New Log. Seems like the right time

Age is 30, BW 198, climbing since Jan 2017. Goals are 20-30 pounds of weight loss and getting better at climbing. In my previous log I made good progress going from Vb to V4 but my weight has fluctuated. This year I'll right the ship.

Here's the last post in my previous log:

I am going to keep trying beta on the V5 and maybe get some advice. Hope it goes! The final move doesn't feel close the way I did it. It seems like a good 5 for me, mostly balancy crispy V4 moves with one V5 move at the finish. Not super soft but not crazy hard 5 either

Thanks, trying to put in more volume at V1-2 and really work the feet. Down climbing is also helping

The purple sloper is hard as **** to fight the barndoor and I have no idea how to do it and haven't seen anyone else do it either. For some reason my left hand is just giving me nothing. Maybe turning hip to wall would help

Couple videos from the last thread:

IN!

Agreed with the post in the your last thread on the yellow V5, the routesetter put that right foot way out there for a reason. Get your left foot under you and then stick that right foot. I'd say go up the wall, match the finish and then see where your feet need to be to not barndoor.

In

7/6

Climb 2 hours

Sent a new pretty straightforward 4. After 2 hours I wasn’t tired but realized my finger tips were bleeding and had to stop. Gonna need a couple days off

Hit a dyno on a 5+ on my first try. Never done a dyno on a route close to this hard. It’s basically a dyno to a volume from a weird position, get one foot on a foot chip way down, followed by a massive left hand Gaston you collapse into, switch feet and match hands on, get right foot way up to volume, then rotate way far right, pressing out with the left, and grab a tiny crimp on the top right of the volume then left hand overhead to double overhead press finish. When I saw this route without a grade I thought it was like an 8 with an impossible finish, but I just couldn't see the beta at the time

you get banned or something?

No. I just don't want to be associated with old name/screenname. But more than that, my old log was a cluster**** of random ranting. However I could link it here for the sake of continuity. Hope this is OK

7/9

climb 2 hours

Didn't get a lot done here, was still a little fatigued from 2 sessions in a row 3 days ago. Was too tired to work final move on my 5 or the start on the 4 with the kneebar finish.

Hit the dyno again on my 5+ but couldn't match the gaston like the guy I saw. Considering alternative beta

Sent a V3 pinch climb traverse that was probably just 2+ and a new V2 with some sketchy holds

Mostly worked on a sloper/crimp climb with some pretty bad holds. Sent it from 2nd move, figured out 1st move and then tried it again but pumped out on the final move. Not sure if this is a V4 or 5. The worst holds could be found on a hard 4 and there's one massive move and one really bad foot you have to fully commit to. I think 4/4+ is probably appropriate. Will video the send next session.

Tried a new 5 crimp climb and made a few moves. This one looks very possible but I haven't gotten far. There's also a 6 that seems like a 5 but has 2 big moves to the finish that might be harder than they look. Then they set a new 4 which is clearly a 5 with a massive move that probably has to be done as a dyno

This was a lower volume session. Plan is to climb again in 1-2 days and go easy, then have a big session on Friday in CT (first time in 3 weeks)

Happy with diet progress after pizza blowup a week ago, results incoming

7/15

took 5 days off. Was worried about my shoulders and upper back after doing a shoulder destroyer move on a 5 a couple times in my last session. Still felt tight when I did a couple pull-ups

Abs have been sore for 12 days now.

Climb 2.5 hours

Decent lower volume session. Flashed some 2's and sent a 3 and a 4 after some work on both, then worked on a move on a 6 basically just because everyone was doing it. Fell on a solid 4 at the end of the session where I basically just lost confidence and hesitated. Have a video of this one. Had some luck on a V5 crimp climb but my skin couldn't take projecting it.

My fingers were bleeding an hour into this session. I need some really good skin cream or something cuz this is just terrible

bw: 197.5

Where are your fingers bleeding? Is it your tips or more like slashes underneath your knuckles?

It was my tips 3/4 climbs in the last couple weeks. My skin is dry and even after a 4 day rest it’s still relatively raw shortly into the session. Any cream recs? Maybe I can get the stuff Ondra uses. I’ve struggled with dry, sensitive skin since I started climbing

4 I lost confidence and fell on:

I have a friend who swears by Rhinoskin Repair. I haven't used it though. I am about to head off on a climbing trip and he gave me some to try out, so we will see. If stuff like Working Hands doesn't work for you, maybe give Rhinoskin Repair a try?

It looks like you just got out of position on that last move in the video. Even if you latch that hold you fell on, it is going to be difficult to move afterwards. Notice how your COG is trailing off to the right when you fall. It will help tremendously I suspect if you can position yourself further right (and underneath that sloper) before you initiate the bump with your left hand

So how to get there? My first instinct is just to square up and put your right foot on the hold you used with your right hand to start the problem. You may be able to avoid the foot switch at 0:19 by crossing your left foot through to the hold which your right foot ends up on at 0:32. It looks like you have multiple options here, but the key takeaway is that your COG needs to be better positioned before you start the move.

I might try to get a foot on the starting hold before this move and sink your hips down a bit so you're doing the move a bit more static vs. trying to catch that bad crimp in motion. Possible to stand on the start from that spot? Not sure if it's angled the right way.

