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Topic Date User

looking for instruction 18-Nov-2008 At 12:41:18 PM bluey

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Hey Cookie,

I'm definitely a fan of the master/apprentice approach because often a course is very informative but only for a short period of time - and when you're learning, you need lots of reminders, reinforcement etc. And it takes a long time for all the info to sink in. So having an ongoing mentor is ideal.

That said, when you're starting out, you aren't necessarily well equipped to judge whether you are being taught the right stuff. And if you're taught the wrong stuff and you go and use it, well, a dodgy anchor or toprope setup is incredibly dangerous.

I've taken out newbies to second me on stuff but I would be very reluctant to teach anyone toprope or anchor set ups just because it's a huge deal if they use that info wrongly or I forget to mention something. I'd be wary of people who are super confident about teaching you such stuff unless they are really experienced climbers - and I'm talking years and years on trad, or some decent guiding experience. It's worth noting that formal quals for teaching someone to lead/set up topropes/anchors are quite a way up the scale from just guiding someone on a route.

So my suggestion is find people to second stuff outdoors with first. Make an initial judgement about whether they are experienced enough. Then second lots and lots and observe their practices, anchor set ups, and ask LOTs of questions. Climb with a range of people and question why they do things a certain way. Then, once you've got the knowledge and have a feel for what good gear and set ups look like, ask the most knowledgeable/experienced of your climbing partners to help you do some anchor- practice - pick a safe ledge or ground level to give it a try before you rely on it on a climb.

And books, well I find it hard to visualize tech stuff from books even when they have diagrams - but they're definitely good for reinforcing (or shooting down) stuff you've seen people do or been told about.

Good luck!