SnowByrd Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 Okay...so I have a harness, an AT device, shoes, and a locking carabiner. I've been climbing (sport) once and will ocntinue to climb a couple of times a week. What's the next step for purchasing equipment? I assume that I'll continue to learn to do more difficult climbs but in the process, probably learn to 'clean up' some of the easier ones? After that, possibly learn to lead easier ones as well (down the road a little ways, I mean.) Advice please (like I need to ask ) Quote
RuMR Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 other than the rope, i'd hold off for a bit... Â Probably the single best purchase you can make if you are serious about progressing is a...(flame suit on, because of all of the old crusty types here)...Gym membership... Quote
dryad Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 You got a helmet? That's pretty important. Also, something to use as a personal anchor. Â Other than that, I presume you'll be climbing with more experienced people for a while and can share all their other gear (rope, draws, pro, etc etc) Quote
fenderfour Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 1. Rope 2. More locking 'biners and webbing to set up topropes (learn how) 3. Quickdraws to lead sport routes Quote
Bug Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 If you have any inclination to follow trad, you will need a cleaning tool. Quote
Greg_W Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 Also, something to use as a personal anchor. Â The rope should be your personal anchor. I don't understand the many people I see committing only to a daisy as a personal anchor. The rope is fucking bomber, and it is a good habit to get into as you may not have a daisy around all the time (i.e., alpine rock climbing where weight is an issue). I use a daisy at places like Squamish where the anchors are mostly bolts, but I always tie in with the rope to the main anchor point first. Â My advice would be to decide what type of climbing you want to do (try both sport and trad) and then seek out mentors who will are willing to teach you. Â Greg_W Quote
specialed Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 Okay...so I have a harness, an AT device, shoes, and a locking carabiner. I've been climbing (sport) once and will ocntinue to climb a couple of times a week. What's the next step for purchasing equipment? I assume that I'll continue to learn to do more difficult climbs but in the process, probably learn to 'clean up' some of the easier ones? After that, possibly learn to lead easier ones as well (down the road a little ways, I mean.) Advice please (like I need to ask ) Â You should eschew the unnecessary bullshit that you see many climbers with and go straight for the must-have equipment that you will use everywhere from the crag to the alpine: pink bunny slippers, a full-body Ewok suit, a banjo, six-pack of Pacifico w/ limes, and a towel. Quote
Greg_W Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 Okay...so I have a harness, an AT device, shoes, and a locking carabiner. I've been climbing (sport) once and will ocntinue to climb a couple of times a week. What's the next step for purchasing equipment? I assume that I'll continue to learn to do more difficult climbs but in the process, probably learn to 'clean up' some of the easier ones? After that, possibly learn to lead easier ones as well (down the road a little ways, I mean.) Advice please (like I need to ask ) Â You should eschew the unnecessary bullshit that you see many climbers with and go straight for the must-have equipment that you will use everywhere from the crag to the alpine: pink bunny slippers, a full-body Ewok suit, a banjo, six-pack of Pacifico w/ limes, and a towel. Â Some sort of bongos, african drums, or a tambourine. Quote
dryad Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 Also, something to use as a personal anchor. Â The rope should be your personal anchor. Â Ummm... what about when you're at the top of a sport pitch and you have to untie yourself to feed the rope through the chains? Or any time you're getting ready to rap off of anything, for that matter? What do you anchor yourself with then? Quote
fenderfour Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 Also, something to use as a personal anchor. Â The rope should be your personal anchor. Â Ummm... what about when you're at the top of a sport pitch and you have to untie yourself to feed the rope through the chains? Or any time you're getting ready to rap off of anything, for that matter? What do you anchor yourself with then? Â Personal anchor = tied double sling. Â It's cheap and multi-functional. A daisy chain is only useful to clip yourself in when you are waiting to rappel. Beyond that, it's a good possibility that you will have a couple on your rack for climbing, and you won't need them for climbing when you are rapelling. Quote
