Cliff Climbing in Poland

dtaylorThreads: 15 Posts: 992 Joined: Sep 15, 07	Feb 5, 09, 20:38 / #
Well today i had my first experience of this since i was 6 years old. I'm told that it's an up and coming sport in Poland, I personally loved it to death:) Also being a little afraid of heights, i was surprised to find out it's not how high you go, but what routes you take. Anyone else had experience of this?

szarlotkaThreads: 14 Posts: 3,340 Joined: Feb 20, 07	Edited by: szarlotka Feb 5, 09, 20:44 / #
dtaylor: Anyone else had experience of this? Yep. Stick me on the edge of a drop and my vertigo knows no bounds. Let me climb something or fly something and I'm OK. You'll soon be jawing on about the routes you've climbed. I think climbing gave me the greatest sense of achievement from anything I've ever done.

dtaylorThreads: 15 Posts: 992 Joined: Sep 15, 07	Feb 5, 09, 20:49 / #
I felt a great sense of achievement also, plus the fact i think that this is a much cheaper alternative to going to the gym. 20pln and u can stay as as long as you like. I'm already thinking about the routes, first time i went up i just looked for the shortest possible way, but at the end it looked like i went the hardest way, straight up.

SeanBMThreads: 41 Posts: 8,647 Joined: Mar 10, 08	Feb 5, 09, 20:52 / #
dtaylor: loved it to death Unusual choice of words. I had the pleasure of going cliff climbing in Norway. On a fjord cliff, the shoes are fantastic, you can practically walk up vertical walls and I remember it made me feel like spider man :)

Feb 5, 09, 21:43 / #

Sounds great, i'm just a total beginner, but one day i hope that i can get over my fear of heights, and master a proper cliff face :)

McCoyThreads: 46 Posts: 1,755 Joined: Jul 3, 08	Edited by: McCoy Feb 5, 09, 21:52 / #
hey dt, some exercises on the floor for a newbie? ;)

dtaylorThreads: 15 Posts: 992 Joined: Sep 15, 07	Feb 5, 09, 21:57 / #
Well the warm down is so important, my fingers were like wood afterwards, so yeah, as an ex army guy i know the importance of exercises ;)

SeanBMThreads: 41 Posts: 8,647 Joined: Mar 10, 08	Feb 5, 09, 21:59 / #
It is a strange photo ;)

McCoyThreads: 46 Posts: 1,755 Joined: Jul 3, 08	Feb 5, 09, 22:13 / #
dtaylor: as an ex army guy i know the importance of exercises ;) thats good, private

dtaylorThreads: 15 Posts: 992 Joined: Sep 15, 07	Feb 5, 09, 22:52 / #
SeanBM: It is a strange photo ;) Why strange?? :) McCoy: thats good, private That will be officer to you :P

SeanBMThreads: 41 Posts: 8,647 Joined: Mar 10, 08	Feb 5, 09, 22:56 / #
dtaylor: Why strange?? :) Well it looks like you are drunk and lying on the floor.

dtaylorThreads: 15 Posts: 992 Joined: Sep 15, 07	Feb 5, 09, 23:01 / #
Turn your head 90 degrees to the left :):)

McCoyThreads: 46 Posts: 1,755 Joined: Jul 3, 08	Feb 5, 09, 23:05 / #
dtaylor: dt that funny black curved thing by your head, is it a puke?

Feb 5, 09, 23:10 / #

It was a turtle shaped grip, but yeah, that high i was about to puke.

I think my point is this, i was always told in the army, the best way to build your body is; forget gyms, use your own body weight, and this sport uses it to the max:) Not only upper body strength, but equally your legs are important.

Can anyone give me tips, as my partner is much better at this, and has much more experience.

