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patmay81
Mar 28, 2009, 1:20 AM
Post #26 of 56
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I dunno what the big deal is with people and grades. I really enjoy fun, easy, exposed routes! Sure I've made some redpoint attempts at 12's, but they just aren't as much fun for me as the moderates. I like difficult climbs, but difficult for me turns out to be 11+.
sorry, I'm starting to spray (and neither my ability to spray or the spray itself is going to impress anyone).
to answer your question after a year of climbing I had half a rack, was leading 8+ trad 10+ spurt, learned all things (yeah right) multi pitch, and left the gym for good.
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andrewG
Mar 28, 2009, 1:23 AM
Post #27 of 56
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lofstromc wrote: 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.
I want the story.
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Toast_in_the_Machine
Mar 28, 2009, 1:35 PM
Post #28 of 56
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Here, posting snarking comments on RC.com.
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lofstromc
Mar 28, 2009, 1:52 PM
Post #29 of 56
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No big story.
I pumped myself out placing and clipping some gear and then peeled. I yanked my belayer up into me as I fell. I think I whacked my mouth on his shoulder, dislodging the top three teeth.
That's it.
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andrewG
Mar 28, 2009, 5:19 PM
Post #30 of 56
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I was expecting rockfall, faceplant on slab, biting rope to reach for a highly placed cam etc...
Well, after a year I was still mostly gym climbing, followed a few routes outside both trad and sport, hanging all over 9s and easy 10s. I could climb 5.9 in the gym on tr, lead 8s/9s, boulder v2/v3 (ouside v0/v1). When I started climbing outside regularly I got a lot stronger pretty fast, but that was after my first year. I think it is/was largely a motivation thing. I still have trouble pushing myself in the gym but on real rock I push myself a lot more. Just find routes that inspire you and are at/near your limit and have fun working on them. Colored routes don't count.
I like to push myself into new numbers because it opens up more climbs to me. There are probably 20 5.9s within an hour, 50+ 10s, and several hundred 11s and 12s.
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jsj7051
Mar 28, 2009, 6:51 PM
Post #31 of 56
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I was following up to 5.9 and had a shinny new rack of assoc. stuff, 25 cams , and did my 1st trad lead on the 1st route I'd climbed, 5.7. 2nd year and I,m TR and following into .10d .
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swoopee
Mar 28, 2009, 7:19 PM
Post #32 of 56
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5.7 - 5.8 fairly well. Some 5.9 but it wasn't very pretty. 
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blueeyedclimber
Mar 29, 2009, 1:39 AM
Post #33 of 56
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After a year of climbing, the biggest change was that when I started I knew nothing of climbing and after a year, I thought I knew everything.
Now, after 7 years, I realize that I was smarter before I even started, than i was after a year. My point is this. You have barely even started to climb. It's natural to want to get better, but focus on your technique and the strength will come. Grades mean nothing (at least right now).
Good luck.
josh
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meanandugly
Mar 29, 2009, 2:18 AM
Post #34 of 56
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After my first year of climbing I was 11 years old and still didn't know much about grades.
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olive
Mar 29, 2009, 2:52 AM
Post #35 of 56
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There are so many factors that go into climbing performance that I dont know if it makes any sense for you (or someone else) to compare themselves with how people were doing after one year of climbing. The comparison is pointless when you dont know how old those people were when they started, how fit, how much/how long did they climb a week, how much did they train, how much did they go out, did they mainly climb outside or inside, did they climb with experienced people and learnt a lot or tried to learn stuff themselves?? Maybe you have a bad lead head because you are way stressed or concerned about something that is going on in your life which is affecting your head while this other person has great lead head because of...god knows what... etc. etc. etc. You get the point. It is a very personalized thing - you need to think about what you have to tweak to get over your plateau, the comparisons here would not be very useful, but maybe stories about how people thought about and got over their plateaus might.
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ja1484
Mar 29, 2009, 2:56 AM
Post #36 of 56
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Burlington, North Carolina, in a Moe's Southwest Grill I think.
Coulda been Target. I don't remember that day to every detail.
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notapplicable
Mar 29, 2009, 5:14 AM
Post #37 of 56
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Climbing harder than I do now.
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Myxomatosis
Mar 29, 2009, 8:48 PM
Post #38 of 56
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At the end of my first year I sucked the big time, Had no idea how to climb... I think I was doing 5.10a's on lead (only going to gym once a week if that). Gave me alot of time to work on technique and movement but still didnt have much understanding.
Another six months on from that I got more into climbing, started twice a week, got a mentor/coach and started going outdoors more, then started onsighting 5.10's and did a few 5.11's outdoors (r/p's)
Nothing world beating but now currently injured so just enjoy being out of the city.
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rangerrob
Mar 30, 2009, 12:59 AM
Post #39 of 56
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Seriously dude....you should be concentrating on keeping yourself safe. Most sane and normal people follow a competent leader for a year or two before ever tying into the sharp end. There is sooo much to learn in order to keep yourself safe in most situations. Keep pushing that process and you will inevitably hurt yourself, or worse, someone else. Think about it this way...if you or your partner can't pass a lead test in a gym, you have ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS leading outdoors...period. This isn't just something cool to do....if you mess up there is little to no room for error. You WILL hurt of kill yourself or someone else. Learn to climb from someone experienced. I don't mean to be an asshole, but when you watch enough beginners deck from 40, 50, 100' up because of mistakes they should not be making, you want to start preaching to people. Don't be a statistic...forget the grades..learn to be safe first. Then you can nitpick over climbing 10d or 11a.
