Getting Your Kicks

You already know this, and I already knew this, but the last few days of climbing on my semi-completed wall has confirmed a basic fact- without some seriously stupid foot holds, getting a start on a 40-degree overhang is tough work.

I don't want to put anything bigger than a foot chip down low, so that means a kicker- a small section of flat wall at the bottom of a steep bit, for starting your feet on. I put this in yesterday.

I guess I could just use this as a foothold. If I was LAZY.

First, I put up some wedges to support the kicker, one on each end. These triangular chunks are actually the discarded ends from the 2x6s I cut to make the side supports- waste not want not, and they are already at a perfect angle!

Look how clean it is!

Likewise, the plywood I used is a cast-off bit from one of the wall panels. The panel is really short, about fifteen centimeters. This is fine, as it just needs to provide a surface for foot chips/smearing, and the smaller it is the longer the main climbing surface is.

Ready 2 Climb

I threw on a few chips- these tiny-ass holds are basically useless on anything much steeper than vertical, and would be unusable (by me) on this steep of a wall, or even on the 30 that hasn't gone up yet. But they sure make it easier to start a problem!

And that's that- short update, but things are progressing. I'm nearly done putting the T-Nuts in the 30 degree section, at which point I'll put it up as soon as I can get the help. This will involve getting behind the wall for the last time and (hopefully) squeezing out over the top at the end- it should be a great time. Until then!