McCoyThreads: 46 Posts: 1,755 Joined: Jul 3, 08	Feb 5, 09, 23:12 / #
dtaylor: forget gyms, use your own body i know what you mean dt ;)

WroclawThreads: 74 Posts: 7,272 Joined: Apr 1, 06 [Moderator]	Feb 5, 09, 23:15 / #
dtaylor: Can anyone give me tips, as my partner is much better at this, and has much more experience. Lose the jeans. I'm serious. They are no good for climbing

dtaylorThreads: 15 Posts: 992 Joined: Sep 15, 07	Edited by: dtaylor Feb 5, 09, 23:17 / #
Wroclaw: Lose the jeans. I'm serious. They are no good for climbing Yeah i found that out as i went, they didn't give me a wide enough reach. It's the fingers that lose it first, mine are fine now, i just want to climb again:)

SeanBMThreads: 41 Posts: 8,647 Joined: Mar 10, 08	Edited by: SeanBM Feb 5, 09, 23:18 / #
Wroclaw: Lose the jeans. I'm serious. Perhaps exchange the jeans for track suit bottoms, you wouldn't want to cause an incident, would you?. Pull ups and squats should help build upper and lower body strength for climbing.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,160 Joined: Dec 25, 07	Feb 5, 09, 23:18 / #
My friend is a pretty advanced rock climber. I attended his lecture way back in 2006 on it. He knew his stuff. He lives here in Gliwice.

dtaylorThreads: 15 Posts: 992 Joined: Sep 15, 07	Feb 5, 09, 23:21 / #
Seanus: My friend is a pretty advanced rock climber. I attended his lecture way back in 2006 on it. He knew his stuff. He lives here in Gliwice. So, please pass on ANY advice he gave you;) SeanBM: Pull ups and squats should help build upper and lower body strength for climbing. Good tips i reckon, what about warm downs?

szarlotkaThreads: 14 Posts: 3,340 Joined: Feb 20, 07	Feb 5, 09, 23:22 / #
dtaylor: Can anyone give me tips Get a squeezy ball or the like for your fingers. Anything to build them up will make climbing easier. Any climbing shop will advise you. Then you can spend all day doing suspicious looking exercises with your hands. Fellow climbers will be sympathetic but everyone else will look on aghast.

osiolThreads: 59 Posts: 4,714 Joined: Jul 25, 07	Feb 5, 09, 23:25 / #
Learn to play the double bass. That is very good excercise for hands and fingers.

dtaylorThreads: 15 Posts: 992 Joined: Sep 15, 07	Feb 5, 09, 23:27 / #
osiol: Learn to play the double bass. That is very good excercise for hands and fingers. I can put out a few tunes, its the grip stamina i need to work on. After a few climbs my smoking and bad fitness caught up on what it only seems, my fingers :D

szarlotkaThreads: 14 Posts: 3,340 Joined: Feb 20, 07	Feb 5, 09, 23:30 / #
Your fingers will hurt for a long time yet. It takes a long time to get the strength in them. Keep at it. Next stop Chomolungma!

dtaylorThreads: 15 Posts: 992 Joined: Sep 15, 07	Feb 5, 09, 23:36 / #
So whats your experiences szar? how did u take it up?

szarlotkaThreads: 14 Posts: 3,340 Joined: Feb 20, 07	Feb 5, 09, 23:47 / #
dtaylor: So whats your experiences szar? how did u take it up? I started climbing when I was about ten. Mainly cos my brother was mad keen. Being on the South Coast we did a lot of sea cliff climbing. Went on my first serious climbing in the Cairngorms when I was 14. Got hooked and spent four years travelling to climb at weekeods and in Holidays. Climbed a lot at uni, inlcuding forst Alpine experience.Left uni and went into Marines (cos they let me climb a lot) and went on my first Himlayan jaunt with a joint forces expedition.Got hooked on high muntains and went back to Himalyas five more times. So in the end I was more Alpinist than rock climber.

dtaylorThreads: 15 Posts: 992 Joined: Sep 15, 07	Feb 5, 09, 23:51 / #
So do you think this is something that a total new beginner at my age can get into, and progress?

szarlotkaThreads: 14 Posts: 3,340 Joined: Feb 20, 07	Feb 5, 09, 23:54 / #
Absolutely. When you get the basic fitness and strength in the right places you will be able to advance quicker than you would imagine. Mental strength is the key really. How far you progress is a matter of what you put in. If you need inspiration I still climb three or four times a year at my age..