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Sport v Trad


Adam13

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I leaned more toward sport when I started climbing and found little to no carry-over from that skillset when I attempted trad routes. (ie-my sport grades would jump but trad grades did not budge and crack skills were pathetic.) This season, I put the sporto stuff on the back burner and put in consistent effort on the trad, which has resulted in inching my way up the grade ladder and the exciting discovery that I really enjoy the subleties crack climbing(before, it felt like one big frustrating grovelfest :cry:).

 

Interestingly, on the rare occasion that I do get on a sport route now, I've found that I'm climbing better and harder on them than I did when they were my sole focus.

 

It was intriguing how the trad efforts bumped up the sport, but, for me at least, there was no gain when it was the other way around.

 

I love crack. :)

 

 

 

 

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well...you are the exception to the rule...generally, a sportclimber has higher footwork skills, and more finger power than a trad only climber and the transition to crack climbing merely involves learning a couple of types of simple jams...

 

the gear is mechanical and it doesn't matter what your background is to make it work...its irrelevant to the discussion of "crack" vs. face/sport...its merely protection.

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:battlecage:

Sport may be better for physical/footwork development, but I think trad is better for mental/efficienty development.

 

I've actually seen improvement go both ways Sherri :tup:

Thin trad has made me a better sport climber, and sport has made me a stronger trad climber :tup:

 

But in the end it's all about the crack :tup: Never have gotten even close to the same rush on a hard sport lead as I have on a hard trad lead :)

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First off, Trad Climbing and Crack Climbing are different skill sets. Crack climbing is just a movement set Trad climbing is the culmination of crack, face, slab, corner, etc. etc. climbing with mental aspect of risk and fear management and self sufficiency.

 

Sport climbing, pulling plastic, and bouldering might as well be gymnastics :battlecage:

 

Trad Climbing = being able to maintain a level head, suppress/manage fear, and being able to make committing moves with uncertain outcomes into unknown terrain, above potentially suspect gear = big brass ones. :grin: :grin:

 

And those carry over into every endeavor imaginable!

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the gear is mechanical and it doesn't matter what your background is to make it work...its irrelevant to the discussion of "crack" vs. face/sport...its merely protection.

 

Guess it's not the first time I've gotten things back asswards. :crazy:

 

I found the gear relevant in the sense that, when it came to placing it, I had to learn to find stances in the cracks in order to do so without pumping out. Not that clipping bolts doesn't require finding effective stances, but, from a physical sense, the process seemed to be of more of a "balancy" one than a strenuous or pumpy one.

 

Especially when pushing a grade, it was easier to grope for a hanger than to solidy jam a crack while selecting and properly placing the appropriate nut, cam, or hex--so I find the gear itself to be intrinsic to the style because of the differing nature of how it must be placed.

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In trad climbing, not only must you find a stance that won't pump you out, but you need to position yourself so that you can see into the crack into which the gear will be placed.

 

In sport climbing if you can reach the bolt you're fine, assuming you can hold yourself in place for the few second needed to clip.

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First off, Trad Climbing and Crack Climbing are different skill sets. Crack climbing is just a movement set Trad climbing is the culmination of crack, face, slab, corner, etc. etc. climbing with mental aspect of risk and fear management and self sufficiency.

 

you dumb ass...i already said this...duh!

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I love you like a bro Ru…..but I totally disagree with your words. This must be a troll….

 

well...you are the exception to the rule...generally, a sportclimber has higher footwork skills,

 

Not true at all……in order to place the pro….you have to take a hand of for an extended period of time….which requires exceptional foot work. Pasting you foot against a smearing face hold is so different than jamming the tip of your toe in a crack that is the size of a penny.

 

 

and more finger power than a trad only climber and the transition to crack climbing merely involves learning a couple of types of simple jams...

 

 

This is the troll part…..right?

 

If jams are so simple then why does Joseph Healey still not like to do them after 30 years of climbing? And he is a smart guy. JH has never sport climbed.

More finger power? Not so sure about that. Would it be accurate to say that crack climbers have stronger wrists because of all the twisting you do when jamming?

 

the gear is mechanical and it doesn't matter what your background is to make it work...its irrelevant to the discussion of "crack" vs. face/sport...its merely protection.

 

If crack climbing is sooooo easy then why is it that the majority of climbers only climb sport? Because it’s a lot easier bro……how many times have you gone to a crag and you are telling someone about a cool climb they should do and you mention it takes gear and there response is “ oh….I don’t own a rack” ?

 

I love your trolls!!!!!!

 

 

 

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the perfect argument for my case is to look at who is actually leading the cutting edge of trad climbing...they ALL, to a one, started as hard core sport climbers...

 

Yuji H

Huber Bros

Sonnie Trotter

Tommy/Beth Caldwell

 

hell, everyone gives sharma shit about being a sporto thug...so what's his first crack climb was a .13c placing his gear as he went...

