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PostPosted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 12:22 pm 

Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:17 am
Posts: 675
Shoes: Team 40
Dear members,

I would like to inform you that the spotting police will be out in numbers this evening at Creation. This will include the likes of Byron (probably pretending to be a Pteradactyl), Jay Kay (wearing a silly hat and fiddling his balls), Michaf C (The guy with really short arms) etc...

Anyway, if you are seen to be spotting in a poor fashion and/or incorrectly they have been given the right to punish you (probably involving some kind of penis related activity)

On a serious note, spotting is just as important as belaying, so it is just as important to concentrate on your partner (regardless of the style of climbing.) If you want some handy tips then ask one of the guys(there might be some girls too) above for advice.

All the love,

Jay
(Spotting fiend)



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"Bouldering is... many things to many people. For some, it's the ultimate expression of climbing. No ropes, no gear - just the joy of pure movement, in relative safety, not too high above the ground.For some, it's a never-ending quest for technical perfection....

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:23 pm 

Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 1:09 am
Posts: 116
Shoes: 5.10 til I die!
Good call on this James, it's a pretty important part of bouldering, but if the majority of your bouldering experience has been indoors it's quite easy to become complacent; what with the 1 foot deep mats everywhere, and no rocks to smack your head on :S

Thoughts I'd offer a couple of rules of thumb in case anyone's a little rusty:

first thing is that if you're aware of what someone's doing, and paying attention to the shag then spotting them correctly will be much easier, for example; if they're on a move where they could barn door of at a funny angle and you're standing right behind them not paying attention then you'll be pretty hard pushed to jump a couple of metres to your right of left and spot them effectively, also watching people shag is one of the best ways to learn technique, so it's helpful in that sense as well. - Even if you're not meant to be spotting someone, and you see them scrabbling around at the top of a boulder, or getting shaky legs walk over and shout that you've got them, it makes quite a difference to know that there's someone below you who has your back.

Outside this changes a little, as you've got more to be aware of, e.g. if you're aware that there's a rocky patch of ground to the right of the landing spot if someone lands and stumbles that way, or crumples over to the right you'll be more prepared to stop their head/shoulders from going that way.

secondly (although this may seem obvious) it's easy to forget which are the main priorities when spotting, and how to deal with this, pretty similar to any sport really,
#1 Head
#2 Back/Spine
#3 General Limbs etc

If someone falls from low - and falls backwards towards you, rather than down then you're hands should be absorbing the shock via their shoulders/upper back, however if they fall from high, and are falling straight down, and you spot them here then you'll basically bounce them of your hands so their face smashes into the wall, which is less than ideal, so clamping their lower waist, or spotting their arse is a good bet. If someone's taking a big fall forget about their personal space, there's other stuff to worry about: Jay Kay and his 3-metre-over-head-of-spotter-churnet-fall technique can attest to how essential this is :D
Also if you ever want to really direct the way their fall one of the best bets is to grab a handful of their clothing, and yank them in whichever direction is appropriate. - Under the arms is a good middle ground if you're not sure. - This is a good bet if you're somewhere with a steep landing, or a lake behind you (rubicon).

Third and last, if you're standing around with your arms crossed then you're definately doing something very wrong, James B came up with the best rule of thumb over the weekend - if you can't see your thumbs and the climber then you're not kosher.

A spotter is basically there to absorb force/make sure your climber doesn't end up going in the wrong direction if/when the fall (or even drop down from the top of a problem), just taking a bit of the force out of a fall by putting a hand either side of their waist really reduces any strain on the legs, knees or ankles.

I realise this all seems a bit OTT and anal, but the fact is that bouldering is centred around the idea that you're trying moves hard enough to warrant a fair few falls, it just makes sense to do things properly, also you're always going to feel more comfortable trying something hard/a little dangerous if you hear an 'I've got you mate' from someone you trust below you.


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:31 pm 

Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:17 am
Posts: 675
Shoes: Team 40
Byron wrote:
Jeb


Summed up perfectly mate.

And again....

You expect to take falls from bouldering. And unlike sport and trad (mostly) you are going to be landing on the ground (with no support from a rope). This is why it is so important to PAY ATTENTION and make sure if you are spotting someone they land on a soft pad in the best possible way.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:39 pm 

Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:36 pm
Posts: 1023
Location: Selly Oak
Shoes: Boreal Stingma
BAD SPOTTING VIDEO INCOMING!!!!!!

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:55 pm 

Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:36 pm
Posts: 1023
Location: Selly Oak
Shoes: Boreal Stingma
Whilst the video is processing I'll say a few words. Rumour has it that Byron and JK are collectively known as the 'anal' boys. You can make your own mind up as to how they earnt the title. Nevertheless, on occasions they do raise good points, especially with regards bouldering which they each love more than their own cock and balls. In this particular instance, they have done a fine job of illustrating the importance of spotting.

Next to orgasm, a pro-active spot is the best feeling a man, or woman, can get. The sense of security and well-being enables wee boulderers to crank their hearts out in relative safety. Just ask Tom Green, had it not been for me groping his arse in an encouraging and reassuring manner he probably never would have topped out on that font 6b arete at Cratcliffe. The importance of a pro-active spot cannot be overstated.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 2:09 pm 

Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:36 pm
Posts: 1023
Location: Selly Oak
Shoes: Boreal Stingma
Lady Stoats and Gentlemen Stoats,

Please find below, for your viewing pleasure and education, a short video of terrible Stoat spotting. The climbers and spotters are all club members past or present. The footage is illustrative of not only the difficulties of spotting in different situations, but also the consequences when it goes wrong.

Classic failures include:

    Gadd standing with his arms crossed 6 feet away
    The trio under Cul de Chien who look the part but let me crater into the dirt
    Tim's effort to catch Lee with his face

Good luck and have fun!



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PostPosted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 3:24 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2007 4:56 pm
Posts: 323
In addition to Byrons post on good spotting...

It might sound obvious but positioning mats well is just as key! Just because your mat is in the right position when you start, doesnt mean it will be at the end.

You may want your spotter to move the mat at you go (which is a skill in its own right, spotting effectively and moving mats at the same time is hard!) or if you know the first moves are easy at the start plan ahead with the positioning. Best of all have millions of mats to protect it all at the same time!

A combination of mats to even out uneven ground can work well. Protruding rocks may be better protected turning the mat faceside down so it folds the right way etc.

Even if you're the worlds best spotter, you'll find it difficult to land the person you're spotting safely if the mat is 3m away!


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:21 pm 

Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 1:09 am
Posts: 116
Shoes: 5.10 til I die!
Rosie wrote:
In addition to Byrons post on good spotting...

It might sound obvious but positioning mats well is just as key! Just because your mat is in the right position when you start, doesnt mean it will be at the end.

You may want your spotter to move the mat at you go (which is a skill in its own right, spotting effectively and moving mats at the same time is hard!) or if you know the first moves are easy at the start plan ahead with the positioning. Best of all have millions of mats to protect it all at the same time!

A combination of mats to even out uneven ground can work well. Protruding rocks may be better protected turning the mat faceside down so it folds the right way etc.

Even if you're the worlds best spotter, you'll find it difficult to land the person you're spotting safely if the mat is 3m away!


Tru Dat.


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