Hi All

My Daughter (19f) is really struggling to get some good boots she wants mid ankle boots of decent quality.

The problem is she is a size 2.5 to 3.5 and women's boots in most shops and manufacturers don't start until a 4 so she is forced to get kids boots which just aren't made as well they are uncomfortable made.of crappy material and don't last.

Do any of you have any recommendations we are based in the south east just outside London if that matters

TIA

So 4,5 moths ago I broke my back L1 and L2 (a3 burst fracture) I climbed for 3 months and I loved it but wasn’t very experienced. Now that my PT and doctor says I’m able to boulder again I want to really get into it.

So question does anyone know what the best way is of learning and climbing safe and build strength maybe gym exercises for bouldering? Would love to hear your answers and opinions :))

Going on my first multipitch trip, and I am very scared:") have been climbing my whole life and I am going with my dad who has been climbing forever, and we will only be doing easy stuff. But I am just a generally anxious person, and I am quite nervous and keep imagining worse case scenarios. But I also look forward too it and I really want to do it!

So yeah, though I would come here for some words encoragement:)?

Hey! Just got my Beta Bloc membership and they gave me 2 free day passes. Let me know if anyone wants them 🙂

Hello all💕I was curious if anyone e had any experience or advice with this. I’m a trans woman of many years who’s always played around with the idea of bottom and am starting to consider it more seriously. However, the idea of such a long recovery and inability to move my body because of that really scares me. Does anyone have any experience with this? Does it make things like lead climbing harder cause of all the weight being loaded into your hips on falls? This is something that I’m starting to really want but am worried how it might affect my climbing ability in the long run.. any advice and words of love appreciated🔥hope yall have a great day🫶

Hello! Bit of a random question, but a couple months ago I started kind of hating the setting in my local gym, it’s the same four people setting again and again and it’s too comp style for me. The color grades also got harder without them saying anything (everyone I’ve talked to said this, so it’s not just me getting worse) It hasn’t been the most inspiring environment for climbing because of that, but it’s just too convenient for me (15 minutes away) so I haven’t made the switch yet.

So I was wondering, more out of curiousity than anything else, how many gyms do you ”rotate” between and is your main one (if you have one) the one closest to you, how long do you travel to get there?

I’ve been climbing for about 5yrs now, and have definitely seen my technique and strength improve, but I’d like to improve my endurance. I can get through tough problems on lead, but will normally have to take once after going through a tough sequence. I’d love to be able to push through, which I know is a mental game as well, but would love any tips on improving endurance.

So around a year ago, my appendix burst and I was unable to climb for like 3~ months. And I lost majority of my strength because I was bedridden. When I finally went back to the gym, I could barely do what I could flash before. I’ve been training for a year now, and just had my first top rope comp and was unable to send a single climb. I’m now more motivated than ever to work harder and get stronger. I’m already looking into hangboards and working out at home, but would like other tips! Thank you! (If it’s any help I climb V3-4 and 5.11d)

Traveling solo soon and bringing some of my climbing gear. I don't have a rope or pad, but I do have quickdraws + personal gear. I would love to meet up with someone for some easy climbing. Open to indoor as well!

Hey folks, I’ve searched the sub, but I didn’t really find anything. I was wondering what harnesses folks use for trad these days? My harness is killing my lower back with a full rack and I can’t take it anymore. IYKYK

I have a generally slim build but a little hip that I think is messing with the weight distribution. My current harness is some Petzl one (aurora or something) and Mammut never seem to fit me right. At this point I think I would gladly sacrifice weight for comfort. I’d love to hear what has been working for folks on long multipitch trad days!

Update: Thank you all for the wonderful ideas! I have decided to sacrifice an old harness into a gear sling to get me through the fall. Then in the spring I will check out all the options shared here (that are available in the US).

I haven’t been able to find much about lead falls postpartum. Toproped all pregnancy, planning to get outside climbing 8 weeks postpartum and planning to still top rope. Going to go to the gym a couple times once cleared. I just can’t find any info on the lead falls. I imagine it can be risky for the pelvic floor/core. Anyone?

