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Eartaker
Oct 16, 2007, 7:40 AM
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So I have wanted to go rock climbing for some time now. I think about it every now and then but I guess I was to young. I didn't know anyone that climbed and actually I still don't but that isn't going to stop me now. Im 21 and in the US Army. I just took a 1 week class on tower climbing/rescue from a company named Gravitec (maybe you have heard of them) and it provoked my interest again. I went with some of the instructors from my class and I picked up a harness, 6 locking carabiners, prusik ropes, 1 Grigri, 1 figure 8, 200'/60m of Eldeweiss dynamic single dry rope, and Madrock climbing shoes. Im going this weekend to pick up some quickdraws and more carabiners. Im also looking at ordering a set of cams because I want to get into Trad climbing and not sport. I have found a few places very close to me but they are sport routes. I have a small 20' wall outside that I have been practicing my belays and climbing on. I get board and belay off of the buildings here as well. I'm pretty good most of the climbing knots but there are a few i still need to learn. I practice them at night when I'm board.
I guess what I'm wanting to ask is what brand of gear would you suggest and maybe a site for a good price on it all. I have no idea what these grade ratings mean. and just overall advice is to me being new to the sport
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nuts_bolts
Oct 16, 2007, 7:53 AM
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Eartaker wrote: So I have wanted to go rock climbing for some time now. I think about it every now and then but I guess I was to young. I didn't know anyone that climbed and actually I still don't but that isn't going to stop me now. Im 21 and in the US Army. I just took a 1 week class on tower climbing/rescue from a company named Gravitec (maybe you have heard of them) and it provoked my interest again. I went with some of the instructors from my class and I picked up a harness, 6 locking carabiners, prusik ropes, 1 Grigri, 1 figure 8, 200'/60m of Eldeweiss dynamic single dry rope, and Madrock climbing shoes. Im going this weekend to pick up some quickdraws and more carabiners. Im also looking at ordering a set of cams because I want to get into Trad climbing and not sport. I have found a few places very close to me but they are sport routes. I have a small 20' wall outside that I have been practicing my belays and climbing on. I get board and belay off of the buildings here as well. I'm pretty good most of the climbing knots but there are a few i still need to learn. I practice them at night when I'm board. I guess what I'm wanting to ask is what brand of gear would you suggest and maybe a site for a good price on it all. I have no idea what these grade ratings mean. and just overall advice is to me being new to the sport
Check out this site. Search for things that you are interested in. Search Google if you can't find it here. Read the articles on the front page. Check out some of the links on getting started on the right-hand side of the home page. Look for others questions before you ask the same thing again.
oh... and welcome!
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flint
Oct 16, 2007, 9:04 AM
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Registered: Jun 21, 2007
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Eartaker wrote: So I have wanted to go rock climbing for some time now. I think about it every now and then but I guess I was to young. I didn't know anyone that climbed and actually I still don't but that isn't going to stop me now. Im 21 and in the US Army. I just took a 1 week class on tower climbing/rescue from a company named Gravitec (maybe you have heard of them) and it provoked my interest again. I went with some of the instructors from my class and I picked up a harness, 6 locking carabiners, prusik ropes, 1 Grigri, 1 figure 8, 200'/60m of Eldeweiss dynamic single dry rope, and Madrock climbing shoes. Im going this weekend to pick up some quickdraws and more carabiners. Im also looking at ordering a set of cams because I want to get into Trad climbing and not sport. I have found a few places very close to me but they are sport routes. I have a small 20' wall outside that I have been practicing my belays and climbing on. I get board and belay off of the buildings here as well. I'm pretty good most of the climbing knots but there are a few i still need to learn. I practice them at night when I'm board. I guess what I'm wanting to ask is what brand of gear would you suggest and maybe a site for a good price on it all. I have no idea what these grade ratings mean. and just overall advice is to me being new to the sport
Not to be mean, but this all just sounds like the same, "nOOb went out and bought enough gear to kill himself" story. Stop buying stuff and go to a climbing gym and meet some people. Be nice, and see if they will take you somewhere... and most importantly, learn before doing.
j-
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Eartaker
Oct 16, 2007, 9:29 AM
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WOW. first two responses both negative. looks like the rock climbing community is full of critics so far. I have no gym here for climbing I'm in S. Korea. and as I stated I wont be alone. I have instructors with me and I have taken class's on climbing. sounds like this is going to be the same as when I got started in RC helicopters.... everyone always says it is imposable to learn without experts. thanks for the positive input on my deciding to take up the sport.
