climbing icons?

[juliet]

It occurred to me in conversation elsewhere that I am sadly lacking a climbing icon. Can anyone suggest where I might find something suitable? While I'm here I'll introduce myself briefly -- I'm a fairly new climber (first time I went anywhere near a climbing wall was last September), based in London, & currently at about 4C with both top-roping and bouldering. With occasional excursions into V0/5A with greater or lesser degrees of success. I am having a huge amount of fun, anyway, which I tell myself is more important than competence :) I tend to do more bouldering atm as I can go up in the afternoons & do that on my own rather than having to make arrangements with someone else & probably go evening/weekend.

Comments

[rydra_wong]

My icon-making strategy has so far consisted of Googling pictures of my favourite climbers (or screencapping YouTube videos) and then chopping them into 100x100 bits *g*.

If you ever stray from the Castle and like bouldering, I can wholeheartedly rec The Arch near London Bridge -- it's small but the staff are sweethearts and they set really interesting problems at all grades.

[juliet]

Oh wow! I didn't know they were there! That is *so* much nearer to me. I'll give them a go; might be worth moving (especially as I might well get down there more often, since it's all of a 10 min cycle, especially while the Sidney-pup is still settling in), although I do like the scope that the Castle offers. Are they (The Arch) bouldering-only?

[rydra_wong]

Yup, bouldering-only. They're actually in one of the railway arches, so height is limited *g*.

Since they're so central, prices are a bit higher (as their rents are), but it gets much cheaper if you can go at off-peak times.

Mini video tour here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd5DJ5R0Who

[rydra_wong]

Okay, I finally made it back there today, and had to come back to this post to say GO THERE. They have lovely lovely problems up (they're the only place I know where the V0s can be mindfucky).

And they still have the cheapest espresso in central London.

[juliet]

When you posted this I'd just been up to the Castle for a session, which was also top fun :) But today I am about to go try the Arch! Also means I can go fetch a parcel from the post office & get bread from Borough Market en route. *Efficiency*, oh yes.

I fear that I am still at a stage where I automatically find most V0s (as opposed to V0- & lower) mindfucky, in the rather straightforward sense in which I look at them & go "I DO NOT EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START". (At the bottom, usually.) I spent 10 min on Wednesday working out the first 3 moves on a V0 & was quite pleased with myself.

[rydra_wong]

At the moment, the Arch seem to be using "V0" to stand for "V0 and under"; they have been through various phases of labelling, which at one point included "V :)".

But they've got a nice and varied range of problems in that general range right now.

Anyway, I hope you have a lovely time!

[juliet]

I did! Indeed, I climbed several of their V1 (on-sight in a couple of cases) & worked out half of a V2, & was generally a bit surprised by being unusually competent. It was pleasingly unbusy & the folk who were there were nice & friendly. Will definitely be going back! Thanks again for the tip :)

[rydra_wong]

\o/ Go you!

It was pleasingly unbusy

Yes, apparently it gets jammed in the evenings, but if you hit the right off-peak times (and there isn't a school party in), you can often have a whole wall to yourself.

And both staff and clientele seem to be very nice and chilled out.

[rydra_wong]

Oh! I forgot to mention -- when the tag on a problem gives the setter's name as "Johnny", they do mean this guy *g*.