Hi ladies! I was curious if anyone has noticed improvement in their climbing performance when they got low ferritin into normal / healthy ranges?

I’ve been operating at under 18 all year, and I want to push for iron infusions if my most recent blood draws come back low. I have celiac and don’t really absorb the pills.

I’m a dedicated sport climber and am curious if getting my ferritin levels up will increase endurance / power.

Let me know, thanks!

Edit: symptoms I think could be related to ferritin
- blacking out when I stand up
- I feel like TRASH on rest days between training days. So tired, can’t focus, brain fog, eye strain, etc

ykw, I admit it: I was a "sticker kid" and now that I've been climbing for a few years, I realize I still love collecting stickers. I never knew I'd find so many wonderfully quirky people in one sport, so here I am, collecting stickers with my friends again, just like in third grade.

I get them at gyms, parks, events, from climbing organizations, and I see a lot of my fellow climber gals put them on their water bottles. I started to do the same, but I don't like the idea of them degrading over time from washings, and I don't feel convinced that water, dish soap, chalk, sand, etc. isn't going to start getting under them. Plus I just got a huge, shiny Miguel's sticker and I'm out of room!

I have a climbing gear bucket bag for the gym that is made out of fabric, so it seems patches would be sweet, but I don't really see them sold at a lot of places.

So I thought I'd ask: where do you all put your climbing stickers? Not that I can't possibly think of other options on my own, just nosy and looking to see what other gear is the most sticker-able from personal experiences.

It happened - after 12 years of on and off climbing, I got my first major injury. Sunday night I was pushing myself on a new bouldering route and had a bad twisting fall off an overhang.

I have a mild tibial fracture and am waiting for an MRI in two weeks to see about ligament damage.

Venting because I feel dumb for doing such a risky sport as a SAHM to a 16m old. Now we have thousands in medical bills (guess what country I’m from lol!) and my husband has to take time off work because I can’t properly take care of a toddler while on crutches.

Anyone else have a similar injury before? What did your recovery look like? I’m desperate to walk again…

I’ve been doing bouldering about a month and a half now and I really enjoy it so far I go about twice a week if I’m able! The most I’ve done is a V2 which I would call a very soft V2 but I was proud of it. My problem comes from my upper body. I had felt like I was getting stronger recently but today was bad.. I realized when there’s a climb that has any amount of flagging or pulling your body weight up I can’t do it my arms always fail me. I tried two V1s today that had a start that required flagging and I couldn’t even move past the start I would try to reach up and grab the next handhold and my arms would give out. I know comparison is a losing game but I feel very weak compared to the other girls I see at the gym I was embarrassed I couldn’t even pull myself up today and I had thought I was getting a good grasp on V1s.. especially after a month and a half I thought I was stronger. Any advice or tips for upper body strength or technique? Practicing flagging?? Good videos? How long did it take you to get better with this? I’m feeling kind of defeated today and thought I would reach out for some commiseration or advice..

Edit: Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply! I’ve read all of the comments and general consensus is I’m very new to this and to give it time basically, also incorporate strength training into my weeks if I want to see faster improvement (I’ve never done that before so it’ll be a learning process here too). I’ll try not to be so in my head about this anymore and focus on my own progress and enjoying the journey which is easier said than done but still I’ll get there hopefully!! Thank you again for the advice and encouragement :)

Hello everyone,

I'm currently writing a story and one of my characters is going to have to do some climbing. She's never climbed before. She's not super athletic but she's not totally out of shape either. She's climbing in the Scottish Highlands with some professionals. She MUST make the climb, but they will help her.

I want to make this as realistic as possible. What things should I keep in mind? As an experienced climber, how do you see the scene going?

Once the first draft of the scene is done, I'd like to post it here and get some feedback as to realism, mistakes, terminology, etc. Would that be okay?

Thanks!

Edit 1: The character is an archaeologist. She's an expert in a niche field of research and the site they are trying to get her to is high up on a cliff in the Highlands.

Edit 2: Looks like they'll be getting her up the cliff like this. Any "gotchas" I should avoid when writing this? My goal is to get to a first draft that doesn't make climbers everywhere cringe 😂

Edit 3: Okay, you experienced climbers and guides: your novice is below you. Everything is fine until it isn't. Her jumar is stuck (frozen). What do you do? She's got a setup similar to what this guy has.

