My first rock gym trip tonight...wanna join?

[Dirt4dinner]

I have decided it is high time I step up my outdoor activities resume' to include rock climbing...even if it is just at the rock gym.

I went out today and bought shoes, harness, carabiner, chalk bag and am going to the rock gym for the first time tonight. I have NO idea how to do anything...but that's half the fun right?

Anyways, I am going to start frequenting either Climbmax or Phoenix Rock Gym several times a week and would love to have one or two people join me. I am going to Climbmax tonight, since their "first time" visitor fee is a terrific deal at $12 including all rental gear or $10 with your own gear. After tonight I will be buying a 10 punch pass to Climbmax, then a 10 punch pass to PRG and then I will decide which one to buy an annual pass to.

If you want to join me tonight, I would love to have another HAZ person there to learn the ropes with me (much pun intended). I am walking out the door right now, but won't be at the gym for a couple hours. So if you want to go tonight around 6 or 7 call my cell phone.

480-383-9139 and let's meet at Climbmax in Chandler (between ASU and IKEA for reference sake).

If you can't make it tonight, but would like to get into this sport a little let me know via PM and we will hook up and go. -Tyler

[Jeffshadows]

Come down here to Rocks & Ropes and you're on!

[Azbackcountry]

Come down here to Rocks & Ropes and you're on!

I 2nd that! I had the same thought, wanted to expand my reaches in the backcountry so I have also bought a harness and rappelling device and want to learn how to properly use the gear for climbing and rappelling, but feel rather intimidated going to the gym myself as a newbie not knowing a damn thing.

Jeff if you want to head to rocks & ropes and help teach a newbie then send me a message.

[Dirt4dinner]

MY HANDS HURT SOOOOOO BAD!!

...I bought a 3 month membership!

Where is Rocks and Ropes? It must be in Tucson.

[rushthezeppelin]

Once I feel my rotator cuff injury is fully healed I would LOVE to join you at a gym. I've really been wanting to get into this for the past few months. I especially want to climb Weaver's sometime in the near future. How much did you spend on the harness and shoes?

[Hoffmaster]

Freakin' sweet Tyler! Dang, I wish I still lived there. I'd teach you everything.

I'm a big fan of Climbmax, and one of the owners, Mike Covington, I consider a good friend. It's an awesome gym, with very creative walls and features. With that said, Climbmax still attracts more of the bouldering crowd than anything else. If you want to get on the ropes more than bouldering, I say go to PRG. You will have an easier time hooking up with people to climb with there. There are always noobies learning "the ropes" at PRG. Both gyms can be kind of "clique-y", but PRG has less elitist attitude... sort of.

Keep at it. Once you learn some technique, you'll find your legs helping out more, and your forearms won't be so sore. Also, the skin on your hands will toughen up, so they won't hurt much either.

With all of you guys back in AZ deciding to take up climbing (now that I'm gone. What's up with that?), I've been dying to climb. Ohio certainly isn't known for it's climbing, but I'm making progress in changing that. Well.... not really. On Wednesday I went on an exploratory mission to find some rock that I heard about near where I live. All I had was a vague location. After a bit of driving on roads my car shouldn't be on, hiking through the woods and a swamp, I found a jackpot. I found a load of quality sandstone boulders with potential lines of all difficulties. I also found several 50ft cliffs that can be top-roped. One of the cliffs had two chain-link quick-draws. I'm not sure what purpose they served, but at least I know that I found what I was looking for.

This weekend, I'm going to a state park in western Ohio that has a limestone gorge that I can go toproping in. I can probably climb all of the routes in a day, but at least it's climbing. Last weekend, I went bouldering in PA. I was really worried that I'm getting incredibly weak from not climbing. To my surprise, I sent two V4's, which is the equivalent of 5.12a-5.12b or so. Freakin' sweet! In two weeks, I'm headed to Alabama and North Carolina for 7-10 days of climbing with my brother. It one of the benefits on not having a job I suppose. I can't wait.


Good luck Tyler!

