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lena_chita
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Oct 5, 2009, 1:29 AM
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rockandlice wrote: lena_chita wrote: I took a 2-day class during Sterling Rope Goddess on the Rock weekend. During that class I got to practicce placement on the ground and did 4 mock leads with an instructor jumaring on a rope next to me and commenting on placements. My first real lead was more of a frustration-driven than anything else. There was a large group I was with, everyone was climbing slowly, I climbed ever other route and there was nothing else to climb but this short 5.8 crack... One of the guys had gear. I took it and lead the route. Were you by chance placing gear on top rope at Junkyard one day this summer? I think it was the entertainer? I just remember hearing the name Lena several times and now that I look at your profile pic it seems familiar. Probably someone different, but it is a small world it seems.
yes, it was me :)
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lena_chita
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Oct 5, 2009, 1:30 AM
Post #77 of 114
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cracklover wrote: lena_chita wrote: I took a 2-day class during Sterling Rope Goddess on the Rock weekend. Cool, which one? GO
Spring 2008, at Joshua Tree
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cracklover
Oct 5, 2009, 4:18 PM
Post #78 of 114
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lena_chita wrote: cracklover wrote: lena_chita wrote: I took a 2-day class during Sterling Rope Goddess on the Rock weekend. Cool, which one? GO Spring 2008, at Joshua Tree
Oh, cool! Was WW (Tiff) there?
GO
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lena_chita
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Oct 7, 2009, 2:45 PM
Post #79 of 114
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cracklover wrote: lena_chita wrote: cracklover wrote: lena_chita wrote: I took a 2-day class during Sterling Rope Goddess on the Rock weekend. Cool, which one? GO Spring 2008, at Joshua Tree Oh, cool! Was WW (Tiff) there? GO
yep.
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TJGoSurf
Oct 7, 2009, 8:12 PM
Post #80 of 114
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First lead was a single pitch sport route, 5.7(in NC). It was my 4th time climbing outside. And getting divorced you really don't care. I didn't even fall. Once I got to the top and clipped in I said WTF?!
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healyje
Oct 7, 2009, 9:15 PM
Post #81 of 114
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Silently got handed a rack of one set of stoppers and one of hexs and the sharp end of a 120' hank of goldline. It was a 5.8 and I had followed one or two routes previously. I believe I was wearing $14 JC Penny work boots. Never was any discussion about it and it all went fine from there on out in that I'd second a line or two at each successive grade to 5.10 before leading one and at that point I was on my own.
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hansundfritz
Oct 7, 2009, 9:38 PM
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My buddy and I went to the Gunks, looked for something easy, flaked out the rope, and went for it. Neither of us had followed a pitch before. I won the coin toss and led the first pitch. We had maybe a dozen stoppers (half of them on perlon) and a few mid-sized hexes. By the start of the next day's climbing, we had gone to town and acquired a couple of Tri-Cams!
I had learned some basics out of an old book by R.C. Aleith called Bergsteigen. We were total rookies, to be sure -- but knew how to build basic anchors from lots of top-roping.
The key for us was sticking to easy stuff and learning our trade as we went. We also were total addicts -- doing up to 20 pitches in a day. Couldn't sleep late at all -- too eager to get out on the rock. Walked off the Uberfall at dusk many times. So, I guess what I'm saying that you should check your own level of motivation as well as your technical readiness.
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jt512
Oct 8, 2009, 1:35 AM
Post #83 of 114
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TJGoSurf wrote: First lead was a single pitch sport route, 5.7(in NC).
North Carolina has sport climbing?
Jay
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TJGoSurf
Oct 8, 2009, 7:23 PM
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We got like 2 or 3 of them. I could have probably put 2 nuts in but I had none. Bolts were only 20' apart.
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jt512
Oct 8, 2009, 7:32 PM
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TJGoSurf wrote: We got like 2 or 3 of them. I could have probably put 2 nuts in but I had none. Bolts were only 20' apart.
That's not a sport climb.
Jay
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TJGoSurf
Oct 8, 2009, 7:34 PM
Post #86 of 114
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Explain
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rockandlice
Oct 8, 2009, 8:54 PM
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A route being only bolt protected does not automatically make it a sport route. Go read about the Bachar-Yerian.
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TJGoSurf
Oct 8, 2009, 8:55 PM
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I know that, we got tons of mix routes here. But even the guide claims its a sport route.