Will check out Rhino, thanks

Sounds like you and Cotton both think alike. I think my weight was towards the left near the good hold my left hand was on. The sloper is really bad, equal to the worst sloper I've felt on a 4 with nowhere good and not sticky at all, which is probably why I was having trouble shifting my weight right. I will give it a try and get further underneath it. Does right hip to wall make sense or maybe not if I'm getting further right? Or maybe squaring up is possible as Cotton pointed out

The side pull/crimp I bumped the left hand to isn't that bad. I think I probably could have stuck it if I were a little more confident with the move.

7/16

Climb 1.5 hours

I woke up this morning feeling amazing. Did a few pull-ups and they felt better than the day before so I taped my tips and went for a 2nd day on, planning on going again Tues.

Warmed up on some 1's and 2's and fell on a 4 and 6 I worked in previous sessions (had sent the 4 but was having trouble this time), but didn't feel discouraged and put in a flash attempt on a 4+ that a bunch of people were working and falling on and managed to stick it! That would be my hardest flash ever. Will video next time I do this route. Also sent a bizarre and very fun V3 route I can't really describe, except it starts with a dyno I avoided. Will try to do the dyno and send from the start next time. Finally, flashed a new route that felt like a 3, and worked on an overhanging 6 with fat pinches (weakness of mine) where I could do a few moves before I got lost and fell. I now realize I need a right heel hook. Will keep working on this one

Hand heel match on the right to then match on the vertical pinch.

Edit:lol should've read your entire post.

That purple 6 you posted looks like a cool problem. My first thought was a hand heel and matching the vertical pinch. After watching the video a few more times I am not sure what to do! I am worried the heel will pull us too far to the right and make the move afterwards really difficult. I'll be curious to see what you come up with. It looks tricky to me.

7/18

Climb 2 hours

Went to Warwick and tried to find new projects. Sent 3 new 3’s, one crimp slab one crimp on the flat wall and one overhanging climb, but got pumped quickly into this session and other routes proved too resistant. 4’s at this gym are legit, not a soft spot to be found. Found several new projects V3-4, as well as one slightly slabby 5 that should go in 1-2 sessions.

7/19

Climb 1:30

Today nothing was slightly sore except my forearms and skin was good. Having just listened to an Eric Horst podcast suggesting not letting forearm pump dictate training, and wanting to start pushing higher volume, I went in again.

Fell 3x on a new 2 surprisingly, messed up beta first 2 tries then missed and bloodied my arm on a hold on the 3rd try and decided to move on

Beyond that sent a few 3's all repeats, and one repeat V4 crimp climb with only 1 V4 move in the route, then projected crimp climbs/moves V5-7 until I wasn't making progress and called it a day. 1/4 the gym was in the process of being reset today, eager to check the routes out asap as there seem to be a lot of routes 3-6.

Fell on a V3 dyno route I can easily send after the start. This isn't really discouraging since I have little experience with run and jump dynos and the feet on this one are big but very slippery. I don't doubt the move was only V3 but I couldn't get it in 5-6 attempts and decided it wasn't worth wasting time on (today). There's another V3 dyno to sloper route in this gym which I haven't tried yet either

Found an awesome new green crimp climb which unfortunately might be above my level. It's too bad because I have the beta and the route seems to play to my strengths, but the crimps are so bad after the 1st big move that I question whether its possible for me to move onto them at this weight/strength level. I tried the move 6x after figuring out the beta and my fingers ripped off the crimp every time no matter how static i tried to make it, and the next 4-5 moves to the top are all with feet but on equally bad crimps... seems certain they will grade this one at least a 6 based on the quality of holds alone. I think the move I'm falling on is probably the crux

Had a few remarkably good days of diet in which I ate 0 food after dinner and still wasn't hungry the next morning. Not sure where I will weigh in for Saturdays 2.5+ hour session but could be as low as 195. Seems bad considering I started the year around 200, but it still represents 5+ pounds of progress in a relatively short period

Remarkably awful crimps on a V5 slabby problem, foot is off to the left when using these:

https://imgur.com/a/gc2UkGD

There's also an annoying V4 at this gym with a hands free kneebar finish where I can do every move except one big pulling move matched on a crimp to a jug with a heel hook far to the right and left foot off... I've seen it done statically but the move is big and lockoff is as deep as possible, and despite the heel I don't have the lockoff strength to make it happen (today anyway)

7/21

climb 3 hours

Sent my Orange 4. Winning beta was to get the right foot on the start hold, get to left hand side pull crimp, then get right foot way up with right hip turned to wall and statically reach the top hold

Worked in the cave after this and struggled on some V2-4, sending nothing above V2 but also not putting more than 2-3 attempts into any problem

Finished up on an awesome V5 slab problem I can do every move of except one very balancey move I only got beta on at the end of the session. this one should go

BW: 197

Lol internet climbing friends ftw

Nice work on the problems! Are you still having any finger skin issues?

A friend loaned me the last of his Rhino Repair. I've been using it while I am on a climbing trip and it seems to work better than Working Hands. It doesn't seem to leave my hands quite as greasy.

YMMV though. I've been climbing on gneiss out here which doesn't seem to be as rough on my tips as southern sandstone. Perhaps there is a placebo effect? With that said, I'll probably buy a bottle for the upcoming fall/winter season in the SE.