Slab climbing reddit I've been focusing on slabs for quite a while and haven't had this happen to me yet. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. I’ve been climbing for about a year. The climbing is easier than most of the routes at Swan Slab and Pine Line, etc. You just have to learn to trust your feet and figure out how to find friction on the wall. A subreddit dedicated to discussing and reviewing climbing shoes. I like it because I have adhd and usually a very loud and "busy" brain, climbing slab forces you to slow down, breath and be calm. 1. It's basically walking up a gully/ramp to an amazing finger crack on a low angle slab, with a big ledge at the top with nice views. Good low level setting is really important to get new people into the sport! Heavier individuals tend to experience more finger strain. Here in Italy 5. If you aren’t able to get out for these sorts of long days frequently enough for it to be a meaningful training stimulus, large quantities (30-45 min on the wall) of very easy slab climbing in a similar style would work, as would getting the same amount of stimulus through 1 minute on/1 minute off slab bouldering. A large percentage of the outdoor routes in my area are at least slightly overhanging, and overhang seems to be my biggest weakness. Flat shoes can be soft or stiff. Slabs are worth getting into. The last couple months I made some break throughs and I’ve been working on v4-v6 now regularly and have been completing them. Have a pair of each for what you need and when you need it. This reads more like a non-fiction story than a route guide, but oh We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Reddit's rock climbing training community. Looking for some tips on how to feel safer when climbing on slab. Because of how malleable and soft that rubber is, this made it really perfect for slab climbing and smearing. So good. Slab for technique? Hi everyone, I’d like some of your opinions regarding a discussion I’ve been having with my climbing partner. Yes, weight matters in climbing performance (especially hypertrophy outside of finger flexors and pulling muscles). What other blocks can I use? We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. 5hrs from the Triangle and has some amazing adventure trad climbs. I love slab. A few crags I've been to that I know are good are the High Wire Crag (Super crowded, amazing climbs though) and the Cat Slab (if you like 135 ft slab climbing). 11 slab (honestly I haven't tried many). I’m comfortable leading low 5. Been pushing back into the V8 range after taking a year off of climbing during covid, which generally seems to be my plateau. I've also been to gyms that grade soft--especially in the v0-4 range in order to appeal to new climbers. For bouldering, you'd probably want more down turned shoes (but again depends on local rock) for heel Hi all, I’m excited to be getting into slab bouldering and would love shoe recommendations. Also surprisingly durable for a high performance shoe, lasted 8 months before I resoled them could have probably pushed it another month or 2. You’re engaging different muscles and using different techniques which ultimately can put off a climber who finds overhang climbing fun. It’s mostly for slab climbing that involves standing up on tiny pebbles as well as generating as much friction from getting as much rubber on the rock as possible. I decided to go for a normal fit rather than downsizing because I wanted to use it for smearing/slab and longer climbs like multipitch. 814 votes, 45 comments. Recently new to consistent climbing, but I’ve found progressing on slab has been way easier than progressing on overhang. Hi y'all lately I resoled my grandstones who previously had C4 rubber, it was good rubber for smearing on slabs even if it wore off pretty quickly. I'm wondering if the scarpa Drago would be a good first soft shoe, or if it would be too demanding on my toes and overall foot strength? Its a preference thing. I've been trying to build a Cave Spider Spawner grinder but since they're only half a block tall I can't use slabs to stop them climbing. I currently use the scarpa vapor v’s which I’m happy with bc the have a relatively hard sole and wide toe-box but I’m wondering if there might be something better I prefer aggressive shoes even on face or slab climbing, but it's way more of a comfort preference. They're famous for excellent friction climbing, although the protection is apparently somewhat sparse, and the midges unsurpassed. Would this be a 110* wall? What about a steep hill or even a gentle slope? How do hikers refer to gradient of slope? Is it the opposite to climbers? Wouldn't it make sense for flat ground to be 0*, a steep Jun 11, 2024 · Unlock the secrets to slab climbing with these tips from Rock Spot including keeping your heels down and edging with climbing shoes. It's not a team sport, so you can enjoy climbing slabs even if your friends don't. How to climb harder on slab? I climb 12+ on slightly overhanging routes, but I've never sent a 5. 