How to Climb 5.9

I've written an article for beginner climbers and thought I'd share it with the forum:
How to Climb 5.9

I've tried to made it as simple as possible and hope it can be useful to those who have just started.
-Chris

You for got about the "take your shirt off" tip

If you don't like frank opinions don't read the rest of this.

Your article was terrible. For one, what you said could be condensed into about 6 sentences. But, more importantly, you are creating a bunch of rope dependent hang doggers. Falling is fine for learning, especially in the gym. But, there is a distinct line when one is learning by pushing their limits and just flailing and wasting time. If someone falls a handful of times and then reaches the top, they probably are near their limit and learning can take place. But, if someone hangdogs (ie countless falls) on their way to the top they are beyond their limit and bad habits will take over.

PS: Falling and dogging your way up a route is not climbing. It is falling and dogging your way up a route.

How to climb "5.9"...in a gym, on top rope....

I agree that your advice may build bad habits, particularly advising that people fall before they are exhausted.

Overcoming the habit to stop and hang when I felt the pump coming on held me back more in sport climbing than any other factor. Getting over that, and learning to climb to failure (when safe to do so, of course) pushed my leading grade up by more than a full number grade in a matter of months. While I see your point about maximizing time trying new moves, new climbers are probably better off trying V0's on the bouldering wall where there is no rope to use as a crutch.

Meh.

"my two cents"

+ 2 Chris Drover wrote, "new climbers are probably better off trying V0's on the bouldering wall where there is no rope to use as a crutch."

C mon guys, I see where the possibility of bad habits could stem from, but its not like people are trying to learn lead climbing outside from a post like this... Do you not remember what it was like starting off and not really knowing a thing about climbing...? Indoors can be a great place to learn and get comfortable on vertical terrain without all the exposure and added greatness that comes with climbing outside. I feel there are valid points here that a beginner climber could benefit from. For some who thought this was a terrible article and saying things like, "take your shirt off", "meh" or "climb for a few weeks"... Seems that you could write a much better article as such an advanced climber? I would like to hear it.

Overall learning something new is different for everyone and a few extra sentences and reiteration is no big deal especially when starting out. I just think we can give more constructive criticism, rather than spraying on how the article sucks.

When I started climbing my friends sand bagged me into leading 5.9 trad my first few times out. With very little climbing experience, I just did not know what i was getting into. After a few scary whippers I was initially pissed at my friends, but after learning more in the gym, I was leading 5.10-5.11+ my first year climbing... Not the smartest or safest way to learn but everyone has to start somewhere.

All in all, as I a guide its hard for me to keep my mouth shut a lot of the time, trust me, my good friends know... So i sympathize with where some of you are coming from, but we can do better than that!

Greg, Chris & Jon:
I cross posted this in supertopo and received a lot of negative comments, so frankly it is nice to read some constructive criticism on what parts of the article were lacking.

Will:
Yes it is catered towards absolute beginners who are learning in the gym, on top rope. I was (trying to) parodying the book "How to climb 5.12", so I hope you don't think that I'm focusing on the grade as a first priority.

Recently, I've taken about 5 of my other friends who are fairly athletic in other sports, but completely new to climbing in the gym. During this, nearly all of them would hang until exhaustion because they were either afraid of falling, or afraid of seeing their friends climb harder. This was on my mind when I was writing the article.

On the other hand, a few days ago I saw a kid climbing in running shoes and he was falling at every other hold, so I can see how my advice could be particularly bad for some beginners.

And how this would transfer to the outside? Well I still think that it'd be OK. The fear of falling is pretty ingrained in humans, and I know when I lead my first scary (in my mind) climb outside, I did *not* want to fall. In fact, I still think I climb too cautiously outdoors because I spend so much time on super solid gym holds. That's a story for another day though..

JSH wrote:A short reaction: you really need to be VERY VERY EXPLICIT that you are talking about climbing 5.9 ON TOPROPE and IN A GYM.

Maybe it's just me, but as soon as I read "How to Climb 5.9" I explicitly assumed this was for beginners and topropping in a gym was the first thing that came to mind.

@ Gred D "Your article was terrible"
Really? What kind of critique is that? Condensed into 6 sentences? If this was condensed into 6 sentences it would leave the beginning climber a little cheated thinking that they are obviously missing something because climbing is so easy. Who writes an article with 6 sentences anyway? How crappy would that be and what would it look like?
1) Keep your arms straight
2) Climb with your legs.
3) Trim off the fat from your big ass.
4) Etc...
5) Etc...
6) Etc...

The effect of using photos with descriptions is how any descent article should be written.

Now I am in no way agreeing that this is a world class article that every beginner should read and that people should start falling up routes.

I have a question about your site thrutched.com.

The article that you've cross posted here seems to be original work, but am I correct in saying that most of the rest of your site is just taken from other websites and reposted on your own?

I understand what you're trying to do - create a collective website with good climbing-related articles and video. It's a good idea, and it's been done before. I just think you need to re-evaluate your process. Have you asked permission to repost other people's blogs and videos? If you have, then certainly, disregard me as just another jerk and please continue.

I applaud your enthusiasm, but I continue to caution people who seem to think that the internet gives them a free pass to be "blind leading the blind" in a sport with big consequences for screwups.

