Rock Climbing with Rob Pizem: treadwall

Showing posts with label treadwall. Show all posts

August 29, 2014

Grand Valley Climbing: Short Walking Videos

Grand Valley Climbing Gym Update! Opens Sept 13!!!!

The gym from the outside. A new building designed for the gym, not the other way around like most older gyms. The heating, air conditioning and environment was designed to be pleasant and easy to move around in, in addition to allowing the members to see what their friends are doing!

After entering the gym, this wall will be on your right. At 44ft tall, it has been designed to be a great place for beginners and intermediate climbers learn to top rope and lead. Most of the wall is lower angle and vertical with some minor features accenting the climbing. There are about 20 top ropes that will be set which will keep everyone climbing and happy, even at the busiest times!

Still some construction going on (actually they are moving out the tools to build the walls because they are all done. Now it is time to install the state of the art Asana flooring system which will make climbing in the bouldering area worry free! Notice the free standing boulder behind the tools. It is large and in charge with great angles to climb on!

More of the bouldering area. The walls are over 10 ft tall which allows the routes to be more than 2-3 moves long! Again, the area was designed with big sweeping clean angles to allow for lots of variety in the setting. There is plenty of overhanging and vertical terrain to please everyone.

Boom! The pit at 50 ft tall (plus overhang distance). We have 40 routes up and will keep putting more on the walls. I had a chance to try some of the climbs in addition to setting a few and the wall just keeps going. It is a nice place to work on technique, endurance, leading and even falling! Notice the 10 +ft tall ladder in the lower right of the photo.

More of the pit. There are routes of all grades and styles on these beautiful walls.

This is how you access the pit. There are cubbies for your bags. Notice the lighting, there are no dark spots in this gym.

Again the rest of the pit. This wall is slightly overhanging to vertical and will allow some cool techy routes to be set.

August 14, 2014

Treadwall Training with Piz (green triple)

Contact Piz at pizem@hotmail.com for Motivational/Instructional/Entertaining Speaking Engagements, Climbing Instruction, Training and Weekly/Monthly Training Programs

Until then... Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: www.arcteryx.com www.camp-usa.com www.scarpa.com www.sterlingrope.com www.americanalpineclub.org www.brewersledge.com

The green holds were sent to me in a package from Treadwall. They were grouped together by color of course and by shape. They are meant to be useful for warming up and for working powerful long moves. This route is all about longer moves and using good technique. I twist to reach the holds rather than staying straight on in my movements. Occasionally, I will reach straight on and that is more of a power move.

Why do I go for three in a row. I want to watch how I respond to fatigue (while watching my technique). It will help me focus on proper form when I am on a real climb outside!

Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=124A8yS1m_I

Dolomite Part 2

The always beautiful northern Italy.

Well manicured lands.

BOOM!

The glacier on the backside of the Marmolada.

We walked and ran and slid our way down the mountain after climbing 2000' of perfect limestone! Then we hitchhiked back to the car. Good times.

The hike up to the refugio. It took about 45 minutes from where we parked in the woods below to get to the hut where we got beta. rested and ate before the climb.

Chris and I on the hike.

The right side of the photo is the Marmolada. Tons of routes, tons of climbing, tons of run.

A photo of the routes in the refugio. We figured it would help us on while on route.

The hut where we slept the night before the climb. Great food and a super place to meet random travelers! Don't forget to watch the goats play in the hills!

August 12, 2014

Planning to Send this Fall? How will you do that?

Contact Piz at pizem@hotmail.com for Motivational/Instructional/Entertaining Speaking Engagements, Climbing Instruction, Training and Weekly/Monthly Training Programs

Until then... Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: www.arcteryx.com www.camp-usa.com www.scarpa.com www.sterlingrope.com www.americanalpineclub.org www.brewersledge.com

This is the time to be getting ready and tuning up for your fall redpoint season.
How are you going to do that? Are you going to try the same old way as you have every other year or are you going to attempt to use a systematic approach that addresses your weaknesses?

Here are some suggestions to get ready! (they are in no particular order)

Pick an objective. That can be a climb or boulder problem, short or long, steep or vertical. If you don't have something to train for it is difficult to assess your weakness and then train with intent.
Be realistic but aim high. Don't just pick something that you are already close to accomplishing, choose something that is out of your comfort zone. By addressing all those areas that are difficult for you, you will become a better climber.
Assess how much time that you have to give to the training. You need to meet your lifes obligations so plan your training accordingly.
Identify training days and fun days (at the crag or gym). You can't make every single day a training day, you have to build in the fun and vice versa, you can't expect to progress if you just go and screw off all day in an undirected manner.
Find a training partner with a similar schedule or training plan. That way you have someone to psyche you up if you are slacking on a day or two. A partner allows you to climb routes too!
Build in rest time! Without rest you don't recover.
Plan Plan Plan and then follow through! That means don't spend your time climbing slab if you want to get better at overhangs! Choose your climbs and boulders to meet your needs. That might take you out of your routine but that is good, you need to step out to step up.
Get a trainer or a training book. There are many out there that are very good at helping people progress. We are never too good to improve! Be open to constructive criticism. Even Ondra needs a coach!
Make it fun! If you aren't smiling at the end of the day, then your taking it to serious. It's climbing folks, we are not saving the world or solving world problems. : )

Where Does Your Motivation Come From? Some Rambling Thoughts.