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hilikus
Oct 16, 2007, 10:00 AM
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one, stop attacking people. two, if you have instructors and have taken classes, why don't you simply ask them what gear to purhase, i mean they are your teachers. and how is this like rc helicopters, you already have expert advise from your classes and instructors.... right?
ps. black diamond or metolius .
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Eartaker
Oct 16, 2007, 10:35 AM
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I wasn't attacking anyone. yes I do have instructors but I was wanting more opinions on things rather than having 1 person telling me "hey this is the brand you need" Im stuck here in Korea and I actually don't get to talk to them much. I will be leaving soon and I will be in the Tacoma WA area in about march. I plan on enrolling in more classes and finding a group to climb with there. while in Korea I'm not really going to be doing any real climbing. just practicing movements and building knowledge. You are right this itself is nothing like RC helis but I was talking about the advice that i was given. ........... can I just start over? lol Hello
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epoch
Moderator
Oct 16, 2007, 10:53 AM
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flint wrote: Eartaker wrote: So I have wanted to go rock climbing for some time now. I think about it every now and then but I guess I was to young. I didn't know anyone that climbed and actually I still don't but that isn't going to stop me now. Im 21 and in the US Army. I just took a 1 week class on tower climbing/rescue from a company named Gravitec (maybe you have heard of them) and it provoked my interest again. I went with some of the instructors from my class and I picked up a harness, 6 locking carabiners, prusik ropes, 1 Grigri, 1 figure 8, 200'/60m of Eldeweiss dynamic single dry rope, and Madrock climbing shoes. Im going this weekend to pick up some quickdraws and more carabiners. Im also looking at ordering a set of cams because I want to get into Trad climbing and not sport. I have found a few places very close to me but they are sport routes. I have a small 20' wall outside that I have been practicing my belays and climbing on. I get board and belay off of the buildings here as well. I'm pretty good most of the climbing knots but there are a few i still need to learn. I practice them at night when I'm board. I guess what I'm wanting to ask is what brand of gear would you suggest and maybe a site for a good price on it all. I have no idea what these grade ratings mean. and just overall advice is to me being new to the sport Not to be mean, but this all just sounds like the same, "nOOb went out and bought enough gear to kill himself" story. Stop buying stuff and go to a climbing gym and meet some people. Be nice, and see if they will take you somewhere... and most importantly, learn before doing. j-
Hey flint, it sounds like n00b doesn't have a proper gym availiable to him... ass.
I will agree that as you get more into it you'll know what you'll want. Though you'll be needing more than just cams.
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Eartaker
Oct 16, 2007, 11:39 AM
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thanks man. I do plan on hanging out with them a bit more. I have to go climb this 800' tower next week to replace some cable so I will be seeing them again soon.
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usacpnw
Oct 16, 2007, 11:46 AM
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When you get to Tacoma in March, Look up the folks at Edgeworks Gym. They are a great group of people and I am sure they would love to hook you up.
http://www.edgeworks-climbing.com
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guccipiggy
Oct 16, 2007, 12:48 PM
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I second epoch. Buy a book and learn more before buying anymore gear. I'm a N00B too and because of my affinity for shiny things, I started buying stuff I didn't know how to use and later found that I did not need. I also got ridiculed because my rack was too shiny and blinded other people at the crag .
You could go out with experienced people with racks and use theirs. That way you will find out what brand you like and what stuff you need for your local area. Don't buy the cams just yet.
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Eartaker
Oct 16, 2007, 12:51 PM
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WOW this place looks awesome ill make sure to look them up.
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fitzontherocks
Oct 16, 2007, 1:04 PM
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Eartaker wrote: WOW. first two responses both negative.
Just wait til JT512 gets hold of you.
You WILL get lots of opinions here. And pretty much any question you ask on this site can be answered "it depends." And that's pretty accurate. Just like any community, there are nice folks, and there are dicks. And with time you'll learn who's who. And hopefully, you'll develop thicker skin. Welcome to climbing. Have fun, despite your rude introduction to this site.