SnowByrd Posted July 19, 2004 Author Posted July 19, 2004 buy your own rope  I'm hearing rope...so...next question is, what kind of a rope? Length? Width?  Gym membership: got it. Mentors: got them. Locking biners: got them. (5 enough?) Helmet: will buy. Daisy Chain: What sort? (plan to stick with sport climbing for the short term while I'm learning.) Quick Draws: again, what sort? Corona: got it.  Corona is better than Pacifico...Pacifico tastes like urine. I hate pink. I'll borrow CascadeClimber's flame retardant suit. Quote
fenderfour Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 (edited) 60 meters long, 9.7mm-10.5mm in length. You could get a dry rope, but it's unnecessary for cragging (unless you like climbing in the rain). Â Check out reioutlet.com and gearexpress.com for cheap ropes. Â I don't know about quickdraws. I use my doubled single slings Edited July 19, 2004 by fenderfour Quote
Greg_W Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 Also, something to use as a personal anchor. Â The rope should be your personal anchor. Â Ummm... what about when you're at the top of a sport pitch and you have to untie yourself to feed the rope through the chains? Or any time you're getting ready to rap off of anything, for that matter? What do you anchor yourself with then? Â Yet another reason not to sport climb. Fenderfour has it right; just use a sling, you're carrying them anyways. Quote
dryad Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 Like I said, "SOMETHING to use as a personal anchor". I never specifically advocated a daisy. Snowbyrd doesn't have any slings either! Quote
SnowByrd Posted July 19, 2004 Author Posted July 19, 2004 Chalk (and a bag to keep it in). Â check! those came with my harness Quote
Dru Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 Daisy are better than a single sling in my opinion but for the new climber I would advocate spending the extra $$$ and buying a Metolius PAS (personal anchor system) this is a version of the daisy with full strength loops all the way along. Â Of course you can make a home made daisy with supertape and tie a couple of water knots but these have a higher incidence of tangling on things in my experience and always seem to be the wrong length when you need to use them. Quote
Dru Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 What jk said and also like Freedom of the Hills or the John Long instructional book(s) to read for when you want a second opinion on something you saw at the crag or that someone didn't explain well. Quote
RuMR Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 Also, something to use as a personal anchor. Â The rope should be your personal anchor. I don't understand the many people I see committing only to a daisy as a personal anchor. The rope is fucking bomber, and it is a good habit to get into as you may not have a daisy around all the time (i.e., alpine rock climbing where weight is an issue). I use a daisy at places like Squamish where the anchors are mostly bolts, but I always tie in with the rope to the main anchor point first. Â My advice would be to decide what type of climbing you want to do (try both sport and trad) and then seek out mentors who will are willing to teach you. Â Greg_W Â I'm w/ greg on this...tying in w/ rope is way to go... Quote
Dru Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 tying in with rope uses up rope you could be using to stretch out a pitch  also it makes it harder to escape the belay under some circumstances  finally, for single pitch cragging the only times you need anchors are 1) anchor belayer to the ground or 2) when threading rope for rappel at top of pitch. in both of these circumstances daisy or sling is better anchor than using rope. Quote
Greg_W Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 She's a newbie, dude. The situations you mention are a little down the road for her. Got's to start with the fundamentals. Quote
Dru Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 daisy chains rock, tying in with the rope sucks. thats fundamental. Â not that it matters but evidence of the diversity of opinion on this subject, while possibly confusing, can only be of ultimate benefit for the newbies reading this thread. Quote
Bug Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 Simplify. Free-solo naked. Many of us started this way. My first rock climbing experience was at an alpine lake. We stripped to swim and then decided to jump off a cliff. We climbed too high and didn't want to reverse the moves so we climbed to the top and hiked back around. Had some nasty mosquito bites. Otherwise, just buy some super tape or sewn blue water slings and a couple biners. Make a quick-draw to use as an anchor. Also, If YOU are going to be the one threading the rope through the anchors, be sure to pull up a few meters and tie a loop to clip to yourself so you don't drop the rope. That's much more ambarassing than being discovered climbing naked by a large froup of mounties. Especially if they have to rescue you. We will shun you. Quote
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