Indoor Climbing - Guide Me
Discussion
Hi All,
I remember many years ago (about 9 or 10), I used to go climbing each week and quite fancy taking it up again.
It was an indoor space, but the crucial thing is that it had some kind of auto harness / support that hung from the top. As you ascended it reeled up with you, and if you fell it could gently slide you back down.
Is there a specific name for this type of mechanism? So I can google it and find a centre near me that has this kind of system.
Cheers!
I remember many years ago (about 9 or 10), I used to go climbing each week and quite fancy taking it up again.
It was an indoor space, but the crucial thing is that it had some kind of auto harness / support that hung from the top. As you ascended it reeled up with you, and if you fell it could gently slide you back down.
Is there a specific name for this type of mechanism? So I can google it and find a centre near me that has this kind of system.
Cheers!
Auto belay. Personally I don't like them, I'd rather have a climbing partner who does the same job manually.
Most indoor places will give you a short course and test on how to belay safely. Next step would be learning how to top rope. Well worth getting in with a good local climbing centre as they will organise trips out for beginners to good outdoor spots to climb and provide all the gear. You'd learn a lot and hopefully make some friends you can climb with outside of the centre organised trips.
Bouldering (climbing without ropes on "easier" courses) is the other option, unless you have a strong grip it is harder to make progress with earlier on as most beginners rely more on hand strength rather than legs and balance on the easy routes.
You don't need any fancy gear to progress from hiring kit from the centre. I'd suggest second hand shoes (just make sure to try them on, they should be snug not crippling) but I'd always suggest getting a new harness. The webbing on a harness has a fixed lifespan exactly the same as a racing harness for a car, plus you don't know how many drops the previous owner did. Same goes for a belay device, I personally prefer as simple as possible as less to go wrong. You won't need ropes or anything else till you go climbing outdoors.
Most indoor places will give you a short course and test on how to belay safely. Next step would be learning how to top rope. Well worth getting in with a good local climbing centre as they will organise trips out for beginners to good outdoor spots to climb and provide all the gear. You'd learn a lot and hopefully make some friends you can climb with outside of the centre organised trips.
Bouldering (climbing without ropes on "easier" courses) is the other option, unless you have a strong grip it is harder to make progress with earlier on as most beginners rely more on hand strength rather than legs and balance on the easy routes.
You don't need any fancy gear to progress from hiring kit from the centre. I'd suggest second hand shoes (just make sure to try them on, they should be snug not crippling) but I'd always suggest getting a new harness. The webbing on a harness has a fixed lifespan exactly the same as a racing harness for a car, plus you don't know how many drops the previous owner did. Same goes for a belay device, I personally prefer as simple as possible as less to go wrong. You won't need ropes or anything else till you go climbing outdoors.
tankplanker said:
Auto belay. Personally I don't like them, I'd rather have a climbing partner who does the same job manually.
Most indoor places will give you a short course and test on how to belay safely. Next step would be learning how to top rope. Well worth getting in with a good local climbing centre as they will organise trips out for beginners to good outdoor spots to climb and provide all the gear. You'd learn a lot and hopefully make some friends you can climb with outside of the centre organised trips.
Bouldering (climbing without ropes on "easier" courses) is the other option, unless you have a strong grip it is harder to make progress with earlier on as most beginners rely more on hand strength rather than legs and balance on the easy routes.
You don't need any fancy gear to progress from hiring kit from the centre. I'd suggest second hand shoes (just make sure to try them on, they should be snug not crippling) but I'd always suggest getting a new harness. The webbing on a harness has a fixed lifespan exactly the same as a racing harness for a car, plus you don't know how many drops the previous owner did. Same goes for a belay device, I personally prefer as simple as possible as less to go wrong. You won't need ropes or anything else till you go climbing outdoors.
Thanks for the reply! Most indoor places will give you a short course and test on how to belay safely. Next step would be learning how to top rope. Well worth getting in with a good local climbing centre as they will organise trips out for beginners to good outdoor spots to climb and provide all the gear. You'd learn a lot and hopefully make some friends you can climb with outside of the centre organised trips.
