JDCH Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Howdy- I've got a buddy who's a really strong sport leader, and has been following me up some moderate alpine/trad routes this last year. Now he wants to learn how to place the gear himself, and start swinging his own weight so we can tackle some longer objectives without me having to lead the whole thing! Where would you guys recommend I take him to teach him to lead trad? I learned back east... So I'm at a loss here. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boadman Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Index, probably GNS area to start, followed by my private idaho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 If you can spare a weekend, Icicle Creek probably has the most easy trad routes and pretty good rock for a beginner to learn good placements. Otherwise, you can't beat the quality of granite at Index, just not a lot of sub 5.8 routes other than the Great Norther Slab area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakedouglas Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 (edited) In the Icicle, these are all good places: Playground Point Mountaineers Dome Roto Wall XY Cracks R&D for multipitch The difficulty of the climbing may be laughable for your friend, but they are all good areas for placing gear and are close together so you can get in many hours of practice in a day. Edited June 2, 2014 by jakedouglas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genepires Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 sabre and midway on castle rock are good beginner places as well. assuming that he is not doing a TR mock lead practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 All good recommendations. I'll throw Clamshell Cave area in the Icicle in. Usually not too crowded as it is a short hike from the road and it has a number of high quality single pitch 5.7 - 5.8 cracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rad Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 A fun exercise is to have find a spot with cracks at ground level and have him place every piece on the rack. This doesn't even have to be a climbing area. Then go around with him to each one and evaluate the placements. This way you get to place lots of gear and get immediate feedback on it without the time sink of rope management, belaying, and climbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwebster Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 To add to what everyone else said, Royal columns at Tieton has some lead able 5.4's and 5.6's that are very nice. Congrats to your friend for wanting to lead trad! I wish there were more sport climbers out there with that kind of gumption. It's far more common for them to find a rope gun and top rope when it comes to trad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric K Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I think that Pearly Gates is a good place to learn since it is stacked with 5.8-5.10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaleHoopes Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I've also heard there is at least one section (Robo wall) at X32 which is a good crack to practice placements. I think it's only one or two routes at a low grade, but might be a great place for follow up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakedouglas Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I've also heard there is at least one section (Robo wall) at X32 which is a good crack to practice placements. I think it's only one or two routes at a low grade, but might be a great place for follow up. It's "Repo I". Worth an afternoon (just one, no more) after work to mess around for a couple hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 The following circuit has worked for me Icicle and Tumwater -------------------- Mountaineers dome, lower and upper R&D route on Icicle Buttress, the BOB Wall above Roto Wall XY Cracks Barneys Rubble Castle Rock stuff as mentioned Index ------ Great Northern Slab Inner Wall routes if he knows anything about jamming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbone Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Howdy- I've got a buddy who's a really strong sport leader, and has been following me up some moderate alpine/trad routes this last year. Now he wants to learn how to place the gear himself, and start swinging his own weight so we can tackle some longer objectives without me having to lead the whole thing! Where would you guys recommend I take him to teach him to lead trad? I learned back east... So I'm at a loss here. Thanks! Beacon Rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwwakaranai Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Squamish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montypiton Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 yet another vote for Icicle and Tumwater canyons. for virgin trad leaders, mountaineers' dome is hard to beat with four short easy and easily protected pitches with gigantic ledges between pitches. a "four-pitch climb' from which escape is easy at the end of any pitch. good for easing new leader into "multi-pitch" mindset without overwhelming them. castle rock - a horde of moderate classics that offer the new leader the additional mental challenge of exposure, without overwhelming technical difficulty. I've had best results, over 40 years, starting trad leaders on AID -- they make a placement about every three feet, load every placement, and after about two or three pitches have a reasonable sense of placement soundness, and easily graduate to spreading their placements apart on moderate free climbs. Leaders seem to progress faster this way, in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeclimb9 Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 IMHO, clean aid climbing is a great way to learn how to place gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Outer Space on a sunny Saturday morning, around 10 AM. Either that or the Beckey Route on Lib Bell, same time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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