It’s not gross or even painful unless it gets ingrown. Both times my nail has died a new one has already been growing 4 weeks + underneath

Here are two of yesterday’s better climbs. Too bad my phone died before I worked the 6





Kept catching the Gaston on green V4 with 2 fingers but it was enough, was too far to the right of the hold though so it was hard to fit the right hand and it turned into a 2 finger match. I think the first few Moves were V3-4 and the finish was easier. On the black route pretty much every move was V2-3, mainly because the holds were pretty shallow

6/20

Climb 45 mins RS Dedham

First time I’ve climbed at night like this. Had a lot of energy so I went for it. Skin wasn’t in good condition so I took short rests and called it quits early. Decent session overall, climbed a couple new 2’s and one 3 that felt like a 4

My RS membership expires early July, but if they reset the rest of the gym by then i’ll probably extend it another month, only $44 and I feel like I have unfinished business on a couple projects in rock spot south Boston

Funny note re: the toe: the antibiotics cleared it up by the time I went to the doctor. He drained the toe a little and pulled out a piece of nail from the side without even causing bleeding, then told me to go climb

also saw hand doctor and she told me to keep climbing 2x/week or more, just make sure I have 2-3 days rest between sessions and Don’t train if the finger is worse than it was at the start of the previous session. She also tested my hand strength, crushing grip was only a little above average for an athletic male my size, but according to her my finger strength in a clawing position was “like another species”... lol awesome

sounds like you need to train some pinches ;P

Alobar, I definitely do. Fat pinches are a nightmare

6/23

Climbing 3 hours rock climb Fairfield

Flashed two 3’s, sent a 3+ in 2 attempts, sent a 4+ in 2 attempts, and sent another 4+ which I felt was just a 4. Also came quite close on two 5’s. Session was pain and tear free except some front deltoid soreness at the very end. If I can make it back to CT next Sunday I anticipate sending one of the 5’s. Crimp strength is feeling pretty solid right now. Can only imagine what I will be able to do by Fall when I’ve lost another 15-20 pounds and gotten a few more months of training in. I think one arm lock offs might be the next step in terms of strength progression. I’m also stronger on pull-ups than TRX rows which is sort of messed up

Before that i’ll climb with my college buddy on Monday. Then maybe go for the 6 at CRG Framingham Thurs.

Gotta start making it back to PT once a week. Been a little frustrated with the coach who recently equated a pistol squat to a 225lb leg press...I love the owner of the gym and there’s no better gym on MA for physical therapy, but at this point I pay to use the facility and not much else. I have 6 sessions left, think i’ll rewrite my program to only include stuff I can’t do on my own at home, mainly band work and TRX.

6/26

Climbing 1:45 CRG Warwick

Flashed two 3’s and fell on a bunch of other stuff including one 2. I still make tons of sequencing and beta errors

Will go for a volume climb around V1-3 in the next couple days and go hard again Sat or Sun

Bad last 2 days of diet. Not smoking is hard.

6/27

Climbing 45 mins

Went to watertown while in area but left quickly after warmup went bad and a large group of toddlers invaded the bouldering section. Last time I ever go to Watertown CRG

Will probably power through tomorrow if not sore again and try to volume V1-2 and work technique, then climb some 3’s and higher if I have it in me

At this point losing weight and improving training capacity seem like the main goals

6/29

Good few days of diet. Not perfect but good enough for now. Gonna go for a perfect day today/tonight and tomorrow during the day so I can have some steak and wine with my buddy on Sat night. Looking like I’ll take this week off CT since I have an exam Monday

Climbing later! Feeling fresh and light. Glad I skipped yesterday, felt like a rock

Been doing some PT work at home. New Momentum schedule is 9am-10am Mon Weds or Fri 1x/week. Switching coaches

6/29

Climb 2.5 hours

Crushed today, flashed tons of 3’s and some 4’s and came close on a couple 5’s.

Got very far on a 6 too. Will upload video if anyone is interested. The top moves seemed impossible though. Various confidence boosting things happened this session, it seems like my crimp strength is really good right now despite my weight, even if everything else is lacking. Met a guy who could climb most of the 5’s in the gym and flashed a 6, could somehow use a couple micro crimps he couldn’t, yet he was able to take a sideways position and statically do the crux on my white V6, which felt physically impossible when I tried it. Dynamic move to the pocket wasn’t happening either way. Will try again

Here’s as high as I got on the 6. Any beta suggestions from this point on would be amazing! At this point I made it past the miserable slopers and am on two ok crimp/pinches but have little idea what to do next

https://imgur.com/a/BQPgUOy


(Don’t know how to get image to post here)

Sounds like you are crushing lately!!! Nice work!

