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First Lead Climb

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By Stich
From Colorado Springs, Colorado
Mar 12, 2008
Looking down from Notchtop

I usually don't mention that first free solo before I discovered people climbed with special shoes and ropes. (shudders) It was also in Austin near the Urban Assault Wall. Some 50ft. system of ledges up a corner to a loose scree top out with bushes and clawing for life. Did it alone and promptly lost the memory of doing it for years. PTSD?


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By percious
From Arvada, CO
Mar 12, 2008
My first blueberry pie.<br /><br />Picture by Colden Perkins.

Scott M. Mossman wrote:
East Slab, The Dome, Boulder Canyon 1972

My favourite climb of any grade in the canyon.


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By Brad Killough IV
Administrator
From hartselle, Alabama
Mar 31, 2008
Poster for this 2010 comp. at HP40

If your climbing in the southeast ,say around Tennessee, try afterburner 5.5 at foster falls. It was my sons first lead and its pretty straight forward and well protected!


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By Brad Killough IV
Administrator
From hartselle, Alabama
Mar 31, 2008
Poster for this 2010 comp. at HP40

In Alabama, Sand Rock has a couple, one is kennel club 5.8 and My dog has fleas, both are on the Holiday Block, for those who don't know.


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By Brad Killough IV
Administrator
From hartselle, Alabama
Mar 31, 2008
Poster for this 2010 comp. at HP40

bradkillough wrote:
If your climbing in the southeast ,say around Tennessee, try afterburner 5.5 at foster falls. It was my sons first lead and its pretty straight forward and well protected!

My first was kennel club at sand rock, went from it straight to too pumped to chump, which was an eye opener, to say the least and made it, so I went from a blocky 5.8 to a pumpy, overhanging 5.10. Too pumped to chump scared the crap out of me, with it being just my second lead.......! That was maybe ten years ago...............!


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By Jay F. Weekly
From Georgetown, KY
Apr 1, 2008
Tasting @ New Belgium Brewing

My first trad lead was Foreplay at Devil's Lake, in October of 1997. I definitely remember sewing it up, and actually smearing on one of the last moves (a heady thing to do on a first lead at the Lake, even if it was only a 5.4). Had a great time, and thinking about it, I really need to get back there and lead it again for old time's sake...


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By Jay Knower
Administrator
From Plymouth, NH
Apr 1, 2008
Technosurfing, Rumney. Photo by Seth Hamel.

Jay F. Weekly wrote:
My first trad lead was Foreplay at Devil's Lake, in October of 1997. I definitely remember sewing it up, and actually smearing on one of the last moves (a heady thing to do on a first lead at the Lake, even if it was only a 5.4). Had a great time, and thinking about it, I really need to get back there and lead it again for old time's sake...


I know Foreplay well. That's a proud first lead (especially with the smearing).


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By Tom Hanson
From Castle Rock, CO
Apr 1, 2008
Batface

My first lead was Piece of Cake (5.6 or 7?) at Taylors Falls, MN sometime in the mid-seventies


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By Daryl Allan
From Sierra Vista, AZ
May 6, 2008

Silver Spoon

Sometime during the spring of 1991.... ahh, to be young and dumb again.

Edit:: okay, okay - to be young again... (i got the other thing covered).


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By Devin C.
Aug 12, 2008

First lead was about 3 weeks ago, 5.6/5.7

My brother and I have just started getting more serious about climbing in the last month or two. Bought a rope a month ago, top roped for about a week and then he bought some quick draws and started leading sport climbs at a wall just down the road from my parents house (Jemez mtns in New Mexico).

I Led a 5.9 on sat and had no prob. and decided to try a .10d last night, needless to say this opened my eyes a bit. took my first fall of ~10-12 ft. it was nice to see that the gear all held and get the feeling of taking a decent sized fall, but I think I'll stick to the lower rated climbs for a bit, until my skills progress a bit more and I'm more comfortable with being above the rope.


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By Shawn Mitchell
From Broomfield
Aug 12, 2008
Splitter Jams on the Israel/Palestine Security Wall.

1977. The Trough, a bolted 5.5. face climb at Big Rock, Lake Perris, near Riverside, California.

My first gear lead was either the Shadow or Hernia, both 5.8s at Suicide Rock in So Cal.


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By Tim Kline
From Littleton, co
Aug 12, 2008
Classic climb called Gossamer in the monster area of Rushmore

My first sport lead was .7 way cool junior in the south seas at Rushmore. Really super easy climb, but great for a first time lead.

My first real trad lead was a 5.8 in spearfish canyon called all strung out on crack. Unfortunately I feel the climb was ruined because somebody bolted a perfect crack, but none the less I went ahead and did a trad lead on it and it was a great lead. I haven't done much trad yet, but I've got a full rack and I'm working on it, but I want to be safe and I'm learning from my buddy Todd who is very experience in trad leading.