5hrs away and has some epic run-out slab climbing. For me it was a mental thing. I like frictiony slab climbing, so I really want to get onto the Beinn Trilleachan slabs this summer. I find that I'm climbing a couple grades lower on slab problems compared to overhanging ones. I've found one legged posses from yoga really useful for slab climbing balance. I find my self stronger than a lot of buffer people in slab, technical, stemmy, flexibility and reach. Indoors there are no small footholds and no long climbs most climbing you will do is either steep or on volumes so soft and downturned. FULL SNAKE DIKE/HALF DOME TRIP REPORT – SUMMIT 9/2/2022 – LONG READ The entire story is broken up into many replies to this thread, read as much as you want. Of course the power and strength can still improve your lower angle abilities, but why aren't there boards at vertical/slab angles to be able to train that style in the same way? Is there practical reasons or Slab is a style of climbing, not a type of hold. But that was because my poor little pathetic ego slug couldn’t handle the salt of truth. In rock climbing a slab climb (or friction climb) is a type of climbing route where the rock face is 'off-angle' and not fully vertical. I’m able to climb V4-V6 on slab without too much difficulty, but can do V2-V4 overhang using quite a bit of effort The solution is still my favorite sport climbing shoe that I have tried, precise and makes me feel confident on even the smallest feet. Here are 5 drills for instant progress. i think that's a really important fact and i struggle a lot with it. 84 votes, 19 comments. moccs for Slab, edging Moccs are so soft and floppy, they have almost 0 face climbing ability. Does your gym have slab climbing? Mine doesn't, really, especially not the bouldering area. My main Reddit's rock climbing training community. 3M subscribers in the climbing community. The accuracy, balance, flexibility etc. three pocket slab at roaches lower tier. Sep 22, 2021 · Slab climbing is hated by many but loved by the dedicated. Anasazis are nice, but in my experience they are the least durable and most smelly shoe I've ever owned. It often requires lots of careful balancing, and precise movements, often on a wall that slopes slightly away from you. Satisfaction Guaranteed (5. That I’m making these excuses up because I’m not good at it. And falls are more Great blog link. It's got knee bar potential at the start, techy slab, feet cutting roof moves, steep pump finish to the anchors. Could it be a mental block? I started climbing in 2019, climbed for a year, pandemic hit, stopped climbing when gyms closed. This is an incredibly long-winded full trip report, from trip planning to summit, if you don’t care about anything else, the route report itself starts at Part 3. They’re pretty much equally as good, but if I’d recommend one I’d probably say VSRs as they’re just a tad bit stiffer so more support on slab, but still soft enough smearing is easy. Showing and following examples of larger climbers on social media can help. One major drawback for training boards that I see is that the training only really applies to steep climbing. Anyone have these? Haven't seen this note on slab climbing mentioned yet and, strangely, this is my second post related to Neil Gresham's video series on climbing in just the past hour 8) For super hard sport climbing, sometimes calf training is also key (ie Ondra had to focus on his calf strength when he trained for Silence). #1 80 votes, 16 comments. Would this be a 110* wall? What about a steep hill or even a gentle slope? How do hikers refer to gradient of slope? Is it the opposite to climbers? Wouldn't it make sense for flat ground to be 0*, a steep Been climbing for about 8 years now, primarily indoor bouldering with some occasional trad/sport and bouldering outdoors. Then, maybe, I'll be ready to TR this a thousand times before attempting it as a boulder problem. This implies that a vertical slab is a 90* wall. Slab "climbing" isn't actually climbing, it's just steep walking. I do some lead climbing, but the majority of my climbing is bouldering in the gym, due to convenience. While a 60* wall is less steep. Jun 11, 2024 · Unlock the secrets to slab climbing with these tips from Rock Spot including keeping your heels down and edging with climbing shoes. Linville Gorge is also about 3. 59 votes, 10 comments. While the softer angle enables climbers to place more of their body weight on their feet, slab climbs maintain the challenge by having smaller holds. And so you're relying on friction. Looks like it! I dreams of one day climbing this, but first I need to send Phat Slab, Leonissisation (my slab project last summer), and maybe some of the terrifying runout slabs on the Apron. I get by primarily with passable technique and footwork and okay finger strength, none of which I seem to be able to transfer to climbing on anything worse than a shallow overhang. In general, I think training box jumps (single and double-leg) carries over well for climbing, since a lot of routes and problems can have dynos. I’ve (34F) been climbing for about 18 months now (mostly sport with a little indoor bouldering), and have recently started to really try to work my weaknesses to open up more outdoor route possibilities for myself. I really don't trust my feet. I’ve been climbing for about 9 months and I bought my first pair of shoes 2 months into climbing and went with the Skarpa Origins. Tall slab bouldering is my favorite, and suits my body type very well. The VSRs have grip 2 instead of the edge in the VS (assuming you’re looking at the men’s vs). He claims that slab climbing is a sure-fire way to improve climbing technique (greater awareness of body position, balance etc). I think it's cause on overhangs I'm usually falling straight down onto the mat, whereas in slab climbs I'm scared a foot will slip unexpectedly and I'll hit every hold and volume on the way down. If you're scared and don't put a lot of weight on them, then they slip off. 5hrs away and has great trad climbing, some bolted lines, and a ton of bouldering. Compared to other types of climbs, the falls are far more uncertain. Sep 22, 2023 · Slab climbing can be intimidating: it requires subtle technique, and the falls can be scary. 