Friday glee has gritstone rash

[rydra_wong]

The Friday post of glee is where you get to tell us about your climbing-related happiness this week.

N.B. Please feel free to post your glee on any day of the week; the Friday glee is just to get the ball rolling.

To enhance this week's glee -- yes, I freely admit that I am on a streak of posting gritstone vids, but here's yet another. Having made my own pilgrimage to Fontainebleau earlier in the year, I'm charmed to see these guys coming in the opposite direction:

4 Froggies in the Peak part and Part 2.

(My French is nonexistent, but I'm getting the impression there may be some sheep jokes in there ...)

Comments

[astridv]

Both my climbing partners cancelled this week, but I grabbed my climbing shoes when I rode my bike into town and stopped anyplace that looked interesting. Yesterday I found that garages are pretty well suited for a bit of light bouldering... not very high, so you don't get tempted to take stupid risks, but they can still be challening, depending on the structure of the wall.

I also climbed a very nice sandstone wall, a couple of red brick columns, and that weird-ass sculpture in front of the university that I saw marked on buildering-spots.de. I've been living in this place for 20 years and never even noticed the thing before... it's a whole new way to discover the city. Really fun.

[rydra_wong]

\o/ Climbing really changes how you look at buildings, doesn't it?

[tea]

I keep looking around at urban structures that look fun to climb, but I'm afraid I'll get arrested or something! Do you even get weird questions? I probably should just head down to the river for the cliffs if I wanted to try something in the city and yet outdoors.

[astridv]

When I started it I was feeling a bit selfconscious and expected to get challenged but I found that most people just ignore you. The few times someone asked me about it they were interested in the sport. Kids sometimes join in.

I'm actually not sure as to the legality but I think that it might not even be illegal if it's on public structures instead of private ones? Or... semi-legal?? I don't know if there's even a paragraph in the law text that would apply here.

When I climb things like garages or house corners, I make sure there aren't too many people around, just in case. But with public sculptures, bridges, or walls I'm no longer that concerned. You get used to the feeling of being in public. I try to make extra sure to leave the spot just as I found it, of course. No chalk, no foot prints on white walls.

Cliffs sounds appealing as well! We don't have any here so one has little choice but use man-made structures. But I also like the idea of reinterpreting architecture. :)

[tea]

Haha, well, I work right near this, which has lots of cliff-stuff going on in and around it, but I'm pretty sure the Mounties would get me if I tried to go too far up there. :P I'll have to explore farther along the river some day, though, there's lots of good Shield rock around there.

[rydra_wong]

If you're going to be exploring on your own, I'd strongly rec investing in a bouldering mat (and taking a mobile phone with you). The spraining of ankles is to be avoided where possible ...

Alternatively, keep an ear out at the climbing wall, and ask the staff; it's quite likely that there'll be people plotting outdoor trips, and you may be able to tag along.

[astridv]

Do you have any experience with bouldering mats? I haven't used them yet and was considering getting one eventually. I found a few spots I can't explore without one. But these mats look quite small and I don't know if using just one would even be sufficient... I'd worry about missing it, or hitting the edge instead of the middle.

[rydra_wong]

Yeah, even with a large bouldering mat, it only covers a relatively small area.

(And there will inevitably be a moment when you look down and suddenly your large bouldering mat looks tiny.)

If you're going with a group of people, people will pool resources and lay out several boulder mats to cover the likely fall area if it looks like it could be awkward, and act as spotters for each other (to ensure that someone who falls does land on the mat).

If you're on your own, you need to think about where you're likely to fall (and if, for example, you're going to come swinging off at an angle), so you can decide where to place the mat.

There may also be problems where you decide that one mat won't be enough, or you don't feel comfortable without a spotter, and have to back off.

FWIW, I got a DMM Highball mat and it's served me well so far. I'm fairly comfortable going outdoor bouldering on my own with a mat. On my recent Peak trip, there were one or two things I backed off that I might have gone for if I'd had a spotter, but generally I felt comfortable judging the risks.

And the mat really makes a difference versus falling on the ground.

[astridv]

Ah, thanks, that's helpful info. I looked up the DMM Highball mat; looks good. Think I'll start looking for one; the prospect of being able to climb even a little higher is appealing.

[astridv]

Ha, yeah, that looks like it's a tad too high profile. That place looks beautiful!

I stay away from places like our district court house with its really inviting fassade.