]

Yay climbing! (I had to look up a rating scheme comparison table but am now appropriately impressed.)

[extrapenguin]

Yay climbing indeed! *checks comparison table* And yeah, every country/region seems to have its own rating standard for this as well.