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looking for instruction


Cookie

18-Nov-2008
3:42:21 PM

>It just sounds like you are willing to ask any random of the street to take you out for a >climb. Some people are quite confident with their skills despite their lack of >experience in a variety of situations. All I'm saying is just be careful :)

oh no, not the case at all. sorry. i suppose its all about the feel of a day, i'f i'm shown something which i dont feel is right, even if someone swears black and blue that it is, i wont do it, and i will seek a different opinon. i'm quite a logical creature when i want to be, and trust my own instincts. i'm not going to blindly follow instruction if i dont feel comfortable with it.

however, on teh other side of the coin, the more peole i go out with, the more i can learn from the different ways people do things, and then chose what is safest and more comfortable for me.

for example, i recently went climbing at cliffhanger (awesome gym btw) but absolutely cant stand the Gri Gri, and in all truth belay quite dangerously with one, but am comfortable and confident with an ATC style device... i wouldnt have known it if i hadnt tried... sorry, i cant remember the point i was making there, had to answer the phone 3 times!!

On 18/11/2008 Epic Steve wrote:
>Hey Cookie
>
>Start off slow and you'll be right...as for shockers...they are around,
>gravity or the grim reaper just haven't caught up with them as they haven't
>linked enough bad habits together to form the usual accident chain/scenario
>(usually never one thing that causes an accident but an accumulation of
>numerous things happening sequentially...)

erk. all i can do is pay attention and trust my instincts.....

>>As for guiding companies not helping the local climbing community out
>(Blueys, Araps or Gramps)...might be worth contacting the company owners
>and asking what they are prepared to do...I know a particular company that
>used to help out with taking disadvantaged kids on climbing activities
>(pro bono) as a community service...should be more of it!!!
>
that is awesone taking disadvantaged kids out, what a really nice thing to give them :)


bluey

18-Nov-2008
4:01:01 PM

ooh dear. it's a dangerous thing admitting you've got dodgy gri gri technique given the amount of gym accidents that happen with them....


Cookie

18-Nov-2008
4:22:43 PM

On 18/11/2008 bluey wrote:
>ooh dear. it's a dangerous thing admitting you've got dodgy gri gri technique
>given the amount of gym accidents that happen with them....

i'm not surprised.. they are awful!! i go VERY very slowly so my partner doesnt fall but i absolutely HATE them... and if you need to feed out slack!! what a nightmare.

quite deterred from cliffhanger because of them, but its better to learn good technique in a gym than out on the rocks...


kezza

18-Nov-2008
4:31:54 PM

lucky you dont have to pay out slack when top roping at cliffhanger cookie, or you would be in trouble!


Cookie

18-Nov-2008
4:44:15 PM

i so would be, and i freely admit it :) tho i was shown a trick for it, i just would rather not use a gri gri...


wallwombat

18-Nov-2008
5:01:21 PM

On 18/11/2008 evanbb wrote:
>You're in Melbourne aren't you Cookie? I'll take you up the Blueys if you're
>ever in town.

Evan, did you miss the bit where she said she didn't like BEER!


Eduardo Slabofvic

18-Nov-2008
5:33:01 PM

Hi Cookie,

I'm not so much a mentor, more of a tormentor. Talent develops in tranquillity, whilst character develops
in the face of adversity. Come climb with ‘ol Uncle Eduardo and have him develop your character,
because it will be your strength of character that will get you through the tough times, not you talent.

No climb too small, no fee too large.

……..and you buy the beer.


evanbb

18-Nov-2008
5:35:28 PM

On 18/11/2008 wallwombat wrote:
>On 18/11/2008 evanbb wrote:
>>You're in Melbourne aren't you Cookie? I'll take you up the Blueys if
>you're
>>ever in town.
>
>Evan, did you miss the bit where she said she didn't like BEER!

Yeah, that did freak me out a bit. I assumed it was only because she hadn't climbed trad yet. I figure a day of jamming fleshy bits into trad classics would lead to an inexplicable desire for dark beer.


ajfclark

18-Nov-2008
5:47:38 PM

On 18/11/2008 wallwombat wrote:
>Evan, did you miss the bit where she said she didn't like BEER!

How does not liking beer stop one buying it for others?


atreyudelacy

18-Nov-2008
5:56:35 PM

see what you really need to do is to befriend a qualified guide/instructor, and get them to lead you up
things and show you anchor setups etc. That way you start getting (free) experience, and they get to
maintain their log book hours. Win win ;)

adrian

19-Nov-2008
8:42:54 AM

The best thing I did when I wanted to start climbing outdoors was pay a guide to teach me top-rope setups. I easily found someone who was happy to base it from Melbourne on a day that suited me. It cost me a few hundred dollars for a day one-on-one training where they did nothing but teach me anchor setups (and a few self-rescue skills at the end of the day, as we had some spare time). I'd read some books prior to that day on anchor setups, so understood the theory behind what I was being taught.

I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, but trusting your instincts may not be a great way to stay alive if you're depending on other people's instruction. You may not get a chance to go and seek a different opinion...

Also, admitting that you can't belay well with a gri-gri is not going to inspire people's confidence in you belaying them. I admire that you're willing to admit this, but perhaps a little more practice is in order until you are comfortable using all kinds of belay devices.

widewetandslippery

19-Nov-2008
8:53:25 AM

On 18/11/2008 Cookie wrote:
>On 18/11/2008 bluey wrote:

> but its better to learn
>good technique in a gym than out on the rocks...

