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ladyscarlett
Dec 20, 2008, 12:22 AM
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read a some threads about advice on first leads - sport and trad. One of my big goals for the next outdoor season is to work on trad leading.
Anyone remember their first trad lead and how you physically/mentally prepped for it? Any special practice techniques you went through beforehand? or did you just go for it? What characteristics of that first route made it good/bad first trad route? What aspects of trad leading became crystal clear to you once upon finishing that first lead (after the victory song and dance-heh)?
I've followed and cleaned a fair amount of trad routes, some at a comfortable level, and some above my comfort zone - challenging, a little scary, but no falls and exhilarating at the top. I've done some sport leads (taken my first sport lead fall), set up a couple low trad anchors, and setting gear on low (standing on the ground) stuff (is the correct term low pro?). I've picked up on some crack climbing techniques, getting a better sense of where I'm looking for spots to place protection. My climbing partners were even nice enough to load me up with a full rack (heavier than it looks!) and let me get a first feel of placing protection on a really easy 5.3 or .4 scramble/pitch of a multi-pitch climb (a rest day for them!).
It's the rainy season where I'm located, and climbing outdoors is limited now. What tips, advice, practice techniques can anyone offer to get myself in the mental and physical place to take the next step towards my first trad lead? ie - how to develop my non existent route finding abilities.
Thanks in advance!
ls
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shimanilami
Dec 20, 2008, 12:37 AM
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Since you already read the threads on first leads, I think you're ready to graduate to reading the threads on first trad leads now. There are a few.
My first trad lead was on the Nutcracker. No preparation. My partner simply said, "Your lead. Get on it." So I did.
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johnwesely
Dec 20, 2008, 1:10 AM
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My trad lead was Mescaline Daydream (5.8) at Tallulah Gorge. The two lessons I learned were that trad climbing is hard, and that you will forget everything that you learned on the ground once you are off of it.
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Lazlo
Dec 20, 2008, 1:13 AM
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Personally, I recommend finding a clean crack, and aid climbing it. You'll be testing each placement and will quickly understand what makes a good one or a bad one. Aim for A1 aid climbing.
When I learned, it was on a mixed sport/trad route(s). My partner and I were both learning, so we'd make a day of just falling on placements to see how they'd do. We were backed up on TR.
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Lazlo
Dec 20, 2008, 1:14 AM
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Also; read read read.
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macblaze
Dec 20, 2008, 1:18 AM
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johnwesely wrote: ...and that you will forget everything that you learned on the ground once you are off of it.
Abso-freaking-lutely everything...
My first was a 5.5 in Squamish I had toproped placing gear at least 3 times. Didn't make it any easier...
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Tree_wrangler
Dec 20, 2008, 1:24 AM
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In reply to: Anyone remember their first trad lead
Yep. It was a 5.10 crack that I had dialed on toprope. It was early spring, so over the winter, the top of the crack had filled with mud (first time on it that spring).
When, at the top, I was unable to place good pro, I freaked out. Instead of running it out for the top (a bad option), I tried to downclimb and fell. One bunk nut (because of the mud) pulled and the next one caught. About 20', and my hand slapped the ground.
I was 17 and full of youth at the time. I'm a MUCH better climber 16 years later, and I'm at my limit on 5.9 trad leads.
Start with easy stuff. Don't feel like you've got to make any particular grade to feel competitive or proud. Make it fun, make it safe, and let it happen at your own pace.
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tigerlilly
Dec 20, 2008, 1:25 AM
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I just started leading trad this past summer. I took a toprope anchors course with a guide my first season and practiced setting gear and making anchors by setting TR's. I also followed a lot of multipitch trad routes. My second season, I continued to follow a lot of multipitch and then took a lead climbing course with a guide. Guides aren't cheap, but safety and peace of mind are worth it in my book.
What I remember about my first mock lead is that in the first two moves, I got religious about footwork. Not that I was particularly sloppy before, but all of a sudden, I was really focused on it. My backup system for the mock lead was a TR solo set up, with the rope device (not one I was familiar with) about a foot below my harness. If I fell and my gear didn't hold, or I hadn't placed a piece recently enough, I was still going down about 2 feet. I'm well past the age where I bounce when I fall, so the prospect of falling even a short distance is sobering. It doesn't cause fear, but it does make me focus and think.
I did my first real lead not long after that. It seemed a lot harder than the 5.3 it was.
Kathy
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johnwesely
Dec 20, 2008, 1:25 AM
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macblaze wrote: johnwesely wrote: ...and that you will forget everything that you learned on the ground once you are off of it. Abso-freaking-lutely everything... My first was a 5.5 in Squamish I had toproped placing gear at least 3 times. Didn't make it any easier...
I tried finding easier climbs because I though that it would help, but I have yet to be on a trad climb that felt easy. Sport climbing all ways feels easy though, go figure...
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churningindawake
Dec 20, 2008, 1:39 AM
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My first trad lead was an unknown route at Smith Rocks. it was probably 5.7 or 5.8.
