Skill gaps in an intermediate climber's toolbox - what's missing?

I've been outdoor climbing for ~3 years and consider myself an intermediate outdoor climber. I'm don't consider myself a gumby, but I don't yet consider myself advanced. I've led 1000+ pitches on multiple rock types, taken multiple courses, climbed with guides, read books on anchors, self rescue, the mental game and advanced techniques. I've got multi pitch transitions dialed and feel like I have all the "basics" down. 

I've seen threads about climbers dropping an ATC in the backcountry and being trapped since they don't know a munter or a carbiner rappel, or another story where a climber became trapped since they didn't know how to French free through a difficult section, or inability to lower from above with a loaded ATC.  

These are skills I know how to do. Yet when I go out on longer routes with longer approaches, I still feel like I am doing something I am not truly prepared for. I have a fear in the back of my mind that I'll get myself into a situation where I'm stuck. I can't pinpoint what I'm missing, but I know there are gaps. I think part of my fear is situations where even self rescue skills won't help- like a follower getting hit by rockfall, or a leader taking a whip that results in life threatening injury. But I realize that this is what rock climbing is all about- risk management and risk tolerance, and picking reasonable objectives where these risks are minimized. What are situations/skills that make you more prepared in the backcountry?

For more context, I'm not doing any snow/ice, but my main goals are High Sierra routes like Charlotte Dome, 3rd Pillar, Bear Creek Spire, Incredible Hulk, etc. 

My question is this- what skills do you see missing from most intermediate climber's toolboxes? What have you encountered, either firsthand or through climber's tales, that made you think "they should know this skill" without it being a total beginner mishap? This is more geared towards situations that don’t go according to plan. 

basic first aid, WFR, EMR, skills. know how to assess someone and keep them alive until help arrives (bleeds, hypothermia, fractures etc.)

Placing gear that can actually hold a fall.

Brooks Kwrote:

I've been outdoor climbing for ~3 years and consider myself an intermediate outdoor climber. I'm don't consider myself a gumby, but I don't yet consider myself advanced. I've led 1000+ pitches on multiple rock types, taken multiple courses, climbed with guides, read multiple books on anchors, self rescue, the mental game and advanced techniques. I've got multi pitch transitions dialed and feel like I have all the "basics" down. 

I've seen threads about climbers dropping an ATC in the backcountry and being trapped since they don't know a munter or a carbiner rappel, or another story where a climber became trapped since they didn't know how to French free through a difficult section, or inability to lower from above with a loaded ATC.  

These are skills I know how to do. Yet when I go out on longer routes with longer approaches, I still feel like I am doing something I am not truly prepared for. I have a fear in the back of my mind that I'll get myself into a situation where I'm stuck. I can't pinpoint what I'm missing, but I know there are gaps. I think part of my fear is situations where even self rescue skills won't help- like a follower getting hit by rockfall, or a leader taking a whip that results in life threatening injury. But I realize that this is what rock climbing is all about- risk management and risk tolerance, and picking reasonable objectives where these risks are minimized. 

For more context, I'm not doing any snow/ice, but my main goals are High Sierra routes like Charlotte Dome, 3rd Pillar, Bear Creek Spire, Incredible Hulk, etc. 

My question is this- what skills do you see missing from most intermediate climber's toolboxes? What have you encountered, either firsthand or through climber's tales, that made you think "they should know this skill" without it being a total beginner mishap? 

Experience. 

Including close calls that scare the crap out of you, and the death of people you know.

That, is when you gain true respect for the hazards, sometimes nonsensically random, and risks, of this useless pursuit. And develop resilience .....or not.

Until you truly believe in your own mortality?

You're always going to have a bit of a belief that these things happen to other people, and yes, your logical brain that knows better can then have doubts. Every time.

That's part of the head game, being able to balance all of that for your own particular risk tolerance.

I'm sure you wanted nuts and bolts stuff, but truly? If you really understand the next tier up from the basics, it's easy enough to figure out what's next, glacier terrain, that sort of thing, depending on what you want to do.

