Is slab climbing hard reddit. Finally rediscovered climbing recently in dec 2023.

Is slab climbing hard reddit Can climb most V4 slabs in a few attempts and all V3s but can't even touch many V4s that require actual skills. . Hi y'all lately I resoled my grandstones who previously had C4 rubber, it was good rubber for smearing on slabs even if it wore off pretty quickly. Many climbers underestimate the importance of core muscles in climbing. With every grade the holds get harder and the techniques coincide with climbing strength, like upside down knee bars. This barrier is frustrating, but given my time on the wall I understand I just need to keep at it. I used to do much better on slab/face and got tired of sucking on overhung stuff so I did a lot of strength training. I climb about v7-v9 overhangs preferring medium crimps and big moves, however if the slab climb is comp style or just not crimpy I have a hard time flashing v4 or higher Board climbing can teach you some core fundamentals such as body tension from your toes to your fingers, as well as teaching you to try really fucking hard to stay on the wall (which isn`t something that happens a lot in say slab climbing), contact strength is also a big positive from board climbing that translates to other climbing, as well as Since you mentioned slab, I'm assuming you are also climbing outdoors. He claims that slab climbing is a sure-fire way to improve climbing technique (greater awareness of body position, balance etc). What Is Slab Climbing? V8+: Is hard to distinguish, at least at my current level. trueBe as welcoming and supportive as possible. Struggling on slabs (6A to 6B+) I'm by no means a hard climber but I figured I'd get the most straight forward answer here to diagnose the problem. Classic roofs however? If you are in the area, City of Rocks, NM has a V7 slab I did that was fucking amaaaaazing! I think it's called Urban Legend and is in the guide book for the area. Slab - how hard does it get? Since moving out to California I've started climbing a lot of slab and have been loving it. Nov 27, 2025 · Discover what is a slab in rock climbing and learn how this unique technique challenges your balance and precision on less-than-vertical rock faces. I decided to go for a normal fit rather than downsizing because I wanted to use it for smearing/slab and longer climbs like multipitch. On a techy vert or slab, that strength can't save you in the same Slab is a style of climbing, not a type of hold. The hard slab redpoints the best thing to do is to get on the pitch before its in the sun, so anything frictiony on the Apron or at Shannon Falls you should be fine before noonish. Nothing gets the blood pumping more than being 25 ft above your last bolt on friction moves. The Dawn Wall isn’t slab, so the technique isn’t identical, but it’s worth looking at the foot positions there as well and there’s awesome footage available. You cannot train slab footwork in the gym, its impossible. FULL SNAKE DIKE/HALF DOME TRIP REPORT – SUMMIT 9/2/2022 – LONG READ The entire story is broken up into many replies to this thread, read as much as you want. For me it was a mental thing. I have only climbing in relatively hard shoes (Scarpa Vapor), but am looking to move into some softer shoes, to improve technique and foot strength. I consider myself a fairly high level boulderer. Also, proficiency in Valley climbing is proficiency in all crack sizes and slick slab/face climbing. 10 moccs), and an all-around performing all-day trad shoe good for a mix of crack and slab, like a TC pro TC pros or similar pretty much supplanted the moccs/mythos in Are aggressive downturned shoes mandatory for hard bouldering? In all the old master of stone videos, everyone is climbing hard in those purple mythos. I think it would be helpful to have more variety on different types of terrain as a beginner. On training walls, look for horizontal transverse routes with slabby footholds, being closer to the ground might help with the nerves. i think that's a really important fact and i struggle a lot with it. Jun 8, 2022 · Here are our six keys to master-class slab climbing. I've been heading down the crack climbing rabbit hole (as much as a Texan climber can) and thoroughly enjoyed the process. A comment about the "drop the heels" rule: it works for friction slab or smedgy footholds, but if you're climbing "steep" slab (closer to vertical), this won't work as well because you're relying more on edging than pure friction. It was fun to see him progress to slab climbing as hard as he climbs non-slab. Beyond that, he had a series where he focused hard on his weakest style spoiler it was slab. I love slab. Good low level setting is really important to get new people into the sport! Heavier individuals tend to experience more finger strain. I like it because I have adhd and usually a very loud and "busy" brain, climbing slab forces you to slow down, breath and be calm. my shoe lineup is: aggressive-ish sport/bouldering shoe (like miuras), slabby smearing shoe (mythos would work but there are much cheaper options, I use 5. I also find slabs/mantles intuitive and easy by comparison to overhangs and really squishy stuff. As per title, I'm awful at climbing anything on an overhang (V4-6 on slab/vert, V3-4 on overhang). 