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transition to trad


thestidham

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so I just started climbing regularly about 3 months ago in the gym (edgeworks, tacoma). I'm trying to prepare myself to do a lot of climbing come spring/summer. I haven't done any leading yet so I'm obviously not going to go out and use any trad advice I'm given right off the bat, but I just wanted to get some different peoples advice on moving from top roping to sport and eventually to trad. what kind of things can I work on and develope habits for? what's the safest way I can practice placing my own pro. I've already started to build my rack slowly so I want to practice whatever I can to prepare myself for when I'm actaully ready to hit up some challenging leading. any tips would be greatly appriciated.

 

sean

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Also, climbing outside, especially trad routes, you will find there are fewer holds marked with coloured tape.

 

Carying a rack of gear can make you feel awkward and unbalanced when trad climbing, at first. Practice in the gym by duct taping a couple of phone books to a webbing sling and wearing that over your shoulder as you climb.

 

Prepare for hand jamming now by belt sanding the backs of your hands to a cherry red colour.

 

Loudly denounce sport and gym climbers as inferior. This will help you feel trad even before you place your first gear.

 

Seriously though, rock climbing outside is not difficult. Practie building anchors now. When you go outside, start by top roping. Graduate to leading bolted routes that you are familiar with, then move to trad, then slowly increase your grades.

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practice placing some gear and building anchors on the ground, It'll help with getting the right size of pro on the 1st/2nd/3rd try, the real scourge of learning trad, while pumping out and smelling bad, cause real tradsters dont wash, gunk and goo being "core" and helping you stick to the rock.

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First off, ignore all things Drul says.... second... yep, find someone experienced to analyze your pro placements.

 

Spending some time leading sport and/or leading in the gym is a great way to build "head space" Getting calm and comfortable even when your well above your last piece (bolt or gear). For my 2 cents, this is the hardest thing to learn.

 

For the gear, spend a day or two out at Leavenworth and just place every piece on your rack and any rack you can borrow, twist pull on, add a sling and stand on them, as well as have someone else critique them all. Mock leading can also be useful for getting the mechanics down. (Set up a top rop, then tie into a second rope to drag behind you. As you climb place your gear and clip the trailing rope.) Once can start doing it safely just log mileage! Lead everything you possibly can at any grade!

 

Have fun!

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You will be stoked with an experienced partner who is very thourogh. You can never be too redundant. Following crack climbs and removing the gear will get you clued into what size gear fits what size body part. You will also see how well the gear was by the time you got to it. Did it walk into a bad location? You will know to put runners on pieces like that, etc.. Extending the length of a runner off a piece is usually good practice unless close to the ground. You just need some mileage taking out gear and seeing different natural anchor situations. My girlfriends first lead was a 5.10 hand crack. She climbed the thing on TR and took gear out of it probably 60 times, but she looked super solid on lead! My first lead was a 5.7 layback crack. It was two years into my climbing before I climbed a sport route. I know of another new climber who learned in the gym two years ago, and has climbed nothing but cracks outside on TR. This summer he also lead his first climbs. His first a 5.8 twin crack, and the second lead, the same 5.10 handcrack that my girlfriend led. It's in your comfort level and what you are used to. If you pinch nobs for two years on lead and then want to go lead a crack you have not quite done yourself justice in learning those techniques. It takes alot longer to place good pro as opposed to clipping a bolt. If your goal is to lead trad, then you should start following trad routes and get used to all the different sizes and what kind of jams work well in what size crack.

 

best of luck! Trad climbing is extremely rewarding.

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You can never be too redundant.

 

best thing is to hook up with experienced partners...

 

I second that. It's by far the best way.

 

....hook up with an experienced partner.

 

yep, find someone experienced to analyze your pro placements.

 

And a lot of people have looked at your gear placements so you know they're solid.

 

You will be stoked with an experienced partner who is very thourogh.
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I think climb some routes well within your ability, ones you might even consider soloing, while placing much gear; then have an experienced climber follow and give you feedback. If you have a mind that sees these placement situations clearly, just a couple of hours or less might be enough to get you started. If you don't, then take as long as is required, and be honest with yourself; it is your life after all.

 

Also, I think aiding some easy free lines can help to give you both familiarity with placements and confidence in the holding power of the gear.

Actually, with my present hindsight, I believe that hanging on your gear (aiding) for a few days would be an immeasurable asset in developing the confidence needed in one's gear to enable one to climb in a relaxed and enjoyable manner.

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(1) Buy one of these:

 

Olympia_Gorilla_Bar_Shop_Tools-resized200.jpg

 

(2) With newly acquired tool, donate one day of your life to sanitation projects in the vertical plane (I have some ideas).

 

(3) After satisfactory completion of steps (1) and (2), look me up and I'll be happy to offer instruction.

 

(4) Ignore Dru. And ignore the "place gear while soloing" advice from Mr. Chocolate. This should probably appear as step (1).

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The transition my wife made was she cleaned my gear for years. Played around at the base of stuff plugging pieces in, equalizing anchors while we would be out cragging. Moved to doing some TR climbs while plugging in gear and then finally got up the gumption and did it.

 

I don't know why but there is something morememorable about your first trad lead than a clip-up. She still talks about it constantly. Also the Long book on Climbing anchors is a good investment to make.

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You will be stoked with an experienced partner who is very thourogh. You can never be too redundant. Following crack climbs and removing the gear will get you clued into what size gear fits what size body part. You will also see how well the gear was by the time you got to it. Did it walk into a bad location? You will know to put runners on pieces like that, etc.. Extending the length of a runner off a piece is usually good practice unless close to the ground. You just need some mileage taking out gear and seeing different natural anchor situations. My girlfriends first lead was a 5.10 hand crack. She climbed the thing on TR and took gear out of it probably 60 times, but she looked super solid on lead! My first lead was a 5.7 layback crack. It was two years into my climbing before I climbed a sport route. I know of another new climber who learned in the gym two years ago, and has climbed nothing but cracks outside on TR. This summer he also lead his first climbs. His first a 5.8 twin crack, and the second lead, the same 5.10 handcrack that my girlfriend led. It's in your comfort level and what you are used to. If you pinch nobs for two years on lead and then want to go lead a crack you have not quite done yourself justice in learning those techniques. It takes alot longer to place good pro as opposed to clipping a bolt. If your goal is to lead trad, then you should start following trad routes and get used to all the different sizes and what kind of jams work well in what size crack.

 

best of luck! Trad climbing is extremely rewarding.

 

thumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gif

 

I second this!!!

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(1) Buy one of these:

 

Olympia_Gorilla_Bar_Shop_Tools-resized200.jpg

 

(2) With newly acquired tool, donate one day of your life to sanitation projects in the vertical plane (I have some ideas).

 

(3) After satisfactory completion of steps (1) and (2), look me up and I'll be happy to offer instruction.

 

(4) Ignore Dru. And ignore the "place gear while soloing" advice from Mr. Chocolate. This should probably appear as step (1).

 

Pope...you are an absolute cocksucker...now run off and go play with your tool of a buddy, dwanus...you complete f-ing wank of a human turd... thumbs_down.gif

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Actually, with my present hindsight, I believe that hanging on your gear (aiding) for a few days would be an immeasurable asset in developing the confidence needed in one's gear to enable one to climb in a relaxed and enjoyable manner.

 

I second this. Aiding easy routes is a great way to get your placements wired. You'll learn what works and what doesn't real fast.

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