Depositing notes from mind and pockets; climbing confluences from the last few weeks.
Visiting: wolfmountain.co.uk
A new indoor climbing wall has recently opened in Wolverhampton. £6 registration and the £5 peak / £4 off peak. Visited for a brief look last week – still some construction going on but looks like there are some promising routes. Due for a re-grade as some are too easy for the stated grade. Price of entry may suffer from similar problem as (the now closed) Rock Face in Birmingham – needs a smaller price bracket for guys like me who want to get in and out quickly having blitzed the bouldering wall.
Reading: Primo Levi, The Periodic Table, chapter entitled Iron
Sandro climbed the rocks more by instinct than technique, trusting the strength of his hands and saluting ironically, in the projecting rock to which he clung, the silicon, calcium, and magnesium he had learned to recognise in the course on mineralogy. He seemed to feel that he had wasted a day if he had not in some way gotten to the bottom of his reserve of energy, and then even his eyes became brighter and he explained to me that, with a sedantary life, a deposit of fat forms behind the eyes, which is not healthy; by working hard the fat is consumed and the eyes sink back into their sockets and become keener.
Training: climbtherock
A short review of the Climb The Rock training machine, to formalise my thoughts so that my approach to it might be more focused next time I use one. I found one lying dormant in a gym and had fun covering its virgin holds with chalk.
- Focus on the centre of the wall as the conveyor is about 6 inches too short for someone with my reach – too distracted by worrying about catching the sensors at the top or running out of room at the bottom.
- 2 most useful options: a) aggressively overhung, steady pace, to focus on getting stronger or b) vertical at high speed to work on technique only.
- Unexpected benefit of conveyor: it removes the need to process any thoughts about planning the route itself, delivering the holds to you while you focus on technique. Climbing as meditation? Reminds me of discussion with Matt Webb regarding meditation techniques that help you to create mental freedom by introducing a gap between you and your body.
Related entries: diagramming, crimping and cranking and foot where?