RR
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Climbing_Pink
Mar 30, 2009, 1:25 AM
Post #40 of 56
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Registered: Jun 10, 2008
Posts: 88
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Eating pizza at Miguel's
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rangerrob
Mar 30, 2009, 2:06 AM
Post #42 of 56
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I did qualify that by saying most SANE and NORMAL people follow for a year or two. I am certainly not sane and normal and I led two or three routes way above anything I should be doing on my first 2 trips. When I sufficiently scared the shit out of myself, I found a competent leader and followed him for a full year before I tied into the sharp end again. I was trying to illustrate that a lot of accidents happen because people start leading without knowledge of how to keep themselves safe.
I do like that you critiqued my post for usefulness and bullshit factor.....makes me feel good to know there are professional post reviewers out there doing their jobs! Cheers!
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phillygoat
Mar 30, 2009, 2:43 AM
Post #43 of 56
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Registered: May 22, 2004
Posts: 428
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1. Occasionally wearing a bandanna. (I don't really know why- I think I somehow equated bandannas with being Old School, and by wearing one, no one would notice what a nOOb I was)
2. Clipping my chalkbag to my harness with a biner.
3. Wearing blown-out Katanas.
4. Climbing horrible routes in worse weather. (Think 80 degrees, polished basalt and less than 30ft)
5. Daydreaming about freesoloing (ya know, after a few more weeks of honing my skills)
6. Studying climbing magazines as if they were religious tomes.
7. Sending Smith Rock .10b's cause I didn't have sense enough to be terrified of their slabby, pebbly nature.
8. Leading Wavy Gravy at Indian Creek by laying back the entire thing- a mix of different cam brands that took 2-3 tries per placement to find the right size.
9. Thinking that climbing 5.12 would be the coolest thing ever.
10. Completely and irrevocably in love with it...
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whitenuckled23
Mar 30, 2009, 4:25 PM
Post #44 of 56
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Posts: 22
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Everyone progresses at their own rate. No need to compare where you stand with where others stand after thier first year. There are so many variables that go into how a climber progresses: body type, dexterity, workout routine, TIME, Patience....the list goes on and on. If a year from now you are still enjoy a sunny weekend afternoon at your favorite route (whether it be a 5.8 or 5.11d) I say you have progressed nicely.
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taydude
Mar 30, 2009, 4:39 PM
Post #45 of 56
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Registered: May 25, 2006
Posts: 531
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after about a year I was leading ~ 5.9-5.10b sport and bouldering about v4
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kachoong
Mar 30, 2009, 6:10 PM
Post #46 of 56
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Certainly use what time you have in the first few years to experience as many facets of climbing as possible and to expose yourself to multipitch (with a mentor). Try and climb on lots of different rock types, and as said, don't worry about grades, just enjoy getting out there!
After a year I knew I had found my niche in the outdoors.
I was spending as much of my climbing time on as many types of rock as possible. Also scoping out what it was like to climb upside down at the gym (I remember how weird it felt). Seconding as much trad as possible. Leading a little sport up to about 5.8. Most memorable point around 1 year after I started climbing was a trip to some long multipitch routes. Lots of shitting myself on 5.6, a long way off the deck. It was great for my confidence.
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vegastradguy
Mar 30, 2009, 6:39 PM
Post #47 of 56
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Posts: 5919
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at the end of my first year, i was leading...5.8 trad, and could fumble my way a 5.10 sport route.
i had already experienced a near FF2, been injured, and had lived to tell the tale.
i look back on that year and shake my head sometimes- i think alot of us are lucky to survive those first couple of years....
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i_h8_choss
Mar 30, 2009, 6:49 PM
Post #48 of 56
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Registered: Sep 2, 2007
Posts: 694
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rangerrob wrote: I did qualify that by saying most SANE and NORMAL people follow for a year or two. I am certainly not sane and normal and I led two or three routes way above anything I should be doing on my first 2 trips. When I sufficiently scared the shit out of myself, I found a competent leader and followed him for a full year before I tied into the sharp end again. I was trying to illustrate that a lot of accidents happen because people start leading without knowledge of how to keep themselves safe. I do like that you critiqued my post for usefulness and bullshit factor.....makes me feel good to know there are professional post reviewers out there doing their jobs! Cheers!
youre an idiot and a wuss.
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Parkerkat
Mar 30, 2009, 6:59 PM
Post #49 of 56
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Registered: Nov 6, 2008
Posts: 263
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after one year of climbing, I'm still trying to find a ride to RRG!
: (
Please kill me!
; p
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cracklover
Mar 30, 2009, 7:24 PM
Post #50 of 56
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Registered: Nov 14, 2002
Posts: 10162
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Seeing as how I was the same chickenshit then as I am now, I had only just started to venture outside, learn how to set TR anchors, and technical stuff like that.
I had also experienced for the first time the thrill of getting shut down by a climb, getting stronger (mentally and physically), and coming back months later to send it.
After one year of climbing, I was totally addicted.
GO
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