5 years and been through a few shoes so thought I'd write a review based on my experience in case it can help people in the future. I used to look at comp style paddles and dynos as somehow “wrong”. 13 votes, 29 comments. MembersOnline • HarryCaul ADMIN MOD moccs for Slab, edging Moccs are so soft and floppy, they have almost 0 face climbing ability. For outdoor, I would have dedicated shoes for slabs vs overhang. With the v3 slab, it could also be a technique thing. trueBe as welcoming and supportive as possible. I am terrified of heights and get scared a lot on Lots of face climbing or crack climbing is done on low angle climbing but you would get strange looks if you showed up to a crag in NA and said that you were climbing a slab when you're on a perfect hand crack. My current shoes are rather curved/pointed and don’t feel great on the slab wall. And how could you judge the angle of a wall better from a picture, than being there in person? Since you mentioned slab, I'm assuming you are also climbing outdoors. I'm just curious why there aren't really training boards for slab climbing. After just climbing for two months I’ve progressed to v3. If you learn a few tricks, you’ll find yourself much better equipped to take on big days out on friction slab or that weird slopey problem at the gym. Consider top rope to bouldering! Consider slab climbing! Will lessen the impacts of weight. Basically, on a slab, you're just pasting your foot against a flat surface (not on an edge like you do inside). Standing up on high steps and resting on small foot holds in particular. They lasted me 3 Are you looking for roped climbing or bouldering? Stone Mountain is about 2. But usually flat and stiff shoes are only good on vertical and slabby terrain where you stand on small footholds or if you need the support for long climbing. How do they compare to the VS and VSR? Both my VS and VSRs are out of order - they have three years on the clock this December and at least a half dozen resoles. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. goes for 6a. As per title, I'm awful at climbing anything on an overhang (V4-6 on slab/vert, V3-4 on overhang). Great in crack, but as soon as you want to you face holds, they fold under you. This is why I'm not always the biggest fan of slabs (especially bouldering slabs). They seemed like decent shoes and I was hard stuck on v3-v4 for a long time so they were a huge step up from the rentals. 1K votes, 59 comments. In climbing, a 45* wall is an overhanging wall. Climbing slab requires good technique, precision, and trust in your abilities. Good footwork is just an extension of good body positioning, as you need to know how and where you can place your feet to find that best body position. 11s on slab Slab "climbing" isn't actually climbing, it's just steep walking. From my experience and advice I've been given the biggest thing with slab is mileage, no shortcuts. you'll learn from slab climbing is invaluable imo, but yes, it is a scary prospect to slide down the wall catching your face and groin on protruding V-beginner handholds. Why do people think only friction slab climbing counts as slab climbing? Most of the worlds hardest slabs, are close to vertical with athletic movements on small holds. But it's definitely not what limits beginner performance or something you should worry about at this point, especially for you with your low bf%. I have the VSRs and drago lv and love them both. I need new climbing shoes. Rumbling Bald is about 3. 10 rubber is impossible to get and my resoler used la sportiva vibram Edge by mistake because I asked for vibram xs grip 2 which is similar to C4 and not hard like edge. in slabs my footwork is good enough (due to climbing a loot of slabs in my youth and climbing in the slick swabian jura). From google: Slabs are rock faces that are angled at less than 90 degrees or less than vertical. Another reason why climbers hate slab climbing is related to the fact that slab climbing is completely different to overhang climbing. #1 If you're completely destroying yourself and getting scratched to shit, you might be flailing way too much, and not concentrating on form or the aesthetics of climbing. Observations from a fellow slab connoisseur: As a woman with good body awareness and balance, I found slab grades to be much easier than other wall angles at the lower to mid v grades. The home of Climbing on reddit. When you climb a slab, the general rule is that you keep your weight on your feet. I would recommend letting your feet rest between climbs, taking off your