|
ryan112ryan
Dec 10, 2004, 4:00 AM
Post #1 of 163
(39710 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 312
|
most common newbie mistakes, ones that you have made when you were learning to climb or common mistakes that you see newbies make. what are they?
|
|
|
|
|
mendou
Dec 10, 2004, 4:06 AM
Post #2 of 163
(39707 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 11, 2004
Posts: 228
|
my first rock shoes was not so tight, now with my second pair i feel the difference when i climb.
|
|
|
|
|
tattooed_climber
Dec 10, 2004, 4:07 AM
Post #3 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 13, 2003
Posts: 4838
|
being stupid
one time in squamish....the party next to me....dude walks up to me..."hi, quick question...how do you tie in?"!!!!!!!!!!!!! (course i helped and the rest of my day was watching the two of the dudes to make sure they didn't die)
NOTE ::: just because you don't know something doesn't make you stupid...
|
|
|
|
|
mounthubris
Dec 10, 2004, 4:22 AM
Post #4 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 10, 2004
Posts: 48
|
My first trek into the rocky mountains at age 14, some fatefull quotes;
"Nah, its only a few miles, I dont need to bring water."
-hike to Flat Top summit, 11,000 ft
"Damn its hot, the lake cant be that cold."
"Thats snow, it cant be ice"
"Weeee I'm glisading....why do I hear rushing water under this snow?"
"I can climb that bigazz boulder...HA! I'm at the top....oh sh!t, how do I get back down!?"
"Marmots are nice"
Good times, good times.
|
|
|
|
|
chitowngirl
Dec 10, 2004, 4:28 AM
Post #5 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 5, 2004
Posts: 140
|
Mounthubris,
That one about water sounds very familiar :)
The other one that comes to my mind is:
"I don't need sunscreen, I'll only be out for a couple of hours"
-said I once in Moab in August. Learned that lesson real fast. :oops:
|
|
|
|
|
gunksgoer
Dec 10, 2004, 4:30 AM
Post #6 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 27, 2004
Posts: 1290
|
well the most terrible thing ive ever seen, was at high rocks state park (ralph stover, PA, this topropers' crag has seen much worse, but ill still share this anyway). a family of four was setting up a tr the one time i was their, and their anchor was a tree root the diameter of a hot dog, and i dont mean those jumbo ones.
this was then extended 5 feet to the right, around a sharp edge, and 2 feet down the face. The extension was 4 8mm dyneema slings, the last just girth hitched to the root, and then the rest were girth hitched together in a chain. (so far we have a hideos anchor, and not redundant extension, which was running over a sharpish edge.) to top it all off, the rope (at least it wasnt like one of those home depot ropes) was attatched to the anchor with a single locking biner (not even sure if it was locked).
the climbers obviously wernt satisfied with just 3 death wishes, because when we got to the bottem to talk to these people, we found something stranger then we could have imagined. these people wernt tied in with a figure 8, or even any regular knot.
it seemed these people had tied an overhand on a bight, cliped a non locking wiregait to it, and then clipped an 8 to the wiregait as well. (and i dont mean the knot, i mean the rappel device(!)) then, through the smaller end of the 8, they had a locker clipped in, which they then had clipped to their belay loops.
we stared in amazement. how the ---- did they come up with that!? after a minute or two of contemplation, we decided these were newbies, but not just any newbies, these were the type who read the how to climb book, swung by ems, and headed out for some climbing. we determined that in the "how to tie in section", they read "tie in with a figure 8", which would explain why they had that whole contraption going, they confused the knot with the rap device.
as the group was lowering a climber down, and preparing for a snack, my partner conversed briefly with them. what i heard were things like "the salesman said___", and "no, its ok, you would be amazed how strong those small roots are".
as they finished their snack, we were preparing to leave. the first climber up for the group was a young boy. he began to climb, while the man in charge of the group said things like "dont be affraid", and "if you fall it will catch you" errr..... we left for the day, praying that the kid didnt fall, and just as we were starting to get out of sight, he got to the top, and, as i let out a gasp, eased his weight onto the rope, and was lowered safely to the ground.
we tried Climb Safe, we tried.
|
|
|
|
|
chitowngirl
Dec 10, 2004, 4:41 AM
Post #7 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 5, 2004
Posts: 140
|
Gunksgoer, that story reminds me:
my friend's (non-climber) boyfriend decided to take her canyoneering once. He's a non climber with no experience. He went to the hardware store and got some regular old rope, and that was it. No knowledge, no experience, just a rope and a "how hard could it be?". She refused to go, and he said he'd go with his brother, who, for some reason, was willing, but we, after much work, convinced them that maybe they should learn what they are doing first.
So many people just wanna do stuff without taking the time to learn. And, like him, when they realize they might have to learn something, they give up the idea.
|
|
|
|
|
mendou
Dec 10, 2004, 4:43 AM
Post #8 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 11, 2004
Posts: 228
|
In reply to: My first trek into the rocky mountains at age 14, some fatefull quotes................"Marmots are nice"
:shock: ...is not true???
|
|
|
|
|
cyanamid
Dec 10, 2004, 4:50 AM
Post #9 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 8, 2004
Posts: 161
|
In reply to: "I don't need sunscreen, I'll only be out for a couple of hours" -said I once in Moab in August. Learned that lesson real fast. :oops: |
|
|
|
|
ryan112ryan
Dec 10, 2004, 6:21 AM
Post #10 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 312
|
gunksgoer, you didnt' say anything?!?!?! there is a place and a time to say somthing, it sounds like it was that place and that time.
|
|
|
|
|
alpinerockfiend
Dec 10, 2004, 8:15 AM
Post #11 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 3, 2003
Posts: 598
|
In reply to: most common newbie mistakes, ones that you have made when you were learning to climb or common mistakes that you see newbies make. what are they? |
|
|
|
|
mounthubris
Dec 10, 2004, 5:22 PM
Post #12 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 10, 2004
Posts: 48
|
almost forgot;
"we got the big climb tomarrow, let's celebrate with a good meal, I know a great Italian palce".
|
|
|
|
|
dingus
Dec 10, 2004, 5:34 PM
Post #13 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 16, 2002
Posts: 17398
|
Thinking I knew most everything when in fact I knew almost nothing.
