I'm a gumby

I'm a gumby new to trad so nobody will climb with me, but I won't stop being a gumby till someone climbs with me. Like, "you really need to learn trad lead, so I won't climb with you until you climb more" makes it so I never get to climb. 

How did you get over the "intro hump"?

You probably don't want those people as mentors...

Learn what it takes to be a good partner and follower.  Consider reading the Climbing Anchors book from John Long.  Be smart and safe.

Location would be helpful.

To be Trad you must do this:

Read Basic Rockcraft and Advance Rockcraft by Royal Robbins.
Learn all of the knots therein, blindfolded.
Climb and belay using only a swami belt tied from 12 ft of 1" tubular webbing.  Fall and catch falls on this set-up.
Use and catch a fall on a hip belay.  Be a climber who takes a fall and is caught by a hip belay.
Use the carabiner brake system recommended in those books for a rappel.
Do a free-hanging Dulfersitz rappel.
Lead a route using only hexes, slings, stoppers.  All runners must be home made. NO quickdraws.
SET all of your hexes and stoppers as if you want your partner to never be able to get them out.
Fall on a hex or stopper, wedge it in real bad, get it out anyway. Okay to use a tool.

Do these things I will send you a certificate that you are now TRAD.

Micah, start by honing your skills on being the best lead belayer you can be. Read forums on it, watch videos and watch people lead belaying and see what works and what does not and understand WHY. From there you will be able to belay leaders whom you can follow. After following and practicing trad anchors, you can find a low angle trad lead (which you can't fall on) but you can practice placing gear and going through the motions with no risk (or minimal risk) as you learn. Once you feel confident, take baby steps and safely work your way up and start on an easy 5.5 and go from there. In the time it takes you to do the above, you will 1. Learn a ton, and 2. possibly stumble onto a mentor. In short, show you are willing to put in the time and someone will see that... and take you under their wing. Till then, absorb, ask questions and learn anything you can and the wisdom will grow.  OH and if an online person knocks you back a peg, just ignore them and keep moving forward. Knowledge is power. Go for it.

Micah Soylandwrote: I'm a gumby new to trad so nobody will climb with me, but I won't stop being a gumby till someone climbs with me. Like, "you really need to learn trad lead, so I won't climb with you until you climb more" makes it so I never get to climb.

How did you get over the "intro hump"?

Get a stoked partner and just start climbing. You don't NEED a mentor, but it certainly helps. If going mentorless, read every book on traditional climbing you can get your hands on.

Be an awesome lead belayer and get stronger. For me (and a lot of other ppl), the issue is less about not wanting to climb with ppl who are new to trad and more about not wanting to climb 5.7 all day. If you can follow 5.10 and lead belay, I'm sure plenty of people will be down to rope gun for ya. Then when you feel like it get some nuts and some cams and blah blah blah...

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/110204013/how-to-get-asked-out-on-a-second-date

Where do you live? That makes a big difference.

Jaxon Stuhrwrote: Be an awesome lead belayer and get stronger. For me (and a lot of other ppl), the issue is less about not wanting to climb with ppl who are new to trad and more about not wanting to climb 5.7 all day. If you can follow 5.10 and lead belay, I'm sure plenty of people will be down to rope gun for ya. Then when you feel like it get some nuts and some cams and blah blah blah...

This. It helps to be psyched as well. I've found that if the person I'm climbing with is clearly not as psyched as I am about climbing, or just doesn't put in 100% effort that they can give, whatever that means in the moment, I really don't want to climb with them.This means complaining about the rock quality, how tired you are, how hard it is, how you can't do it...blah blah blah. I hate it. Climbing should be FUN. If it's not then take a day off. Everyone has bad days, and its good to recognize them and let it out sometimes, but negativity really kills the mood, and even if your clearly climbing like shit, still putting an effort makes a huge difference for wanting to climb with that person.

I started by finding a similarly newbie partner at the gunks for 3 days climbing 3s and 4s. It was wicked fun, we stayed super safe/conservative, and got to place a shit ton of gear.

I guess it's likely a Tahoe problem too. It's hard to be "just starting out" here when everyone already leads 5.12 trad. 

I'm just having a really hard time finding someone whose at my skill level and also stoked.

There’s also a global pandemic happening right now so that might limit your partners. 

Agree about this being very tricky to get past.  was probably my biggest challenge during year one.

