The Gym

I have been going to an indoor gym a few times per week this winter to stay in shape and keep things fresh. When I started climbing in the gym (early winter) I had not climbed since summer and it was a totally new experience because I had also only climbed outside before that. I had never bouldered before and the hardest climb I had done was a 5.9. This past week I did a 5.11 YAY!!!! And I have completed multiple V2 and V2+ boulder problems and am currently working on a V3. I can't wait to see what I accomplish by the time the snow melts and I can climb outside. I hope others are just as pumped to climb also.

Progress

I am so siked I just got a climbing training board for my room from metolius! I am really Bad at pull ups though so I am trying hard to build up my muscles so I use it for longer periods of time than a few pull ups and some dead hangs. Does anyone have any suggestions to quicken up the process of strengthening my arms to do longer workout sessions? or any tips on great workouts?  I have also started climbing at a gym near myself once per week (since that is all I have time for at the moment) and I can't wait for spring when the snow melts to see how much I have improved and maybe that climb I was having trouble with this fall, which I mentioned in my "help I'm out of shape" post, will be easy now. Crossing my fingers to see some improvement!

Free Soloing

Free soloing is a type of climbing without ropes, but don't confuse it with bouldering. In bouldering you climb shorter climbs designed not to need a rope, instead you fall onto crash pads. Free soloing is climbing without a rope on bigger and longer pitches that are designed to use a rope. One of the greatest free soloers in the world and a huge Inspirational figure is Alex Honnold. He free soloed the three biggest rock faces in California Park in less than 24 hrs. He climbed Mount Watkins, El Capitan and Half Dome, a total of about 7,000 vertical feet of rock. He climbed for all but about 500 feet of it, without ropes. Here is the amazing video "Alone on the Wall".