Strengths and strengths.

A curious revelation occured to me earlier this year (when I had any strength to speak of....or at least when my body could take using it :S).

I've always thought that my strength - stylistic strength that is - in climbing was simple: crimpy walls and slabs with sharp positive holds and stiff pulls between them. Sort of slatey quarried-grity culm-coasty stuff, which is what I've tended to do best in on trad. Perish the thought of steep, bulging, roofy stuff, let alone that combined with slopers and friction (although the latters being a pure physiological issue of sweaty hands). Too intimidating, too immediately pumpy, too committing, too blind, too easy to slither off.

Now, bouldering (I like it! When I can actually do it...). My stylistic strength there?? Hmmm, well judging by my hardest problems: Steep, bulging, roofy stuff, combined with slopers and friction (and a fair bit of areteness thrown in too). I guess burly bulging rounded ribs would probably be where it's at for me. As for crimpy walls - ouch!! Just can't seem to crimp hard enough, I tend to lag behind by a grade or so in the genre I *thought* was my strength.

Weakness is strength? Strength is weakness?*

Well, it's not that obtuse: Overall climbing / mental strengths of onsighting trad vs. purely physical strengths of worked boulder problems. Hanging on a trad route on bulging slopey ground is well harsh - blasting through it above a mat is quite different. Alas little mystery there! Chalk and cheese. Mmmm cheese... ...mmmm chalk!!

And little to learn from this for the future either. I always try to progress and improve my confidence, however gradually, anyway, and that includes pushing my naturally lagging stylistic weaknesses. As for bouldering....hmmm. Get uninjured....get strong! LOL.

[* - from a novel I'm reading - anyone reading the same one, tell me about it!]