I'm feeling shameful

I have been climbing for about five years. I mostly climb outdoors and that's where I learned to climb. I have had multiple partners for various reasons. I have never had a problem with my technique or safety with my partners. i have also been told by some of my partners they love climbing with me because they feel safe with me. My shame is coming from failing my indoor lead test. My partner and I got memberships at the local gym and we have been training pretty hard all winter with our last month we decided we would try and focus on our lead climbing. Well we both failed. Has anyone else felt this discouragement? I understand that it's there gym there rules. And I understand there are differences in gym and outdoor climbing I just don't feel we were that much of a hazard I have seen some pretty whack stuff happen in this gym.

Why did you not pass?

Hahaha... What did u do wrong?

They wanted me to clip in between my waist and my shoulders and I was clipping around my head. It was the first time I have tried to lead indoors. I understood that they were worried about to much slack and decking.

You failed the rules of climbing as determined by the insurance company, how much shame is there in that?

That sucks. It's not your fault. I've been to many many climbing gyms around California and I've failed the belay or lead tests at most of them the first time. I've been climbing for 10 years and I know how to climb. Every gym failed me for not doing one of their insurance liability oriented rules. I've failed for not tying a double fishermans knot after I tie my figure 8. I've failed for not leaving an 12 inch tail sticking out of my figure 8, I've failed for saying "climbing" instead of "ready to climb", my girlfriend failed for doing everything perfect but falling before the anchor on their mandatory 5.10b lead test route. I've taken to asking the person at the front desk what their gym in particular wants to see happen in a lead test. They've always told me ahead of time and then I know the unique and weird customs that particular gym thinks is important.

Yes I failed at pleasing the man. I'm just frustrated

Thanks for the responses. Jon thanks for failing and sharing I'll give it another shot.

I would not worry about it. For the first month I was in the gym I was "informed" multiple times that my technique was not up to snuff. Being a geezer I just laughed about. But as said, gyms have requirements for their liability. So I made few adjustments so to satisfy their needs.

As for the clipping, given the draws are every six feet or less it is pretty to clip as they suggest. Part of the time I end up clipping two draws at once.

Unlike everybody else, I'm gonna rip into you.

First, the average gym is required to have a plan in place for most every occurrence. However, most insurance companies know better than to dictate specific policy because it opens them up to liability if a dangerous (and stupid) policy they require causes an accident.

Second, a gym that has long runs between bolts is basically unheard of. To fail to clip between waist and shoulders (I've also seen knees and shoulders) means that you're trying to clip the next bolt while the current one is, at most at your knees. The whole point of the climbing side of that test is to make sure that you won't do something stupid and dangerous, just to avoid a fall. You've shown that you will gladly do something stupid to avoid a fall.

Third, if the lead test route is so poorly set that your best clipping hold isn't where you're clipping between shoulder and knee, then the setting in general must be atrocious. But if you're ignoring the clipping holds because you want to clip high, then they are right to fail you,

Dude, what the F is wrong with you? You've been climbing for 5 years, and you can't pass a lead class? You should be leading like 12c or something. You might want to consider a different sport, my friend.

I passed my lead class only three weeks after starting to climb. Then, I lead my first 12c, and now i'm breaking into freesoloing.

Kind of harsh Brian.

Jon Hartmann wrote:I've taken to asking the person at the front desk what their gym in particular wants to see happen in a lead test. They've always told me ahead of time and then I know the unique and weird customs that particular gym thinks is important.

I always try to find out what they want. There are lots of ways to climb safely, including clipping high sometimes. But there's usually only one arbitrary way to pass the test.

My partner that I climb with often failed his the first time too. Just a difference in his techniques vs. the gyms "perfect" technique. Like mentioned before, it's all liability based crap.

maybe you should just stick to climbing outside. indoor climbing is for training anyway. or at least thats what people tell me

~26 years of belaying experience here and I failed one for trading between my right and left hand as my brake hand under my ATC Before the test I even asked what they were looking for, but "don't take your hand off the brake" for them meant "don't take your designated brake hand off the rope" instead of "don't every leave the rope without a brake hand on it in the proper position". It literally took the kid explaining what he meant four times before I had any idea what the hell he was talking about. Because having the rope braked properly at all times wasn't enough, it had to be done by the same hand all the time.

This is also a gym where they seem to teach people some sort of weird variant of SSS and PBUS that gives me almost daily opportunities to demonstrate to other groups what happens when someone falls and there is no friction in the system.

But yeah, you shouldn't clip high without a good reason (i.e. You're in a bomber position with worse options ahead). It increases fall potential and tires your arms out faster. A good teacher would have just given you a warning and let you continue to prove you understood the correction. Pass/fail is kind of a stupid model designed to rack up test fees.

I once failed a belay test under a "guilty by association" clause. I failed the belay portion of the test because my partner fell (because he got pumped) on the test route. I asked the proctor what I did wrong, and he told me nothing, but my partner failed so I had to fail too. Awesome. I saw a professional climber get "talked to" by 21-year-old gym employees on the "proper" way to belay. One of the best belayers I have ever climbed with once failed the belay test (the climb portion, not the belay portion). She is "certified" at over 10 other gyms.

Dont sweat it. Just retest using the advice the proctor gave you, you'll pass, and then it will be done. As others have said, the test is mostly for libility. I have climbed with guys that have a rainbow of "belay certified" cards all over their harness, and I wouldent trust them to belay my hat. At the end of the day, the test is just for insurance as others have pointed out.

Also, keep in mind gym employees are mainly college kids that need a part-time job, not IFMGA certified guides with 20 ascends of El Cap. Accordingly, dont expect a wealth of knowledge from most of these guys. It's just how it goes. Do as they request for the test and move on.

Wow.... can someone pass the towels around I can't see with all the spray from. (Climb Things) your amazing brah...

Climb-it wrote:Dude, what the F is wrong with you? You've been climbing for 5 years, and you can't pass a lead class? You should be leading like 12c or something. You might want to consider a different sport, my friend.

Hopefully nobody needs to explain to you why this is a foolish, unhelpful comment on many levels.

As others have said, the "shoulder and waist" rule is arbitrary. I'm 6'3" tall. One of my climbing partners is 5'2" tall. We're gonna clip differently. What might be a safe and easy clip slightly above my head would be impossible or dangerous for her, and a comfortable clip just below her shoulders might be a strenuous lock-off for me. Don't sweat it. Know the reason for the rule, apply it when important, and do your own thing when it's not.

I would be more embarrassed at not knowing the difference between there and their ;) Gyms have all kinds of idiosyncratic rules that often don't make much sense. You just have to learn what they are and then once you have passed and they are no longer hovering over you, discretely ignore them if they are counter to best practice. If they are really bad, don't give them your business. For instance, I go ahead and use my double bowline with dbl fisherman's stopper for my knot and don't clip into an anchor so I can give a more responsive belay unless I am belaying somebody a lot heavier.