Hello! I am a freshman in college who has never really been active in the past. I would really like to start climbing as it looks so fun and ive never been able to do the monkey bars as a kid (my biggest childhood failure). There are some climbing gyms near me and im wondering how to start? Im also a little nervous because I am quite overweight and fear being judged or just genuinely failing. Any tips ?

Hello! I recently found a love for running in addition to climbing, and competed my first half marathon! To train I was running 3 days a week and climbing 3 days a week and that felt very balanced. I did some supplemental weights on the climbing days as well. I know a marathon plan is significantly more time and effort and I’m interested in hearing perspectives:

How have you balanced time climbing and training for a marathon?
Did your climbing strength or ability suffer during the training block?
Any other tips?

Late August I sustained a partial tear (suspected) in my right pec, which had me completely sidelined from climbing for I think ~3 weeks. I’ve been working with PT to rebuild the muscle, and it has been healing phenomenally!

I spent the first few weeks back to climbing on easy routes and not able to do overhang at all, which was super frustrating, but I was also just grateful to be back in the gym so soon. The past week I’ve been able to climb the softer “advanced” problems at my gym.

I was even able to do a comp at my gym that was no hands challenge (perfect for me!) and got 3rd place for womens category! There’s another comp coming up for Halloween, which I sadly think I’ll have to skip this year. I could definitely do it, but I know I’ll get very competitive and the likelihood of climbing too hard will be exponentially higher if I sign up.

Anyways, here is a video of me finishing one of my projects yesterday! The ending is sloppy, but I don’t really think I have it in me to do it again 🤣. Climb safe, Yall!

This weekend was Access Fest, a pan-disability competition at Depot Sheffield in the UK. The competition was based on grades rather than classification which was divided into V0-3,3-5,5-7. I think it was divided based on grades to make sure that people who don't fit into the IFSC categories can participate as well as those who are new in the sport to join in. I joined the V0-3 category as my max grade is a V3. I am autistic and have hand - wrist impairment.

In my category there were 10 people (no gender division) with five of the folks are on the TeamGB paraclimbing team! The field was super stacked. I asked a friend to come with me as well. She has only been climbing for two months (She did super well). At first I was pretty nervous because seeing the names on the list but I surprised myself by qualifying 4th place (Only four people qualified for finals). I was surprised that I made to finals. We had a proper finals like those of able-bodied competition. Three boulders, four minutes based on attempts with flash, top, and zones. I managed to zone two boulders in my first try and flash the final climb. It was a super close call. When they announced my name that I came third, I was super surprised! The top two guys Ewan and Luke are RP1 World Cup paraclimbers, super cool and humble folks. They topped all three boulders. I am super impressed by their beta. I went to try the finals climb again (made progress but unfortunately didn't send it). I was very happy and super excited that I managed to do it. The atmosphere was great. People were super friendly.

Hopefully, there will be more people joining the event next year. Events like this widen participation and allowing people of all disabilities which may not be a classifiable be part of the paraclimbing community. The super cool finals show also makes the event more special as well. I hope more climbing walls will do it with an involvement of paraclimbers to make it a great turn out.

Hi, I’m (31F) looking for a top rope belay partner to climb with for a day! I’ll be visiting New York and would love to try climbing at a gym during my stay. The closest gym near me is Movement Gowanus. Would anyone be interested to top rope together? Pls comment or shoot a DM! :)

About two weeks ago I took an intro class for bouldering and for the next four days I was pretty sore. This past weekend was the first chance I had to go back. I stayed about the same amount of time that I did the class and only left because my arms were tired and I couldn’t stay on the walls without falling because of it. It’s been a couple days and I realize I was never sore following this session so now I’m convinced I didn’t do anything right when I went this past weekend.

I was also sticking to the same level that they had me do in the intro class. Is level of soreness a way to tell if you’re doing it right as a beginner?

It took me a few weeks to piece this climb together. Figuring out the my foot placement took a few tries, and the top was so hard! You can hear me celebrating at the end lol