Trad climbing mentor needed...

[bidbird]

So after a couple year hiatus from climbing I'm looking to get back into the fray..

 

Specifically I am looking for a traditional climbing mentor, ideally I was looking for someone around the Ellensburg or Leavenworth area ( I go to school at CWU) to climb with on weekends ( edit: or tuesday or thursday mornings).

 

I know the game... climbers are not the most altruistic bunch of people, I can offer a ride (if you live within a reasonable distance), carry the rope, be a belay slave, etc.

 

If anyone can put me in contact with Fred Stanley or Fred Dunham that would be helpful. I been told they still reside in Ellensberg and "occasionally" teach people how to climb.

 

My background in vertical climbing is quite limited, however I have a fair background in mountaineering, mostly non technical glacier slogs, and traverses, culminating in a traverse of the Coast Range (East to West) several years ago.

 

Note: I do own "lite" sport climbing rack: a rope, harness, a set of draws, webbing etc.

 

PM me if you can help me out, or at least point me direction of someone who can.

 

best regards

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 8, 2014 by bidbird

[Woodcutter]

Honestly,

I think what you actually need is a partner at the same level as you. Personally I learnt to climb trad from a book when I was 16.

You can't teach someone how to actually do the climbing, belaying & gear etc yes, but I reckon you really just need a good book & a willing conspirator. You'll feel less like a muppet too.

The Freedom of the Hills tome would be a good place to start, beg borrow & steal gear, and take it easy. You'll just work it out.

[Ben Beckerich]

Agree with Woodcutter. That's also how I learned (and still am).

 

Also... not that you necessarily won't find a willing participant.... but you DO realize you're essentially looking for a free guide service, right? It's one thing if you have a trad-climbing homie who is willing to teach you the trade.. but to solicit a stranger who doesnt know you or owe you anything to take time out of their climbing and/or personal life to teach you how to trad is just plain asking for something without offering anything.

 

You should consider offering cases of GOOD beer, an endless supply of good weed, or sexual favors.... something. Anything. Carrying the rope and driving are basically expected to begin with... that's no compensation.

 

Just my 2 pennies.

[bidbird]

The Freedom of the Hills tome would be a good place to start,

Already own it... and read it, cover to cover on several occasions...

 

I realize this post is a long shot. However several individuals were helpful and provided useful info on the local climbing scene and who to talk to.

 

And to the haters, I thought I was being fairly reasonable, even being upfront and honest about what abilities I do and don't have. Hate if you must, we all have to start somewhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tvashtarkatena]

you can get from A to B a number of different ways, but a good mentor will get you there many times faster. Books are great, and you'll do most of your climbing with your peers, as most of us do, but an experienced hairless monkey can cook things down to the nutty center so much more effectively - often simply by example.

 

I'll shoot you Fred Dunham's contact info in a bit.

Edited January 8, 2014 by tvashtarkatena

[Ben Beckerich]

The Freedom of the Hills tome would be a good place to start,

Already own it... and read it, cover to cover on several occasions...

 

I realize this post is a long shot. However several individuals were helpful and provided useful info on the local climbing scene and who to talk to.

 

And to the haters, I thought I was being fairly reasonable, even being upfront and honest about what abilities I do and don't have. Hate if you must, we all have to start somewhere.

 

Nobody is hating, bro. Just offering a perspective I think most experienced climbers are going to have about this topic... one you might not be considering.

 

I hope you can find someone to teach you. Charity is righteous, afterall.

[bidbird]

I'll take your opinion into consideration... and indeed beer is a motivational tool...

Edited January 9, 2014 by bidbird

[montypiton]

pm sent

[Elihamblet]

I don't mind leading easier climbs and/or inspecting placements. If you'd like to get a day of winter climbing in sometime shoot me a message. I'm a 5.10 Trad climber with about 10 years exp.

[bidbird]

Thanks for the offer I'll keep it in mind.

[Jacob Smith]

God people can be rude on the internet…

What you are basically offering is to be somebody's belay slave, which is a great, and much safer than purely from a book, way to learn. Those people who go out as teenagers with a copy of Freedom of the Hills and a rack from craigslist do provide some memorable quotes though...

most of the time i prefer to climb with someone i can trade leads with, but i know people who feel differently.

The main limiting factor for me, and i think for most people, is your following ability. It's frustrating as hell to lead a pitch in 20 minutes and then spent an hour belaying while your partner falls their way up it. The ideal situation, i think, is to find someone who leads about one number grade harder than you do, so that anything they can send on lead you can send on TR. Thats the situation I used to have until the guy who taught me to trad climb started pushing into 5.11 while i was still working on 5.9, and now cragging together is pretty difficult.

My best advice would be to train hard, hangboard if there's not a climbing gym close by, and get strong so that when you do find someone to take you out you pick it up fast.

Anyways, I wish you luck.

[Woodcutter]

God people can be rude on the internet…

What you are basically offering is to be somebody's belay slave, which is a great, and much safer than purely from a book, way to learn. Those people who go out as teenagers with a copy of Freedom of the Hills and a rack from craigslist do provide some memorable quotes though...

