Best Way to learn how to Aid

[JDCH]

Howdy-

 

So I have been super interested in learning how to aid climb, but short of hiring a guide to do so, I am not sure of the best way to teach myself/learn.

 

Any suggestions on good first lines to learn on, volunteers for teaching me!?! or any other suggestions would be awesome.

 

I have enough clean rock pro to climb most routes, I am a bit thin on the smaller cams, and I don't have anything bigger than a 3. I also aquired a very robust full set of pitons, copperheads, and hooks for dirty aid, which is also very appealing, I just don't want to scar up a bunch of rock with pitsons in a place where it is not generally accepted.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

thanks!

[G-spotter]

Go clean-aid solo something easy in the rain or when otherwise unoccupied. Repeat multiple times until your system is dialled. Clean your own routes ground-up rather than on rap to learn aid cleaning.

 

Kangaroo Corner at the Smoke Bluffs and the lines to its right are great for this. Once dialed in on the vert aid something like Zombie Roof to learn techniques fo steep ground.

Edited September 27, 2012 by G-spotter

[JDCH]

Go clean-aid solo something easy.

 

Any suggestions on where?

[matt_warfield]

Find a short, steep free climb and practice. Then go do City Park at Index.

[kevbone]

Howdy-

 

So I have been super interested in learning how to aid climb, but short of hiring a guide to do so, I am not sure of the best way to teach myself/learn.

 

Any suggestions on good first lines to learn on, volunteers for teaching me!?! or any other suggestions would be awesome.

 

I have enough clean rock pro to climb most routes, I am a bit thin on the smaller cams, and I don't have anything bigger than a 3. I also aquired a very robust full set of pitons, copperheads, and hooks for dirty aid, which is also very appealing, I just don't want to scar up a bunch of rock with pitsons in a place where it is not generally accepted.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

thanks!

 

Where do you live?

[mmeyers]

have you done any aid? ie, forget about protection, could you climb a bolt ladder? or are you looking to gain experience placing protection?

 

Matt

[JDCH]

Howdy-

 

So I have been super interested in learning how to aid climb, but short of hiring a guide to do so, I am not sure of the best way to teach myself/learn.

 

Any suggestions on good first lines to learn on, volunteers for teaching me!?! or any other suggestions would be awesome.

 

I have enough clean rock pro to climb most routes, I am a bit thin on the smaller cams, and I don't have anything bigger than a 3. I also aquired a very robust full set of pitons, copperheads, and hooks for dirty aid, which is also very appealing, I just don't want to scar up a bunch of rock with pitsons in a place where it is not generally accepted.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

thanks!

 

Where do you live?

 

Seattle

[JDCH]

have you done any aid? ie, forget about protection, could you climb a bolt ladder? or are you looking to gain experience placing protection?

 

Matt

 

I have climbed a bolt ladder once. I am very comfortable placing pro. I am trying to tie it all together and expand my climbing breadth.

[Lowell_Skoog]

Way back when, I taught myself aid climbing on a chain-link backstop (in a baseball field). No pro needed--just clip the backstop. You can work out various systems without messing with protection.

 

I never did much aid climbing (and what I know is decades old) but that practice got me up a few local aid classics, like Town Crier and Liberty Crack.

[mmeyers]

I was comfortable placing pro, until I started aiding and had a few brass offsets and small cams pull out on me

 

I asked about the bolt ladder b/c it's a good way, IMO, to get your form down, and learn to top step (which is not necessary, per se, but makes it more efficient), and get the feel of the fifi sliding when you do so, and basically decide how you want to arrange your gear. that's what I did, but I'm sure lots of others here learned differently.

 

I did some of that at the gym, and on the N side of the new location of the mountaineers building.

 

if you're comfortable climbing a bolt ladder and have all of that stuff basically sorted (not dialed, just comfortable), then you just need to get a belay partner and get outside and get some practice. I don't think there's much more to it.

 

city park is a good one, as is iron horse.

 

another option is to climb godzilla, and set up a TR on city park, and then mock-aid. I've heard of people doing that, too.

