My lovely wife, Shannon Stuart-Smith, is the founder of the RRGCC. She’s been a climber for over thirty years. She is currently 71 years old and goes out climbing at least three times a week. I could post a video of her doing pull-ups in our climbing gym/basement, but I won’t because then we’ll all feel bad about ourselves. She is going to outlive the last cockroach, I swear. (If asked, I will provide y’all with that video, but it may have to be a DM or a separate post because I don’t think I can post videos in the comments, but hot damn).

Anyway! Please watch this video, send it to everyone you know who might be interested in supporting the museum, and just try to not cry when you watch it.

Love to you all.

https://vimeo.com/1201500014/1dee50aec3?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Now she’s doing this amazing thing and I want everyone to know about it, and I want all of you to tell as many of your climber gals as you can.

ETA, I’m a gal, too, if that matters.

It’s V5-6 I’ve been working on it for a couple weeks. So glad I sent it before they reset the wall!

i moved somewhat recently which means changing gyms. rock climbing isn’t as big up here, so there’s really only one gym. and it’s a really good gym! but it’s quite soft

my old gym was pretty hard, and sometimes i get sad because i feel like whenever i climb a ‘hard’ climb it’s not real, because it’s soft

like i flashed a v6/7 the other day, but i know full well that i probably am still stuck at a v4 level

sometimes i desire to fly back to where i used to move, JUST to try climbing there, so i can get a gauge on whether or not i’ve actually improved haha

i guess that’s why people climb outside and board climb, for more universal grading.? it’s kind of strange though— i used to project v4s on TB2 and now i can’t even do v1s on kilter. and i’ve heard kilter is supposed to be easier!

anyways no advice needed or anything just sharing my thoughts as of late

Hello!!

Recently, my skin has been sooo sensitive (painful & red, like it starts hurting already after 4 boulders!!). I've started to get flappers sometimes, or just little tears. It's been really limiting my climbing :(

I'm not the most intense climber, I climb like 6A/V3s. I boulder/climb usually 2, sometimes 3 times a week, no change in consistency recently. I have started going to the gym recently for physio, lifting some weights, 2-3 times a week, so this is perhaps adding some strain on the skin?? And perhaps the changing of the seasons isn't helping?

Does anyone know why it could be that it's gotten so bad???

How can I take better care of my skin? Are there any hand creams or anything that you recommend? I've tried applying some Nivea body moisturizer at night, but I'm afraid this also just makes my skin softer & therefore more sensitive?

Happy to hear any advice!

Hello ladies I am 19F and have been climbing for almost a year now but I have just been feeling really down on myself with my improvement just because i know apart of what’s stopping me from getting better is my chest 😭 for reference I am a double D so I can’t really lean on the wall as much and inclined routes r a struggle but I want to get stronger and better to be able to do them. Do any of you fellow big chested climbers have any advice on ways to make it less of a struggle?

Curious as it’s something I’m currently noticing in my own gym. On one side, I’m faced with unwanted male attention. I don’t want to be chatted up or ‘shown’ how to do a route by a guy who isn’t on par with my climbing ability. I’m an advanced climber and I struggle to stay polite and present when some random person assumes he knows better than me.

Then there is the route setting. My gym tends to focus on routes with long reaches and often the majority of the higher grades involve a big dynamic reach. While those routes help me develop a great deal of strength and coordination skills, I’m finding myself lacking routes to practice flexibility and static movement. I’ve been to many gyms and not all are like that but I’ve found that there seems to be a general trend where I live.

Have any of you faced something similar?

Was it mayhaps an extremely soft v5? Maybe. Have I climbed v4 yet? No!

But I did it! Almost 5 months into starting this hobby and even though I’m not the strongest climber, I’m climbing things that I used to not even be able to start at the beginning

Now time to actually do a v4…

I was planning on buying some katana lace shoes and I have very low volume feet, so typically buy women's shoes (or LV in brands like evolv). However, I realized the women's version of the katana lace is essentially a completely different version than the men's shoe?? The women's has a split sole and is a lot less stiff.

Is this common? I've never noticed another shoe with a difference that is more than the color, narrowness, or volume in the toebox -- but maybe I just haven't been paying attention? IMO they should have a fully different name if the shoe & its use case is going to be so different between the men's and women's versions.

Hey there, I'm a 40 year-old woman who just joined a climbing gym at the beginning of October. I'm fairly fit thanks to yoga, cycling, and rollerskating, and I'm starting out at a V2-V3 / 5.9 level. I'm having a great time, but I'm very interested in learning to climb with good technique. My gym only offers an intro class, but I’m considering taking some private training sessions. I’m looking to hear specifically from other women who started as adults. What advice would you offer someone getting a late start? Are there any resources you would especially recommend? TMA!

(CW for climbing accidents)

What hobbies and sports might scratch the itch for climbing when you’re injured?

I had a nasty climbing accident a while ago causing permanent nerve damage, and have been told I won’t climb again (Paraclimbing is out as the risk of climbing is too great given my injuries sadly). I can use my legs, but cannot run, and have limited arm strength particularly on one side where I have very little use of one hand. I have always loved adventure sports, the feeling of the sun on your face as you’re high up in the mountains, and just being in nature. Looking for ideas of things that I could try and would love to hear from other peoples experiences of things that help give the same joy as climbing, which used to be what my life revolved around.

Ideally looking for a sport because I’m too hyperactive for my own good! Thanks in advance for any recommendations 💛

My boyfriend hinted that he might propose on a climbing trip and I really don’t want to be wearing an ugly helmet when he gets down on one knee. I have an older black diamond when they did a collab with the access fund that’s kinda ugly but gets the job done.