Price wrote:I have a question about your site thrutched.com. The article that you've cross posted here seems to be original work, but am I correct in saying that most of the rest of your site is just taken from other websites and reposted on your own? I understand what you're trying to do - create a collective website with good climbing-related articles and video. It's a good idea, and it's been done before. I just think you need to re-evaluate your process. Have you asked permission to repost other people's blogs and videos? If you have, then certainly, disregard me as just another jerk and please continue. I applaud your enthusiasm, but I continue to caution people who seem to think that the internet gives them a free pass to be "blind leading the blind" in a sport with big consequences for screwups.

Hey Price,
I don't think you're being a jerk at all, it's a valid question.

I'm trying to make a news site which is similar to reddit/digg/slashdot. This means that any user can post some news and the most interesting posts will bubble to the top.

Videos being reposted should be fine in general since if they are posting on Youtube or Vimeo they are meant to be shared. There's an option on those sites for the author to disable embedding too.

Articles from other blogs should only be a short summary or quote with a link to the source article for more reading. I've seen a few topics where the article was copied verbatim, and had to edit them so that it's obvious that it's from another source.

JSH wrote:A short reaction: you really need to be VERY VERY EXPLICIT that you are talking about climbing 5.9 ON TOPROPE and IN A GYM. We get threads ~yearly on gunks.com that paraphrase as "where can I learn to fall safely on 5.4?" That question is terrible for several reasons, which I'm sure you're aware of. The problem is that the idea of bringing "how to climb 5.12" down to "how to climb 5.9", and the parallel ideas of applying Arno's ideas about pushing yourself and falling, lose a LOT of context that less-experienced people won't ever even miss because they don't know it's there. People who climb 5.4 don't know that falls on 5.10 are much safer, for example, because they don't climb 5.10. All they know is - this is what they read about how to get better, and of course they want to do it. So you really have to explicitly state: this is advice meant for beginners, in the gym. On toprope.

Thanks. I've added a note to the top of the article so that it's clearer.

"Don't worry about gaining endurance as it will come naturally"
Sure it will... if you climb and train you guts out. Put them back in and climb and train some more. And not one word about breathing. Breathing properly is your best weapon aginst the pump and mental demons.

"Take small gradual steps."

What about when high-stepping is the easiest way up? Also what about drop-knees. What about when a heel hook is great to pull you over to the hold off to your side? You may say these are more "advanced" techniques but that's not true. When I started climbing my biggest improvements came from learning different techniques. In my humble opinion beginning instruction should entail descriptions on different techniques to make your climb easier. Not just "keep your arms straight and take small steps." That may be good advice your first day climbing but surely not your second week.

jarthur wrote: Maybe it's just me, but as soon as I read "How to Climb 5.9" I explicitly assumed this was for beginners and topropping in a gym was the first thing that came to mind. @ Gred D "Your article was terrible" Really? What kind of critique is that? Condensed into 6 sentences? If this was condensed into 6 sentences it would leave the beginning climber a little cheated thinking that they are obviously missing something because climbing is so easy. Who writes an article with 6 sentences anyway? How crappy would that be and what would it look like? 1) Keep your arms straight 2) Climb with your legs. 3) Trim off the fat from your big ass. 4) Etc... 5) Etc... 6) Etc... The effect of using photos with descriptions is how any descent article should be written. Now I am in no way agreeing that this is a world class article that every beginner should read and that people should start falling up routes.

Perhaps you should have read my first sentence and stopped there.

jarthur wrote: 3) Trim off the fat from your big ass. 4) Etc... 5) Etc... 6) Etc...

The trouble with these how-to articles is that I might not be able to get past #3. So, if the article can go for a few more paragraphs until the bullet points

not too bad, i agree with a lot of it, but it needs to be expanded by adding detail such as foot position and how to keep your weight into the rock. When i started most of that stuff was useless till i got the hip technique down. emphasize technique THEN getting on the rock and pushing your skill. you should only hang and study the route when your technique is good. bouldering is the best way to learn. climb climb climb too

Chris Tan wrote:I've written an article for beginner climbers and thought I'd share it with the forum: How to Climb 5.9 I've tried to made it as simple as possible and hope it can be useful to those who have just started. -Chris

The problem with your article is that all you do is provide a few random tips, none of which are especially important, nor even correct, lessons for the beginning climber to learn. There is no mention of balance, momentum, turning, flagging, grip positions, timing, back stepping, movement initiation, etc., etc., etc.

Just because you have good web programming skills doesn't mean you should put a web page. The subject matter of your article cannot be covered properly in such a brief format. There are whole books, running hundreds of pages, devoted to the same subject matter. Leave the topic of teaching beginning rock climbers to people who are actually qualified to do so.

Jay

throw in a ZZZAAAAATTTTT!!!!! during the crux move

I still go by the old maxim of "the leader must not fall." Old school I know. I don't ever make a strategically planned fall. That to me is insane.

How to climb 5.9? Just do it!!! LOL!!

I am new to climbing and i pretty much only trad climb and i liked the article it is a good basic beta for the beginner, and i am proud to admit that i fall on gear a lot the only way to push yourself is to do some hang dogging and learn new techniqes. Its the Jon G school of climbing its not who looks the coolest while climbing "its the one having the most fun."
hows the figer n e way Jon