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taller_climber_dude
May 1, 2005, 12:55 AM
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well i've done a little aid climbing other then that i have never done it with real cool gear. i made some stuff and tried it to get the feel for it, but have next to no knowledge about it(aid climbing) can any of you folks give me some helpful advice? :shock:
thanks
the taller climber dude :D
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kachoong
May 1, 2005, 1:29 AM
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In reply to: i've never aid climbed! what should i do?
....secondly, get some really cool gear.... :wink:
Seriously, it doesn't matter what you use to aid.... but to do it with increased precision and speed, and to make it relatively safer, you might need some specialised gear.
You might need to explain more about what you have done already.... what did you use to aid? What did you climb? How did you use your gear? Was it as simple as french free? (one of the more simpler forms of aid)
Find someone you know and have climbed with a fair bit, who knows about aid climbing. Maybe they have some gear you could use. ie. Etriers, daisy chain, fifi hook, hooks, pitons, hammer etc.... you'll need a hell of a lot more gear than you would use normally. Generally to begin though you might be able to do a hammerless ascent.... just a normal hard trad crack, which you can protect with wires and cams.
Take it slow.... read a book or two about it.... find a mentor.... wear a helmet....
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korntera
May 1, 2005, 1:45 AM
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Well I am in the same position as you. I first found somebody who does aid and asked him a lot of questions(although i still havn't climbed with him) Then you can buy lots of cool gear, i am still working on that part and then go out and find a place that has some easy aid climbs(which i am doing next weekend, a nice A1)
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texplorer
May 2, 2005, 3:12 PM
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I agree with the previous posts.
A good way to start would be to set up a toprope somewhere on a thin (but not tiny) crack. Aid up the crack on TR and then try to do the same route faster each time you go up. You will need a patient belayer or some kind of self belay set-up.
The basics
At least 2 aider ladders (my preferences are the yates Ladder-style)
Double set of cams (I like BD for larger sizes, and Aliens for smaller)
One set of nuts
1-2 adjustable daisys
If you really get into aiding you'll probably need more cams but if your climbing with a partner who also has doubles you should be ok on most routes.
Steps
1 place gear as high as you can get it above you
2 clip aider into piece
3 walk up aider as high as you can get and place next piece
4 as you step off last piece clip rope into it
5 repeat
This is a very brief definition but you get the idea. There are tons of other posts on this site that have more detailed descriptions and ideas but you get the idea. The most important thing is to just go do it.
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mr8615
May 2, 2005, 3:26 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: i've never aid climbed! what should i do? ....first of all, don't panic!
You read my mind! Haha. :lol:
Mark
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epic_ed
May 2, 2005, 5:10 PM
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Go to the doctor and get your head examined. If he/she clears ya or at least gives you some goods meds to help stabilize your disorder, then head down to the bank to take out a mortage on your house so you can buy the gear you're going to need.
Check back here when your wife has left you and you're dumpster diving for the 2 ltr bottles you need for your next wall. We'll have more advice then.
Ed
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squeakyclimber
May 2, 2005, 11:49 PM
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GO BUY BEER,
The rest will follow.
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stymingersfink
May 4, 2005, 1:06 AM
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In reply to: Go to the doctor and get your head examined. If he/she clears ya or at least gives you some goods meds to help stabilize your disorder, then head down to the bank to take out a mortage on your house so you can buy the gear you're going to need. Check back here when your wife has left you and you're dumpster diving for the 2 ltr bottles you need for your next wall. We'll have more advice then. Ed
Ha Ha HA... too true.
The best dumpster I've found is the one out behind my (previous) place of employment. Those guys drink a lot of cola....
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epic_ed
May 4, 2005, 6:13 AM
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:lol: :lol:
We're a sad lot, ain't we?
Obviously my first response was only half sarcastic, but to give a more helpful answer, the biggest obstacle to getting out and aiding the first few times is finding enough gear. You can throw together a home-made set of aiders to get you started, and investing in a couple of daisey chains won't cost you much, but it's pooling enough gear to complete a pitch that may be a challenge for the first time aid climber. It took three of us and our combined gear just to get us to the top of a 50 ft route when we got started. So, unless you've got the bling to toss at a bunch of extra gear right now, it's time to talk with your climbing buddies to see if you can get them to go try it with you...or at the very least, borrow their gear.
Other than that, it all about practice. You'll spend a lot off weekends working out your basic movement systems. Forget route difficulty -- the crux your first few times out is not getting all of your gear tangled so hopelessly that you're looking for a knife. The learning curve where you're developing the insight on how to move up a route efficiently is something that will keep you busy for many weekends. After that, the real fun begins. If you found you really enjoyed that kind of mental anguish and hard work, you're ready to move on to adding more complicated stuff like anchor management and change-overs for multi-pitch routes.
Get your movement systems down solid first and then decide if you like it enough to keep pounding your head against the wall.
Ed
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ctardi
May 6, 2005, 2:15 AM
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Erm....Go aid climbing?
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skymeat
May 7, 2005, 6:38 AM
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I myself have just started learning to aid. All of my attemps were on basalt cracks that were easily protected with nuts and cams. I've finally managed to avoid a cluster**** most of the time. What would you all say the natural progression is from here? Should I go out and buy a bunch of hooks and iron, or some heads and chisels?
Thanks for any help
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lucas_timmer
May 7, 2005, 9:45 AM
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In reply to: Should I go out and buy a bunch of hooks and iron, or some heads and chisels? |
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