Tag Archives: Gym Climbing

So apparently…

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… I was crimping REALLY hard last night.

I went climbing at Louie Anderson’s “The Factory Climbing Gym” in Orange last night. The largest full bouldering gym in SoCal. The climbs and sets were amazing, over a hundred so far! The grand opening is this Saturday, free climbing, free food, free fun! I love new gym openings, all the holds are so textured, almost feels like real grippy sandstone. But… when I went home I looked at my fingers and there was a distinct line at my fingers tips that were BRIGHT RED. They felt really tight and looked like lil swell Vienna sausages.

I was working pretty hard on a few really crimpy problems. I love crimps, but I never had this weird red tint/swelling on the top finger joint. I guess I have to take it easy for the next few days, dont want it to get worse. Any insight from anyone? Or is it just a simple case of inflammation? Probably.

stay psyched & climb on!

-Natalie Duran

CCS Comp

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Been studying non-stop! Had my first final in Physics Laboratory yesterday, so I thought I need to destress by supporting my Climbing Club & My University in a CCS competition today!

CCS – Collegiate Climbing Series is a branch of USA climbing. Where universities all around the nation compete with each other hosting events at their local climbing gym, and then to nationals.

UCSD/USD hosted their CCS competition at the gigantic gym Mesa Rim in San Diego, CA.

The competition was very different than any comp ive ever participated in. The qualifiers round involved scoring your top 5 boulder problems & top 3 roped routes in the four hour time limit.



I had a great time bouldering, but roped climbing was a different story. Here is a back story to my complaining haha. Ive been hardcore bouldering for the past few months, I havent touched or clipped into a rope in those months! Once I got on the roped wall my lack of endurance training was BURNING my forearms. So frustrating that you know you can do a move in front of you but your so pumped to do it! CURSE you anaerobic respiration! Technique and strength are nothing without endurance.

MEGA pumped getting off a route!

Finals consisted of the top 5 male & top 5 Female. I placed for the finals around… which I later found out consisted of one route, on-sight format. The climber who got the furthest places on top. I instantly freaked out when I realized bouldering wasnt involved in the finals. I knew my endurance wasnt up to par, and I havent clipped in a biner in a while. The whole break period involved me laying on the floor flipping out in the inside. Developed of a headache because I was stressing out.

shaking out to de-stress... by dislocating my fingers ha

Powerful drop down move, as you can see by my bulging bicep



BUT! Once I tied in, focus mode turned on. I tried to control every movement to save every ounce of energy. I went through the route pretty well, allotting myself plenty of rest time. Being a Negative Nancy, I seriously though I was going to fall before clipping the first draw. To my surprise, I was doing really well. Fear was gone, my anxiety disappeared, and all I felt was focus concentration. I made it half way up the wall giving it my all before I took the whip after attempting to reach a crimp. PSYCHE is all I felt. Even though I didnt finish the route, I was still very happy and glad I got on the wall and did better than I expected. I ended up getting one move less than Rosie Bates.

Shows how much I really know myself. I know what I am capable of doing, just always challenging to stay confident when you have that dark looming cloud of anxiety and fear over your head.

My main takeaway for this event: stop freaking out & just do it… also, cross train with bouldering AND sport climbing haha.

PLACING OVERALL:
- Placed 1st in bouldering for women
- 2nd in the final’s on-sight lead route

Im so glad I made it out to compete, I had a great time and the climbing was fantastic.

Ok, back to cramming. While you guys climb on!

-Natalie Duran

 

Dang, Really?

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I currently climb in my local gym ~3-4 weekdays each week. Tonight the gym was filled with fun vibes and great climbs with friends! We are all really silly, and then one of my friends took a pic of me climbing… when I looked at it I did not know I was THAT buff. Freaked me out.

Before I started climbing I was insanely skinny; because I am blessed with fast metabolism genes. The years before I started climbing, my body weight stayed at a stagnant 90lbs. I fell in love with climbing instantly, soon after BAM muscles arose. I had no fat to loose, so muscle is what I gained. During my time in the gym I don’t train at all, just climb… a lot. haha.

A funny pattern is whenever I gas up at an ARCO station, there is always some random dood that goes, “DANG gurl… how much you press?”
(as i try to hide my muscles) I say, “I climb, so I don’t know… my own weight?”

Whenever I hear my non-climbing friends say they want tone arms I always suggest climbing. Its fun and it really does get you fit, if you keep up with it.

 

Alright, Climb on my buff climbing friends!

- Natalie Duran