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bizarrodrinker
Oct 16, 2007, 1:05 PM
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Most people aren't out to 'attack' you per se. though some are dickheads.
Most just don't want to read about you later in the obituaries and feel that a sarcastic response will somehow deter you from doing what you are doing.
My advice would be to stick with sport climbing until you have a good amount of time to devote to learning how to set anchors/place pro properly/safely both for you and the person you are climbing with.
That may require that you hold off for now until you have an experienced climber to teach you or you have a suitable guide available.
If you do have access to said guidel climber...i would climb on their rack to see what kind of gear you like because odds are they have a variety of different pro both active and passive.
Good luck. and have fun/be safe.
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catskillshiker
Oct 16, 2007, 5:59 PM
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I did a quick search on google for S. Korea gyms. I came up with this site http://www.indoorclimbing.com/southkorea.html
One more thing. I would recommend picking up an ATC or other similar belay device. GriGri's are good to have, but you may want to learn on an ATC.
(This post was edited by catskillshiker on Oct 16, 2007, 6:01 PM)
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markc
Oct 16, 2007, 6:49 PM
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Eartaker wrote: I guess what I'm wanting to ask is what brand of gear would you suggest and maybe a site for a good price on it all. I have no idea what these grade ratings mean. and just overall advice is to me being new to the sport
You'll find lots of people hesitate to give specific advice to new climbers. That's for a couple of reasons:
1. It's incredibly difficult to convey climbing information in this sort of forum. Making sure you're clearly understood is nearly impossible. For that reason, new climbers are frequently referred to real-life sources of information (experienced climbers, courses, guides, etc).
2. Even experienced climbers make mistakes and are gravely injured or killed as a result. With the conflicting opinions and incomplete suggestions on rc.com (or other online sources), there is little hope of someone utterly new sorting through it all successfully.
3. As someone said, the answer to many questions is "It depends." Opinions about the proper types of equipment for a new climber to buy are going to be as varied as the brands they recommend.
4. Where to get started has been the subject of web and print articles, as well as whole books. It's also something that is asked frequently. It's virtually impossible to encapsulate all of that information in a way that will be useful.
All that said, here's my opinion. You've already purchased more items than I'd recommend for the typical new climber. You shouldn't buy a specific piece of gear until you have a clear use for it. If you're climbing with experienced people, it shouldn't be an issue for them to supply the bulk of gear on an outing. Given your level of experience, it doesn't sound like you should be venturing out on your own.
First purchases are often shoes, harness, a couple lockers, a belay device, chalk and chalk bag. That's about all I suggest for very new climbers. As you develop, you'll have greater knowledge about the proper gear to buy, the types of climbing you want to progress into, etc.
Traditional climbing is frequently learned with a mentor, a variety of more skilled partners, a guide, or some combination of all those. Many people second (climb after the leader and clean gear) as a means of learning before moving on to placing gear, building their own racks, and leading. If you're fairly close to sport climbing, make that your focus for now. You can always learn traditional climbing when you move back to the states.
In the meantime, supplement your education with guides with books such as Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills, take online advice with a grain of salt, and learn to be critical of your learning process. Climbing can be great fun, but it can also kill you. That's especially the case when people launch in with more bravado than skill.
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Eartaker
Oct 17, 2007, 12:18 AM
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Suwon
1. Kyong gi-do, Suwon Climbing Center
483-5 Uman 1(il)-dong Paldal-gu
Suwon-si Gyeonggi-do
82-031-243-5014
http://sclimb.com
SWEET thank you so much for this information. this place is no more than 3 miles away!!!
thank you for all of your input and I will refrain from buying alot of gear for now.
