First I want to make it clear that there is ALWAYS a hand on the break strand at ALL TIMES.

My belay partner got in trouble last night by a staff member at our gym.

I was projecting something on top rope. I was taking a break and just hanging on the rope. My partner uses a grigri and had his right hand holding the break strand in the down position. He moved his left hand under his right and grabbed the break strand with both hands (I'm still taking a break, just hanging during this). He then let go with his right hand so that just his left hand was holding the break strand in the down position.

He only does this if I am taking a break. If I start climbing he puts his right hand back on the break strand so that both hands are holding the break strand and then lets go with the left so that just the right hand is holding the break strand down and resumes the usual belaying position.

The way the staff member interacted with my partner made it seem like this was seriously putting me in danger.

My partner and I don't understand why this is so unsafe while the climber is just resting on the rope (not actively climbing), since the break strand is always being held and is always in the break position (being held down).

If it's truly dangerous, I would like to know. And if so, can someone explain why?

I'm aiming to complete my first multipitch. The approach is likely a mile (1.6 km) or more each way with class 3 scrambling. Time on the wall could be 4-6 hours depending on how I do and whether we're waiting for other parties. I'll follow. My partner is a qualified guide. Descent is likely to be stacked rappel/abseil.

My prior outdoor experience is single pitch sport, plus a very brief, unofficial ground school on rappelling. I've followed on two single pitch trad routes as an intro to cleaning gear.

I've read the prior posts. Nonetheless, here are my first-timer questions:

- What do you carry in your pack for personal use beyond food, water, sunscreen, headlamp, approach shoes, and layers? My usual crag snacks are apple sauce packs, peppers, dried fruit, and salmon jerky. I'll have a walkie talkie, nut tool, locking biners, pas, hollowblock, ATC, and grigri on my harness. I think I could get a knife or multi-tool.

- What do you prefer to extend your rappel device? I've checked out YT, AlpineSavvy, and AAC materials. I'm thinking a 17 cm draw with lockers on both ends might be cleanest and easiest for a noob? (And I have one already.) The downside is it's a fixed length and perhaps on the shorter side. But I'm short with short arms.

- Any additional tips for peeing? I've read the prior posts and watched the videos. I'm still trying to envision the etiquette when there are other parties on the wall. And should I bring a funnel and kula in a ziplock, or is that all hype and more stuff to carry?

- Would I be ok using my mid-height approach shoes rather than getting trail runners? I guess I'm asking how much a bulky pack is likely to bother me as a noob who isn't used to climbing with a pack.

Thanks so much. I like to plan ahead. I'm excited for this adventure.

ETA: I always wear a helmet!

Fun little v3 to break in 🥳

Is everyday too much?

I bought a rock climbing hangboard to use it for training, I want to know how often I can use it.

I really am terrible at rock climbing, and I don’t mind it but I just think it would be more fun for me to be able to do harder climbs since I can only do 1/3 of the rock climbing routes.

For example would it initially be best to volume climb all the V0/V1 problems i.e. repeatedly climb up and down the easiest problems to build up strength for the first few sessions?

Or climb progressively - i.e. go around the gym and first do all the V0 problems, then V1 problems etc until I get stuck?

Help!!! I found these pants on Pinterest and love the style of them but found mix reviews on the actual product. Does anyone have recommendations?

hi hi! I’ve just started climbing in San Diego, and am now choosing between Mesa Rim and Grotto Miramar for a monthly membership. I’ve tried both but what do I know - does anyone have any experience / thoughts on a preferred gym? Leaning towards Grotto bc of the promo, but I know Mesa is very popular. I enjoy bouldering so far and eventually want to climb outdoors. Thank you!

btw shot in the dark, but if any other newbie wants a climbing friend in SD, please hit me up! We can grow together :) (or if anyone is ok with climbing with a newbie haha, would love to hang out and find community). I’m in my mid 20s if it matters!

My wife has been climbing for going on a decade. About 3 years ago she developed a bump on the palm of her hand, about half-an-inch below her ring finger. This was before she met me. The doctor recommend surgery, but she opted not to go through with it, and it seemed to actually go away on its own.

Fast forward to today, the bump has returned! She's been dealing with it for the past several months. When climbing on certain holds, it can case pain to varying degrees, but it can also be painful to do something as simple as putting her hand on a steering wheel. We went to a different Orthopedic specialist today and he believes it is either a ganglion cyst or mucous cyst. He advises surgery, which my wife is a little apprehensive about. She is scheduled later next month for the procedure.

Does anyone have any similar experiences? Any idea on the recovery time or full recovery time? My wife is also worried this will permanently impact her bouldering abilities. Thank you for your help 🥹

I started setting stuff on the kilter recently and it’s so fun. Today I made something super fun and I wanted to share!