1. The muiras will be good for outside slabs/small feet etc but they just aren’t designed for hard overhung bouldering - especially indoors where basically every hold is slightly sloped. Especially since a lot of gyms in the US "tweak" the difficulty to not have beginner stuck on the V0/V1 (which, as you saw, is a quite decent level already outdoor). We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. V9 usually takes a few tries, i can knock out most 10s in a session or two. Showing and following examples of larger climbers on social media can help. A big day, either way. Why do people think only friction slab climbing counts as slab climbing? Most of the worlds hardest slabs, are close to vertical with athletic movements on small holds. I boulder pretty hard but struggle on moves way below my limit on sport. if this route is really shabby you be able to get you vent over your feet really solidly. If climbing is training your core, your core is limiting your progress and you can improve climbing by training core muscles. I've been climbing a few years almost entirely indoors and on slightly overhanging to very steep walls meaning I have heavily neglected climbing slab. in slabs my footwork is good enough (due to climbing a loot of slabs in my youth and climbing in the slick swabian jura). Slab for technique? Hi everyone, I’d like some of your opinions regarding a discussion I’ve been having with my climbing partner. This is difficult to pick up where you don't have glacier polished granite. 14+ slabs exist in Spanish granite—but one of the hardest slabs in the U. Been pushing back into the V8 range after taking a year off of climbing during covid, which generally seems to be my plateau. I would skip the mythos. Also surprisingly durable for a high performance shoe, lasted 8 months before I resoled them could have probably pushed it another month or 2. This is an incredibly long-winded full trip report, from trip planning to summit, if you don’t care about anything else, the route report itself starts at Part 3. If you're climbing cave problems, you can keep band-aiding your climbing with more power/strength, at least to a certain extent for a given level of technique. For outdoor, I would have dedicated shoes for slabs vs overhang. And how could you judge the angle of a wall better from a picture, than being there in person? And since I have used mostly stiff shoes for all my climbing, even on tenuous slabs, I feel like I’ve trained myself to trust my feet even with less sensitivity. I also completely don't understand slab climbing because I just don't do it often. 15lbs later I do well on overhung stuff, but now face climbing is hard. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. There are some videos of Nalle climbing really hard slab that would be worth checking out. The techniques themselves won't transfer, but I think that the importance of technique gets emphasized by climbing slab. I would climb about 2/3 days a week often times taking 2 days minimum between climbing days to be completely fresh to tackle my outdoor projects. However it seems most of the folks pushing high double digits generally trend toward stiffer shoes Could it be a mental block? I started climbing in 2019, climbed for a year, pandemic hit, stopped climbing when gyms closed. I'm 182cm / 6'0", weigh about 95kgs / 210lbs (I come from a powerlifting background and still train powerlifting alongside climbing). If that's all you do, you'd be missing out on getting other types of movement on slab, slopers, volumes, etc. In a world so consumed with image and ego, it’s really cool to see someone be humble and do things they’re not exceptional at. For reference, I have been climbing for two years. And falls are more Hi, So I’ve been climbing pretty regularly for about 2 years now. Also start minding your footwork more on other problems, so you can incorporate that into slabs. I am an average height, pear-shaped chick, who prefers verticle slabs, dihedrals, and cracks. While the softer angle enables climbers to place more of their body weight on their feet, slab climbs maintain the challenge by having smaller holds. Often you can't judge how hard a move is without actually trying it, because micro changes in a foothold could change how much strength one needs to do the move. For climbing hard slab I recommend getting very confident with your footwork. It often requires lots of careful balancing, and precise movements, often on a wall that slopes slightly away from you. The official Reddit community for the physics based skateboarding game True Skate. One major drawback for training boards that I see is that the training only really applies to steep climbing. 490 votes, 96 comments. Some of the earliest forms of rock climbing were on large easy-angled slabs encountered by climbers while 103 votes, 64 comments. is graded just 5. For bouldering, you'd probably want more down turned shoes (but again depends on local rock) for heel Bouldering shoes come in all shapes and sizes. I only ever really climb slab when I compete at university competitions. And yes we are scared of falling. S. Here in Italy 5. The model that’s best for you depends on a variety of factors, including on your body type, climbing style, how hard you climb, the type of rock you climb on, how many different pairs you want to own, and how much money you want to spend. 13c which might be why it's been unrepeated for 23 years. I am terrified of heights and get scared a lot on Slabs are worth getting into. 15a slab was recently established on UK slate, and 5. Ive got a 6'1" strong but slender guy friend who loves overhangs and anything he can handjam. Another friend is 5'11 This past season I got my first v12 and really the major thing I did is rest more. The majority of people, though, even at a high level of climbing, are not nearly specialized enough to warrant not training a core climbing movement for fear of gaining mass. Because of how malleable and soft that rubber is, this made it really perfect for slab climbing and smearing. The home of Climbing on reddit. Available on iOS and Android devices! MembersOnline Ledges are so hard to grind upvotes ·comment r/ClimbingCircleJerk r/ClimbingCircleJerk Mike is our patron, Honnold our saviour MembersOnline I used my own harness at the gym and got banned upvotes ·comments r Reddit's rock climbing training community. With the v3 slab, it could also be a technique thing. Indoor slabs often are so