I go the other way, and have specifically not learned certain things that I know I wouldn't use often enough to stay any good at. I will never lead ice, or even pick the route, for example. That's up to the stronger people I partner with. 

If you are motivated to keep the skills up, and are capable of it? With an interest in backcountry stuff, consider a WFR ticket. People like me will thank you!

Also? How are your navigation skills? Avalanche awareness? Can you pack a pack appropriately? Friends who enjoy this stuff, and have the time, are volunteers with SAR. You get a huge amount of training, from experts with practical experience, and it has to be kept up, so you are refreshed on it regularly.

Best, Helen

An inreach device is a great piece of equipment to carry. 

Being able to solo with a rope on. 

It sounds like you are well prepared for many situations. I'd say the one thing you are missing is an acceptance is that you cannot eliminate all risk. When you are in remote locations doing inherently dangerous things you might just find yourself in a tough situation no matter how skilled or prepared you are. Isn't that part of why we do these things?

If your objectives are in the Sierra or just about anything in the US, you really are never going to be that remote anyway. Bring along an inreach and you are less remote in the mountains than many people were a century ago in their own homes.

soft cruxwrote:

If your objectives are in the Sierra or just about anything in the US, you really are never going to be that remote anyway. Bring along an inreach and you are less remote in the mountains than many people were a century ago in their own homes.

Interesting perspective. I do always have an inreach mini in my climbing pack, regardless of the objective or type of climbing. 

Aid climbing, lead rope solo, WFR/first aid, help with some bolting/rebolting.

For 3 years, you are doing better than many 10+ year climbers. So good job!

Brooks Kwrote:

Interesting perspective. I do always have an inreach mini in my climbing pack, regardless of the objective or type of climbing. 

Then let those fears show up. Listen to them rationally. Then decide. Go, no go, how much to mitigate....or not, but never dismiss the fear without first listening enough to decide if it is telling you something you need to hear.

If it turns out to be a worst case day for you?

Well, oops. 

If "splat" is too harsh? 

Go back to knitting.

 Make sure that InReach is, duh, in reach. Literally. Not in a pack! And you have a charged battery in it.

And, I don't have cell service in rural areas. At all. I have to seek out wifi to get your texts. So? If I'm your backup person while you are up that peak somewhere? Make sure I have a hard and fast time to call 911, and, can do so. 

Weather is something you can put on your list. Do you understand the patterns where you're going? Are you at least minimally prepared? Apart from plain stoopud, that's probably the biggest gotcha of any outdoor activity. Go for an easy foothills hike half a mile from the road on a sunny winter Saturday. Something happens, no one misses you until work on Monday. It snows.

The body wasn't found for rather a long time. 

Only 30 feet from the trail.

Best, Helen

My 2 cents, which is understandably at odds with some philosophies….Ditch the Inreach.  At least mentally.  Maybe save for very last resort, vs resort of first convenience.  For your own safety.  

Once you develop the mindset of total self-reliance (I don’t call Inreach, Inreach calls me! Lol) and incorporate it into your mission risk assessment and ongoing skills training, I think you make a huge leap forward in actual situational safety and statistical outcomes (after the shit hits the fan)

It’s a very rare and narrow set of circumstances where “waiting for rescue” was the best option — given a skilled and capable party/parties.

Obviously you are asking, because you don’t want to be among the “unskilled and incapable” people bumbling around in the bush who’s best option is obviously to get on the phone asap, wait for help, and don’t fuck it up any further.

Now the crux of your question:  how do I know when I graduated from one camp to the other?

1.  Competent medical assessment.  WFR good baseline 

2.  Attitude and confidence to synthesize the base skills you have (and continue to refresh and learn new ones) and engineer/adapt them to a solution for any situation 

As others have essentially alluded to,  you’ll never really be satisfied with where you’re at…..nor should you be. 

