From sport to trad

Thanks folks, I've gotten some solid advice thus far, all of these are things that I hadn't really considered before and it is going to be extra helpful. Also Ryan, I'm currently living in Mexico until june, but if you still want to run up the columns sometime after I return, I'd be very much down.

bearbreeder wrote:2downclimbing is one of the least appreciated skills in trad climbing and will save your bacon one day ...

This is wise advice. When I am pushing toward my limit I often climb up to my crux, place gear and downclimb to my last good rest, or figure out gear, climb back to rest, sling gear and then climb back to crux. Without confidence in downclimbing, I would mentally burn out.

Practice crack climbing, A LOT. Every size, from fingers to chimney. Transitioning from sport climbing, you've probably got good face climbing skills, but it's unlikely that you've spent much time jamming. Trust me, you may be a 5.11 sport climber and get shut down by a 5.7 offwidth. It's much easier to relax and focus on getting good pro, route finding, etc. if you're not gripped and flailing.

i have found it very useful to learn my gear sizes according to my hand/finger size, especially when I started leading hard for me routes. Bury my hand into the first joint of my thumb, that's a number one camalot. Sinking my index finger all the way in? that's a yellow alien or yellow bd nut. Are my fingers just a bit loose in the crack? that's a red metolius.

I think this makes it easier in the long run as its all relative to you, not some size guide in a book. I think its easier to look up at a route and say " that's gonna be thin hands for me there, I'm going to need to save a red camalot for that section."