Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Author

Gym climbing vs trad?

ironmike

19-Jun-2006
4:56:16 PM

I've been climbing indoors for some time and have had the pleasurable opportunity to second a few climbs at araps ... to say it was a spiritual experience would be a 'mild' understatement!

For my own interest, I'm in a position where I can no longer climb indoors ... travel ... $$$ ... time etc. But am very keen to climb outdoors as often as possible.

I climb indoors 22 at Hardrock toproping and 18 - 20 comfortably on lead ... yes I know it's completely different to dragging protection up a wall and placing protection etc ... don't get too excited about an opportunity to bag me out.

What I'm looking for is a little advice / guidance. How many people only climb outdoors, and how often do you need to climb outdoors to keep the standard of climbing progressing.

Further to that, apart from VCC who don't appear to organise too many outdoor climbing sessions, how would I go about hooking up with climbers who don't only climb on long weekends?

Please help ... I have my own 60m rope, harness, shoes etc. but that's it!

climbingjac

19-Jun-2006
5:24:06 PM

Go to Burnley - there are heaps of climbers there in the afternoon on weekends, and it is free! See the guides section of this website.


Eduardo Slabofvic

19-Jun-2006
5:43:47 PM

Ooh, it's tempting to start bagging, but in my opinion the key aspect to climbing trad (by trad, I mean
onsighting using natural protection - let the baging begin) well is getting gear in quick. You can train for
this by practicing putting gear in when you hanging around on the ground. Aslo, in my opinion, the best
training for climbing is going climbing.

To hook up with climbers, you need to hang out where other climbers hang out. Araps is good in that
there is pretty well always people there climbing. Try lining people up on the net, just make a post called
"Total psyco wanted" and watch 'em come out of the woodwork.


brat

19-Jun-2006
8:40:20 PM

Quote "I can no longer climb indoors ... travel ... $$$ ... time etc"

Unless you live near a crag that has trad possibilities AND can use someone elses rack the above will also apply to trad, lesser extent sport, lesser again T/Roping!

SirOinksAlot

19-Jun-2006
9:31:19 PM

On 19/06/2006 brat wrote:

>Unless you live near a crag that has trad possibilities AND can use someone
>elses rack the above will also apply to trad, lesser extent sport, lesser
>again T/Roping!

If you take everything home that you took out there with you, after the initial cost, all your paying for is petrol, heaps better value for money than a gym membership.


Paulie

19-Jun-2006
10:02:32 PM

You're on the path to enlightenment...gym climbing wrecks your technique and makes you scared outside so you've taken the 1st step - leaving the gym altogether.

All the above advice is good. Learn to place gear on the ground, one of the major factors to successful onsight leading (trad) is the ability to quickly recognise a piece of gear that will fit the situation, the less fumbling about the better. Aiding is also a great way to learn to place pieces and learn the different ways you can weight them.

Another tip is to 2nd as many people as you can, this way when you take the gear out you can see how it was placed.

Have fun!

Paulie.


BenHev

20-Jun-2006
1:23:30 AM

On 19/06/2006 ironmike wrote:
>Further to that, apart from VCC who don't appear to organise too many
>outdoor climbing sessions, how would I go about hooking up with climbers
>who don't only climb on long weekends?
>
>Please help ... I have my own 60m rope, harness, shoes etc. but that's it!

Can you get yourself a helmet? Are you a VCC member?

There have been quite a few "unofficial" VCC trips of late, which means more or less of the same bunch of bumberlies getting out for day trips most weekends, doing the rounds of the Melbourne crags. Do you like granite? :-)

You might have picked the wrong time to start going outdoors, as the weather will have to break sometime. But if you drop me a line we could try to fix something up.

Cheers,
Ben

ironmike

20-Jun-2006
11:32:11 AM

On 19/06/2006 climbingjac wrote:
>Go to Burnley - there are heaps of climbers there in the afternoon on weekends,
>and it is free! See the guides section of this website.

I certainly intend on getting to Burnley. I've been following the progress of the project online for some time now. Unfortunately my handiman skills are um ... let's just say not so handi! But I do take orders well!

Is there lighting under there, or would a headlamp be required for evening bouldering? I live a distance out of town and by the time I'd get there it'd be dark. Other than that, weekends are a definite option!

Thanks Jac and by the way ... awesome work by yourself and everyone else involved in getting it up and running ... super effort that!

ironmike

20-Jun-2006
11:38:52 AM

On 20/06/2006 BenHev wrote:
>Can you get yourself a helmet? Are you a VCC member?
>
>There have been quite a few "unofficial" VCC trips of late, which means
>more or less of the same bunch of bumberlies getting out for day trips
>most weekends, doing the rounds of the Melbourne crags. Do you like granite?
> :-)
>
>You might have picked the wrong time to start going outdoors, as the weather
>will have to break sometime. But if you drop me a line we could try to
>fix something up.
>
>Cheers,
>Ben

Thanks Ben, I don't have my own helmet, it's on my absolute gear wish list ... I have hired in the past which didn't do me too many favours comfort wise.

As far as identifying what type of rock I enjoy climbing ... I'll climb anything! I just love the challenge of it all and the sense of achievement at the end. I can't drive anywhere without thinking ... "Wow, I reckon that'd be neat to climb", "I could climb that", or "I wonder if you're allowed to climb that". Drives my wife absolutely crazy. I absolutely will be getting a membership with VCC, but not for about a month or so as I need to get the $$$ together to do so.

