The highlight reel from Sender One LAX's first Bouldering League Finals! Spring Bouldering League had a phenomenal turnout with
amazing climbers, boulder routes, and vendors. Congratulations to our first ever champions of the LAX Bouldering League!
🎥: @kidbotic
Words & Photos by Melody Yuan
I’ve had my trusted rope for two years. It’s dynamic, durable and my life depends on it.
It only seems right then, to make sure the rope’s well taken care of. While I’ve taken precaution to keep my rope on the tarp and not step on it when climbing outdoors, rinse it every few months, use a proper rope bag, and make sure it stays flaked when it’s not in use, I really only washed it for the first time two weeks ago.
My rope has journeyed up many routes and picked up dirt across different crags. My climbing friends can attest that I probably had the dirtiest rope among our regular climbing group. I used to pride myself on the fact that my rope was well used, but after belaying one day and noticing that my hands were black as night after only one climb, I decided it was time to wash it.
But how?
After talking to a few fellow climbers, reading threads and making a trip to REI, I was equipped and ready to take on the challenge.
Tub, bucket or a sink that you don’t mind getting dirty
Rope soap (Editor's Note: Recommended. Other detergents are potentially damaging to ropes.)
Warm water
Gloves (optional)
While cleaning the rope using just warm water may be a good enough solution, I decided to use the Edelweiss Rope Wash because my rope was too dirty for just water to clean. I have also heard of climbers throwing their rope into the washing machine*, but I would encourage washing the rope by hand. Who wants all that rope dirt in the washer where your clothes go anyway?
I used the bathtub at home and placed my filthy rope inside. Then, I filled the tub half way with lukewarm water. Editor's note: Washing your rope may stain your bathtub! Wash at your discretion.
Let the water soak. I left the rope in the tub for about 5 minutes. During this time, I cleaned the inside of my rope bag.
Swish it around. I pulled and squeezed the rope to make sure all the sediments were coming off, and that every inch of the rope had been in the water.
Add rope wash. If you’re intending to use a wash, a small amount will usually suffice in getting the grittier dirt out.
Scrub and Swish. Pull the entire length of your rope through your hands and scrub with your fingers.
Drain the water, rinse the rope and then refill the tub with clean water to rinse and/or scrub the rope again. I drained and refilled the tub four times before the water started getting clear again.
Dry thoroughly. Flake the rope out of the tub and lay it across a water-friendly area like a towel, balcony or shower-curtain rod. In my case, I laid it across the bike rack in my garage and away from direct sunlight.
Once it’s completely dry and looking brand new again, flake the rope one more time to make sure the rope is clean, tie the ends, and put it back into your rope bag. And voila! Guaranteed that the next time you go climbing, you’ll feel great pulling out some clean rope to set up on a new route.
To ensure that your rope stays in its optimum conditions, I would suggest doing the following:
* Please research and wash your rope in a washing machine at your own discretion.
**This post is a general guide to maintaining your rope. If you are uncertain about the integrity of a rope, have it inspected by a professional. Sender One is not responsible for any rope failures via use of this guide.
Whenever you’re climbing, indoors or out, you may hear or find yourself using all sorts of climbing jargon. Whether you’re new to the sport or well versed in climbing, there may be some words you may not understand. Especially with the start of Sender One LAX’s Bouldering League, you may need to know some of these words just to understand the rules! Climbers use and say so much slang, climbing pretty much has its own language. So here’s some beta (don’t worry, keep reading and we’ll define this too!) on how to navigate and translate this foreign language.
Beta: Specific advice, direction, or instruction on how to complete a climb.
Example: “Hey, what’s the beta for this climb?” “There’s a secret knee bar, my friend.”
Boulder: Climbing on boulders, often “shorter” or less tall climbs. Protection usually is the floor or a mat.
Example: “I like that boulder. That is a nice boulder.”
Bump: A technique in which you move an extremity to a hold, then move it to a subsequently higher hold. This is done to advance short distances with poor holds.
Example: “Go to that crimp, then bump to the jug.”
Campus: Climbing without the use of your feet.
Example: "It's too difficult to keep my feet on the wall, so I'm just going to campus this."
Crimp: A small hold that you can only get the first pad of your fingers on.
Example: “Crimps are small.”
Crux: The hardest part of the climbing sequence.