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By StuM
From Blandiego, CA
Aug 12, 2008

First lead was "Movin' to Montana" in Yosemite.
First trad lead was "Holdless Horror" on Dozier Dome in Tuolumne.
The very next day we did Cathedral Peak; I led six pitches, and by the time we topped out thunderstorms were moving in. When everything around me started buzzing (including my helmet), I performed the fastest rappel of my young climbing life and managed to get down safely. In all, the weekend was a very exciting introduction to trad climbing.


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By Robert 560
From The Land of the Lost
Aug 12, 2008
Waterfall

PRRose wrote:
It was long ago and far away... I can't recall if my first lead was Son of Easy O or Bonnie's Roof (Gunks) .


This is about the same for me 1st lead was about 1975


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By Pete Elliott
From Co Spgs CO
Aug 12, 2008

First sport lead was also Silver Spoon (5.6) in Garden of the Gods.

First trad lead was Jaws (5.6) at Elevenmile Canyon.


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By YDPL8S
Aug 12, 2008
Messing around in RMNP in winter, climbing 5.7 in rubber snow boots and ski gloves.

My first 2 leads were, on sandstone - the dreaded Calypso on Wind Tower (I think it wasn't as slippery in 1972) and on granite - East Slab on the Dome (runout on bad stopper placements).


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By Jim Gloeckler
From Denver, Colo.
Aug 12, 2008

1st Lead was 3rd Pitch of Cussin Crack (5.6) in 1971. Wearing Royal Robbin's shoes, actually they were boots, and they were not that good for free-climbing (unless you were Royal himself I guess). That was just the start of a long learning process!


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By YDPL8S
Aug 12, 2008
Messing around in RMNP in winter, climbing 5.7 in rubber snow boots and ski gloves.

Jim Gloeckler wrote:
Wearing Royal Robbin's shoes, actually they were boots, and they were not that good for free-climbing (unless you were Royal himself I guess).


Sorry, beg to differ, they were killer for cracks, could climb all day and never get sore feet. Also, nothing better at edging and comfortable enough for extended work on big walls.....smearing? not so good.

http://mountainproject.com/v/nevada/red_rock/juniper_canyon/>>>>>

Rainbow Wall - The Original Route 5.12


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By Shawn Mitchell
From Broomfield
Aug 12, 2008
Splitter Jams on the Israel/Palestine Security Wall.

I'm with Jim. I wore 'em up Mescalito in 1981, and the thought of free climbing anything in them...ugh. I aided up the Half Dollar chimney on another climb whose name I won't mention, because it didn't go as well...


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By YDPL8S
Aug 12, 2008
Messing around in RMNP in winter, climbing 5.7 in rubber snow boots and ski gloves.

Hell Shawn, Robbins first ascent of that (in '61) was probably in big boots!


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By Rick Witting
Aug 12, 2008
The Needle, Prospect Mtn (not RMNP)Photo by Jay Eggleston

Caramel Corner 5.4 at Castlewood Canyon 1986. If there were sport/bolted routes back then, I didn't know about them. First ice lead at Officers Gulch 1991. I didn't know anybody that climbed, so I would have to get neighbors, friends, my brother, anyone to belay and I supplied the gear (which wasn't much and pretty primitive).


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By Shawn Mitchell
From Broomfield
Aug 12, 2008
Splitter Jams on the Israel/Palestine Security Wall.

Scott M. Mossman wrote:
Hell Shawn, Robbins first ascent of that (in '61) was probably in big boots!

Yeah, but...Royal Robbins! That's like saying George Mikan could dunk in Converse tennies in 50-something...why can't I? :)

To clarify, we were headed for the Shield but there's a 1000' of Salathe to get there. If we had been climbing Salathe, I would have aimed for more free climbing...but that chimney was an ugly, flared sandbag...for a gumby like moi.

PS-"headed for" does not = "climbed."


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By YDPL8S
Aug 12, 2008
Messing around in RMNP in winter, climbing 5.7 in rubber snow boots and ski gloves.

I totally relate Shawn, that Yosemite granite seemed slippery as hell the first time I touched it, couldn't get my Robbins to stick for sh&*! I just have a warm spot in my heart for the old Blue Meanies.


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By Shawn Mitchell
From Broomfield
Aug 12, 2008
Splitter Jams on the Israel/Palestine Security Wall.

"old Blue Meanies"... LOL. Love your pic of Tahquitz. Memories of the early adventures...

EDIT: PTW somehting or other...whatever teh kids say at teh top of the page.


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By Rick Witting
Aug 12, 2008
The Needle, Prospect Mtn (not RMNP)Photo by Jay Eggleston

Shawn Mitchell wrote:
1977. The Trough, a bolted 5.5. face climb at Big Rock, Lake Perris, near Riverside, California.

I climbed there in 1991. My first experience with slab. We were on our way back from Tahquitz where we got in over our head and started rapping the route. 3 old guys gave us some better descent directions. I wouldn't have known at the time, but I'll bet it was Robbins and Chounard.


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