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General Climbing Discussion

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N008ie mistakes??? 23-Oct-2008 At 3:05:17 PM DrDan

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G'day guys,

I'm relatively new to climbing, but love it in every way - discovered it through friends at a gym, but I really want to get away from indoor climbing (plenty of show offs & posers at the gym, and you just get grosed out by sleezy blokes that just oggle chicks all day long. Plus, whats the fascination with seeing/doing the same thing again and again and again... [besides training, that is...]).

My questions is...
I've started purchasing gear here and there, and am seeking the experience and knowledge of people that have started off similarly - ie, a noob, getting gear.
Allow me to learn through some of your mistakes.

What should I get and hat should I avoid?
What should I look out for?
What are the vital things to look out for with basic gear?

Eg- I've noticed the cheaper quickdraws are freakin hard to clip rope in to... (ok, so call me a baby...). Etc.
I take it I should avoid buying second hand gear on eBay, such as cams/wires, etc? Or is the climbing community relatively safe in this regard...?

I have harnesses, shoes, a few carabiners and quickdraws, 60m dynamic climbing rope, 15m static, 7 step etier/aide, prusik ropes (x5), slings, chalk, finger tape.

Also, I was wondering if anyone abseils/descends on dynamic rope? Is this necessarily bad for dynamic rope?
I ask because I was thinking of anchoring at the top, descending and climbing back up solo with a prussik as a self belay - is this a bad idea? Do I just need to find some climbing friends that actually want to do stuff outdoors...?

Any advice would be greatly welcomed! :D

Cheers,

Dan.