Climbing harder outside than in the gym?

[Blake]

The only gym I have ever been to is the on-campus one at WWU, but is it unusual to climbing harder routes outside than inside? I onsight trad routes that are rated harder than gym climbs I can't even do on TR after hanging a bunch. The discrepancy is probably 3-4 letter grades. I have this same pattern with face climbs on real rock vs plastic.

 

Is this totally backwards from most people?

[catbirdseat]

I can lead many 5.10b sport climbs outside, but cannot in the gym. This is because the climbs in the gym are overhanging and too pumpy. If you get strong enough, the difference goes away.

[TrogdortheBurninator]

I agree, gym climbs tend to be heavy on endurance, light on rests. Hence very sustained. Real climbs tend to have big rests. I'd imagine route setters/graders play a big part too.

[RuMR]

I can lead many 5.10b sport climbs outside, but cannot in the gym. This is because the climbs in the gym are overhanging and too pumpy. If you get strong enough, the difference goes away.

are you talkin' exit 10b's? Cuz they ain't 10b...

[Sol]

i think there is some irony associated with the grades of the climbs at the WWU gym. there was a note up briefly after springbreak that said the staff of the wall finally went out and climbed some real rock. from what the note said, it seems like they had a hard time with real rock and have downgraded everything in the gym to reflect ratings of real rock routes.

 

i think its a situation in which gym climbers/route setters get smoked when they climb outside and climb super strong inside, with regular climbers climbing a lot better outside than they do in the gym. that's my best reasoning as to why the grades in that place are all over the chart.

[AlpineK]

My first time climbing outside in ages was at E38, but while there I was following 9s and 10s while I didn't seem to get much above 8s while climbing inside. I am recovering from an injury, but I still don't know what to make of that.

[Dannible]

When it comes to really steep/overhanging face climbing, I can 10+ in the gym, but only 10- outside. I am a lot better at slab and crack outside because I just know what to do on that kind of stuff, and the rests are better. Also, I think that I am more motivated when I climb outside because I don't really like climbing in the gym. That could be why you do better outside. The best/hardest climbing that I have done is in the mountains where the gear does not give me the option of falling.

 

I climbed in the gym all winter, and never really got any better at it, but when I went to Vantage for the first time this year, I was able to TR hard 11s and easy 12s, when last fall I was stuck on 10s, so I thought that all the gym climbing had paid off. I have since been humbled by the more realistic ratings at other climbing areas.

[selkirk]

I'll second Trogdor. I routinely run out of gas when trying to lead 10c in the gym (unless it's near vertical), and consistantly onsight 10c outdoors (sport or trad). After all, how many significantly overhanging (more than 5 or 10 deg's) outdoor 10b's are around here? And how many in the gym?

 

That said, I've onsighted things on lead that I pitched off when trying to toprope later in the day.

 

I think it also has a lot to do with the level of focus. It's easy to be lazy and inefficient on top rope, and leading in the gym is only a smidge better. But when I'm outside on the sharp end I'm much more focused and do a much better job resting and conserving energy.

[David Trippett]

like I was saying on sunday....being able to climb hard in a gym is like being good at darts....it just means you spend too much time in a bar.

[G-spotter]

it's impossible to spend too much time in a bar

[mzchristy]

My first time climbing outside in ages was at E38, but while there I was following 9s and 10s while I didn't seem to get much above 8s while climbing inside. I am recovering from an injury, but I still don't know what to make of that.

 

You still smoked me at the gym last week!

You rock!!!

[ilookeddown]

I guess its the way a route is rated. Do you rate it for the hardest move or how the entire route goes. In a gym, you can manufacture the route so every move goes at the same grade. Only a few slabs and cracks can do that.

[ashw_justin]

The only gym I have ever been to is the on-campus one at WWU, but is it unusual to climbing harder routes outside than inside?

 

I think the best gym training philosophy is to ignore the actual numbers. Try challenging stuff and try not to fall off. Sometimes that's a good way to go while outdoors too.

 

All practice routes should be sandbagged. I think of it as resistance training, like those guys who sprint with parachutes behind them to get faster.

[Lisa_D]

hmmm.. I'm embarrassingly horrible at the WWU gym. (I'm average outdoors). I blame it on polished features and holds, and the fact that the route setters are all a foot taller than me! Then again, I also get frustrated by following a set of moves dictated to me. I like the freedom of outdoor climbing.

[G-spotter]

Don't wory about numbers in the gym just volume/mileage of routes climbed. Gym routes are all so short anyways.

[Lisa_D]

yep, climbing laps at the gym is pretty much where it's at.

[Jens]

The ratings at my gym also tend to be harder for me than outside. Many of the lead routes in the "cool kid area" at my gym don't have any easy moves but don't have any hard moves either. Just a 3 minute anaerobic pump thing-a-majigs. At my gym, many plastic roped routes that nicely climb like outside are considered "poor" by many of the local gym junkies and gym rats- (smearing a lot on texture, distinct cruxes, slightly overhanging or vertical in angle). Although I do love my gym and they do a wonderful job! I've also noticed that at my gym many folks only climb on the steep 4 clip anareobic routes inside all year long and then don't do well on vertical tech fests like at smith and the like.

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As for ratings, you can't use Index in any conversation that involves ratings or comparisions because they aren't like the rest of the country (except for some areas back east).

[selkirk]

The Redmond VW is really bad about that. Talk about violently overhung lead routes

[ashw_justin]

As for ratings, you can't use Index in any conversation that involves ratings or comparisions because they aren't like the rest of the country (except for some areas back east).

 

I am confused... I was under the impression that if any grades around here were accurate, they would be the ones at Index? Isn't it supposed to be similar to Yosemite? (I have not climbed there.)

[RuMR]

violently overhung??? WTF??!?!

 

better not head to SLC or rifle or the new or virgin or well, anywhere other than slablandUSA aka. the pacific northwest...

 

oh, and jens...climbing anareobicly on that stuff is the perfect training for smith when the moves are all at your limit, whatever that may be...so nice to arrive at a crux not pumped outside due to the lower level "approach" climbing...

 

distinct cruxes in the gym are a waste of precious space...go boulder if you are looking for cruxes...its stupid to have 5.8 climbing to a single crux when you've only got 35 - 40 feet to work with...

[RuMR]

As for ratings, you can't use Index in any conversation that involves ratings or comparisions because they aren't like the rest of the country (except for some areas back east).

 

I am confused... I was under the impression that if any grades around here were accurate, they would be the ones at Index? Isn't it supposed to be similar to Yosemite? (I have not climbed there.)

 

no no silly boy...exit climbing is the standard... bawahahaha

[RuMR]

now...if i can only find some time to go to the gym or outside or whatever...

[ken4ord]

As for ratings, you can't use Index in any conversation that involves ratings or comparisions because they aren't like the rest of the country (except for some areas back east).

 

I am confused... I was under the impression that if any grades around here were accurate, they would be the ones at Index? Isn't it supposed to be similar to Yosemite? (I have not climbed there.)

 

IMO, Index has some pretty stout ratings, meaning I have found climbs at a similar grade to be harder there than any other place I have climbed at. In comparison to Gunks and Yosemite, Index is slightly harder. Those two areas I found to be much harder than other places in the country until I got to climb at Index.

[ashw_justin]

no no silly boy...exit climbing is the standard... bawahahaha

 

Oh yeah I forgot. What is Mambo up to now, 5.10c/d?

[Gary_Yngve]

Is that the .10a handcrack at X32?