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flint
Oct 17, 2007, 2:18 AM
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epoch wrote: flint wrote: Eartaker wrote: So I have wanted to go rock climbing for some time now. I think about it every now and then but I guess I was to young. I didn't know anyone that climbed and actually I still don't but that isn't going to stop me now. Im 21 and in the US Army. I just took a 1 week class on tower climbing/rescue from a company named Gravitec (maybe you have heard of them) and it provoked my interest again. I went with some of the instructors from my class and I picked up a harness, 6 locking carabiners, prusik ropes, 1 Grigri, 1 figure 8, 200'/60m of Eldeweiss dynamic single dry rope, and Madrock climbing shoes. Im going this weekend to pick up some quickdraws and more carabiners. Im also looking at ordering a set of cams because I want to get into Trad climbing and not sport. I have found a few places very close to me but they are sport routes. I have a small 20' wall outside that I have been practicing my belays and climbing on. I get board and belay off of the buildings here as well. I'm pretty good most of the climbing knots but there are a few i still need to learn. I practice them at night when I'm board. I guess what I'm wanting to ask is what brand of gear would you suggest and maybe a site for a good price on it all. I have no idea what these grade ratings mean. and just overall advice is to me being new to the sport Not to be mean, but this all just sounds like the same, "nOOb went out and bought enough gear to kill himself" story. Stop buying stuff and go to a climbing gym and meet some people. Be nice, and see if they will take you somewhere... and most importantly, learn before doing. j- Hey flint, it sounds like n00b doesn't have a proper gym availiable to him... ass. I will agree that as you get more into it you'll know what you'll want. Though you'll be needing more than just cams.
Hey Epoch, nOOb never said he didn't have a gym. Secondly, when he is going to do all this learning, there will be a gym (back in the states.) Finally, dispite my statement, as dickheaded as it was, that advice I gave is now the advice that was repeated and eventually followed. So yes, I should remove my sarcastic ass tone out of the comment and try to post in a more informative matter... I guess I should thank you for opening my eyes, I can get a little rude, the site brings it out in all of us some times... Sorry to the OP.
On a final note, I am not a bigger man when it comes to name calling... so epoch, turns out that I was correct... Shithead
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throb
Oct 17, 2007, 3:03 AM
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I think the best cams on the market now are the new Metolius Ultralights. I wish my main rack was built around them instead of Friends. You can't beat Metolius quality, narrow head width, and holding power. The deciding factor has to be their new ultralight weight. Pared with Trango superfly karabs you will have a fantastic and light core to your trad rack.
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climbsomething
Oct 17, 2007, 3:19 AM
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I am sure I'm repeating posts, but...
1. None of the responses to the OP were rude or dickish. Neither is this one.
2. OP, you have all the gear you need (although I too would recommend an ATC or similar tube-style device). I can see you're excited, but you might want to hold off on additional purchases for now. A beginner who has barely climbed does not need to invest in a trad rack, or even a rope at this point (though the partners you climb with will probably appreciate it, since you've already bought one). Take some in/formally guided trips before you decide if you even really like climbing or any particular genre enough to lay out all the cash for the more advanced gear.
3. Check your hubris. Not saying you have any, but a lot of beginners do. Especially young men. (they also have a hard time admitting it)
4. Good luck. Just glean all you can from experienced people you can trust.
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wildthing14
Oct 17, 2007, 3:28 AM
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Sorry about the crappy intro into rockclimbing.com... anyway, i second whoever said find someone who climbs as well and then get out there and have fun, check out the local gym when you get back to the states as well, its a great place to meet people.
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Eartaker
Oct 17, 2007, 4:34 AM
Post #23 of 40
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hey I had a Koran guy I work with call around for me and he found a large indoor climbing gym that offers beginner classes everyday..... I'm going to head out there to check it out today. I just hope they speak English
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flint
Oct 17, 2007, 7:03 AM
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Yeah.... He found a gym and stopped buying gear. Good recommendations everyone. Now go climb with people who know what they are doing and learn from them... Damn I wish I would have posted all of this good advice earlier in the thread, then got told I was wrong, and then re-read everything I suggested to come full circle to the advice given earlier in the thread.
Welcome to the site... No one here means to be dicks. Best explination I have got was that we are all a bunch of climbers, pissed because we are at work looking at a computer, and missory enjoys company.
Just to provide a full answer to the original question, and the answer you will get to your posts on your next three threads. I like Metolius gear, including cams, but mostly, gear purchase is on a personal baise. Go to the local crag and see what they use for gear types. Does everyone own tones of tri-cams? Do people mainly sling 3CU's? And then go to the gear shop and play with the gear and find what you like. Better yet, use someone else's gear and see what it is you don't or do like in person. Then make an informed decision on that bases.
Best advice, learn how to use what you are going to buy before you buy it.
j-
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climbsomething
Oct 17, 2007, 7:18 AM
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flint wrote: Welcome to the site... No one here means to be dicks.
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