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Spidermite
Mar 27, 2009, 8:15 PM
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Just wondering what people were at after your first year of climbing ? .7's .10's ?
I feel like i'm taking steps backwards and not doing so well anymore.
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tigerlilly
Mar 27, 2009, 8:20 PM
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I'm entering my 3rd season of climbing and I still don't climb 5.10. Starting at 42 didn't help. Progress at your own pace. It doesn't matter how hard anyone else climbs. You can't be anyone else no matter how hard you try. If you aren't progressing with your current exercise plan, try something different.
Kathy
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Diablotin
Mar 27, 2009, 8:23 PM
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I'm at my first year mark and I can climb confidently most 5.11s (5.10+ on overhanging walls) at the gym I go to on lead. I also try to lead on 5.12 (no redpoint or onsight yet).
It will be my first time out this summer so I can't really tell you how I do on natural routes.
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gogounou
Mar 27, 2009, 8:36 PM
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Boston.
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ladyscarlett
Mar 27, 2009, 8:39 PM
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Just starting to thrash my way up the 5.8s - following, no lead.
but I've learned to sport lead, trad lead, set up trad anchors, belay someone 60lbs heavier than me, catch leader falls, clean routes placed by a leader over a foot taller than me, belay from the top, how to be comfy from a hanging belay, rope management, night climb...
and most importantly...to really enjoy the view from the top
It can get a little discouraging sometimes, but it helps me to remember that there is more to climbing than physically pulling/pushing oneself up the rock. Also, the rocks going to be there for a while, so we have some time!
have some fun out there!
ls
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kennoyce
Mar 27, 2009, 8:40 PM
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As was said, don't worry about how hard you are climbing, just worry about having fun. It seems like after my first year of climbing I was leading easy to mid 5.10's sport. I know people who are leading 5.12's after their first year, I also know people who have been climbing for years and have never gotten past 5.8 but still love climbing. Have fun and only worry about grades to increase the number of high quality climbs that you can do.
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cologman
Mar 27, 2009, 8:44 PM
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I was still lliving at home and trying to decide which piton was going to be my next purchase. That was also 42 years ago. I'll add that I climbed my most technically difficult grade a year ago. Take a breath, it will happen if you hang in there.
The bigger question is what are you climbing for, the grades or the love of it?
(This post was edited by cologman on Mar 27, 2009, 8:47 PM)
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coastal_climber
Mar 27, 2009, 9:22 PM
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cologman wrote: The bigger question is what are you climbing for, the grades or the love of it?
Camaraderie - nothing beats it!
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fxgranite
Mar 27, 2009, 9:24 PM
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Tendonitis in both elbows so bad I couldn't open doors and had to take the next 6 months off.
Yeah if I could go back to then I'd beat the ever loving shit outa myself
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jeepnphreak
Mar 27, 2009, 9:34 PM
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5.9 to maby 5.10a lead
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Spidermite
Mar 27, 2009, 9:44 PM
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I was just feeling like the slow kid in class or something being that my best onsight was a 5.9 nearly 5 months after i started climbing and that same climb I cant even lead it up now 7 months later.
This month is my 1 year month...
On TR I climb around 5.11 but leading to me is a different story trying to trust the gear. I still haven't taken any big falls but whats big ? I've fallen ~ 10 feet on sport and almost made a mess in my pants, that was my first fall though.
over the winter months i went ahead and got a hangboard and promptly mounted it up as well as reading as much as my brain can absorb.
5 months after i started i could belay from the top, hanging belay, catch leader falls and had learned how to set up a cordelette among other things and I still remember all of that stuff but coming into this season I'm discouraged that i'm stuck on my plateau and stuck on all the same routes we've climbed a hundred times.
I'm mainly climbing to be out in nature and enjoy it. have fun with the buds and go new and cool places i've never been. but i want to be sufficient and not held back by fear and higher difficulties than i'm used to.
i like on here being able to keep track of what i've climbed but some locations or routes aren't on here or i've just been to lazy to do anything about it.
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krusher4
Mar 27, 2009, 10:21 PM
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this is the best answer
for me it would be V-fun....ummm ...&...5.fun.....
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roquentin
Mar 27, 2009, 10:26 PM
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Whatever my gym calls V2 (I don't lead or top rope). I suck, but I'm ok with that.
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angry
Mar 27, 2009, 10:32 PM
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After a year or so I had a better understanding of what could kill me. So even though I felt like a better climber, I wasn't getting up anything harder.
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kennoyce
Mar 27, 2009, 10:42 PM
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sounds like technically you're doing fine. you just need to work on your lead head. I would suggest that you should go to the overhanging section of your gym's lead wall, or an overhanging sport climb, and just practice falling a few times. Start with your waist just 6 inches above the last bolt and let go, do that once or twice, and move up to 2 or 3 feet. Once you have taken a few controlled short falls, you will start to trust the gear more and not be to bad. Just so you know, I used to nearly mess my pants just climbing above the bolt when I started leading and lets not even talk about falling. Now 12 years later I took a good 30' whipper last week and it didn't even phase me. Just go have fun and take a change of pants with you.
