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Crag & Route Beta

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Topic Date User

Freycinet 10-Sep-2011 At 12:49:55 PM rolsen1

Message

On 10/09/2011 Wendy wrote:
>On 10/09/2011 rolsen1 wrote:
>>On 10/09/2011 Wendy wrote:
>
>>
>>In some ways I think learning to place gear by top roping is a great
>(but
>>very slow) way to learn to place trad. There is nothing that makes you
>>trust your placements more than rapping off them.
>>
>>Obviously you want to look into the theory of placing trad, maybe get
>>a good book or use the web. But if you build the anchors with your partner
>>making sure you have 3 good placements, make sure one of you weights/jumps
>>on the ropes while the other one checks to see how the gear is weighted.
>
>pfft! books and the web aren't exactly good ways of learning to place
>good gear! and i'd be going for a lot more than 3 placements when you effectively
>have 2 people with bugger all idea assessing if they are any good. I'm
>sure i've told this story before, but an ex of mine went climbing with
>this guy he'd just met, the guy leads the first pitch of arachnus, jason
>follows and doesn't think to check his belay. 3rd person coming up falls
>off. as the guy belaying is pulled onto the gear, all 3 pieces fail and
>jason grabs the back of the guy's harness and the rock. This now being
>the only thing preventing all 3 falling to the deck. I'm sure that guy
>thought he had 3 good placements in though.
>
>

I'm waiting to be picked up to go to the footy so I'll bite.

Yes, I agree that good instruction is best way to learn if fact I've argued here before that I think it takes a really long time, lots of different routes and lots of reflective conversations. However, as a guess, half the people on here would have mostly taught themselves, especially if you look at the older climbers.

About your story and thinking your gear is good vs knowing, that's why top roping is good way to learn, your placements are always tested.