Why? Go to the crag take it slowly. It sounds like your partner is of the same experience as you so there should be no "can't you hurry up useless" problems. And I think you'd be mad to pass up dirty uncles offer.

You'll get the palate for beer soon enough as well.


Cookie

19-Nov-2008
8:56:55 AM

On 18/11/2008 Eduardo Slabofvic wrote:
>Hi Cookie,
>
>I'm not so much a mentor, more of a tormentor. Talent develops in tranquillity,
>whilst character develops
>in the face of adversity. Come climb with ‘ol Uncle Eduardo and have
>him develop your character,
>because it will be your strength of character that will get you through
>the tough times, not you talent.

that sounds like a come on :P its not the mentor = dating thread :D

>How does not liking beer stop one buying it for others?

well, i'm a wine drinker (or a G&T on a hot day) so i apply the same principal with wine to beer... the more expensive it is the better it probably is... its a hit and miss approach.. anyway, beer is carbonated effluent... did you know they filter it through meat?? MEAT!! *gags*

>Also, admitting that you can't belay well with a gri-gri is not going to inspire people's >confidence in you belaying them. I admire that you're willing to admit this, but perhaps >a little more practice is in order until you are comfortable using all kinds of belay >devices.

I admitted i was shite with a gri gri, but i'm completely compitent with an ATC, why should that be uninspiring??! perhaps if i was belaying them with a gri gri. I dont see why i have to be compitent with all types of belays, i am never going to buy myself a gri gri, never going to use one on the rocks, and think its a completely idiotioc sentiment. If you are left handed why force yourself to write script with your right hand?? Lunacy.


evanbb

19-Nov-2008
9:23:33 AM

On 19/11/2008 Cookie wrote:
...did you know they filter it through meat?? MEAT!! *gags*

Nonsense, they don't filter it through meat. Who told you that? Clearly THAT was a come on. You need to be less trusting Cookie.

Wine and beer both use a process of adding 'finings' to remove the floating bits before bottling. These are often animal products; egg white in the case of some wines and fish oil for beers. They drop the stuff in, mix it up, and the 'finings' floculate the particles together into bigger lumps and they fall to the bottom, so you can decant off the good stuff from the top.

Hence, most beers are not vegetarian friendly. Ditto some wines, but mostly only expensive reds, like the Petaluma Merlot, famous for its egg white finings. Coopers beers however use no animal products, which is why so many hippies drink them.

I bet you didn't know though, that gin is made by fermenting kitten eyeballs. Yet another reason to drink gin.


Cookie

19-Nov-2008
9:35:31 AM

>Nonsense, they don't filter it through meat. Who told you that? Clearly
>THAT was a come on. You need to be less trusting Cookie.

I have a friend who works at CUB. I have been told. fizzy wees i say.

>
>I bet you didn't know though, that gin is made by fermenting kitten eyeballs.
>Yet another reason to drink gin.

i like kittens... yum! especially their crunchy little bones....... i know it's made from juniper berries :P

gfdonc

19-Nov-2008
10:19:54 AM

Back on topic, hope you get someone to take you out.

However one small concern - most of the toprope belays at Werribee are concreted posts. It won't necessarily give you much insight into setting up a belay, allowing for direction of pull, and equalising loads, which will be required to set up topropes at most cliffs.

It will, however, sort out a few concerns such as how to extend the anchor, redundancy issues and preserving your rope across an edge.


Cookie

19-Nov-2008
10:36:50 AM

>However one small concern - most of the toprope belays at Werribee are
>concreted posts. It won't necessarily give you much insight into setting
>up a belay, allowing for direction of pull, and equalising loads, which
>will be required to set up topropes at most cliffs.

i'm happy with that option, if it is easy for us to set something up then we can do it whenever we feel like it and get a feel for the real rock... we hope to begin leading after a few months of top roping, so it shouldnt be much of an issue :)

>It will, however, sort out a few concerns such as how to extend the anchor,
>redundancy issues and preserving your rope across an edge.

and that is very important :)


Robb

19-Nov-2008
11:00:50 AM

On 18/11/2008 Cookie wrote:
>i'm not surprised.. they are awful!! i go VERY very slowly so my partner
>doesnt fall but i absolutely HATE them... and if you need to feed out slack!!
>what a nightmare.
>
you are probably having trouble belaying with a grigri because no one has shown you the best /easy way to do it. they are simple and safer when used properly


Cookie

19-Nov-2008
11:10:50 AM

>you are probably having trouble belaying with a grigri because no one
>has shown you the best /easy way to do it. they are simple and safer when
>used properly

i had a 2 second instruction at chockstone, then it was up to me. we had both never used them before so i couldnt lean on my partner to show me a better way. perhaps if i didnt have to pull my arm behind my back and feed the rope (as was instructed) and i could cup the rope and keep pressure on it that way when the climber is being let down, it would be ok... up is easy, no problems there, its just losing control when he is being let down which is the hard bit.


Twitch

19-Nov-2008
11:25:49 AM

On 19/11/2008 Cookie wrote:
>its just losing control when he is being let down which is the hard bit.

Don’t worry, I find then a little awkward to use as well especially when my partner is a lot heavier than me. They do have some advantages and with a bit of practice you can get used to them. You will see a lot of people using them in sports climbing. We have one at home somewhere, gathering dust ;)

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