Edit:
I don’t mind wearing a helmet in the photo just want something a little nicer than what I currently own. Plus it’s an excuse to upgrade my helmet to something that I actually like. Plus the views from the multipitches we are planning will be sick. We will probably take photos without a helmet after the proposal.

Format was a 3 hour Redpoint Round, and I got last place for women, and I'm actually ok with that (especially since I've only been bouldering for a year), which is NOT something my Former Gifted Kid Trauma would have allowed in the past. I've done so much work to break the "if I'm not immediately great I'll suck forever" mindset that instills in you and being able to see a last place finish and see it as opportunity to get better instead of evidence of inadequacy has just been so good.

(Also I didn't place last in total, I did better than a couple of guys in the comp.)

I bought climbing shoes that are too small, although I didn't mean to downsize at all. The model is Ocun Jet and they are very rigid. I tried to wear them several times hoping to get used to them, but my feet hurt so bad that I have to take them off after each boulder. Last time I ended up renting a pair because I couldn't even stand on mats after 25 minutes.

These shoes were a big investment for me and I can't afford another pair, so I'm looking for some tips on how to stretch them.

After climbing for three years, I lost the motivation to hit up the gym or go outside in March. My last straw was when I was at my local gym at quieter hours (around 9-10am on a weekday), and there were three other people there. A man followed me everywhere without saying a single word. At first I thought he might say something or strike up a conversation, but I really wasn’t in the mood, so I kept switching up climbs hoping he’d get the hint.

It got creepy when I left to use the bathroom (which is unisex bathroom with around 6 stalls). He followed me into the bathroom. At this point, I told him how creepy it came off to follow a woman at every climb, and then proceeding to go into the bathroom at the same time. To my knowledge, he didn’t even use the bathroom or wash his hands. Of course he acted surprised and apologized, but the entire experience was so belittling and anytime I think men can’t get dumber they just dig the hole deeper. And then there’s the chance that he wasn’t dumb… and knew exactly what he was doing. I hate even thinking about that option.

I left immediately, went downstairs and told the front desk about my experience, and ever since haven’t been back to the gym. The whole experience was disheartening, and disenchanted me from climbing up until the past couple of weeks.

This was definitely the most extreme experience I had at the gym, but not the first. You guys know the usual. Beta spraying, viewing any interaction as a “can I have your number?” And just the looks, where I can’t tell if they’re just watching the climb or looking at me like I’m a piece of cake.

Well, it’s October now, and for the last two weeks I’ve finally felt like picking up climbing again, but I’m genuinely scared. I really lack a community of girls I can climb with in my area which leaves me to myself. I hate that a part of climbing has to be managing men and setting boundaries with them in a shared space.

I’m hoping to be a little more outgoing this time around, and meet a community that I can feel safe with. I haven’t really shared my experience with anyone so I hope I don’t come off as a huge complainer. I just really hope it will be different this time.

So I’m just coming off the back of a break up, and I have always wanted to learn to rock climb so thougt why not do it now.

i would like to go somewhere the first week of november (last minute I know) and do a private course.

i can fly anywhere in mainland Europe easily (France, Spain, Austria etc) but would really love recommendations - esp for where to go and particularly any guide companies. I can also drive and rent a car.

i don’t know a huge amount but just need to do something!

This isn’t the only sport I’ve tried and been limited with due to a minor disability but it’s by far the most difficult one for me. I have radioulnar synostosis in my left arm, meaning I have no pronation or supination and my arm is naturally crooked, it can never straighten at the elbow, missing a few bones and a few others are fused together. I just can’t rely on my left arm very much, it’s mainly just there for moral support. I don’t really care, I can still climb, but a lot of the climbing content and fitness tips just aren’t applicable. Granted nothing will be exactly right for me, but I’d like to find some content creators, coaches, and climbers that deal with various limitations as well.

Also side vent: I appreciate the support but it is a bit frustrating to be trying a difficult route for me and have people yelling “just turn your left arm! Straighten your left arm! Hang from your left and swing over!”. I can’t, I’m trying to figure out another way that’s why I’m stuck. I know they don’t know and the climbing community is just trying to be supportive, but it makes me want to give up when I’m mid problem and the solution is to do something I can’t do. I usually can just jump down and explain, but not always and sometimes it makes people feel really bad too.

As title says i’m travelling to EPC December 31st-Jan 14th. I’m planning on meeting other climbers there and sharing a casita but they are leaving the 8th (6days before me). I have a few questions/comments

-What is the best way to get a shuttle/cab to EPC from Monterrey? The rest of my group is getting picked up by our hosts but i’m not flying in on the same day so I can’t go with them. ^ my return flight is at 7am!! Should I be going to the airport the night before and sleeping there or are shuttle drivers ready to bring you at 3am??

-What hostel is best to stay at as a solo female from 8th-14th? I’m slightly worried about theft and general safety but I’m extroverted and want to make friends :) *would also love to have access to a pool!!*

-I have limited gear/experience. 12 quick draws and planning on getting a 70m rope as suggested but I’ve never done multipitch or rappelling. Will this affect my chances of finding partners? (I Thought about getting a guide for a 2day multi course)

-There should be an influx of climbers while i am there, is it easy to tag along with other climbers, as I said above my experience is limited but I lead 5.10’s-5.11’s and can open routes no problem.

-I speak limited Spanish but can understand most when spoken.

any advice would be greatly appreciated! Am I missing anything??

Hey everyone! I’m going to be visiting Colorado, Denver soon and would love some recommendations on good places to climb while I’m there!

I mostly top rope and would love to check out some climbing spots! Im open to some bouldering too.

I’ll be traveling with my friend but they don’t really climb, so I won’t have a belay partner. If anyone knows of any climbing gyms with partner meetups or good ways to find climbing buddies in the area, I’d love to hear about them!

Thanks in advance!! :)