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brownie710
Dec 20, 2008, 2:03 AM
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my first trad lead was a 5.6 i had TR'd and soloed before I got a rack. 1 pitch, 45'. like the others said you'll forget everything you read and everything you envisioned yourself doing like shaking out your pump, not overgripping, breathing, tap testing holds. I still yank nuts so hard to set that my partners curse me. I big difference in beginning trad leads and multi trad is truly trusting a gear anchor on a small belay stance. IMHO stick to single pitch until you feel savy enough about solid gear placements and comfy enough to lean out from your belay and trust your placementslike your life depends on it...because it does. have a blast too! remember what David Ethan Graham said in the end " your just climbing rocks" nothing to worry about regarding those who feel too cool to offer encouragment and advice.
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epoch
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Dec 20, 2008, 2:19 AM
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Moved from General to Trad Forum.
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Hotpies
Dec 20, 2008, 2:24 AM
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My first trad lead was an easy 5.3 at Mission Gorge in San Diego. I spent quite a bit of time building anchors and practicing gear placement. I think the most useful thing for me was, later, having a more experienced climber follow me up a 5.6 at Ely's peak near Duluth, MN and critique my placements for me.
Doing a mock lead on a top rope with a loose belay, placing gear and clipping a second rope is pretty helpful for getting the feel of the trad lead. Belaying someone up on your mock lead rope will also give you a good idea of how well you did protecting your second and avoiding major rope drag.
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Lazlo
Dec 20, 2008, 2:24 AM
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churningindawake wrote: epoch wrote: Moved from General to Trad Forum.  Good Call!
Way to motivate and encourage!
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churningindawake
Dec 20, 2008, 2:27 AM
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Lazlo wrote: churningindawake wrote: epoch wrote: Moved from General to Trad Forum. Good Call! Way to motivate and encourage!
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Maddhatter
Dec 20, 2008, 2:29 AM
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The thing you have to watch out for on your first real trad lead is all the really easy climbs tend to have really crappy pro so it's crappy pro and easy, or a little harder and solid pro. Take the solid pro.
I think my first was Cavers route 5.3/X 150' at the red but I only used the one bolt at the crux and ran the rest out so no gear. True pure first trad lead? Green corner 5.4 / 50' Best first trad lead in the Red I think.
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churningindawake
Dec 20, 2008, 2:35 AM
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For sure. I did this easy route in Joshua Tree. I don't remember what it was though. It was like 5.8, but it had bad pro in horrible fractured rock. It seems like trad climbs from the 5.10 range to the high 5.12's have the best gear.
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curt
Dec 20, 2008, 3:23 AM
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Have fun and don't fall.
Curt
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oscarlation
Dec 20, 2008, 3:57 AM
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In reply to: 16 years later, and I'm at my limit on 5.9 trad leads. Start with easy stuff. Don't feel like you've got to make any particular grade to feel competitive or proud. Make it fun, make it safe, and let it happen at your own pace.
Well said, Dont try to prove anything. With the first leads your just trying to learn, not push yourself to your limit... yet
My first was a mixed 5.5 (and like everyone says, it always feels harder on trad), on a limestone face at Horse Creek in Dubois, WY, with two bolts and with about 30 feet between them and only one small crack way to the right to place anything. So i jammed a #4 nut in a downward position and hoped for the best. When i was being lowered, I realized that i was an idiot. the damn nut was being pulled hard sideways , so if it pulled i would have decked. Luckily it didnt, and i thought "Well, it held right? Let's do another!"
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macblaze
Dec 20, 2008, 3:57 AM
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Maddhatter wrote: The thing you have to watch out for on your first real trad lead is all the really easy climbs tend to have really crappy pro so it's crappy pro and easy, or a little harder and solid pro. Take the solid pro. I think my first was Cavers route 5.3/X 150' at the red but I only used the one bolt at the crux and ran the rest out so no gear. True pure first trad lead? Green corner 5.4 / 50' Best first trad lead in the Red I think.
I think my 3rd or 4th lead was Burgers and Fries, a classic 5.7 that has about 10 or 15 feet of friction slab at the top and I was so freaked out knowing there was nothing until the bolts at the top it must of taken me 5 minutes to do the last section. My son did it next on toprope and basically walked up it with no hands...
To date that still defines run out in my hind brain.
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clc
Dec 20, 2008, 4:05 AM
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The very first time I ever rock climbed I lead a short gear route onsight, 5.6. just read some old royal robbins, piton craft and an old freedom of the hills. Didn't even have a proper harness.
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sungam
Dec 20, 2008, 4:24 AM
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heh, yeah I remember. What a rush!
The route was Chemical Warfare at Rosyth Quarry (reading this, burnzy?). I had 2nded one route (heathy) and jumped right on. 5.6 or 5.7 I think. Awkward. Almost fell off - good thing I didn't cuz I had no fecking clue what I was doing.
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Maddhatter
Dec 20, 2008, 4:27 AM
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clc wrote: The very first time I ever rock climbed I lead a short gear route onsight, 5.6. just read some old royal robbins, piton craft and an old freedom of the hills. Didn't even have a proper harness.
I did all my first leads in gym shoes and 1" webbing for a harness. God!! That makes me remember how great it was to get a real set of rock shoes!
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sungam
Dec 20, 2008, 4:29 AM
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HELL YES!
The first time I wore proper rock shoes, I did 3 of my projects (bouldering here, before I met someone to "teach" me trad) the first time I touched them.
heheh. I used to climb in an old pair of DC skating shoes. If they stick to the grip tape for ollieing, then they'll stick to the rock - right?
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