Tips and tricks

I recently purchased some draws so I can go sport climbing when the weather gets better, anyone have useful advice for me? I've never sport climbed before but I'm not new to climbing. any advice would be appreciated

How long exactly have you been climbing that you aren't new but also have never sport climbed? 

Hector Luevano wrote:

How long exactly have you been climbing that you aren't new but also have never sport climbed? 

Ive been climbing around a year and a half, i mostly do trad or gym

If you mostly do trad i'm confused as to why you'd want tips on sport climbing? To me this sounds kind of odd but, my best attempt at tips for sport climbing would be

-don't be afraid to fall,

-don't let your rope get behind your foot (maybe obvious for trad/gym climbers?)

-all you need is a rope, draws and harnesses but a sling and a locker for cleaning is a lot easier than linking quickdraws together. 

-train hard?

garrett knorr wrote:

If you mostly do trad i'm confused as to why you'd want tips on sport climbing? To me this sounds kind of odd but, my best attempt at tips for sport climbing would be

-don't be afraid to fall,

-don't let your rope get behind your foot (maybe obvious for trad/gym climbers?)

-all you need is a rope, draws and harnesses but a sling and a locker for cleaning is a lot easier than linking quickdraws together. 

-train hard?

sorry if I've been confusing in my other reply, i was just using that as an example because i haven't climbed outside much, the only stuff I've done is trad and I've only lead 5.9s and other pretty easy stuff

aight: you haven't climbed outside much, that information we can work with. 

Advice for learning to sport cimb outside: Lead as much as possible indoors and get comfortable on lead then go outside and start on some easier climbs than what might do inside. If you aren't a member at a gym, find a buddy who can at least make sure anything you're doing outside isn't dangerous and lead as much as possible outside. Most tips and tricks to speed things up will happen as you climb.

garrett knorr wrote:

aight: you haven't climbed outside much, that information we can work with. 

Advice for learning to sport cimb outside: Lead as much as possible indoors and get comfortable on lead then go outside and start on some easier climbs than what might do inside. If you aren't a member at a gym, find a buddy who can at least make sure anything you're doing outside isn't dangerous and lead as much as possible outside. Most tips and tricks to speed things up will happen as you climb.

thanks, theres a really good gym about an hour from my house with some sport climbs ranging from 5.7s to 5.13s so i think I'll try that

You say you climb trad.  Do you lead?

Sport climbing is just like trad climbing except instead of placing gear whenever you want, and having to place gear to get protection, you clip into fixed bolts.  So if you like to sew up climbs, you may be running things out further than you are comfortable, but you don't have to fiddle with placing gear, so clipping a bolt is way faster.

If you are not used to leading, and are seconding trad routes and top roping in the gym, the issue is not sport, it is leading in general.  As with all sorts of climbing, find someone more experienced that you to show you the ropes (which may mean taking the lead class at a gym) and start out at a lower level than you can do on top rope.  There are all sorts of pitfalls when leading, from not having the head to make the moves, to not paying attention to your feet/legs so you can easily flip in a fall, to not clipping correctly so you can end up stuck or potentially in an unsafe position.  All this can be mitigated somewhat by learning from someone more experienced.

I think the missing piece in this thread is that the OP is 14. 

Jack, if you want to live to 24, find an outdoor sports course or a very experienced adult before heading out on a nice day equipped with your draws. Climbing can be a great lifelong pursuit or shorten your life significantly. Outdoor climbing is not to be taken lightly.

Good luck!

Tip: don't buy a PAS, use quick draws to clean sport anchors without quick clips like this

Tip: when rapping with an autoblock, put in on the rope before inserting the rope into your rap device. then pull some slack through and you won't be fighting the rope's weight.

Tip: "spine to the line." orient the spines of your carabiners toward the direction you will climb above them. it will pull the spine into the rock instead of the gate.

Tip: you can stick clip with a long stick and some tape.

Tip: if you have to bail, just leave your least favorite snap-gate carabiner. don't leave lockers and quick links for the next party to have to cut off.

Tip: you can stick clip or aid your way up a section. step in a sling, place some gear, pull on the draw. might save you from having to bail.

Chris Blatchley wrote:

Tip: don't buy a PAS, use quick draws to clean sport anchors without quick clips like this

Tip: when rapping with an autoblock, put in on the rope before inserting the rope into your rap device. then pull some slack through and you won't be fighting the rope's weight.

Tip: "spine to the line." orient the spines of your carabiners toward the direction you will climb above them. it will pull the spine into the rock instead of the gate.

Tip: you can stick clip with a long stick and some tape.

Tip: if you have to bail, just leave your least favorite snap-gate carabiner. don't leave lockers and quick links for the next party to have to cut off.

Tip: you can stick clip or aid your way up a section. step in a sling, place some gear, pull on the draw. might save you from having to bail.

I think you should read my post above and then maybe you would want to retract yours

normajean wrote:

I think you should read my post above and then maybe you would want to retract yours

well, i guess they are still useful tips for those searching. all his ticks are top ropes of trad routes though.

normajean wrote:

I think the missing piece in this thread is that the OP is 14. 

Jack, if you want to live to 24, find an outdoor sports course or a very experienced adult before heading out on a nice day equipped with your draws. Climbing can be a great lifelong pursuit or shorten your life significantly. Outdoor climbing is not to be taken lightly.

Good luck!

I do have friends that are certified guides that i climb with so i'll go out with them until i feel ready

i cant overstate the danger of climbing with the rope behind your leg. during my first year of sport climbing outside i took a 20 foot whip, flipped upside down, and came within inches of losing my life by slamming my head in the rock. it took a while to get over it and at first i thought id never climb outside again.