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ruppell
climber
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Mar 22, 2013 - 03:01pm PT
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Slabs have no holds. Face climbs have holds. That's how I define them anyway. I have always loved slabs. There's something about having to put all your trust in boot rubber that just makes them special. How many times have you made a move on a hard slab only to think "I can't believe that's holding." Slab climbing is the most mental focus I use out of any type of climbing. The more run out it is the more focused I become.
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Mar 22, 2013 - 03:15pm PT
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Whitehorse Ledge, NH. Was all fun and games soloing on the 5.5 but then a little further on, the route was covered in a thin film of invisible ice ....
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snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
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Mar 22, 2013 - 04:22pm PT
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Some slab climbs have holds- but if your feet cut there is no way you would hold on- kind of like psych pro- only they are psych fingernail grooves, or one pad slopers.
Otherwise it is a face climb
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Mar 23, 2013 - 01:09am PT
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Interesting to see that photo of Greasy but Groovy. We first climbed that in EBs and were trying to run the rope a mile. Ricky took a sixty foot fall when a flake broke on the 3rd pitch. Putting the bolts in on the 4th pitch was horrendous, way harder than the climbing. Good adventure.
JL
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10b4me
Ice climber
Happy Boulders
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Mar 23, 2013 - 01:51am PT
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Slabs have no holds. Face climbs have holds
Palming and smearing vs.crimping and edging
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Scrubber
climber
Straight outta Squampton
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Mar 23, 2013 - 01:52am PT
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The Squamish classic Dream On. No line-ups here!
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Rolfr
Social climber
North Vancouver BC
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Mar 23, 2013 - 01:56am PT
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All slabs have holds, it's just about understanding the nuances of the rock. Is a depression a hold, is the change of texture a hold or is that crystal that you can only see if you are not overcome by fear a hold?
Slab climbing is at a minimum 50% mental and is the great equalizer for those of us that have not been blessed with genetic strength.
Falling safely is the other often undeveloped skill for succeeding on slabs. Indoor climbing routes teach safe falling techniques, but it is counter intuitive to run downhill on a runout slab pitch, so most people drag their hands, feet and body parts as a protective impulse.
Like all specialized aspects of climbing, slab climbing has a learning curve that requires commitment to the craft and hours of experience. After years of hiatus to that style of movement, I’ve rediscovered that heady thrill with a bunch of grizzled old hardcore locals at Joshua Tree. Ye-Ha!
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Scrubber
climber
Straight outta Squampton
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Mar 26, 2013 - 12:37am PT
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Lets go climbing Rolf! I always have trouble finding co-conspirators for slabby adventures.
K
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perswig
climber
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May 26, 2013 - 08:27pm PT
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Dale
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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May 27, 2013 - 01:18am PT
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Slabs have no holds. Face climbs have holds
Palming and smearing vs.crimping and edging
Define "hold"!....
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orle
climber
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May 27, 2013 - 01:31am PT
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looks easy from here
climber
Ben Lomond, CA
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May 27, 2013 - 02:31am PT
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Mrs. l.e.f.h. (pictured on Parkline) is a huge fan of slab because she can balance on the tiniest crystals of quartz, so I have an inordinate body of experience on Cookie Sheet/Parkline/Glacier Point Apron relative to how long I've been climbing, and we'll be adding some Tuolumne dome to that list in a couple weeks. I prefer face climbing (more upper body strength, less princess toes), so I've been stealthily increasing the angles of climbs we tackle.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 27, 2013 - 07:53am PT
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Slab climbing. just like roofing but you don't get paied;) BTW i do a ton of slab climbing and am fairly good at it aparently???? according to my spurt climbing friends anything less than 90degrees is slab....
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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