different in climbing style that people who don’t really engage with that style, probably won’t learn the fundamentals of it and thus never be good at it. Been climbing for about 8 years now, primarily indoor bouldering with some occasional trad/sport and bouldering outdoors. Reply reply Twoodeep • Definitely keep practicing. I feel like my climbing has improved so much since having them - even when I wear my tarantulas again - because they taught me what it feels like to actually trust my feet. I always wondered if there is a corrilation between your body type and how it effects what type of climbs you prefer. The you’re probably not climbing it like a slab. I had only been climbing like a year at the time and not climbing very hard grades, but I couldn't pass up on that price. I could only ever do max v2s. I'm just curious why there aren't really training boards for slab climbing. I've also been to gyms that grade soft--especially in the v0-4 range in order to appeal to new climbers. Dec 7, 2023 · A 5. Consider top rope to bouldering! Consider slab climbing! Will lessen the impacts of weight. Cause that's what pistol squats are, a core movement for vertical and slab climbing. Dedicated to increasing all our knowledge about how to better improve at our sport. The best way to the RNWF is in one push since the hauling on the route is terrible. Get your hips into the wall and rely on your feet. But if you're psyched on it, giv'er! Hiking the slabs up to North Mountain can feel V5 sometimes. 10 rubber is impossible to get and my resoler used la sportiva vibram Edge by mistake because I asked for vibram xs grip 2 which is similar to C4 and not hard like edge. Some gyms have powerful overhung climbing setters who set pretty easy slabs. On the other hand, short powerful sequences on a steep wall can suit someone bigger quite well as the holds are generally bigger. When I started I could do v2 and muscle through some v3s Now my technique is vastly improved but I’m still climbing v3s and can barley do some v4s. Either camp at the base or go car-to-car. Eventually hard slab requires weighting micro footholds and handholds, which is difficult when you have large feet and hands. I'm wondering if the scarpa Drago would be a good first soft shoe, or if it would be too demanding on my toes and overall foot strength? Dec 7, 2023 · A 5. The problem is the reliance on climbing grade indoor, they are so different from outdoor that it's very hard to compare. May 26, 2021 · Below we’ll look at all the nuances of slab climbing; what makes a good slab climbing shoe, what’s the best temperature for slab climbing and what to look for in a slab climbing shoe, as well as a guide to the best slab climbing shoes on the market. As long as your climbing days have a goal or purpose taking a few days between climbing should keep you fresh to improve. I get by primarily with passable technique and footwork and okay finger strength, none of which I seem to be able to transfer to climbing on anything worse than a shallow overhang. The accuracy, balance, flexibility etc. Board climbing is a great way to get stronger for climbing but it is a very 1-dimensional style of climbing. Climbing slab requires good technique, precision, and trust in your abilities. In rock climbing a slab climb (or friction climb) is a type of climbing route where the rock face is 'off-angle' and not fully vertical. Does your gym have slab climbing? Mine doesn't, really, especially not the bouldering area. One thing I've always wondered, what's the "gold standard" for higher end bouldering when it comes to shoes? I've always liked the softies because I can feel a lot more. I've been focusing on slabs for quite a while and haven't had this happen to me yet. For slab, it's good fo have shoes with neutral profile and sticky rubber, since you'd be smearing a lot. My weight is probably the biggest issue, I am 210 lbs @ 5’9 but a lot of it is muscle (powerlifting background). Good footwork is just an extension of good body positioning, as you need to know how and where you can place your feet to find that best body position. Most people don't go to Hueco for the classic slab climbs. they are extremely expensive for what they are. After just climbing for two months I’ve progressed to v3. Sep 22, 2021 · Slab climbing is hated by many but loved by the dedicated. Finally rediscovered climbing recently in dec 2023. Read, follow, and absorb them, and you may just learn to love climbing without holds. Nov 4, 2025 · Difficulty of Slab Climbs - SuperTopo's climbing discussion forum is the world's most popular community discussion forum for people who actively climb outdoors. Some setters are really good at slab and therefore set really hard sandbagged slab problems. you'll learn from slab climbing is invaluable imo, but yes, it is a scary prospect to slide down the wall catching your face and groin on protruding V-beginner handholds. Soft shoes on the other hand have less support, making standing on tiny foot chips much more difficult. Reddit's rock climbing training community. Of course the power and strength can still improve your lower angle abilities, but why aren't there boards at vertical/slab angles to be able to train that style in the same way? Is there practical reasons or Hi climber folks! This question is completely out of curiosity. 337 votes, 50 comments. you might be aware of your center but you’re not applying that awareness effectively. If you learn a few tricks, you’ll find yourself much better equipped to take on big days out on friction slab or that weird slopey problem at the gym. I find it very therapeutic and a much better experience than big burly muscley climbs. This reads more like a non-fiction story than a route guide, but oh The solution is still my favorite sport climbing shoe that I have tried, precise and makes me feel confident on even the smallest feet.