Introductions time!

[rydra_wong]

You know what? It's far too quiet around here. I see from the profile page that the comm has quite a few members and subscribers, so let's have an introductions post!

Comment and introduce yourself -- tell us what sort of climbing you're into, how you got into it, what you enjoy most, and/or anything else that springs to mind: dream routes? favourite shoes? sport or trad? slopers or crimps?

If you're lurking because you're not a climber (yet) -- tell us what's interesting you about climbing, what's holding you back, and what you're curious about.

To get the ball rolling: I started climbing a couple of years ago, having been lured in by posts from people on my f-list; before that, I would never have thought of it as possible for me.

I boulder -- indoors only so far, but I'm hoping to get onto some real rock before the end of the year. RL keeps messing with my travel plans, but one day, I'd like to make it to the Peak District or Font.

I fangirl Johnny Dawes and Alex Puccio. I like slabs, bridging, and nasty fingery balance-y problems, and I also like overhanging power problems -- when I can do them. Oh, and I'll talk endlessly about shoes if given the slightest excuse.

Comments

[rydra_wong]

IMHO, yoga is actually really good preparation (and cross-training) for climbing -- the particular kinds of flexibility and balance and focus you cultivate with yoga are a huge advantage in climbing.

And because yoga has so many poses (like downwards-facing dog) where you're bearing weight down through your arms, it helps balance all the pulling work the arm and shoulder muscles do in climbing, which in turn helps reduce the risk of shoulder problems.

I know a lot of climbers do yoga for these reasons -- I've heard there are even some places that run "yoga for climbers" classes.

[zanzando]

I was thinking that building flexibility would be a huge benefit, mostly based on your post about climbing. Like, if I can reach all the way across the front of my body with my right arm without having to use the left arm to help or twisting my back. Or bringing my knees all the way up to my chin. :)

[rydra_wong]

*nods a lot*

Hip flexibility in particular is a huge advantage, when you're trying to get a foot onto a hold that's high up in relation to your body, or when you're bridging across a wide gap.

My hip flexibility's pretty good now and it means there are certain bouldering problems that are drastically easier for me than for less flexible people.

Should flexibility doesn't seem to confer much of a direct advantage in climbing itself, at least so far as I've noticed, but it's really important to keep the shoulders mobile and open so they don't round and get strained -- I spend a lot of time on shoulder-opening poses after I've been climbing.