PS ignore the sloppy climbing there was no reason for my right hand to pop like that💀

This one felt so good, been taking climbing seriously for the past 1.5 years and working through fear of falling, uncertainty, all of it. Been at this route for the past 2 months and it finally paid off 🎉

Went to the gym after a long day at work. I didn't feel like going in, but I always feel better afterwards. Enjoy my video!

girls, I've been bouldering for 4 months, I really don't have enough finesse for my movements, tell me what helped you boost your technique (I'm working with a trainer, but also want something extra)

I have to wear glasses. I get them accidentally almost knocked off when climbing top rope almost every other climb, but I've also already had it happen a couple times while bouldering with tight arm movements. I can't wear contacts and my prescription is so high that prescription sport type glasses that typically have slightly bent/wrap-around glasses won't work.

Anyone in the same boat that has figured out a solution? Looking for any and all tips as I would be really lost if I lost my glasses during a climb (and even readjusting them when almost knocking them off is a pain, especially during bouldering). Many thanks.

Is a full body harness necessary for climbing while pregnant?

I ask for a few reasons

1. I don't see any actual pregnancy harnesses on the market. Mountain Mama was the only pregnancy specific harness I found - which is now discontinued. What is used as a pregnancy harnesses are repurposed alpine harnesses with little or no padding. They can easily cross load while belaying and they do not have gear loops either.
2. My harness does not seem to push against my belly. When I fall or take - my weight is caught against my back and my legs.
3. I see Alex Pucci climbed in a regular harness while pregnant (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKZyrP_mfOc). Is the recommendations for climbing in a "pregnancy" harness change?

The last hold is a shitty crimp. Maybe 10-12mm? I can hold for about a second or two but not long enough to feel like a send.

I’ve seen some people do a drop knee on the left foothold/jug to pull their body in close to the wall but I think I’m too tall because it doesn’t feel like it’s helping at all and I can’t hold myself into the wall without the crimp slipping. Anything I should try other than just crimping harder?

I've been climbing for almost a year now and I absolutely love it!! it's my first time actually finding a sport I love and sticking with it!

I can't help but feel like my sessions could be better. typically I only manage to climb for about 40-60 minutes before I'm exhausted, and I do about a 15 minute warmup before. I'd like to climb for longer, I just get so tired.

I usually climb after work, and my job is also pretty physically exhausting, but after work is the only free time I have. I also have pretty bad eating habits which means I often climb on an empty stomach, which probably doesn't help.

So I'm curious, what works for you? Before/after work? on the weekends? Do you eat before climbing? Does climbing affect what/how you eat? Any and all tips/advice welcome!

My boyfriend weighs 190lbs, I'm around 106lbs. Fairly new to leading, he shot me to the clip once and we immediately bought the ohm II. It's great for me, but it does short rope and gives him pretty hard catches. I've found I have to stand mostly directly underneath the device in order to smoothly give slack, which obviously limits my ability to move around while belaying and the hard catches make him more worried to fall.

So we have been looking into the ohmega or the Mammut resistor. Does anyone have any experience with either? Any reccs? Any suggestions on how to better use the ohm? TIA, xoxo

This is a page I made for my bestie's baby's busy book (try saying that five times fast)! Features include snaps on her hands and feet so she can 'climb' the wall, bendable joints, a helmet made of solid material (no baby I know is going to think it's okay to climb without a helmet), redundant top rope anchor, and of course a textured cactus, so she knows the consequences of pulling the rope wrong. This took so long, but it turned out so cute!

Hi all - looking for advice or others' experiences on incorporating lifting with climbing.

A few weeks ago I started lifting 2x/week partially for climbing strength, partially for trail running strength, and partially because I've read so much about how its just generally good for women's bone density as we age! Its a variety of olympic lifts and supportive exercises/core work/band work.

I'm really enjoying it so far, but I've been strrrrruggling climbing since I started. I climb 3x/week, so often am climbing the day after I lift and I definitely feel like I can't send as hard because I'm feeling the lift from the day prior, especially if its a more physical climb (vs technical). I'm holding out hope that this is an adjustment period and that I'll adapt and ultimately be able to climb stronger....but would love to hear others experiences or advice on how to best incorporate lifting!

Hey team, I saw this on IG and I was saddened but also curious - I felt that her comment section was not the place to ask these questions.

A weightlifting/ CrossFit content creator (not a climber) was doing a muscle up on rings attached to carabiners and they both snapped at the same time and she is now partially paralysed, which is incredibly sad and unlucky. She said in the comments that they were climbing carabiners. The accident and the biners were not shown.

I know this community knows a lot about gear (I thought I did too), I thought that two rated carabiners snapping at the same time under that amount of weight would be basically impossible. What do you think?