In the alpine I think having your self rescue skills down, beyond just book knowledge, is very important. Ask yourself Can you really escape the belay, stabilize your partner and high tail it to reception/further assistance when you need to? If not maybe practicing those skills is necessary.  WFR/wilderness medicine practical knowledge is also very important. Beyond that, it's just potentially more experience until you feel more confident.  Weather is really the only wildcard in the alpine you haven't mentioned that is a legitimate factor. Just looking at the forecast on the first website you bring up is never really going to prepare you for how weather can change and very quickly or drastically in the alpine. In your post you didnt specify your basic outdoor background beyond climbing. Have you ever spent any time backpacking in the sierra before? Are sierra weather patterns a new thing to you, predicting alpine weather based on the current conditions in an area, etc?  I take a lot of these things for granted, having grown up in the sierra, being intimately aware of weather patterns, overthinking all that shit, and constantly checking my NOAA app in different points on my phone, and processing the weather and what it is doing around me kind of compulsively. So, while I take a lot of those things for granted, if this thought process is new to you, I suggest some extra research into the local of objectives and finding current conditions reports from rangers or other climbers. And I mean like recognizing and predicting changing weather in the moment, and adjusting your climbing accordingly, not so much "current conditions".    And beyond all this its really just more experience that will lead to more confidence, but in the end that ubiquitous feeling of the unknown never really goes away in the alpine, and frankly, that is why I keep going back. 

Self rescue and medical skills are a great thing to have, but skills/knowledge/thoughtfulness that avoid needing to use them are vastly preferred. Knowing how and when to tread lightly, knowing when to bail, when to sew it up and when to move fast. Know route finding, down climbing, escape options. Know your limits. Avoiding climbing under others, especially on loose routes. Mostly obvious stuff, but maybe not to some. And know when to avoid climbing with partners who don't seem to get that seemingly obvious stuff too. I bet many even know some SAR type people that they'd think twice about climbing with. Even if your skills at reacting to bad situations are on point, the ultimate outcome will often be poor. 

"Yet when I go out on longer routes with longer approaches, I still feel like I am doing something I am not truly prepared for." Such awareness is a super-power; use it wisely. 

Brooks you sound ready to me. Perhaps the thing you're missing is a stoked and able partner?

Do you know the systems to rescue a fallen leader that has climbed more than half the rope and fallen on a traverse during a multipitch? It is very unlikely that it will happen, but if you can do that, you probably have all the skills needed to get out of most things. Actually performing these skills in such a situation seems however pretty terrifying and very difficult to do fast enough to be of much use.  

Cherokee Nuneswrote:

Brooks you sound ready to me. Perhaps the thing you're missing is a stoked and able partner?

Yea, this. A party is only as strong as its weakest member. Are you tied in with someone who is at least as knowledgeable as yourself?

Thanks for the thoughtful responses everyone. I've gathered that my apprehension is probably a good thing in terms of preventing myself from really getting on something that's out of my element. I carry an in-reach but don't think of it as a primary backup solution. Some things I can work on:

• Going over critical systems and processes with my partners, ensuring that my partner is at least as knowledgeable as me. My main parter is not the same experience level as myself and definitely has gaps for critical skills which I know is a cause of my stress when climbing longer, more remote routes. Important to practice skills instead of just doing a quick once-over.
• WFR or similar course. I have zero medical experience so this is something I can definitely improve on
• Learning to read weather patterns.  My current tactic is just checking the weather forecast for a given location as much as possible in the days/hours leading up to an outing. This I imagine will just come with experience, and talking to other climbers/rangers as Marcus mentioned in this thread.
• Acceptance that I cannot eliminate all risk. I can minimize them by growing my skillset and gaining more experience, but they will always be there. There are accidents tat happen to the most experienced parties at no fault of their own

I worked as an admin for a couple climbing guide services, selling trips. What I learned from speaking to thousands of climbers is: when someone called and talked themselves up and insisted on a specific climb of a certain grade or difficulty level, and swore they were ready. More often than not they weren't ready. If a climber called and sounded intimidated and concerned about a route and they seemed a little unsure, they were more often the ready ones. Your anxiety or whatever is a sign that you actually know what the risks are and that you do know what you're doing and what you're getting into. Consider the risks vs your abilities and get after it!