As much as Hong Kong appears to be a metropolitan city, it is flanked by many mountains and ridges, offering an abundance of hiking trails and places to rock climb. They offer no shortages of indoor climbing gyms as well – a welcome respite from the very humid and hot summers here. Climbers gather here to practice and improve skills in bouldering and climbing in a safe and comfortable environment.
New Shoes!
Having a really bad bouldering session with the free shoe hire the gym offered, I was determined to at least get my own pair of climbing shoes. I went to Chamonix in Mong Kok which was doing a 30% off sale. The sales assistant recommended a pair of shoes suited for bouldering and beginners, helping me with the fit (climbing shoes are super tight and uncomfortable). This is my new La Sportiva Tarantula Boulder, it came with a discounted chalk bag as well!
Indoor Gym – Camp Four
We went to Camp Four bouldering gym. I had visited the same one two weeks prior. Prior to that, I had only bouldered a handful of times. I had shied away from putting too much pressure on the collar bone after I had broken it and then had the plate surgically removed in 2022. I am still very much a beginner and appreciated my much more experienced friends giving me pointers!
What a world of a difference the shoes make! The split soles allowed me to move my toes better, no longer did it feel like I had planks strapped to my feet from a hard wide sole. The grip was much better and I was now able to do some toe-hooks due to a large pad at the top of the shoe!
Things I did well and Things to improve
My goals for this session were:
- I wanted to climb more with intention and begin to visualise the climb to save energy. Slow things down.
- I didn’t want to waste energy by using too many dyno moves.
- Engage my butt muscles and core to take the strain off my arms
- Do not over-grip and tire my forearms unecessarily.
I did improve on all these so I was very happy. Progress is always in incremental steps. Look at me staring the wall down here!
My toes began to hurt after a few routes despite taking off my shoes periodically. I wasn’t used to how tight climbing shoes were. It was noted that I don’t point my toes enough. By applying pressure on a small point, traction would increase and there is less tendency to slip. I also gain an additional inch of reach as opposed to wanting everything to be at the ball of my foot. Something to look out for next time!