Bouldering (climbing without ropes on "easier" courses) is the other option, unless you have a strong grip it is harder to make progress with earlier on as most beginners rely more on hand strength rather than legs and balance on the easy routes.
You don't need any fancy gear to progress from hiring kit from the centre. I'd suggest second hand shoes (just make sure to try them on, they should be snug not crippling) but I'd always suggest getting a new harness. The webbing on a harness has a fixed lifespan exactly the same as a racing harness for a car, plus you don't know how many drops the previous owner did. Same goes for a belay device, I personally prefer as simple as possible as less to go wrong. You won't need ropes or anything else till you go climbing outdoors.
Doesn't having someone doing it manually mean always having someone else? I'm not sure I would, and honestly it just never appealed to me? Being able to turn up and jump up and down no worries always worked well. I appreciate what you're saying though.
I've got climbing shoes from my last stint, and I assume I have a harness but like you said that has probably expired. Outdoors frankly sounds terrifying and I'm far too much of a girl to try that
I think I've got quite good grip strength (and leg for that matter) from the gym, but it'd be interesting to see how that applied to real world stuff.
squicky said:
Have a look at the clip'nclimb climbing centres - there's quite a few around the UK now and I believe they use the system you're talking about.
Seeing that in another thread re-sparked my interest. The nearest one to me appears to be in Chelsea (what an odd location). But it looked more like a one off activity centre than regular climbing place.Calza said:
Doesn't having someone doing it manually mean always having someone else? I'm not sure I would, and honestly it just never appealed to me? Being able to turn up and jump up and down no worries always worked well. I appreciate what you're saying though.
Yes it does require somebody else, but you can normally find another solo climber or small group that will let you tag along, just make sure you know how to belay somebody safely first so you can take your turn. I don't like auto belays as they can get stuck, plus you are relying on the mechanism to catch you if you drop unexpectedly, I'd rather rely on an experienced climber
My climbing centre doesn't use them at all so really its moot for me.If you can do a pull up on your finger tips (not a palm grip) you are more than strong enough for bouldering on the easy routes.
Never tried it .. I'll have a play next time I'm there!
I do once remember doing similar and it was only a few meters high ... I was terrified at the top!
I can dead lift more than bodyweight using a hook grip style, and my grip strength per hand is fairly good so I'm sure with these comments I'm setting myself up for a good humbling
If I can get the OH involved and we make it a thing we could look at belaying each other (or is there a maximum weight difference?).
I do once remember doing similar and it was only a few meters high ... I was terrified at the top!
I can dead lift more than bodyweight using a hook grip style, and my grip strength per hand is fairly good so I'm sure with these comments I'm setting myself up for a good humbling
If I can get the OH involved and we make it a thing we could look at belaying each other (or is there a maximum weight difference?).
Only if it is a large weight difference, more than 20%. There should be large sand bags that you can clip onto your harness to stop you from shooting upwards when the lower/drop if you are much lighter.
If you/your partner haven't belayed somebody before I'd recommend doing a quick course with the climbing centre on belaying. It isn't difficult to belay but its vital to get it right.
If you/your partner haven't belayed somebody before I'd recommend doing a quick course with the climbing centre on belaying. It isn't difficult to belay but its vital to get it right.
tankplanker said:
Only if it is a large weight difference, more than 20%. There should be large sand bags that you can clip onto your harness to stop you from shooting upwards when the lower/drop if you are much lighter.
If you/your partner haven't belayed somebody before I'd recommend doing a quick course with the climbing centre on belaying. It isn't difficult to belay but its vital to get it right.
Sandbags it is then!If you/your partner haven't belayed somebody before I'd recommend doing a quick course with the climbing centre on belaying. It isn't difficult to belay but its vital to get it right.
Absolutely, if we got in to it I'd get some tuition - like you said it's not something to mess about with.
Oh and I checked today ... pull-ups on fingers alone is no problem
Gassing Station | Sports | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff