Hey, I’m stating the obvious here, but climbing is in a bit of a boom it seems. New gyms popping up everywhere! And there is talk of carabiners being something about SOTB in another thread (not sure if climbing related?). Sorry if I’ve started this before, it all sounds familiar as I type it, but i cant find anything with a search.
But anyway, I guess there are a fair few of us here who climb, and as demonstrated with the HSP thread a few weeks ago, I know I can count on some solid advice, inspiration and banter on any subject here. So this is a thread to discuss climbing stuff.
My story so far:
I lived near an indoor gym in Melbourne around 2002 (vic ranges… i think it burned down… in flemington) and I used to go just about every day. Had a couple of mate who were in to it, but they all lived way east and so it was only every now and then that we’d go to the Mill (now apartments? collingwood) and do a session. That year a couple of us went to NZ and did a moutnaineering course and I was scared the whole time. I sucked, and I was scared. And when we got back to the car the soles of the shoes I’d left in the back seat had shrunk a few sizes. The culmination of all this was me liquid-nailsing a bunch of river stones to my mums brick house for a traverse that I couldnt quite do.
So that was it, a year after I moved to Japan and climbed once in way-too-small shoes in that couple of years. I came back and got a job in a winery, coupling and uncoupling hoses all day (actually all night). I lived at my mums for this period (early 2005) and after a while I remembered the river stones and had a go… I dont even know if i was wearing climbing shoes, but I do remember going straight across and straight back, jumped off and tried to remember where the hard bit was. At that point I thought to myself why train for climbing? Just get a job where you use your hands and you’ll be untouchable.
Immediately after that, I started my current desk job, where I can really feel if someone has a keyboard that has stronger springs on it than my own one.
This year has been a real climbing year for me, though. I started out at what felt worse than my starting level at the end of uni. I had no strength anywhere but in my legs. But I’ve been getting to the gym here in Hobart a fair bit… for the first half of the year I was in there a lot, and started going more and more outdoor. Within 2km of my house and my office we have two crags, one sandstone, one dolerite. I’m lucky to have two guys in particular who have climbed forever, can climb very hard, and are very serious about safety. My two goals for the year were to do a multi-pitch climb and to lead a grade 20 and both were done by April. I pushed on a little since then and have been seconding/top roping some harder stuff and am still enjoying it a lot. I’m only climbing maybe twice a week now, though, and try to give it a bit more effort each session.
This weekend I’m headed up to Ben Lomond for what will be, I guess, my first real crack climb and I’m about to guy buy a lot of tape. I’ve done some pitches of easy cracks on mt wellington, but i’m fairly daunted by whats next.
Anyway, I’m still a real beginner and still really loving it. I’m slowly learning some rope skills, but have so far to go. I really want to be able to set up anchors and climb with my daughter when she’s a bit older so she can belay me on lead. I’m thinking about getting an edelrid Ohm for this… anyone used one?
Projects for me to try to tick before we leave Tassie are trying to top-rope anaphalxis without rests (i think its a 24) and maybe lead general benefit, which might be a 22. If i can do those I’ll feel like I’m into it, and go back to canberra with eyes on a lot of other stuff.
I love climbing gear a lot, too. Please tell me about your climbing and your gear and your goals 
JP