Internal
External

As a climber who wants to continue moving forward and challenging myself I have to look at my motivation every once in a while.

I have always wanted to accomplish things/climbs in my life for me. I think that would place me on the internally motivated level. I never try a climb because I am looking for gratification or praise from someone else, rather I try because I am interested in seeing what it is like and whether or not I can complete it.
Sometimes that internal motivation can rise and fall due to life though. Let's say that you have many other obligations and duties and that you have not been able to keep up with your desired fitness level. Then your internal motivation may ebb and flow with your fitness. I see that happen regularly with me. As life's obligations keep every minute of life filled, I feel that each second must have a reason in order to get it all done!

I have not tried a "hard" route for myself in years. When I say that it is because I understand the commitment level that it takes to complete one in a reasonable amount of time. I look for routes just under my limit because they are easier to achieve in just a few attempts instead of 50 and perfect conditions. So I would say that my motivation is for regular success rather than for the "big one".
This Fall will be the same, but I feel like I will be able to seek out the big one soon!.

Some folks believe that because that I am sponsored by climbing companies that I am under some requirement. In a way I am. I need to represent each brand in the best possible way and help buyers understand the product so that they purchase the right tool for the job. I am always motivated to do that, its in my blood as a teacher. When it comes to some climbing achievement or photo, that stuff is just icing on the cake.

I am normally most motivated by a route and the journey towards the send. I am especially motivated for first ascents. There is something about figuring out and creating a timeless route that can't be duplicated. I really enjoy the process.

As far as those who are externally motivated, I have seen them thrive and succeed, but most of the time they burn out or quit. I think that the passion must come internally in order to pursue an activity for a lifetime.

How are you motivated?

July 18, 2014

Stripping (the Treadwall)

http://youtu.be/SZST5bLwBVw

Check out some more beta about route setting!

Changing out the Treadwall routes advice:

Use a drill to remove the bolts. (I have a 18volt drill/hammer drill combo)
Be sure not to remove the highest holds from the wall (otherwise you won't be able to move the wall down to remove more holds.
Set the wall to the least resistance (in order to make moving the wall very easy.)

It took about a half hour to remove all the holds from my KOR model.
I then collected all the bolts in a bin and grouped the holds by color.
I am trying to avoid using tape this next time around and will be setting by colors.
When I got the wall I was not able to set by color due to my lack of holds (I started with zero). But over the course of the year, I was able to get some Menegerie, Pur and Metolius and randoms from purchases and friends. Now that I have a healthy collection, I will set by color when possible and then with tape on the other routes.

Route Setting Goals:

Think about what kinds of routes you and your friends will be attempting to climb.
Then set routes that will develop those skills.
Set in a way in which there are no real cruxes on routes. Go for a consistent difficulty.
Think about moves that you are weak at and set that style on the wall.
Set routes that will allow your fingers a break and ones that you will only try once or twice a session.
Set routes that will allow you to climb very fast and once that will require technique and deliberate precise movements.
Have fun with it!

May 23, 2014

Training with Piz: Pinch Repeaters

Work your weaknesses by creating a repeatable set of 4 grips that you want to improve upon.
Set either a time or number of repetitions (based on your level or best) and go from there.
No more than twice a week with rest between each set.

Have fun and

Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Elephant Butte Arches National Park's Highest Point

May 15, 2014

Mothers Day

Orson a day after his first bloody nose.

Beautiful momma!

Rowan

Family project on Mothers Day. Remove barely living bushes, level soil, build bench, mulch, plant flowers, sit on bench!

Jane loves doughnuts and what better place to enjoy them then at the local doughnut shop!

Happy Mothers Day Jane. Thanks for being wonderful to the kids and me.

I love you tons : )

Black Canyon and Big Wall Thoughts

Gearing up at the River

Heading up a nice 5.9 pitch

The traverse pitch from left to right through the pegmatite band (the pink stuff).

Getting wet

Nice views

Exposed

Ledge belay!

A far away splitter.

Getting my flare on.

A bolted anchor in the Black? Oh my.

Nice roof lieback

Super views!

I climbed in the Black Canyon the other weekend and it was great fun.
My partner and I were each climbing on routes that were new to us both and that is always a good time and adventure. Upon thinking about why I liked both of the routes that we climbed, I decided to share what I think makes a great multi-pitch climb.

Here is my list based on what I like on a big route:

Ledge Belays (after breaking my back in 2006, I will never turn down a place to sit while I belay)
Bolted Belays (at least one bolt makes life so much easier and faster.) I don't mind building a complete anchor, but if its in a super assessable location (like the Black) and you are not getting the alpine portion/feel/experience of it with a long hike in for hours and blah blah blah, anchors are good.
Varied Climbing (the same move over and over is not that fun) I like overhanging terrain, cracks, face, slab, chimney, off width', the works!
Good Protection/Stone (that means safe, but not necessarily every three feet)
Exposure/Views (who doesn't like that feeling that they are way out there)
Solitude (I don't need to be standing in line on a big route, I could go to an amusement park for that)
A Line (this means that the wandering is limited) For me classic routes might need a little wandering, but when the majority of the route is all over the place, its just not that fun.
A Good Descent Route (nothing taints the experience more that when there is no established way down the wall)
Shade Potential (melting in the sun is not classic!)

When I think about my favorite big climbs, each of them embrace the above topics. What do you think?