Edited September 27, 2012 by mmeyers

[matt_warfield]

Pioneer Route on Monkey Face at Smith. 5.7 free climbing but a long bolt ladder to practice aid and a chance to get some major exposure as well including an overhanging rappel to get off.

[obwan]

G-Spotter is spot on - Squamish has some good lines to practice on. Or if you find a good bolt ladder such as Monkey Face Pioneer at Smith. Bolt ladders help in learning, as you don't have to worry about nut placements,etc. The key is to find a spot you'll tie up awhile, and not be pressured to get off the route.

I learned from "Freedom of the Hills" and John Long - I think he covered it in a book, "Big Walls" in the "How to Climb" series.

But why? John Long says it's 90% work and 10% fun, and you'll have to invest in a set of Etriers and many more biners( four aiders are not that essential). I made a pair with one inch tubular webbing.

Why not just try some rope-soloing first.

[matt_warfield]

G-spotter is a Canuck. Eh? While I have spent plenty of time in Squamish I must point out that we have plenty of good rock in Washington to practice aid on. Granite is the best unless it is bolted. WA pass, Index, and Leavenworth have lots of options without leaving the country.

Edited September 28, 2012 by matt_warfield

[obwan]

Index for sure!

[matt_warfield]

I agree. Steep in most areas, solid, and sucks up pro. Nobody wants to learn aid on less than 70 deg. or more than 110 deg. That spells Index.

 

I will agree with G-spotter that you want an unoccupied or unpopular route. My first aid climb of 150' took half a day. Unlike other types of climbing, aid tends toward being half athlete and half mechanic and it takes a long time and the proper skill set to master it.

Edited September 28, 2012 by matt_warfield

[KirkW]

Pioneer Route on Monkey Face at Smith. 5.7 free climbing but a long bolt ladder to practice aid and a chance to get some major exposure as well including an overhanging rappel to get off.

 

I would strongly disagree that the Pioneer Route would be a good place to "practice" aid climbing. Lots of other routes at Smith that he could learn on but that's not one of 'em.

 

 

I will agree with G-spotter that you want an unoccupied or unpopular route.

 

 

I completely agree with this.

[layton]

solo clean aiding a splitter can also do double duty at teaching you how to rope solo which is necc for short fixing

 

practice like dru said - lead and jug/clean

 

find a rafter and tie a bunch of slings to it to practice jugging a traversing pitch and cleaning get

 

you can practice following a short and long pendulum by tieing off any solid object - even on the groud.

 

but nothing puts it all together like doing a multipitch wall. if there aren't good options, go do a classic several pitch slipper in the rain

[Buckaroo]

Rope solo City Park at Index LTW, use a clove hitch and a back up knot. You need about 3 sets of small nuts.

 

Consider investing in a set of slider aiders instead of step aiders, especially if you are going to do a lot of aiding, like Town Crier or Salathe/The Nose.

[Alex]

another vote for index

 

itinerary:

jap gardens to first anchor - relatively safe C1 except the start where you have to be really careful or youll deck

city park - stout C1 but very safe with the bolt ladder to start.

steel monkey - short but technical. i think the only good piece is the last one to te anchor. hb offsets

ten percent - real creative clean aid

 

 

 

[ivan]

city park a fine start for the seattle aider, then go up to the upper town wall and enjoy green dragon or town crier

 

2 aid ladders and a floating 3rd etrier i like most, but the quad etrier system will work if that's what you got

 

learning to solo is best, otherwise you'll owe yer poor second crates of beer for his patience

[layton]

2 adjustable daisies = awesomeness

[G-spotter]

Or you can get a Kong adjustable fifi.

[Buckaroo]

With slider aiders u dont even need daisys just a fifi. Daisys just add to the clutter

[ivan]

2 adjustable daisies = awesomeness

X2 - most especially on overhanging & extremely traversing shit (where you can lower out on one daisy as you reel in on the other) and generally pieces that feel super scary (where you just gradually tighten up the diasy then give it a big old sit down)

[layton]

With slider aiders u dont even need daisys just a fifi. Daisys just add to the clutter

 

I get totally CF'ed with slider aiders