Example: “The crux of the problem is the big move in the middle. And also the first move. Also, the move after the middle. And the top.”
Dyno: Short for dynamic, this is a technique where the climber will jump for a hold otherwise out of reach.
Example: “You’re a lot shorter, so you might have to dyno to the top.”
Flash: Finishing a climb on your first attempt, with beta or seeing the entire climb.
Example: “I flashed that climb, now I never have to do it again.”
Jug: A big hold that you can hold with your whole hand.
Example: “It’s good. It’s a jug.”
On-sight: Only applicable to rope climbs, on-sighting is finishing a climb on your first attempt, without any beta or being able to see the full route in detail.
Example: “I can probably on-sight a 10.a.”
Project: A climb that may take multiple sessions to figure out and complete.
Example: “I’ve been projecting the pink one in the corner for months.”
Sandbag: To underestimate a climb’s difficulty or a climber’s ability.
Example: “They’re sandbagging to score more points in Bouldering League”
Send: To successfully complete a climb.
Example: “I finally sent my project at Sender One.” (OH, THAT'S WHERE WE GOT THE NAME!)
Have fun adding these new terms to your vocabulary so you can better communicate with your fellow climbers - and communicate way worse with everyone else.
The Spring Bouldering League is kicking off this week at Sender One LAX! Teams of 5 are pitted against each other in this 6 week Bouldering Battle Royale! With fresh competition sets every week, this is the one of the most difficult and anticipated competitions of the year. Check out the highlight reel below to find out what bouldering league is all about.
Yeah, Bouldering League is awesome. And there's still time to sign up! Even if you don't have a team, register and meet new climbers because a Bouldering League bond, is a bond for bouldering life.
Register for Spring Bouldering League here.
Los Angeles has a lot going for it: a great food scene, plenty of live entertainment, near perfect weather year round. But at Sender One Climbing, we’re pretty certain that rock climbing in Los Angeles is one of the best ways to really understand and appreciate all that this wonderful city has to offer. Find out where our 5 favorite Los Angeles rock climbing spots are below!
Stoney Point
Stony Point is one of the many iconic climbing locations found throughout Los Angeles and is notable for its nearly 130 bouldering problems that climbers can enjoy. Located in the Santa Susana Mountains, Stony Point is perfect for those that know how to climb outside safely and enjoy beautiful scenery. Climbers of different abilities will be able to easily find challenging routes for bouldering and top rope climbing.
Malibu Creek Traverse - Photo by RachelATC via Mountain Project
Although traversing to routes at Malibu Creek Canyon can be technically challenging, the bouldering and top rope opportunities are some of the most sought after in Los Angeles. Enjoy a leisurely hike into the Santa Monica Mountains and explore the countless bouldering problems and 100+ bolted climbs ranging from 5.5-5.14, all on steep pocketed volcanic rock. Plus, there are tons great locations to hike, swim, and mountain bike nearby!
Echo Cliffs - Photo by Kimberly Kay via Mountain Project
With over 200 routes available for climbers of every skill level, Echo Cliffs is one of our favorite spots to enjoy a day outdoors. This beautiful sunny destination is sought after because of its particularly long routes, several of which require over 60-meters of rope in order to top rope. Plus, all Echo Cliff routes are bolt protected and the diverse rock faces range from pockets and holds on vertical faces to overhanging rock.
Point Dume - Photo by Tozankyaku via Mountain Project
If you haven’t been climbing in Point Dume, what are you waiting for? This stunning location offers both a west facing wall and a south facing wall with routes for beginner and intermediate climbers. Point Dume is an excellent spot to practice technique and hone skill, with routes ranging from 5.6-5.10. Did we mention that it’s located along the beach in Malibu?
While we love the great outdoors, heading up the coast to Malibu or making your way into the Santa Monica Mountains isn’t always an option. At Sender One Climbing LAX, we make things simple so you’re able to get in and get climbing without any hassle. Practice and improve your technique on our state-of-the-art bouldering problems and top rope routes, or take a lead climbing class before you take your climbing outside.
Rock climbing in Los Angeles is extremely popular for a reason, and we encourage you to get out there and explore all of the incredible climbing the city has to offer. Learn more about rock climbing at our Sender One LAX location and explore the many benefits of our indoor climbing gym here.