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I love you like a bro Ru…..but I totally disagree with your words. This must be a troll….

 

well...you are the exception to the rule...generally, a sportclimber has higher footwork skills,

 

Not true at all……in order to place the pro….you have to take a hand of for an extended period of time….which requires exceptional foot work. Pasting you foot against a smearing face hold is so different than jamming the tip of your toe in a crack that is the size of a penny.

 

 

and more finger power than a trad only climber and the transition to crack climbing merely involves learning a couple of types of simple jams...

 

 

This is the troll part…..right?

 

If jams are so simple then why does Joseph Healey still not like to do them after 30 years of climbing? And he is a smart guy. JH has never sport climbed.

More finger power? Not so sure about that. Would it be accurate to say that crack climbers have stronger wrists because of all the twisting you do when jamming?

 

the gear is mechanical and it doesn't matter what your background is to make it work...its irrelevant to the discussion of "crack" vs. face/sport...its merely protection.

 

If crack climbing is sooooo easy then why is it that the majority of climbers only climb sport? Because it’s a lot easier bro……how many times have you gone to a crag and you are telling someone about a cool climb they should do and you mention it takes gear and there response is “ oh….I don’t own a rack” ?

 

I love your trolls!!!!!!

 

 

just out of curiosity, what is your hardest sport climb? me thinks you might be talking out of your ass as far as footwork goes...obviously, you've never seen high end limestone climbers and how supremely polished there footwork is...

 

plus i don't twist my wrist...

Edited by RuMR
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the perfect argument for my case is to look at who is actually leading the cutting edge of trad climbing...they ALL, to a one, started as hard core sport climbers...

 

Yuji H

Huber Bros

Sonnie Trotter

Tommy/Beth Caldwell

 

hell, everyone gives sharma shit about being a sporto thug...so what's his first crack climb was a .13c placing his gear as he went...

 

Tommy and Sonnie did not start as hard core sport climbers……do your homework.

 

Yeah….Chris and his 13.c accent was great…..how many other trad climbs has he done since? That’s what I thought.

 

 

just out of curiosity, what is your hardest sport climb? me thinks you might be talking out of your ass as far as footwork goes...obviously, you've never seen high end limestone climbers and how supremely polished there footwork is...

 

 

You really want me to spray about how hard I climb and who I have seen climb? don’t temp me!

 

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fuck...after th NA wall, tommy even credited sport for his success...

 

and explain yuji!! the fokker damn near onsighted the salathe and holds a slightly ok time up the nose!!! he was a world cup competitor for a loooooooong time...

 

and explain der huber bros...

and what about our very own mr. sjong???

Edited by RuMR
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Inter view with TC and BR:

 

Q: Your all-around abilities on rock amaze people. One month you send the hardest sport routes around and the next month you tick off a 30-pitch big-wall free climb. How do you switch back and forth so seemingly effortlessly between the unique demands of these types of climbing?

 

A:The training we do is very similar for each type of climbing. If we have been training for sport climbing, we can usually adjust very quickly to El Cap routes. It doesn’t necessarily work the other way around.[/b] We have the knowledge of logistics and how to big wall free climb, so sport climbing training just prepares us for the physical part. We might add some more cardio into our day if we feel it is necessary.

 

Edited by RuMR
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yeah...i do...

 

and tommy trained exclusively for sport for years...so did sonnie

 

 

They all trained on sport….thats how to get strong for crack…..you said they STARTED as hard core sport climbers.

 

Tommy was taught to climb by his father who by all trades was and is a trad climber. Tommy was taught to climb gear……then turned to sport years later.

 

 

 

 

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nobody starts as hardcore anything, tool...tommy's dad was the one that got him into it and he began climbing before sport was widely accepted. He floursihed in climbing after sport though...

 

With sonnie, he sport climbed much more in the beginning than trad...

 

another example is beth rodden...yet another is katie brown...face it, you can crank on face, then you can crank on cracks...

 

They didn't start sending hard trad UNTIL AFTER sending hard sport. That is where they learned to climb...man, sometimes you strike me as such a dumbass...

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yeah...i do...

 

and tommy trained exclusively for sport for years...so did sonnie

 

 

They all trained on sport….thats how to get strong for crack…..you said they STARTED as hard core sport climbers.

 

Tommy was taught to climb by his father who by all trades was and is a trad climber. Tommy was taught to climb gear……then turned to sport years later.

 

 

 

 

i love it...you are making my point for me! dumbarse...sheesh, this is what i was saying to sherri at the very beginning...

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Taking elite climbers as universal examples doesn't necessarily transfer.

 

For most of the moderate climbers I know where they have the most room for growth is mental not physical/technical. They lead 2, 3, or more grades below what they can flash on top rope, and it's purely headspace, and in IMHO that can be developed faster leading trad then sport. In fact I only climb with 1 person who can lead at the same level he can top rope, and he scares me some times :)

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