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darkgift06
May 13, 2010, 7:25 PM
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Registered: Mar 16, 2009
Posts: 492
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As some background I live in Penticton & climb at Skaha on weekends & evenings, I've been climbing for some time now, mostly sport climbing & can on-sight 5.10's & have followed a few trad routes from 9 to 10's. Recently I have been looking at all the trad lines & have been just itching to try it so I have been looking for a set of nuts that I had handed down to me (in new condition). Well after a month of here & there looking I found them & have been carrying them to the crag for a few weeks now. Every trip I'm looking at the trad routes trying to decide on which climb to pop my trad cherry on.
Last weekend I decided to take the sharp end & here are a few wright ups on the climbs.
I started on a very easy, very short, little to no exposure 5.6 off width. For some reason I was feeling good & decided to do it on-sight. I looked in the book & it says med sized pro, well all I have is a rack of nuts. But what the hell I figured, I'd give it a shot anyway & if worst came to worse I could stem in the off-width & rest or down climb. So up I go nice super easy positive holds & stemming feet I'm looking for pro & everything is huge so I keep climbing. I get about 1/2 way up & am 2-3 feet in the back of the crack when I decide to ether find some pro or down climb. I look into the back & Bam there is a huge chock stone so I sling it & call it Bomber. I finish the climb with only the one peace & bring up my 2nd who after climbing it in street shoes says dam that was easy. Down we rap & he decides to call it a day & head home. Wow ho! I'm kinda stoked even thought it was very safe low angle & not exposed I did it!!!
Later the same day my other partner & I move to another crag with his friends from out of town. They are some girls who I've never climbed with & they are looking at a 5.8 trad vertical crack. I've climbed this crack a few times on top rope so I decide that I feel comfortable with leading it. I tie in & up I go, (again with only a rack of nuts) I place a very nice multi-directional peace just off the ground & push thru this nice easy lay back for 2 moves & place another peace. I'm feeling good now as I remember this route & that was the crux so I push to the top with few peaces & set up a top rope for the girls. Now I have some confidence placed good gear & didn't hesitate on an easy climb that I knew.
A few days into the week we decide to head out & climb on wed.
We get to the parking lot & my friends are talking about a nice 5.9 trad route, hes got a lot of gear so & I'm game to 2nd it maybe even lead it, but just b4 we leave a local climber & friend pulls up & recommends another wall with a 10a trad corner which I had top roped last year & we decide that its closer & we will try it out.
Looking at the guide book I decide to warm up by leading a 5.8 trad corner crack that looks super easy. So up I go with the sharp end of the rope, I set a few good peaces & am moving at a good pace. I get to a good stance1/2 way up or so & take a rest, set a good peace & look up at whats next. Wow it kinda overhangs here with no feet, but its a super positive lay-back to get to the next ledge. I feel good about it but start to think once I'm in the lay-back its not going to be easy to set gear by my feet. Well its to late to think about that so up I go, full commitment moving my feet up & hands higher. Just about at the ledge I'm feeling strong & in a good spot so I should put a peace in, I move my feet & pull myself into the corner getting my arm locked off I reach for a peace, at this point my feet come off & wooooooooooo out & down I go & b4 I can even think about my peaces holding I'm hanging on the rope looking up at them. YEAH!! they held, & I'm still hear!! I'm yelling at this point I'm so stoked from my first trad fall & an unexpected fall at that. I get back on & re-place my top peace making sure its still bomber & move up thru the lay-back. This time I'm in a better mind frame & to my surprise right where I was looking for pro I see a hanger on the face... well duh... thats easy I clip it & move to the ledge where the climb turns into a sport climb top out & set up a top rope for some more peps. I also followed the 10a trad route that day super clean even, but didn't have the mind frame to try leading at that level but hey maybe next time.
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patmay81
May 13, 2010, 9:38 PM
Post #2 of 6
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Registered: Aug 3, 2006
Posts: 1081
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cool that you are out having fun...
piece out dude!
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hafilax
May 13, 2010, 9:44 PM
Post #3 of 6
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Registered: Dec 12, 2007
Posts: 3025
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The gear in Skaha can be pretty funky. Some Tricams might help bridge the gap until you can afford some cams.
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technogeekery
May 14, 2010, 5:26 AM
Post #4 of 6
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Registered: Jun 17, 2009
Posts: 146
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Yer gonna die... 
I'd suggest get some more gear and get a LOT more experience in placing gear before you start leading trad close to your limit. I see you have followed a few trad climbs - is there someone you can spend more time with, following them, and then having them follow you and helping / critiquing your gear placements on easy stuff?
My sister works the ER in Penticton, and we say NO! to unscheduled visits :)
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darkgift06
May 14, 2010, 4:25 PM
Post #5 of 6
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Registered: Mar 16, 2009
Posts: 492
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Well I am slowly buying gear, hex's are first, then some small cam's & then larger cam's. I have been climbing with a good friend who has a large rack & he's cool with me using it & wants me to use it even. He has been helping me lots & showing me what I'm doing right & wrong. Giving me lots of instruction.
Yea I can tell from the few leads that I have done that having climbed the route first on TR or as a 2nd I lead it much better & more confidant than my on-sight attempt. Its more knowing when to rest & when to push for a better rest. But I'm working on it slowly & with a good group of people to help me out on the way.
I'm friends with lots of the lady's in the ER there amazing lady's even went on holiday to Mexico with some of them.
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charley
May 14, 2010, 11:03 PM
Post #6 of 6
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Registered: Apr 13, 2002
Posts: 6627
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Congrats on your leads and god luck with the learning. It never ends. The fun or the learning.
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