Good place to crater?

[chucK]

Hey so I was thinking, if I was taking a newbie out to like Index or somewhere else cool and I wanted to do a little unrehearsed fall so as to gauge the consequences of a fall in a little less forgiving area of the climb, where would be a good place? Gotta be somewhere with a clean fall and good landing right below a gear placement. I guess it'd preferably be an easy climb too, since you'll be hoping to drag the newbie up it.

 

I guess Ultrabrutal is the only one I can think of at Index. Castle Rock? Squamish? Someplace else you'd be with a newbie?

[Uncle_Tricky]

I don't get it--you want to suprise a newbie belayer by taking an intentional lead fall? What sort of consequences are you wanting to gauge?

[chucK]

To see if they can hold a lead fall. Duh.

[Uncle_Tricky]

How bout the S. Face of Jello tower--steep enough for a clean fall, long enough you could have some rope out, and easy enough a newbie could follow? There's a couple places on Catapult that would also work. Of course you could also demonstrate the dangers of penduluming and falling directly onto the belay by taking a whipper off the roof on Canary!

[genepires]

at first thought, I was thinking that a fixed line above to back up your newbee friend might be a good idea. The thought of having a less experienced person catch a fall sends shivers. But we all started out not knowing crap right? Plus, I assume there is a message you want to give to your friend that you trust their abilities. If I was in your rock shoes, I would have another person backup your bud by holding the brake line incase your new belayer botches it up. That way you can go higher for a less stressful and jarring fall.

 

Anyway:

classic crack in l-worth. clean fall but hard for your friend

clamshell cave. one of the 5.7's

octupus's garden in squish. not as steep but ok fall I believe

all of the smoke bluffs. sure you will find whatever there

indoor rock gym. steep and clean and easy and dry to boot

 

good luck.

 

 

[ScottP]

Index?

 

Timberjack on the Winkie Dink cliff (5.8+)

Corner Flash on the Grandeur Buttress, Inner Wall (5.7)

 

I'm assuming you want it to be right off the ground with a relatively flat landing in case you get dropped...

[chucK]

I'm assuming you want it to be right off the ground with a relatively flat landing in case you get dropped...

 

That is correct. Like something you wouldn't mind bouldering but would put enough air below you so you could get caught by the gear if your newbie friend is capable.

 

I guess this doesn't have to be limited to newbies. Haven't any of you ever gone out on a climbing blind date and started to wonder about the capabilities of your partner for the day? You might insult him if you yanked the rope and said falling while you're still on the ground. It might be easier to sooth your nerves by a quick "accidental" slip just above the ground.

 

I guess if it's really a newbie that you're teaching "from the ground up" you'd be able to do all sorts of elaborate learning setups like topropes and stuff. Perhaps I should have framed it more as safely empirically testing a belayer who says he can belay (but his words are your only proof), or heading out with someone who hasn't climbed in 20 years or something like that.

 

Inner Wall is a good one. Toxic Shock and Even Steven (right off the ground) are nice flat landings, but a bit difficult for newbies. UT, is South Face of Jello Tower a newbie climb? I've never climbed it but I've heard it's steep and committing.

[Jens]

Good idea and good question.

 

Will it require some looking to find just the right route? I would think that it should be steep but also has to be easy enough that your newbie buddy could follow the route after you are done with your monkey business? I would guess that a sport route might be a little better for this? I usually take a big practice fall on the first rock weekend of the year to clear my head and reassure myself that there is a reason we spend all these big $$$ on this high tech gear.

Ever read about when Skinner was preparing for his FFA of the Salathe' wall? Each morning he would lob himself off the Salathe' headwall for some big air to clear his head.

____________

Not to drift off your topic, but does anybody want to confess about any big air they've accidently taken on waterfall ice?

[TimL]

Try the first pitch of the Lizard on GNS at Index you feel the need to test belayer skills.

[slothrop]

UT, is South Face of Jello Tower a newbie climb? I've never climbed it but I've heard it's steep and committing.

 

It's a little steep, but isn't too tricky, has good gear, and is quite fun. I would definitely not recommend testing your belayer's reaction time here, though -- the landing, should your newbie friend mess up, is an ankle-breaker at best.

[Uncle_Tricky]

Oh, I get it. You want to be close enough to the ground that if your belayer DOES drop you, you don't die. I'm a little slower than the average kid--must be all that lead paint I consumed as a child. I was thinking of places where you get get high enough that when you fell, you'd have enough rope out so a fall would not be so jarring.

 

In that case I'd second the suggestion of the first pitch of the lizard route. And it's a great climb to continue up and introduce a newbie to many elements of climbing: good variety, they get a taste of multipitch stuff, get to see gear anchors, and you also an opportunity to teach them rope signals, cause it can be hard to communicate on the undercling pitch that does up onto the slab.

 

That's probably my favorite climb for introducing a newbies or gym climbers to outside rock. I've probably taken 10 different beginners up that climb, though the 5.8 fist crack at the beginning thrashes most, including 5.10 sport leaders!

 

S. face Jello is a bit cruxy and stenuous right off the start where you need to place gear, and a fall there would be bad. A newbie could follow no problem, but i wouldn't recommend it for a budding 5.8 leader.