Looking for trad, alpine, and ice mentors/partners

Hi! I'm looking for experienced climbers who climb on gear, get up high, and like the cold who would like to get out and climb, and help mentor me to become a stronger climber and more confident in the mountains.

I'm a 30 year old guy who has been 'climbing hard' for a little over 2 years (climbed very infrequently before that), but haven't had a consistent partner/mentor to progress as much as I'd like. I was outdoorsy as a kid but put on a lot of weight and was really out of shape from the end of high school until a few years ago, my fitness has improved a lot but I am still working on turning things around.

My primary trad mentor/partner just had a big change to his work schedule (and it was already erratic) and will be working weekends from now on, which is pretty much the only time I'm free. My next most frequent partner just had a baby so his availability has gone down, and the next partner after that recently tore a forearm muscle and can't climb for a while, so I need to find some more/new people to climb with if I want to keep progressing and improving.

My sport leading has been suffering a bit lately as I haven't been climbing sport much, and not having a regular partner/belayer doesn't help, but I am usually confident leading 5.9 and depending on the day and how much I've been climbing up to 5.10a/b.

I've been following trad for about 1.5 years and have lead a handful of pitches 5.7 and under. I followed Gambit in ElDo last weekend thinking I might be confident to lead it next time, but it kicked my ass a lot harder than I expected, so I know I have a lot of work to do.

I started climbing ice this season and have maybe a dozen pitches of WI2 up to 3+ (maybe 4) on TR under my belt. I haven't had an opportunity for any mixed climbing or dry tooling yet, but it's on my list.

I hike and snowshoe and have completed some non-technical ascents of 14ers and other peaks. I've practiced snow climbing and self-arrest a few times this season, taken Avalanche Terrain Avoidance with the CMC, and will be taking AIARE1 in the next couple weeks.

I love 'adventure climbing' and my main goals are getting into big, long, mountain/alpine routes and doing technical ascents of 14ers, 13ers, and routes in IPWA and RMNP. I also want to step up my trad climbing (especially in ElDo, Lumpy, S. Platte, and the areas I mentioned above) and get to where I am confidently leading 10s on gear, leading up to WI4/5, and I just want to have a high level of proficiency and confidence in all conditions and up high in the mountains.

Thanks for reading through this and getting in touch if you're interested!

I am no mentor. I would recommend spending a day or two with a guide just climbing. That really helped me a few years back to see what I knew and did not know. Its also great to learn good habits from the pros. That being said, PM if you want to climb. Im in Denver and climb at the areas mentioned. Always looking for weekend partners. Cheers.

You don't need an old grey haired mentor. Besides, many of them still do things the way they learned 30 years ago, despite there being smarter, safer, faster ways to do things now. There are obviously exceptions, but my point stands.

If you want to become faster and safer in the mountains you're gonna have to get stronger. That's all there is to it. If following 5.7 "kicks your ass harder than you expected it to" then it's time to put in some real sweat. Whether that's in the gym or at the crag is up to you. There are merits to both.

On your rest days, go trail running on rocky, uneven, unstable trails. Any of the Flatiron loops in Boulder are good examples. Moving fast and smooth over uneven terrain is the biggest measure of efficiency in the mountains.

It sounds like you would be the perfect candidate for reading and internalizing Steve House's book "Training for the New Alpinism." It's aimed at guys exactly like you with the same goals.

Jon thanks for your feedback! I updated my title after reading your comment, when I said "grey hair" it was really more because I'm looking for partners roughly around my age or older (tend to be a bit more patient in my experience), but I definitely understand what you're saying and agree that some of those old methods aren't always the best or safest.

I'm not going to say I'm plenty strong because I'm sure I could get stronger and benefit from it, but I think the problem was more technique (jamming, smeary feet, crack climbing in general) and head game related. Gambit is actually 5.8 (and an "ElDo 5.8" at that) - after the climb I actually emailed the partner who recently had a baby to tell him I was feeling pretty dismayed about my performance and how my climbing has been improving, and he said not to worry about it too much because ElDo is so different from gym climbing and that I just need to get out more (hence this post as I'm short on partners right now). He's a 13a sport climber but told me his hardest tick in ElDo is 11b, which definitely helped put things into perspective. I went to the climbing gym yesterday and sent a couple 5.10s with ease, so there's definitely a disconnect between training in the gym and climbing in ElDo (how much of that is physical, technical, or mental is hard to say).

I've been trying to step up my trail running lately, so thanks for that suggestion enforcing my belief that this was the right thing to do. I did just pick up Training for the New Alpinism last month but haven't had a chance to really dig into it yet, but your mention has just moved it to the top of my reading queue, I'll try to make a dent in it tonight.

Thanks again!

Jon H wrote:It sounds like you would be the perfect candidate for reading and internalizing Steve House's book "Training for the New Alpinism." It's aimed at guys exactly like you with the same goals.

I'm going to disagree with this.

New Alpinism, in my opinion, is far more geared towards those looking to pursue BIG mountain goals. I don't mean Keyhole Ridge, or Sharkstooth. I mean big expeditions in the Himalaya, Alaska etc.

Don't get me wrong. It's a great book and there is an abundance of insight to gain from it. But the structured and periodized approach is overkill for in-a-day alpinism and even more so for Eldo classics.

Go climbing a bunch and read Self Coached Climber and Eric Horst's books. Strength train twice a week, always trying to lift more than last time. Get out into the mountains at least once a week for a hike with a pack for > 4 hours.

Then, get into the alpine. The first trip will kick your ass, the second will be OK and then the third will be cruiser.

Climbing has been a mentor sport from the beginning so hiring a guide is not always the answer. There is a lot of value in learning from a guide but not everyone can afford one.

Strength and conditioning is very important when it comes to climbing but it is not the only thing needed to travel safely in the mountains. You can be a 5.7 leader and have a ton of great experiences in the mountains.

Don't put to much weight on "Eldo 5.7". I have climbed in many places when grades might feel stiff. Ratings are just a suggestion and are based on opinion.

Reading is great but does not replace experience. You need to get outside and climb. That is the best way to learn and improve. Practice anchors, self rescue, and rope management until you are blue in the face.

I am always open to climb with new people. Finding a partner that you trust is a challenge. If you want to practice hit me up. We can climb and have some beers after.

Best Wishes

Nick

Hi Ed! Definitely not a mentor but am a pretty strong climber at altitude (CO altitude anyways). Always looking for a partner in the alpine. Would be interested in doing some lower elevation climbing at first (for obvious reasons) but it seems we have some similar aspirations. I live in Denver and am free most weekends with enough flexibility for some longer trips in the week if needed.

PM me if interested, I can give some more detail on my experience and goals!

I'm no mentor, either but I sent you a PM anyway!