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Am I Ready for Trad?

Original Post
Mldunh1538 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2014 · Points: 0

My roommate and I have been debating if I have enough gear for a two pitch trad climb (Mt. Yonah if you know it, GA). I have all the necessary slings carabiners and a full rack of nuts 1-13 as well as 4 cams. HB Wales 3.8, 2.5, 1.5, and 1. Not sure the equivalent to BD Camelots but I think its a 3, 2, 1, and a .75... Correct me if I'm wrong. I've read that is plenty to get started for the types of climbs we would be doing. 5.6-5.7 trad climbs. Someone please settle the debate!

mountainhick · · Black Hawk, CO · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 120

Seems like a troll.

Troll back: If you don't know, either you are not ready, or you may as well drink heavily before leading.

Or if actually serious: Having the gear does not make you a trad leader.

Instruction, apprenticeship, gear placing practice, paying lots of dues following/cleaning, and mock leading with critique from someone who knows what the heck they are doing may help you not kill yourself.

There are many threads on this forum about these topics.

Jeremy Riesberg · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 5

If you have to ask, you're not ready. Someone with more knowledge ideally would be providing you with some instruction. Sack up, it's only 5.6 and if you fall you're going to get hurt regardless of all the pro because of the ledges. That, or get a mentor/partner that isn't a broke ass and has gear to contribute to the team.

RockinOut · · NY, NY · Joined May 2010 · Points: 100

If the amount of gear is your concern then why not split the rack with your roommate..if he is your climbing partner? Have him contribute the same amount (cost wise) towards the rack and you'll have more than enough gear.

Paul Hutton · · Nephi, UT · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 740

I've been practicing with trad placements while sport climbing. Even semi-soloed up a slab route and placed pieces of both cams and nuts (anchored lead rope to first bolt and attached to my belay loop with a carabiner so I'd have a chance if I fell on this 5.EASY 40 ft rock ladder I was climbing). I have (a dozen total) plenty of medium sized cams, a few large, no tiny sizes, and the same situation with nuts. It doesn't take many placements to cover an acceptable length of one single pitch without crazy runouts. I look down and can't believe how far above my last placement I've gotten, in just a few moves! If you're familiar with the route, you can run that gear out and always feel confident that you'll have enough when you're closing in on that next belay station! (Provided it's a bolted station)

Marc801 C · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 65

No.

Jacob Smith · · Seattle, WA · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 230

We can't all find the perfect mentor.
Sounds like you have a good starter rack, depending on the length of the pitches and how far below your limit 5.7 is.
Placing trad gear, and especially cams, is not the art form that some seem to think, you jam the gadget into the crack, clip it to your rope, and keep climbing. Don't climb anything you'll be likely to fall on until you've done a a few dozen easy pitches.
Teaching yourself is how most of the best climbers learned, just don't fuck up and die.

Nic the brit · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2012 · Points: 0

I would go climbing with a good leader for a while see how he/she does things learn as much as you can. Thats the way I learnt and I recommend it. Safety is the main concern always and your rack is just not big enough. Just my opinion.

dahigdon · · phoenix, Az · Joined Jan 2015 · Points: 220

Sir Jacob Smith nailed it. Do what makes you happy OP. Deep down inside, don't we all climb because it gives us that "oh shit I may die" type feeling.. followed by that "holy shit I made it" feeling. It doesn't matter how many times somebody tells you, or shows you how to place a piece of pro.. You gotta learn for yourself. Everyone does it differently. If your scared to trad climb, you should be. You could certainly go splat, that's what makes it fun.

Full disclosure: I've never trad climbed a route in my life, just recently sport climbed my first 5.5!

Mldunh1538 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2014 · Points: 0

Alrighty fucktards. I wasn't saying I'm a trad leader or a big shot climber. I was asking you to settle a bet. Thanks for the welcoming climber mentality you hipsters!

And for those who answered in a non asshole arrogant manner I appreciate your input

Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'm gonna go trad solo this mountain.

Tom Caldwell · · Clemson, S.C. · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 3,623

At Yonah, you don't need much gear. You could probably get away with what you have, but not knowing how to place it may be the dangerous part. You can use the cables to access the number climbs and top rope some of these climbs before trying to lead them. Check out the gear placements and do some pull tests to evaluate your placements. I would suggest investing in some smaller size cams or tricams as well. You could probably get away with just adding the .3-.5 or tricams .25-1.5. The two man climbs (colored climbs) only require quick draws and are "two pitches". You can supplement gear in between the bolts to practice placements.

