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jgloporto
Jan 11, 2008, 4:40 PM
Post #76 of 85
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Registered: Aug 8, 2006
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jgloporto wrote: dc_climber23 wrote: I've been toproping for about a year and am loving it, although I really only get to go outdoors about once every two weeks. I'm currently climbing in the Great Falls area of Northern VA/ DC, but am interested in getting into sport. How good does one need to be to start sport? I would say I climb comfortably about a 5.8, maybe a 5.9 on a good day. Is that too low grade to get into sport climbing? I'm not trying to hurt myself here! Thanks for the help You should be able to lead 11 sport routes before you should start sport climbing. I just did the other night so now I'm ready.
Wow, did I ever cheesetit that one.
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carabiner96
Jan 12, 2008, 4:42 AM
Post #77 of 85
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Registered: Apr 10, 2006
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jgloporto wrote: jgloporto wrote: dc_climber23 wrote: I've been toproping for about a year and am loving it, although I really only get to go outdoors about once every two weeks. I'm currently climbing in the Great Falls area of Northern VA/ DC, but am interested in getting into sport. How good does one need to be to start sport? I would say I climb comfortably about a 5.8, maybe a 5.9 on a good day. Is that too low grade to get into sport climbing? I'm not trying to hurt myself here! Thanks for the help You should be able to lead 11 sport routes before you should start sport climbing. I just did the other night so now I'm ready. Wow, did I ever cheesetit that one.
cheesetitter.
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jgloporto
Jan 12, 2008, 3:33 PM
Post #78 of 85
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carabiner96 wrote: jgloporto wrote: jgloporto wrote: dc_climber23 wrote: I've been toproping for about a year and am loving it, although I really only get to go outdoors about once every two weeks. I'm currently climbing in the Great Falls area of Northern VA/ DC, but am interested in getting into sport. How good does one need to be to start sport? I would say I climb comfortably about a 5.8, maybe a 5.9 on a good day. Is that too low grade to get into sport climbing? I'm not trying to hurt myself here! Thanks for the help You should be able to lead 11 sport routes before you should start sport climbing. I just did the other night so now I'm ready. Wow, did I ever cheesetit that one. cheesetitter.
I DCT'd atleast.
You need to give me the link to the thread where you got the new sig... So that I may point and laugh at this marde.
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jgloporto
Jan 12, 2008, 3:36 PM
Post #79 of 85
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Registered: Aug 8, 2006
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jgloporto wrote: jgloporto wrote: dc_climber23 wrote: I've been toproping for about a year and am loving it, although I really only get to go outdoors about once every two weeks. I'm currently climbing in the Great Falls area of Northern VA/ DC, but am interested in getting into sport. How good does one need to be to start sport? I would say I climb comfortably about a 5.8, maybe a 5.9 on a good day. Is that too low grade to get into sport climbing? I'm not trying to hurt myself here! Thanks for the help You should be able to lead 11 sport routes before you should start sport climbing. I just did the other night so now I'm ready. Wow, did I ever cheesetit that one.
Woot! (Belated)
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DrexelTech
Jan 12, 2008, 4:23 PM
Post #81 of 85
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Registered: Jan 12, 2008
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saxfiend wrote: It was nice to find that Adrenaline was not nearly as uptight as I would have assumed from the above post. It was a great change of pace from my regular gym too. JL
I just started setting routes for Adrenaline, and the great atmosphere is a primary reason why I was so excited to be involved with this gym. As you saw, there is a LOT of lead terrain at Adrenaline, both lead-only overhanging areas (with few routes below 5.9), and TR areas that can also be lead. The TR areas seem to usually have quite a few easy routes on them, and you can certainly lead them no problemo. Glad you enjoyed the gym, and if you're ever back on a weekday and see a fat guy on a rope with a bucket of holds, it's probably me - give me a shout!
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saxfiend
Jan 12, 2008, 11:27 PM
Post #82 of 85
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Registered: Dec 31, 2004
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DrexelTech wrote: As you saw, there is a LOT of lead terrain at Adrenaline
Did you set the overhanging white 5.9 jughaul that's near the front desk? That was a gas to lead!
JL
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DrexelTech
Jan 13, 2008, 12:37 AM
Post #83 of 85
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I can't take credit for that 5.9 route - when I said I JUST started setting there, I meant it literally. I started last week. A lot of that section was stripped and re-set last week, so there are some cool new routes up, but I think the 9 is still there.
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NoMoCouch
Jan 13, 2008, 2:39 AM
Post #84 of 85
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Registered: Jul 23, 2007
Posts: 60
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saxfiend wrote: adrenaline_climber wrote: Lead climbing is MUCH harder then TR if anyone has led here... which most have i think then you all know this. So... even being able to TR a 5.9 its a different story to lead a 5.9. I think a lot of people are missing Oldsalt's point, and though you probably didn't mean to do so, your statement above reinforces it: learning lead climbing at the 5.9 level doesn't make sense. Apart from the most basic movement involved in climbing, toproping in no way prepares you for leading, which involves a whole new set of skills. As you pointed out in your post, you're not just climbing anymore; you're also dealing with hanging out long enough to clip, clipping correctly, avoiding the leg behind the rope, etc. It seems far more sensible to learn these new skills on a route that's so easy and/or juggy that you don't really need to worry about falling. By the time the new leader gets on 5.9 and harder routes, he or she has all this new stuff internalized. JL
This is a very good point. Gyms serve a purpose for me. They are my training ground since I cannot jump in the car every other day and travel to a real crag. I use it to learn movement and to gain strength. The very sad things is, I am scouring my guide book, just purchased, looking for a sport route or two that I would feel comfortable leading (5.6 5.7) so that I can have a chance at climbing any of the sport hung routes in the gym. 
Weird huh?
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amikros
Jan 13, 2008, 8:29 PM
Post #85 of 85
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Registered: Dec 19, 2006
Posts: 109
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Hey DC,
So like you, I've been climbing for a little longer than a year now and I only just started leading this past fall.
The folks that I climb with were occasionally contemplating killing me... I was able to physically lead...I knew how to lead (ie, no back-clipping etc), but I just did not think I could do it. I'd look at a .6 and get all nervous and my palms would get all sweaty just over the idea of leading the route...meanwhile I'd see a 5.10c and jump at the chance to follow it...
Mentally, I just could not do it. I had this huge fear stuck in the back of my throat and the whole idea of leading (falling) scared me to death. And then, for some reason, one day, a friend was like, "hey do you want to lead today?" and I was like "uhhh....yea, that sounds good." (Do note, I was nervous as hell, but I was comfortable with the idea of leading-finally)
It sounds like you are not too different from me...I was very cautious. Still am. So I would suggest having a knowledge of how to clip properly and how your anchor should look, which, (not trying to be offensive) by the looks of your comments, you do not have extensively. Keep being cautious. Ask questions. Your knowledge and your comfort level are the two things that are going to determine whether you can lead sport routes safely or not, (IMO).
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