RRC Archives

Philip, I agree with the herbalist and Captain Static. Getting professional instruction is the quickest way to learn if you can afford it. Maybe pops can spring for a birthday course. Seneca has two climbing schools, a bazillion of fun trad lines. Tom Cecil with Seneca Rocks Mountain Guides and Tony Barnes with Seneca Rocks Climbing School have been guideing for over 15 years each. Guides are cool because they can start teaching from what you already know. And it may be worth 150 bucks to have someone tell you that your gear sucks and teach you how to place better pro.
A closer place to go is the New River Gorge. Spend a day or two with Joe Crocker, the boss of New River Mt. Guides (newriverclimbing.com) He is the only guy I know who can lead 5.12, cruise class 5 rapids in a kayak, lead WI5 ice, and win mt. bike races.
I think most of us didn't learn from guides, we learned from our stupid mistakes, and the mistakes of our partners. I am afraid that many accident victims wouldn't have accidents if they had learned from professionals. Something to consider. Call Joe, discover the mountains, hire a guide.

You could also call Arno Ilgner he gave me a one day trad course at the Red the day before Rocktoberfest last year. Youalso get some good rock warrior training thrown in.
Another good book is "From Gym To Crag" from the Mountaineers publishers. Very specific with exercises for transitioning to the outdoors.

Find someone with some experience and a rack, someone hopefully that will let you second and clean a full range of pro, not just cams, so you can see how different placement situations work. Read John Long's "Climbing Anchors" book. Practice building and equalizing anchors. Try as many multi-pitch routes at the Gorge. Also would highly recommend a trip to Senca. Lots of guides (although I've what I think of as dicey behavior on some of their parts) lots of easy routes you can practice gear placements, leading and rope handeling and still summit!

Thanks allot! I hope I can find some one here at some point. But I think right now I need to focus on leading sport routes then move to trad. Are there vary many if any muti pitch sport routes down at the red? If so what are the raitings? All the muti pitchs I have seen are trads.

There's only 1 multi-pitch sport route that I know of. It's at Muir Valley (Joe Ponder Hollow, I think), and it's a 5.10d. Heady first pitch, really cool second pitch.

Phillip, I just started leading trad in the last 4-5 months so I'm going to throw in my un-sarcastic, novice two cents:
1.) Keep leading sport. The more comfortable you get leading, the more comfortable you will be climbing trad
2.) In the meantime, hang out at Miguel's and make friends with some traddies. Sure, you can have a professional teach you - it will be beneficial and accurate technique, however you climb with this guy once and then you never see him again. Its important to build a realtionship with your trad partner cause sometimes its scary and you need all the encouragement you can get.
3.) If you haven't already, TR some trad climbs so you can get the feel of the type of climbing itself. If you are at a crag and you see someone climbing a route ask 'em if you can TR before they finish. (Just make sure you know the grade so you don't get on some beast - you don't want to get scared off.)

philip171 wrote:All the muti pitchs I have seen are trads.

There's one multipitch sport route in Clarksville, TN... it goes at 5.6 or 5.9 depending on the variation you take. The whole route is probably 100ft. It is the only multipitch sport I've seen besides "The Outline" at Draper's Bluff. The first pitch is about 10b and kicks ass, the second is 12a... probably 130or 140ft? The 5.8 version of "Dizzy" at Cedar Bluff in SoIll is a mixed line. You don't need to place more than 3 pieces on the whole route probably... well protected with bolts. That's all I can think of locally... I think there are some more mulitpitch sport lines at the New.

later,
Andy

El Potrero Chico

Roadside Crag: Younder is a 2 pitch sport. 11's

If you ever get the chance to get to the Gunks, jump on it. One of the better places in the world to master the art of trad climbing, and for many reasons.

There are more moderate routes there to lead than any other are, except maybe J Tree. Because the Gunks tends to protect much better than the monument, many people would argue that there may be more "easy to lead" routes there, than anywhere else. And by that, one means: protectable. The best chance to mimimize risk of serious injury, all while given the chance to push one's climbing grade.