[Dirt4dinner]

I got my harness from Steep and Cheap for $30 shipped to my door, and the shoes were $99, then another &18 for the chalk and chalk bag, and a nice 'beaner for $12. From my basic research it looks like a cheap sport to get into if you want to stick to bouldering or the rock gym, but if you want to get into safety devices and ropes....yikes!

_________________________________________________

Matt I am super bummed you aren't around anymore, you were the first guy I thought of when I got my gear! I talked with Mike last night for about 30 minutes as I was getting ready to leave. SUPER nice guy! I think bouldering is more appealing to me, so I think Climbmax will be the right fit. I met several different climbers there last night and exchanged numbers with one of them who said to call him when I am heading down there and he would meet me to do some ropes. So I figure I shouldn't have any trouble meeting people to climb with.

I was just working on the C1 bouldering routes. I got through my first one, on my first try...which was cool since the guy I had just met couldn't get through it at all. After that we both spent about an hour working on a different C1 where I could get to the very last move but just couldn't get there...I am going to start with that one next time and clean it.

My hands don't hurt as bad today as I thought they would.

Matt...come back to Arizona!

[Hoffmaster]

Matt I am super bummed you aren't around anymore, you were the first guy I thought of when I got my gear...come back to Arizona!

I will as soon as I can!

Wow! It sounds like you are making incredible progress. Climbmax's rating system can be a bit contrived, and sometimes not consisitent. But then again, since rating systems are purely subjective, I guess you'd have that anywhere. I know a lot of people who couldn't climb a C1 at Climbmax, so good job!

Yeah, Covington is a nice guy and he's always super-pumped about climbing. Tell him I said "hi".

[Jeffshadows]

You'll quickly learn about how our own ratings relate to the way the person setting up those routes rates his or herself. Most tend to be artificially harder than a rock rated the same way would be...

[Hoffmaster]

You'll quickly learn about how our own ratings relate to the way the person setting up those routes rates his or herself. Most tend to be artificially harder than a rock rated the same way would be...

That's true. Ratings tend to differ on real rock from place to place. You might be able to climb 5.10 in Queen Creek Canyon, but if that's all you know, then you'd be in for a surprise at a place like Joshua Tree or even Mt. Lemmon. If the severe lack of holds doesn't put you in your place, then the fear factor definitely will. Fortunately I've climbed at enough different locations to know not to put too much stock in ratings (although they are a good starting point if you're unfamiliar with an area), and I've grown quite comfortable with fear.

[rushthezeppelin]

I have a quick question. I'm thinking about purchasing a cheap black diamond harness so that I can actually tackle a few of the places out here in the supes (like weavers). My question is should I be okay at least here in the supes with my nice grippy trail runners. They seem plenty grippy on all the super porous pumice that I do scrambling on very often but I don't know if some of the technical pitches out here would probably be something where a bit more grip be good or are most of them like alot of the scrambling with countless places to get very good grip.

[Hoffmaster]

The footing on Weaver's Needle is generally very good; really big holds. But for scrambly, rock-climbing type stuff, I think an approach shoe that laces far down the toe is better. A trail runner is going to be too squirrelly on your foot when the terrain gets technical.

An affordable approach-style shoe is the eVolve Stryker at evolvesports.
Also, the Mad Rock Hustler is a great shoe for the money. Check out madrockclimbing. I can personally vouch for this shoe.

I know you never said you wanted to buy new shoes, but if you did, those two are great affordable shoes. If you want something even better, but more expensive, I have recommendations there as well.

[suzaz]

I would encourage you to use your REI dividend check ;) to purchase some climbing shoes to have with you when you tackle some fun outdoor things.

I agree with Matt (and miss him, too) that MY Needle has good hand holds. Seems like there were a couple of places where the shoes gave me a boost in confidence to press on. They are so light and tiny.......you would hate to get up to one of these fun places and need to change your mind because you don't have the correct shoe! (However......girls really dig shoes and use all types of rationale to purchase more) I have the evolv shoes but am considering a second pair, perhaps 5.10's.