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UpwrdlyMobile
Mar 27, 2009, 11:16 PM
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I started climbing just before turning 46 and am at about the two year mark now. At a year I was pretty comfy with gym-level .8s and .9s and green bouldering problems, depending on who set them. I could start, but rarely finish 10a and 10b routes as I flailed up them, bleeding energy like crazy. I have made great progress (leading now, indoors and out, and starting to trad climb on the low 5s), but at times I feel like I have hit a wall - pardon the pun. It helps me to watch "graceful" climbers and visualize my way through the route. Then I try REALLY HARD to position myself better before making those reaches. I'm afraid I'll be forever "work in progress", but hey, aren't we all? 
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Spidermite
Mar 27, 2009, 11:18 PM
Post #18 of 56
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kennoyce wrote: sounds like technically you're doing fine. you just need to work on your lead head. I would suggest that you should go to the overhanging section of your gym's lead wall, or an overhanging sport climb, and just practice falling a few times. Start with your waist just 6 inches above the last bolt and let go, do that once or twice, and move up to 2 or 3 feet. Once you have taken a few controlled short falls, you will start to trust the gear more and not be to bad. Just so you know, I used to nearly mess my pants just climbing above the bolt when I started leading and lets not even talk about falling. Now 12 years later I took a good 30' whipper last week and it didn't even phase me. Just go have fun and take a change of pants with you.
i totally would at the gym but they make you take a rigorous lead test and my partner isn't up to par just yet so we cant take it. and i still have to teach him the soft catch method because my little fall was fairly abrasive with only 25 feet of rope out when he caught me hard style. and thats something I just learned about today on here..
a guy i met on here is taking me to a local climbing spot to learn to take some falls so i'm excited in a way but kind of scared too lol.
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rockandlice
Mar 27, 2009, 11:20 PM
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Not sure, it was ages ago. Maybe 5.9?
It's already been mentioned, but is the most important thing when it comes to climbing. Well, two things actually. Having fun, and being safe. You can push the "safe" boundries years down the road once you have a solid foundation.....if you want. There again though, it must be fun. Keep in mind "fun" can mean pissing your pants for some, and nothing of the sort for others.
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lofstromc
Mar 27, 2009, 11:28 PM
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Registered: Aug 1, 2005
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After a year of climbing I had three new (fake) front teeth.
In the previous twelve months, I was climbing, even leading 5.10 sport climbs. My first trad lead sketched me out so much I fell and wound up almost toothless.
I'm better now.
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UpwrdlyMobile
Mar 27, 2009, 11:44 PM
Post #22 of 56
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Nice advice. Not long ago I was in the gym, leading a pretty simple route. When I got to the anchor (about 30' up), I pulled a butt-load of slack to snap in. The next thing I know I was on my way back down. The foothold I had all my weight on spun out. I think the only thing I got out of my clenched teeth was "SHHHT"! My belayer had to duck the swing of my feet. My 'lead head' needs work too, but it is getting better. kennoyce wrote: sounds like technically you're doing fine. you just need to work on your lead head. I would suggest that you should go to the overhanging section of your gym's lead wall, or an overhanging sport climb, and just practice falling a few times. Start with your waist just 6 inches above the last bolt and let go, do that once or twice, and move up to 2 or 3 feet. Once you have taken a few controlled short falls, you will start to trust the gear more and not be to bad. Just so you know, I used to nearly mess my pants just climbing above the bolt when I started leading and lets not even talk about falling. Now 12 years later I took a good 30' whipper last week and it didn't even phase me. Just go have fun and take a change of pants with you. |
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clee03m
Mar 27, 2009, 11:55 PM
Post #23 of 56
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I was scared to death leading sport 7's and 8's, I think.
I think plateaus are normal for most people. Don't get discouraged. After what felt like a plateau and a steady decline in my sport climbing ability for the last few years, I finally feel like I am getting stronger. Be patient. This is supposed to be fun, remember?
Now, only 5 minutes until I go to Smith!!!!
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rschap
Mar 28, 2009, 12:25 AM
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I had a plateau around the year and a half mark, I started controlled down climbing everything I climbed (in the gym anyways). It really helped me with my foot work. I went from 5.10a/b to 5.11b/c after that.
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i_h8_choss
Mar 28, 2009, 12:36 AM
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After 1 year, I was sending V4 outside and I dirtbagged a season at Josh, and I was reading tons of books about climbing, watching videos, and engulfing myself in all things Climbing. Second year I bought a rack and did more roped climbing.
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