Daniel Winder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 101
Mldunh1538 wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong.
People here did just that. Your response:

Mldunh1538 wrote:Alrighty fucktards. I wasn't saying I'm a trad leader or a big shot climber. I was asking you to settle a bet. Thanks for the welcoming climber mentality you hipsters! And for those who answered in a non asshole arrogant manner I appreciate your input Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'm gonna go trad solo this mountain.
Not being a trad leader, all the gear in the world won't get you up it.

You're welcome
Mldunh1538 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2014 · Points: 0
Daniel Winder wrote: People here did just that. Your response: Not being a trad leader, all the gear in the world won't get you up it. You're welcome
I said correct me if I'm wrong on the hb Wales conversion to bd Camelot sizes buddy. Good try on trying to look like the cool guy on the forum
Chase Bowman · · Durango, CO · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 1,010

Mt Yonah is an amazing place to start leading trad. On my third trip to the main face I solo lead all of the balance routes with only a full set of nuts and and four cams. A #.4, #.5, #1 Camelots and a #1 TCU. These all were my first leads ever!! Get up there and give it a try! The fall potential is pretty low honestly so it all comes down to how much pro you want to place! Ideally the a good rack for the main face is a full set of smaller cams like TCUs or C3s and tri cams. Nuts don't work well here. Ill be back to yonah in the summer, if y'all are still there hit me up!!

Muscrat · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 3,625

language, young indeterminate person!
First, you have been a member long enough to know;
a) there are numerous trolls out there, who revel in clogging the site with inane B.S.
2) There are an equal number of people on this site who revel in blasting the trolls.
Denying you are a troll is Shakespearean, to wit, you deny too much.
And there is a famous quote, "if you have to ask, you can't afford it". In this case can you afford to at the least bail on gear, loosing it, and at most, die.
Some of us were lucky enough to have mentors, others, myself included, bought gear, read a book, watched a video or 10, AND WENT TO THE BASE OF A CRAG AND PRACTICED PLACING GEAR ON THE GROUND, A LOT.
Boring, but very useful when you are hanging by one hand and trying to remember which cam might fit here, and do i want to use it now, or save it for later!?
You might also mention that you onsite 5.12.b sport (or not) Have you led hard sport? Practices climbing in a crack on TR?

Shep · · Grand Junction, Colorado · Joined May 2013 · Points: 20

I've never climbed at this location but often times camming devices are much easier to place for the aspirant trad leader. Passive protection takes longer and if your not well versed in placing it, you can jack it up really easily. If your planning to lead on mostly passive pro, which is what your rack looks like now, then get exceptionally comfortable placing it on the ground.

Mldunh1538 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2014 · Points: 0
TomCaldwell wrote:At Yonah, you don't need much gear. You could probably get away with what you have, but not knowing how to place it may be the dangerous part. You can use the cables to access the number climbs and top rope some of these climbs before trying to lead them. Check out the gear placements and do some pull tests to evaluate your placements. I would suggest investing in some smaller size cams or tricams as well. You could probably get away with just adding the .3-.5 or tricams .25-1.5. The two man climbs (colored climbs) only require quick draws and are "two pitches". You can supplement gear in between the bolts to practice placements.
Talked to a good friend of mine who has been trad climbing Yonah for 5 years and I've been climbing up there (trad) with him before. That's why I'm so interested, cleaned his placements on a 3 pitch climb and it was fun! He's taught me how to place gear and what to get. I was just trying to settle an argument with my roommate. He knew it would get trashed on here, I guess that's why he told me to post it haha.
dahigdon · · phoenix, Az · Joined Jan 2015 · Points: 220

^^^awesome bro.

Nick Stayner · · Wymont Kingdom · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 2,315
Mldunh1538 wrote: Someone please settle the debate!


YER GONNA DIE!! (obvi, debate settled)
Marc H · · Longmont, CO · Joined May 2007 · Points: 265
Mldunh1538 wrote:I was just trying to settle an argument with my roommate.
The answer seems pretty simple. Just get on a route. If you live, you win; if you die, you lose.

Good luck. If we don't hear from you again soon we'll assume you lost the bet.
Dustin Drake · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 5

Your rack seems sufficient. Do some research on the routes you want to get on before hand. Have a good idea of what to expect so you can evaluate the risk as best as possible. Takes some of the adventure out of it, but you are learning here, we need to control the variables best we can. I know there is a lot of low angle stuff at Yonah. Try to top rope a few routes first to get an idea of the terrain and then go for some leads on routes that you wouldn't expect yourself to fall on. Take it slow and work into it. Trad is all about risk management and taking responsibility for your own well being.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Trad Climbing
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