A few ways to get past it

1. If you are looking for single pitch climbs, ask many people; if drawing from gyms, sport climbers, other gumbies. For example, knowing if you ask 4 people to come out with you on a certain day, and 3 bail, which certainly can and will happen, you’ll end up still able to climb. If all 4 show up, you can rig some TRs and divide up the work. Usually in that case most people are happy with just getting a pitch or two in anyway. If you are going out with other gumbies, and you are to be doing the leading, climb waaaaay below your limit, place often, use stoppers to place often if your rack of cams is small. Allow triple the time you think something will take to climb. Read all the books, take a self rescue class. This can be the sketchiest way to get out early on, but can provide a great opportunity for growth. Needing to keep yourself safe with other people who know less that you.
2. as others have said, Get really good at lead belaying. Take classes, watch videos, read all the books, etc. if you instill confidence in potential partners that you are a great belayer, take it very seriously, have plenty of stoke, will help carry shit, and post up looking for partners regularly, you are going to find stronger climbers that will rope gun you. Occasionally those folks will want to get out and need a belay as all their normal go tos may not be available. In that situation you should be able to evaluate your required levels of safety independent of them, they aren’t your guide, and in a way that doesn’t ruin or shut down their day. Value this outing and their time tremendously and they will keep you on their belayer Rolodex. Then you will occasionally get to climb harder stuff making you a better climber.
3. try to meet up with other folks near your Gumby level, and learn things together. Question each other. A climbing gym can be a great place to find this person. They may seem super green and not at your Gumby level, perhaps having just seen the dawn wall and wanting to go try out a trad climb. But that person can quickly get to where you are now or surpass you.
4. find places you can rig a TR and learn to top rope solo.

In summary, look for ways to cultivate partners better than you, at your level, below your level, grow a partner from scratch, (that could end up in any of those three categories), and learn how to climb by yourself. It will require lots of effort, and then before you know it, after a random amount of time, it won’t require any effort at all.

I’m a beginner trad leader. I met someone at the local bouldering crag who climbs around my level and was interested in getting into trad. We just went out and started leading trad, starting at 5.3 and working our way up staying in our comfort zone. Basically stuff that we could free solo without feeling in grave danger. Currently leading 5.6 and still feel pretty good (I sport lead 5.10). I read John Long’s climbing anchor book and have Freedom of the Hills, watched a ton of YouTube videos, but I’m learning the most from actually doing it. My advice would be to study your topos VERY carefully when getting on a new climb, as it’s easy to stray into more difficult, unprotectable territory by accident (happened to me yesterday). Knowing how to downclimb helps too.

Heres what I did since I just started in April. I made friends with people at the gym. Get to know them, then I invite them put bouldering. When we go, I bring a cooler full of water and food, etc. Then I contribute a bit. After a couple weeks of hitting the boulders. He offered to teach me the ropes. Maybe try to be helpful and you will be helped. 

Coty Lwrote:

When we go, I bring a cooler full of water and food, etc.  

Ahhhh, see now THAT is the kind of bribery ANY climber likes. Coty will go very far in this life. Kudos. : - ) 

Coty Lwrote:

Heres what I did since I just started in April. I made friends with people at the gym. Get to know them, then I invite them put bouldering. When we go, I bring a cooler full of water and food, etc. Then I contribute a bit. After a couple weeks of hitting the boulders. He offered to teach me the ropes. Maybe try to be helpful and you will be helped. 

Our gyms here in Northern CA where OP is have been closed (or opened for a week or three then reclosed) since march soooo 

I'm not some super knowledgeable amazing trad climber, but I have taken four days worth of safety classes and do a fair bit of crack and trad climbing and have managed to get my ass up some longer climbs (Royal Arches being the longest) without killing myself. Also, I aid climb which has taught me an enormous amount about placements. I live in Angels Camp which isn't too far from ya depending on what part of Tahoe you're in. If you want to go climb some 5.6s I'd be down to go out with you. 

Practice plugging gear and get a little bit faster at identifying what size gear goes in the crack, mock lead a little, practice building anchors without taking 30 minutes to do it, and you'll be ready to give Knapsack crack a lead. 

I'm sure there are lot of people that could teach you a lot more than me and take you up a lot cooler routes than I can. But if you just want to get trad climbing I can help you do that. 

Might be tough at the moment with the pandemic but consider joining one of the AAC mentorship programs for trad, you'll get some know-how and meet some people that may even take you under their wing. 

Just find another gumby & just gumb it toghether. Just like -1 * -1 = 1, gumby*gumby = 5.14 trad onsight.

Franck Veewrote:

Just find another gumby & just gumb it toghether. Just like -1 * -1 = 1, gumby*gumby = 5.14 trad onsight.

Math checks out. Go crush some 5.14s OP.