r/climbergirls

I’ve been going through a particularly stressful time and have found that trying hard on lead has felt extra scary and challenging. This frustrated me as I feel like I’m going to keep myself from being able to obtain my climbing goals. Do you find when you are stressed you have trouble pushing yourself on lead? Also, what’s helped you overcome this?

Hi Guys!

I'm doing a Masters in Fashion Marketing and I've decided to do a project on Technical Sportswear, specifically footwear, and customer experiences with buying/using these products, and I'm needing quite a few responses so if anyone is willing to answer a quick questionnaire for my research then I would be so grateful!! It is anonymous and would take max five minutes.

I got a sleeve tattoo yesterday and am planning on taking a 2 week break from climbing so that I reduce the risk of scrapes.

For those that have tattoos, do y’all think 2 weeks is enough time off? I read that it takes about a month for the deep skin to heal, but I don’t think climbing will affect the deep tissue.

Thanks ya’ll! I’m eager to get back on the wall. 😊

I started climbing a couple months ago, and got Boreal Joker Womens Lace for my first pair of climbing shoes. They have been doing okay for me, but recently the rubber on the toe and sole started coming off, and I thought of buying a new, more aggressive, pair of shoes since I've saved enough. I'm currently torn between the scarpa Vapor Wmn and Instinct Wmn, and I'm not too sure what I should choose. I'm open to any scarpa shoe, so I'd like some recommendations please!🙏 (Slim & center shaped)

Hi everybody, my boyfriend wanted to give me a hand and cleaned my rope rinsing it with only water in the bathtub but didn't check how to do it and used quite warm water. For sure above 30°C since he described it as hot but could keep his hands in no problem, probably around 37-42°C. Am I Being paranoid or could this be a safety concern?

Thanks :)

Hey, y’all! This is specifically for an indoor gym - I’m practicing rescues, and am having a hard time single-strand ascending. Double-strand is a bit tiring, but single-strand feels impossible! For reference, our wall is ~50ft tall. If there’s any tips or suggestions from anyone, please jump in because all the guys I work with do not have the same center of gravity.

Thanks, everyone!

Hey hey,

so I was climbing on an autobelay with very small crimps the whole way up, and I ended up crimping so hard that after, I noticed I had popped a v small blood vessel or capillary in my forearm (on my pinky finger side). It was v small, didn’t really hurt, but I knew from the swelling and the slight discoloration. I stopped climbing and rested a few days and all is well now.

This is the first time this has happened, but I’m really trying to push grades and train crimps. And I would like to prevent this from happening again in the future.

Anyone know anything I should do?

Is it a matter of changing how i train?

Would love to know if y’all know of a supplement or vitamin?

(I do bruise super easily, I think those are related?)

hi y'all! I was at my local gym on Friday from about 930pm-11pm. I was in the bouldering section, and noticed a woman speaking quite loud and slurring her words. I observed her and the man she was with (she was climbing, he wasn't). she was explaining basic climbing lingo to him and it seemed like she was trying to impress him. she fell quite hard from about 3.5' and just laid there talking to the guy. after a bit, I walked by her and she smelled like vodka. 20 min pass, and she starts commenting on other people's climbs, spraying beta to random strangers, and physically repositioning their bodies.

would you tell the front desk people?

On the advice of my therapist, I’ve been trying new hobbies and REALLY pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I tried rock climbing( top rope I believe is the correct phrase) and I fell in love! I took a class and got to climbing immediately. Luckily my local rock climbing gym has 5.5-5.12 and a bouldering wall! I haven’t tried bouldering because it looks intense and I’m scared…lol.

What advice would you give a compete novice? I’m brand new and still renting my equipment. I do feel like people often judge me because I’m just so fresh. I see people flying up this difficult walls and it makes me intimated! Any advice welcome.

Thanks in advance <3

I’m tentatively planning a trip to Hanoi in November and just learned about Huu Lung as a potential place to climb. I only know how to top rope and have only been climbing for about a year. I definitely would need a guide.

I heard VietClimb has 2day tours going out there and was wondering if anyone might have experience going out there with them. other tips and advice would be greatly appreciated too!

I relate so much to the author about finding freedom from gender expectations in sports/the outdoors, and the vague frustration from 'fashion' and feminized appearance becoming pushed as climbing becomes more popular. As she also says, this isn't about judging individuals for how they express themselves, do you, but railing against the shift in culture in an activity that is otherwise pretty gender neutral.

Like obviously no one is forcing me to dress any which way, but if most of the gym/crag is outfitted in stylish, attractive fashion choices, that does set an unspoken standard which I am now no longer meeting. In so much of life we are expected to perform femininity, and I just wish this could stay out of climbing. There are already very few spaces where you can be frumpy and blah and not feel like you're falling short of something.

I realize this comes across as insecure and judgemental and I should just ignore what other people are wearing and climb, which I do, but this has been a mental itch for a while and I was very happy to find at least one other person summing up how I feel.

Anyone else?

Hello lovely climber ladies! Im having a really tough relationship with climbing right now and I’m wondering if anyone else has gone through something similar to me and can offer some advice.

I’ve been climbing for a long-ish time (12+ years) and have always considered myself a very recreational climber. My hardest outdoor leads are 5.10 for both trad and sport, I generally have never really been into grade chasing, and have often in the past been a proud top-rope champion. I love climbing primarily for the adventure aspect of it - getting out in the alpine with 1-2 close friends for a long day of mellow adventure alpine climbing.

Basically the last couple years I haven’t really been climbing much due to a variety of reasons. Work stress, really intense and toxic schooling, a serious depressive episode, injury, and my main climbing partner turned out to be a big ole POS and I dumped his ass as a friend. It’s just been a tough and shitty couple years but I finally feel like I’m on the other side of things, am generally feeling very good mentally, and WANT to get back into it.

Now as I’m trying to get back into it I’m running into some serious mental blockage and it SUCKS! I’ve gained like 30lbs since I was in decent climbing shape last and everything feels so so so hard. Also my climber friends have all kept on training pretty hard and are kinda out of my league now in terms of what they are wanting to get on.

My husband is a climber too and a super supportive, great guy, but he’s kinda at a loss of how to help me. The last several times we’ve gone out I’ve had a full on breakdown on the wall. Like uncontrollable sobbing, hate everything, I’m done take me home.

I want to want to climb. I miss it. But every time I get out and try to do it I’m just consumed with frustration and it 100% ruins my time. I’ve tried to be very conscientious of only getting on mellow ‘fun’ climbs but even then I just feel like a big ass baby and I hate it.

Has anyone experienced this??? How did you overcome letting your own damn self get in the way of having a good time???

Any input is appreciated 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Hey! I've been climbing mostly bolders inside. And last season when I started climbing outside my shoes got ripped apart really quickly. -now I am buying my second pair. What kind of shoes do you use outside and why?

I have climbed since I was a kid, and I feel like much of my self image is connected to climbing in a lot of ways. Probably both good and bad. I’m looking into starting Therapy and I think it might be helpful to find someone who understands climbing or at least athletes. Does anyone have any experience finding someone like this?

Thanks <3

Hey!! I’m thinking about taking up TR soloing. I’m moving somewhere with REALLY good climbing. I want to go out most days, but my belay partner is more of a 2 times a week kinda gal. There are hundreds of TR routes. Does anyone have resources for TR Soloing? Youtubers you’d recommend? Books? Gear you’d recommend? I wanna make sure I know everything! TIA!!!! :)

How do you keep your hands in good climbing shape? I want mine to be strong, calloused, and flexible, while also not being dry, scraped up, or cramped. I can't seem to find that balance and would love to hear others' methods. Thanks!