How to get inspired to sport climb when you mostly trad climb

Hey! Been trad climbing for a couple of years now and I love myself some cracks and trad style climbing, but I really lack inspiration to sport climb. I’d almost rather Boulder than sport climb. And if I’m being honest it kinda spooks me at some crags. Any advise to get more inspired? What inspires you to look at a face/sport climb and think “I have to climb that” I have only really enjoyed sport climbing at shelf road CO and Holcomb in SoCal both very easthetic places with great camping.

I’ll just get this out of the way:

Why?

If you really want to make yourself want to clip bolts, best find some sport climbing friends and tag along with them. If having friends and good company around doesn’t keep you interested, I’m not sure what will.

Other than that, just keep trad climbing instead. 

My questions for you are why do you feel you need inspiration? Why not just not sport climb? 

Seems like you already have some reason or inspiration to sport climb otherwise you wouldn't be inspired to get inspired to sport climb. 

1. By teaming up with hyper-motivated climbers. Maybe today society is different and people aren't as friendly anymore but when I started out in the mid-80s it was like that. Easy to connect with other climbers sport, trad or alpinists; it didn't matter. 

2. By climbing in a really nice location not in a dump crag. Some qualify as such and can't understand why some people like to go there in the first place. 

here's some inspiration - because it will make you a better trad climber.

Here's what I read:

I really love orange juice, but how do I get myself to like apple juice?  Whenever I walk past it in the grocery store, I really want to like it, but I still just love orange juice.  

Ryan PK has it exactly right.

No one needs to sport climb. If you aren’t psyched on it, there is no need to try to get psyched on it.

That said, motivation for wanting to like sport climbing would help you (and us) annswer your question.

 Also what does “it kinda spooks me at some crags” mean? Is it that you don’t take falls trad climbing and you do sport climbing?

Verily, when I trad climb, I partner with trad climbers, I speak of trad, I understand as a trad climber, I dream of trad, I think as trad.  When I sport climb, I put away tradish things. I partner with sport climbers, I speak of sport, I understand as a sport climber, I dream and think as a sport climber.

There are other verses. One for big walls, one for ski mountaineering, one for ice climbing. I'll spare you. They are worded very much the same.

Immersion, my friend, immersion.  Sport climbing is fun. 

But partners are everything.

Cherokee Nuneswrote:

Verily, when I trad climb, I partner with trad climbers, I speak of trad, I understand as a trad climber, I dream of trad, I think as trad.  When I sport climb, I put away tradish things. I partner with sport climbers, I speak of sport, I understand as a sport climber, I dream and think as a sport climber.

For now we see in a dihedral, dimly; but then, face to face.

New Jack City   

I love sport, trad, and bouldering. The joy of sport climbing for me is that its typically a more relaxed day.  I can focus less on the logistics of gear (gear selection, placement) and focus more on actual climbing moves. Trad climbing is really fun but can be pretty serious.

Also there is just less stuff to deal with which can be nice. A sport climbing pack has way less things in it. 

Go somewhere with good sport climbing. It's hard to overstate the quality variability between a mediocre sport crag and an excellent one.

Cherokee Nuneswrote:

Verily, when I trad climb, I partner with trad climbers, I speak of trad, I understand as a trad climber, I dream of trad, I think as trad.  When I sport climb, I put away tradish things. I partner with sport climbers, I speak of sport, I understand as a sport climber, I dream and think as a sport climber.

There are other verses. One for big walls, one for ski mountaineering, one for ice climbing. I'll spare you. They are worded very much the same.

Immersion, my friend, immersion.  Sport climbing is fun. 

But partners are everything.

This seems to be a literary reference. But as an uncultured heathen who wasted my formative years climbing rocks, I haven't the slightest idea where it is from.

In any case, it's exactly correct. The key to enjoying any style of climbing is to embrace the whole approach and mindset that goes with it, and learn to appreciate the ways in which that style is rewarding. An issue that many trad climbers have is they just treat sport climbs as less significant trad climbs. They are looking for the same experience and rewards they get from trad climbing, and not finding it to the same degree, decide they don't like sport climbing. But sport climbing is a totally different experience with different rewards - you have to know how to look for it.

It goes the other way too. If a sport climber goes into trad climbing expecting the same experience as sport climbing, they aren't going to find it. Gotta learn to enjoy the genre for what it is.

As to "why" - each genre is a wonderful thing with its own unique rewards. If you only ever do one genre you are limiting the experiences you get in the sport. But each genre is its own acquired taste, and it's worth going through some effort to learn to appreciate it.

Don't sport climb because you "should", or because it is "just training" for trad climbing. Sport climb so you can get pumped on a big overhanging face, do interesting hard sequences, and take big safe whips into clean air. Since that is awesome. And so that you can go to a whole set of new areas you wouldn't otherwise visit.

As to how: Agree that partners are everything. Cimb with psyched sport climbers. Follow their example. Have an open mind. That's really all it takes.

JCMwrote:

. If a sport climber goes into traffic climbing expecting the same experience as sport climbing,ll it takes.

JCM, 

Was this autocorrect or...?

This seems to be a literary reference. But as an uncultured heathen who wasted my formative years climbing rocks, I haven't the slightest idea where it is from.

Heathen!   

1 Corinthians 13:11 King James Version christian bible, literally chapter and verse.  

And check out verse 12 while you're at it.

FrankPSwrote:

JCM, 

Was this autocorrect or...?

Typo. Corrected.

Dude get out- Holcomb is literally miniature golf sport climbing. Go climb a big hard sport climb at Pine Creek or the ORG. Much more rewarding than you might think.

Cherokee Nuneswrote:

Heathen!   

1 Corinthians 13:11 King James Version christian bible, literally chapter and verse.  

And check out verse 12 while you're at it.

Lol, I guess describing myself as a heathen was entirely accurate here.