Stemming Practice???

[FredinUtah]

Can anyone suggest a spot near SLC (preferably Sandy) that might be good for practicing stemming/chimneying techniques. Nothing with huge drops where rope/harness is needed.

I am hoping to find, the equivilant of bouldering problems but with stemming/chimneying moves.

Thanks,
Fred

[bbjones]

Crescent Crack up LCC has a short elevator section not really wide enough to stem but knees, hands and back.

Also, I was attending a niece's wedding downtown a few years ago. I made it up about 20 feet on a big granite building between North and South Temple before a couple of security guards dressed in WHITE kindly asked me to come down. I sheepishly obliged and they let me stay for the family photos.

Brandt

[FredinUtah]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to dodge the guys in white and check out Crescent Crack.

Fred

[Spidey]

The problems with chimneys or cracks is that typically you're moving vertically. This translates to stemming but isn't the same. Stemming you're moving horizontally. The only real stemming practice that I can think of is in canyons. Go with someone who is very good at stemming they can cut your learning curve dramatically. I watched a friend go from no stemming experience to stemming R canyons very well in less than a week, under the right tutelage obviously.
Spidey

[FredinUtah]

You are correct about vert vs horizontal but I still found it good to even be able to jam my self in to a crack & move. New muscle combinations, different body placement, etc. I want to reduce the learning curve, while increasing my confidence, as much as possible so I don't slow anyone else down when we are faced with these challenges in the canyons.
I feel I know a little bit more by doing it, even in a vertical direction, than I did before.

Fred

[Spidey]

You're absolutely right It's all good practice. I didn't mean to say it wouldn't help, if that's how it sounded I apologize. I just meant that there's no substitute for getting into some stemming canyons with a good teacher. Hope the practice goes well.
Spidey

[bbjones]

I just was up on the Coffin in LCC. After we went up and over to Crescent Crack and down-climbed it. It was a great exercise.

We then went over to the boulder field at the bottom of Green A Gully. There were 2 big boulders at the bottom of the gully just above the oak brush. We were able to do a couple of side-ways/down stem moves followed by a short down climb/shimmy.

Green A Fully is accessed west from the grotto at the Gate Boulder.

A fun couple of hours.

Brandt

[FredinUtah]

I know where the Gates Boulders are but have not heard of Green A Gully. I'll have to check it out. Crescent Crack works but it is very, very hot until the sun goes down. Besides, variety is the spice of life.

[bbjones]

Park at the gate buttress area like you are going up to school room area.

Take the trail west out of the parking lot.

The trail enters the grotto of tall oak brush canopy.

To get to school room you head basically north. Do not go north.

Take the trail that heads west-north-west through and out of the grotto.

If you hit the cliff before hitting the boulder field, you angled too far north.

Just back track a bit and you should see the trail heading more westerly and you will run into a boulder field.

On the far south end of the boulder field and just above the oak brush, you should see two big boulders that are close enough to do a couple of stemming moves and a down climb.

Take a camera so we can see your pictures.

PM if you feel the need.

Brandt