shoes, making sure your shoes don’t have any air pockets and have someone review your foot placement techniques. always nice returning to problems/routes you did when you first started. More weight more friction. That it didn’t fit the definition of climbing that it was just parkour. Thoughts/experiences with Butora climbing shoes? They're a Korean company, did a shoe demo at The Circuit in Oregon recentlyish. This photo makes it look casual and low angle. I have only climbing in relatively hard shoes (Scarpa Vapor), but am looking to move into some softer shoes, to improve technique and foot strength. But I'll be downvoted to oblivion because I'm sure the army of reddit gumbies all think their low angle gym climbing is slab climbing. Climbing a slab requires a good sense of your feet and how to use them as well as balance and rock shoes with lots of friction. Solution comp is the best all rounded bouldering shoes in my mind, while the theory is excellent for slab smearing. Unpopular opinion, if you are still learning techniques and climbing lower grades, get a cheaper pair (La sportiva Finale, or something) to climb on V2s and practice V5s and wear your solution comp when you are ready to send it. I'm looking for technique advice since I don't think I'm limited by strength (I can do many single leg squats and have good finger strength). This is Slab climbing requires far more precise foot work and relatively static and slow movements. Unless you are climbing 40 hours a week. That's why you're told to trust your feet. The rand rubber is chipping off, the heals are ungluing, and they are now about half a size large and fail to edge on the small chips and sloppy barely existent I get it, I’ve been there. I will admit though my roof climbing is a bit weaker but im working on that core strength! Stiff vs. As a side note who gave you the right to call yourself a Slab Queen/King? I didn't vote for you. I believe they touted the Acro as being similar to the Solutions. Then I started trying them and finding myself saying wow “it’s Tips for improving footwork when climbing outdoors In a gym it’s fairly easy and intuitive to focus on your foot work because the foot holds are obvious and marked with rubber. Finally rediscovered climbing recently in dec 2023. Yeah it was on slab that I had 'trouble' with some holds and smearing due to the profile. I think there are great shoes that are decent all around, but if you find yourself living somewhere where it’s only super steep climbing, tc pros probably arent your best bet - for example. Soft shoes for high end bouldering? Both. 155 votes, 41 comments. I’ve typically going with neutral shoes (although I did have a pair of Evolv Kronos. What Is Slab Climbing? Apr 16, 2025 · In general, flat shoes are excellent for slabs and vertical walls. I could only ever do max v2s. Me on my bike passing a Gumby climbing the slab approach… 305 16 u/spencerspage I’m looking for shoes that can handle very rough granite. I’m considering the Instinct S slipper. Vertical to overhang requires more dynamic movements where you essentially try to get the moves done before your arms get pumped out. The stiffer they are, the better they’ll be on harder vertical or slab routes, such as when you need to stand on quarter-inch edges. On an overhang, you'll just fall out. Dedicated to increasing all our knowledge about how to better improve at our sport. My theory: women tend to feel more competent on slab/vert when they start climbing because this style requires skills that are more applicable to sports and activities young girls are encouraged to do (dance 5'10 male, ~135lbs LEAN. I climb a little bit of everything, but I love slab, and end up spending probably 75 percent of my sessions on vertical or slab walls. I agree with you that yoga has more transfer then slack lining but I found that learning to walk a slack line helped me become a better crack climber as it got me used to moving rhythmically in balance with my feet on a thin Outdoors, there are certainly shoes that are better suited for certain types of climbing ie stiffer shoes for slab, softer shoes for steep. In the extreme, being taller/heavier will have the greatest advantage on low angle or slab climbs where you can maximally use your Hey everyone. And yes we are scared of falling. . I think with how things get set and intersect, I hate the feeling of possibly hitting something on the way down. For slab, it's good fo have shoes with neutral profile and sticky rubber, since you'd be smearing a lot. On a slab you risk most of your body, especially if there are volumes or features on the slab. Climbing shoe reviews (Tenaya Indalo, Iati, Butora Senegi and Gomi) I've been climbing indoors for roughly 1. You often see this in both comp climbing and it has been shown before on pro climber vids where they wear one of each shoe depending on if they need stiff or soft. 11 something) is one of my personal favorites at Summersville. Softer flatter shoes are good for crack climbing, since they torque well into cracks. I find it very therapeutic and a much better experience than big burly muscley climbs. 103 votes, 64 comments. What would you call a slab that is less steep than vertical. luygdls svvbm mmsyab vzpv ubypa iizej ludsu xruiei uqfytc ihov cdbb mbyxtl kgvk tpbyb fqat