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rockandlice
Oct 8, 2009, 9:02 PM
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TJGoSurf wrote: I know that, we got tons of mix routes here. But even the guide claims its a sport route.
Let me clarify. I'm not speaking of mixed routes. I'm talking no natural pro with only fixed protection options. Again, go read up on the Bachar-Yerian for a bit of history and understanding.
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TJGoSurf
Oct 8, 2009, 9:10 PM
Post #90 of 114
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He had a bolt every 71', not too bad. He also died this year. That maybe fun to climb once I get done with school.
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rockandlice
Oct 8, 2009, 9:15 PM
Post #91 of 114
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Sure
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eastvillage
Oct 8, 2009, 10:02 PM
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Find VERY EASY short 5.0 to 5.3 trad leads with decent pro and climb them.
Mock leading is a worse than a waste of time, it will destroy your ability to lead at all.
As for my own first lead I took my own advice: After a NOLS Wind River seminar in 1970, my friend and I just picked the easiest climbing we could find at the Gunks (5.0) and kept going from there.
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AlEvans
Oct 11, 2009, 9:34 AM
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I never doubted or expected to do anything other than lead. By my third climb I was leading most of what I did, this was in the 1960's so gear was still primitive, but adequate. It's just a state of mind, if you really want to lead you will, sooner rather than later.
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Mccohenster
Oct 11, 2009, 10:10 PM
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I had my first successful lead today actually. Before that I had only ever tried to lead one route, at the Gunks. My dad and I had been climbing and he asked if I wanted to try a lead, so we found an easy climb and I gave it a shot. I failed miserably . I got one piece in and got completely pumped and dead.
Today, my dad and I went to a small crag in Western Mass, called Chapel Ledges, and I sent two easy routes and my dad seconded and criticed me.
It wasn't a decision so much as a mutual unspoken agreement. My dad had hurt is back and it was now fully healed, but he was still tenative to overexert himself. I was also getting to be quite eager to lead, so it just kinda happened that I lead.
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AlEvans
Oct 12, 2009, 9:47 AM
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Well done, you are on your way.
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ldrmn
Oct 12, 2009, 10:16 PM
Post #96 of 114
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Yabba Dabba Doo! First lead done this past weekend. I lead two 5.5s with no problems.
I have to say that trad has given me a completely different perspective on climbing, in a good way. And it was quite different than I expected. I guess it felt more like soloing with perks than anything..if that makes sense..
Sunday I was gonna hop on a 5.7, but the 35 degree weather was making me shaky so I backed off. May have to wait till spring for that...
None the less it was RAD, I loved it!
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kachoong
Oct 12, 2009, 10:22 PM
Post #97 of 114
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Well done.... welcome to the tard side! 
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wanderlustmd
Oct 12, 2009, 10:37 PM
Post #98 of 114
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ldrmn wrote: Yabba Dabba Doo! First lead done this past weekend. I lead two 5.5s with no problems. I have to say that trad has given me a completely different perspective on climbing, in a good way. And it was quite different than I expected. I guess it felt more like soloing with perks than anything..if that makes sense.. Sunday I was gonna hop on a 5.7, but the 35 degree weather was making me shaky so I backed off. May have to wait till spring for that... None the less it was RAD, I loved it! 
(Continue posting on the occasion that you never, ever use the phrase "yabba dabba doo" again.
Ever.)
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TarHeelEMT
Oct 13, 2009, 12:13 AM
Post #99 of 114
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jt512 wrote: TJGoSurf wrote: First lead was a single pitch sport route, 5.7(in NC). North Carolina has sport climbing? Jay
There are a number of sport routes at Pilot Mountain, but nobody likes to acknowledge the place's existence and it's not in any guidebooks.
It's the climbing equivalent to a landfill, where we concentrate all the trash to keep them out of our wonderful trad wonderland.
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Mccohenster
Oct 15, 2009, 1:29 AM
Post #100 of 114
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TarHeelEMT wrote: jt512 wrote: TJGoSurf wrote: First lead was a single pitch sport route, 5.7(in NC). North Carolina has sport climbing? Jay There are a number of sport routes at Pilot Mountain, but nobody likes to acknowledge the place's existence and it's not in any guidebooks. It's the climbing equivalent to a landfill, where we concentrate all the trash to keep them out of our wonderful trad wonderland.
I don't know what guidebook your looking in, but the one I borrowed from a friend while living in NC had loads on Pilot, can't remember the name unfortunately. Maybe my dad does...
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