I'm not what you would consider a fair weather person, I was camping last weekend at mansfield in -6 temperature and loving it. Cold doesn't worry me ... rain and climbing would, but the warmer months aren't too far away at the moment.

Day trips sound great as weekend trips take a bit of time out of a busy life ... don't get me wrong I'd love to go climbing every weekend, but physically it's impossible. I mean I could do it, but my wife would physically remove my gear if you know what I mean!

My equipment consists of 60m rope, rope bag, nut key, shoes, harness and that's it at the moment.

Thanks again Ben any further advice (helpful) would be graciously appreciated!


spanky

21-Jun-2006
8:50:08 AM

My advice would be to get your wife into climbing too! You'll get heaps more time on the rock that way.... :)

ironmike

21-Jun-2006
9:40:15 AM

On 21/06/2006 spanky wrote:
>My advice would be to get your wife into climbing too! You'll get heaps
>more time on the rock that way.... :)

Been there, tried that, shirt didn't fit :( Loves the outdoors ... freaked out when it comes to climbing.

Andaroo

21-Jun-2006
11:33:39 AM

Get her doing little easy climbs (like 6-8m grade 10's), My Girlie didnt want to have anything to do with it but started learning how to belay me , then one day at the gym when it was really quiet she had a try of a couple of grade 6 and 8's, Bought her all the gear, shoes, harness, helmet, chalk bag, her own krab and ATC (all colour coordinated of course...) and now she climbs outdoors with me too.. She seconds up to grade 15 (and evaluates every piece she pulls out....) We did a lead climbing 2 day course, The company let her attend for free as she wasnt climbing but she learnt all about rope techniques, placing pro etc (at ground level)... So start her slow and easy... good luck


Eduardo Slabofvic

21-Jun-2006
11:53:29 AM

My girlfriend cried just before her first absail off the top of the Plaque Area, and last year we did 4 3000m
peaks together, she even led a few pitches at Wendenstok.

Everyone has to start somewhere.


steph

21-Jun-2006
1:16:30 PM

My advice is get to know the people you see at the gym, you'll find most of the boulderers will head outdoors fairly often to climb trad and would most likely have a spare helmet and some experience to share. After seconding a lot of outdoor stuff, you might do a lead course, start collecting trad gear, and then head out yourself.

The best things you can do to learn to lead trad are to place tonnes of gear (at ground level), getting it checked by someone; to set up anchors and get them checked; and then second 1000metres of outdoor rock (cleaning) before getting on the sharp end yourself.

You'll also find that you will be climbing much lower grades on natural climbs. Don't expect to climb anywhere near your limit in the near future. (Mainly because trad gear is there for safety but you do not want to test it) A fair few trad climbers go years without falling on their gear.

Anyway happy leading.....

dalai

21-Jun-2006
1:24:13 PM

On 21/06/2006 steph wrote:
>... you'll find most of the boulderers will head outdoors fairly often to climb trad and would
>most likely have a spare helmet...

???


steph

21-Jun-2006
1:31:57 PM

On 21/06/2006 dalai wrote:
>On 21/06/2006 steph wrote:
>>... you'll find most of the boulderers will head outdoors fairly often
>to climb trad and would
>>most likely have a spare helmet...
>
>???

Basing that statement on whenever I'm at Hardrock. Get into conversation with whoever's hanging around the boulder area, and they're chatting about the last weekend's trip... This happens every time I go - maybe its just me...

dalai

21-Jun-2006
1:36:17 PM

Fair enough Steph... welcome back.

Thought you were talking about boulderers in general vs people in the bouldering area in the gym...


steph

21-Jun-2006
1:39:28 PM

On 21/06/2006 dalai wrote:
>Fair enough Steph... welcome back.
>
>Thought you were talking about boulderers in general vs people in the
>bouldering area in the gym...

hell no... and IMO you can't get much further from outdoor trad climbing than indoor bouldering! and thanx, good to be back; on holidays at last :)))))

ironmike

21-Jun-2006
1:53:54 PM

All valid points. I would ... in the future consider taking my wife to do some outdoor stuff. She tried indoors and managed to get to 14-16, but it just didn't do it for her. Yep, she's got the harness, shoes etc ... she just doesn't get out of it what others do.

I hang out at hardrock myself, for the last year and a half anyway, but the reason for my post is that travel and $$$ is preventing me from continuing. I live an hour away from HR ... that's two hours of travel straight after work ... two hours of fuel - I will be bouldering at burnley to fill the void and hopefully get in on some trips around the place.

To put it bluntly ... I just wanna climb!

Onsight

21-Jun-2006
2:41:38 PM

>I just wanna climb!

Good luck scratching that itch!

As Eduardo said, the more you hang out where other climbers are, the more you meet, the more trips you do, and it can kinda snowball from there...

>and how often do you need to climb outdoors to keep the standard of climbing progressing.
Depends where you are at with your climbing; but I'd suggest you'd get most benefit from climbing outdoors as much as possible and supplementing that with some gym climbing when you can't get outdoors...

On 21/06/2006 Eduardo Slabofvic wrote:
>... she even led a few pitches at Wendenstok.
That's impressive. Just getting up to that base of that cliff looks and sounds seriously sketchy....

There are 21 messages in this topic.