 

Hmm. I actually wasn't being rude. It seemed helpful to me.

Y'all a bit thin skinned!

 

When I was a climbing teenager, a freind of mine knew a guy used to piss on a cornish pasty and eat it to raise a laugh.

You can quote me on that!

[telemarker]

When I was a climbing teenager, a freind of mine knew a guy used to piss on a cornish pasty and eat it to raise a laugh.

You can quote me on that!

 

badass.

Edited January 14, 2014 by telemarker

[Ben Beckerich]

God people can be rude on the internet

 

who?

[TronaldDump]

Sorry man, I'm in Seattle, or I'd totally show you some stuff. I don't own a car either, or I'd just take you out to Vantage or something.

 

These people on here who are saying, that asking for teacher is basically asking for something for nothing are damn fools. I had this response 2 years ago when I wanted to start getting into climbing. I was lucky enough to run into a person on here that actually does more than armchair climbing. Guess what the pay off was for him teaching? He now has another climbing partner for life, that he knows plays the game by his rules etc...... why??? because he took the time to teach and expand the sport.

 

That being said, if you drive and feel like having an easy session on Mt. Erie, or hard session at Index (when the rock is dry) and feel like picking me up, I'll get you started, and probably get you introduced to some more people.

 

PM me if you're interested

[Yogesh Kumar]

I'll be happy to share with you whatever little I know. I'm based in Redmond and hopefully will get to go to Icicle Creek and Tumwater Canyon area during the season. John Long's book on Climbing anchor is very useful resource.

[Ben Beckerich]

Sorry man, I'm in Seattle, or I'd totally show you some stuff. I don't own a car either, or I'd just take you out to Vantage or something.

 

These people on here who are saying, that asking for teacher is basically asking for something for nothing are damn fools. I had this response 2 years ago when I wanted to start getting into climbing. I was lucky enough to run into a person on here that actually does more than armchair climbing. Guess what the pay off was for him teaching? He now has another climbing partner for life, that he knows plays the game by his rules etc...... why??? because he took the time to teach and expand the sport.

 

That being said, if you drive and feel like having an easy session on Mt. Erie, or hard session at Index (when the rock is dry) and feel like picking me up, I'll get you started, and probably get you introduced to some more people.

 

PM me if you're interested

 

Oh I'm a "damn fool" for suggesting the guy offer some beer in exchange for being taught a trade, eh? When you then go on to validate my point by saying you experienced exactly what I described yourself 2 years ago?

 

I offered my advice in the spirit of actually trying to help the dude find a mentor- and I'd have no problem saying exactly what I said if we were all sitting around camp. I didn't insult anyone, just explained that his odds would be a lot better if he came at differently. We've seen probably a hundred of these "will someone teach me trad?" posts, almost all of them get ignored entirely.

 

But I've got more than "2 pennies" that says you wouldn't call me a "damn fool" for offering that advice, if we were all sitting around that hypothetical camp. Noting your pseudonym and the fact that you're posting from 300 miles away, also.

 

Chump.

[bidbird]

almost all of them get ignored entirely.

 

Actually quite a few people PMed me on how and who to contact regarding my quest to find someone to teach me the skills I am looking for.

 

 

[Woodcutter]

Well I reckon that worked out pretty well: BB got 4 or 5 offers to be mentored. I go to tell my Cornish Pasty story. Poor BenB got flamed for having an opinion and is the only real casualty here. Chin up old boy.

I blame the internet, email & text are so often really poor at conveying the real meaning a guy is trying to communicate.

Now let's all go & climb some even more stupid shit.

 

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[Ben Beckerich]

almost all of them get ignored entirely.

 

Actually quite a few people PMed me on how and who to contact regarding my quest to find someone to teach me the skills I am looking for.

 

 

I'm glad. Does that refute my statement?

[tvashtarkatena]

I've had great luck finding good partners here - still do. I've known a number of beginners who share that opinion, so that experience doesn't seem to be limited by level of expertise.

 

Necessarily anecdotal data, perhaps, but blanket implications that seeking partners/mentors/tuan tuans is a waste of time seem counterproductive on a forum that is expressly designed to make such connections happen.

 

In contrast, a Partners forum seems like less fertile ground for stoking an argument. Just stoking seems like a more natural fit here.

 

 

 

[JasonG]

I'm glad you recognize which forum you are in. It is a good day.

[Ben Beckerich]

I've met great people here too. Never said you couldn't. I also never said the OP wouldn't. All I did was suggest offering some thanks. Small investment, for having someone teach you something. Hell, I gotta fork out $25/hr for a math tutor... Seems to me climbing is worth a hell of a lot more than fappin' algebra. I'd LOVE to trade some quality IPA or Afghan for math lessons. But if a cool guy wants to do it for karma, that's even better.

 

I think we all have a serious case of nothing better to do, this week.

 

Have fun out there OP.

 

/me