Ironically, after 30 years of climbing... I STILL make that mistake!
Old Dawg
|
|
|
|
|
iclimbtoo
Dec 10, 2004, 5:48 PM
Post #14 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 10, 2002
Posts: 645
|
Overgripping everything and not using my feet
|
|
|
|
|
bonin_in_the_boneyard
Dec 10, 2004, 6:25 PM
Post #15 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 10, 2004
Posts: 362
|
Having too many pieces of gear in my hands racking up for my second lead; then dropping a quickdraw in the middle of a family of three 80' below; and not knowing what to say when I dropped gear, as opposed to dropping a rock.
Locking down the belay when the leader falls off a steep route. Slammed my poor friend's legs into the wall pretty hard. Was promptly and sternly educated on the 'soft catch' by a more experienced climber who was observing.
|
|
|
|
|
greyicewater
Dec 10, 2004, 6:29 PM
Post #16 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 8, 2003
Posts: 419
|
i never warmed up! worst mistake ever... i'm fine now, but long break due to shoulder injury and pulled tendon in one of my fingers... almost four months out!
|
|
|
|
|
jpdreamer
Dec 10, 2004, 6:37 PM
Post #17 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 14, 2000
Posts: 232
|
In reply to: this was then extended 5 feet to the right, around a sharp edge, and 2 feet down the face. The extension was 4 8mm dyneema slings, the last just girth hitched to the root, and then the rest were girth hitched together in a chain. (so far we have a hideos anchor, and not redundant extension, which was running over a sharpish edge.) to top it all off, the rope (at least it wasnt like one of those home depot ropes) was attatched to the anchor with a single locking biner (not even sure if it was locked).
I've got one better. Once in... Montana I think, I saw a couple climbing next myself and the couple colorado climber I'd met up with. They were toproping a climb and had an anchor set up. They seemed like newbies so I glanced at their setup (the climber was already 1/3 way up). Their anchor was a sling anchor through a couple bolts at the top of the climb, and they were toproping through the sling. Not a biner attached to the sling, just through the sling. :shock:
Of course I highly encouraged that they lower the climber and immediately revise their anchor setup as that thing was a deathtrap and kept an eye on what they were doing for the rest of the day.
|
|
|
|
|
pk
Dec 10, 2004, 6:41 PM
Post #18 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 13, 2003
Posts: 459
|
Gumby gets to the top of xxxxxx 5.7 30M sport route, clips draws in, unties! Ahhhh my rope Help! Help! Someone Help I'm stuck!
P.K.
|
|
|
|
|
bonin_in_the_boneyard
Dec 10, 2004, 6:43 PM
Post #19 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 10, 2004
Posts: 362
|
In reply to: Gumby gets to the top of xxxxxx 5.7 30M sport route, clips draws in, unties! Ahhhh my rope Help! Help! Someone Help I'm stuck! P.K.
:D Classic! :D
|
|
|
|
|
jt512
Dec 10, 2004, 6:47 PM
Post #20 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 12, 2001
Posts: 21904
|
In reply to: most common newbie mistakes, ones that you have made when you were learning to climb or common mistakes that you see newbies make. what are they?
See Correcting common belay errors.
-Jay
|
|
|
|
|
larryd
Dec 10, 2004, 7:13 PM
Post #21 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 15, 2003
Posts: 77
|
In reply to: ... Their anchor was a sling anchor through a couple bolts at the top of the climb, and they were toproping through the sling. Not a biner attached to the sling, just through the sling. :shock: Of course I highly encouraged that they lower the climber and immediately revise their anchor setup as that thing was a deathtrap and kept an eye on what they were doing for the rest of the day.
Better idea would be to downclimb carefully, or you could have given a belay from the top. Lowering through a bare sling is ill-advised...
|
|
|
|
|
glowering
Dec 10, 2004, 7:25 PM
Post #22 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 13, 2002
Posts: 386
|
Twice I've seen guys send their girlfriends off on a rapple when the ropes didn't reach the ground. Both time we yelled at them and the girls batmanned back up to the anchors. Once at Manure Pile, the guy was grateful. Once at Diablo and the jerk wouldn't accept anything was wrong and kept telling her to go. :shock:
|
|
|
|
|
jammer
Dec 10, 2004, 7:27 PM
Post #24 of 163
(39731 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 25, 2002
Posts: 3472
|
to breathe.
|
|
|
|
|
timsesink
Dec 10, 2004, 7:27 PM
Post #25 of 163
(39705 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 10, 2004
Posts: 47
|
I think the most common thing I see is non doublebackers and peole when making an anchor only vlipping a biner on tope of the rope instead of tieng a bight or through the webbing so that if one bolt or pro fails the carabiner flies of the side resulting in certain death. I've rung out a few people for that one
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