I wouldn't mind seeing a video of your attempts on this rig. Standard disclaimer of it is really difficult to give beta via looking at a photo or video. With that said, it looks like the problem is set to press up to the next still hold. Something like palm down or into with your left hand on the far left hold. Get your right foot up higher, either by your knee or waist and press up reaching the next sloper with your right hand. The idea being like you are steming and pushing away with your palm and foot in a dihedral. Again, no clue if that is best. But those are my first thoughts when looking at the holds.

are you allowed to use the grey volume?

my first instinct would be to get right foot up & weight on it so you can hold that hold you're holding now with your left hand in the optimal direction, then use right hand on volume to stand up on the big red hold with your right foot. then statically move right hand to sloper at top

from there, if there's no foothold hidden by your body, hard to say. maybe you can reach finish hold with left hand and then get a foot on the hold next to the stone wall?

Yes, but its slanted without texture and has those huge black holds in the way too

I think getting right foot up somewhere seems like the only clear move. I think if I can get my right hand on the top sloper it could be possible to match on it (or get a hand on the top crimp pinch thing) and unwind and get the left foot on but idk

Here's the video, there's a chip at the start you can't see. I know how horrifying this chicken wing is, my shoulder is fine and this isn't something I normally do, but just a warning its really bad lol

Beta solution:

Move your left leg up to the green. Right hand to the point on the big black thing, then reach with left hand up to the red round thing. Push off left leg and reach for the top with right hand. Your body will have to be about 30° from horizontal with your head favcing to the right.
I have no idea about climbing, but that seems like it would work.

Anyway, can you please tell me what the distance between where your legs can reach is called? Is there a similar term for stride when walking?

Feels like it's impossible to discuss slab beta, but that's all you seem to want to climb/post lol.

There are so many micro foot positions and balance-y spots that idk how anyone who isn't there with you could help.

You need to vid some cave/overhang climbs man!

alright. Will see what I can do

Keep in mind, I'm a big fat unathletic guy. For V6 the slab is as good as it's gonna get. I almost climbed a 4+ on the roof in CT a couple weeks ago, that's as far as I've gotten in the cave

there are actually 3 V3-4 in the cave i can try. Will video next session

Don't underestimate yourself! Just keep practicing those overhangs and you will learn the movement.

Here is a personal example. I'm not quite as heavy (150lbs) but am your standard mid 30s unathletic poker type. My first year and half of climbing I was very weak on overhanging terrain. I climbed at your standard big gym with tall walls and stuck to mostly vert/gently overhanging terrain. I finally decided to go a much smaller school room type gym. Roughly 20 degree overhang is as vertical as it gets there. Most of the walls are 40 degree to 60 degree over hung. There is also a Moonboard. 1.5 years later I have significantly improved on steep terrain and actually prefer it. I still struggle on more gymnastic type moves, but am working on getting better. Morale of the story:. You get good at what you practice.

That makes sense cotton. I am sure my power would go way up if I started doing more volume in the cave too. Despite my lifting background my bent arm pulling is not a strength.

I think I often avoid it because the cave is so exhausting + I climb slow (instincts and confidence just aren't there yet), so a single 90 second climb even below my limit leaves me pumped for 10+ minutes after, while I could do that sloper slab climb up to the crimps 10-15 times over an hour and work the crux. Almost like a different sport vs. climbing in the cave

I'm gonna get down to 170-75 and it will get easier anyway. Ideally I'd like to be a less muscular version of TooCurious, I think that would suit my body type and fitness goals well ]

I'm heavy as hell today after a big pizza cheat yesterday + 3 glasses of wine, but maybe I can manage this V3/4 in the cave with a double toe hook start

I want to add that camera angle makes the walls look slabbier, the wall in the 6 above is barely less than vertical, same for the wall in south boston. There's no question though, go from slight slab or vertical wall to overhanging and my limit instantly drops to V4, and not sure I've ever climbed harder than a 3+ in the cave

i don't know but this seems significant. It's a big advantage for me to be able to take long steps or get really stretched out. It's not just a matter of leg length because you need the flexibility too. I'm close to a full split/straddle but not quite there, I think getting to that point would benefit my climbing a lot

7/5

Climb 2.5 hours

Sent a few new 3’s and came within one move of a 5, unfortunately that move is to a terrible sloper and seems like the hardest move of the route .

I did try a V3 cave climb but was too tired and couldn’t seem to use a hold

Also stuck on another weird 3 with a terrible crimp that’s probably a 4, and a 4 with a bad sloper I barndoor off

Did manage a hands free kneebar finish on a hard 4, quite happy with that, mentally it was a step forward

Haven’t been drinking. Weight drop please? Thx

V5:

https://youtu.be/yArbg-j4kj4

V3 crimp climb:

https://youtu.be/VsuCD4fbGkY

V4 sloper problem:

https://youtu.be/ZZtbByLE0QI

V3 position I fell in:

https://imgur.com/a/WBs6DLM

The V5 looks like it will within a session or two. Nice job! It looks like the setter wants your left foot on the hold below where your right foot is and then the right foot out wide on the foothold near the blue blobs. Your beta seems simpler to me though. Just have to stick that last move and it is gg.

Your footwork and foot switching seems like it is improving. Don't get too frustrated on that purple sloper problem. That thing looks like it is hard. Keep on crushing!