Hooked
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So I'm hooked. Been wanting to climb for years. Live in a good area for it, but I've had a lot of obstacles to overcome to actually get it done. I never climbed before and have literally 0 gear. Always been too broke to hit any of the local climbing gyms. And to top it all off my other sport has taken up nearly 100% of my time since I started. Not making excuses just giving a little background info. Well I made friends with an experienced climber/guide and went out and hit the rock for the first time the other day. Officially hooked. My life in my other sport is winding down now. I'm better financially. I still dont have any of my own gear, but I totally need to go out again. There is a gym in my area but I feel like I wouldn't enjoy it as much as trad climbing. My schedule is hectic and sometimes i have a hard time linking up with people who work normal jobs. So good idea/bad idea: get my own gear and go out solo on some 5.4 or 5.5 single pitches if I can't link up with another guy? |
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You need to be able to buy the basic gear in climbing. If you try to climb with other people, but don't have your own harness and shoes, it's unlikely they will want you as a partner. |
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FrankPS wrote: You need to be able to buy the basic gear in climbing. If you try to climb with other people, but don't have your own harness and shoes, it's unlikely they will want you as a partner. Thats kind of what I figured. I have a good handle on what gear I need based on what I've seen in these threads and what we used when we went out. In your experience how was gym climbing compared to outdoors? Seems like it wouldn't be as fun. But at the same time kind of seems that's where I should have started. |
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Outside is simply different. A gym is what it is, although a good place to learn to belay, lead, meet people, train, and keep from going nuts in the off season. |
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I started outdoors by paying a guide and have never climbed in a gym. It takes a while to find partners, and they will come and go. I live in an area that has good weather for year-round outdoor climbing. Even though there is a decent gym in the area (according to people I talk to), indoor climbing doesn't appeal to me. |
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Old lady H wrote: Outside is simply different. A gym is what it is, although a good place to learn to belay, lead, meet people, train, and keep from going nuts in the off season. Thanks! I will hit up the gym out here. The guy who took me out is super cool and said he would let me tag along again. I just dont want to be that annoying little brother type who is always pestering him to take me places. Especially while I'm still learning. I'm sure he wants to hit more advanced climbs and I struggled pretty bad on a 5.7 he took me on when we went out lol. |
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FrankPS wrote: I started outdoors by paying a guide and have never climbed in a gym. It takes a while to find partners, and they will come and go. I live in an area that has good weather for year-round outdoor climbing. Even though there is a decent gym in the area (according to people I talk to), indoor climbing doesn't appeal to me. Thanks! I really appreciate the advice. I'll try to hit the climbing gym here a couple times this week. |
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I didn't see where you're located, might have more luck if you mention that. |
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Gym's can have some benefit like those stated above, and you can usually get a belay class/test for free with a day pass to make sure you're competent. I personally never went to a gym until I was in my 3rd year of climbing, but I live in a ski town all winter so there is not many other options for those 6-7 months of the year. I do enjoy bouldering in the gym, but it doesn't compare to real rock. Once you're dialed on belaying, especially lead belaying, I wouldn't feel bad about tagging along with someone better, you can belay him on hard stuff, and he can belay you on whatever grade you're working on. Pretty fair trade off I think, at least once you have the gear. Maybe supply the beer as well, definitely can't hurt! |
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Yup to all of the above. You do not need to.be a 5.13 climber to be an excellent belayer. Learn that, first, lead belaying. Be mindful that leading in a gym is not full prep for outside, not by a long shot! Find (or hire) someone to help you learn that transition, when you are ready. Outside, stay very cognizant that you dont know what you don't know, so stay super humble and careful. Be with people who know what they're doing. |
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Yer gonna die... |
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a fellow beginner's perspective: find at least one experienced and patient mentor before you do any roped climbing. Be honest with yourself and others about your knowledge and ability. Read the basic Mountaineers Books first. Don't rush into anything |
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Forrest Carver wrote: a fellow beginner's perspective: find at least one experienced and patient mentor before you do any roped climbing. Be honest with yourself and others about your knowledge and ability. Read the basic Mountaineers Books first. Don't rush into anything Amen to the blessing and a curse thing. I started climbing in November, only sent my first 5.8 in February, but just quit my job to move West for... you guessed it....primarily climbing related reasons. |
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Buy used shoes and a gently used harness and belay device the first time. You will get your whole personal setup for less than the price of one new piece of gear. The time spent saving money will be time spent climbing. The money saved can buy gym passes and burgers for mentors. |
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Get strong in the gym and work on cardio (running, hiking or even a stationary bike to trim some belly pounds). |
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sorry, i thought this thread was going to be about heel hooks... |
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Soloing sounds good, until the unforeseen happens. You have to already have the knowledge and ability to properly remedy the situation. No matter how many forum posts and book pages you read, the hands on part with a mentor is crucial to efficiency and success. |
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Dear God.... You went climbing once and your considering going out and soloing?! I am glad you had enough sense to ask if that was a good idea. It most definitively is not. Spend a couple years learning the sport and revisit that idea then. Despite the fact that famous climbers like honnold make soloing seem like no big deal, it is a huge deal with significant consequences. It would be like taking a 1 day first aid class and deciding that it qualified you to perform heart surgery. If you meant rope soloing then you need to be very proficent with rope and gear in a way you absolutely aren't right now. You have more to learn than you realize if you want to become a safe, competent trad climber. If you can't find a partner read books, watch videos, practice knots. Find partners at your local gym, join a climbing Meetup, ect. If you can swing it, a class would speed your learning curve. |
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Again thanks for the advice guys. Im pretty good on strength/endurance as well as my overall cardio. I am actually a personal trainer and professional bjj/mma fighter so the so curt86iroc isnt too far off from what I normally talk about. I think the people who recommended hitting the gym and getting some belay experience were spot on. So I am going to be doing lots of that after i grab some used gear. |
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Anthony McGlynn wrote: Again thanks for the advice guys. Im pretty good on strength/endurance as well as my overall cardio. I am actually a personal trainer and professional bjj/mma fighter so the so curt86iroc isnt too far off from what I normally talk about. I think the people who recommended hitting the gym and getting some belay experience were spot on. So I am going to be doing lots of that after i grab some used gear. You might be awesome at all of those things...but you still need climbing specific strength in your fingers and most regular trainers are very poor in this regard in a finger power to weight ratio (95% of climbing). You need a climbing gym for that or years on rock. |
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Harumpfster Boondoggle wrote: Hands are actually really strong. Bjj is all gripwork and on top of that i used to race motocross. But my technique is literally all strength lol. So i def need to work on better ways to go about it instead of just powerhousing my way through it. |