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The Real Perez Hilton
Social climber
Hollywood, CA
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Jul 21, 2009 - 05:48pm PT
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it appears as though i was waaay wrong.
i thought you would get hammered.
there has been much good info presented.
i apologize to the Supertopians for my cynicism.
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mason805
Big Wall climber
East Bay, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 21, 2009 - 06:03pm PT
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Bluering, thanks for the offer! I will have to take you up on that as soon as I get the basic gear.
Prod, as for trad climbing, it sounds like a lot of work. I know I probably sound like a naive kid with this question, but is that the typical style of climb for a wall like El Cap or Half Dome's north face?
From what I've gathered, most of those challenging, multi-pitch, multi-day climbs require aid climbing. And my naivete has further led me to believe that most of the safety devices have already been fastened into the rock for climbers of those routes.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Edit: My interest lies in big wall climbs, to answer your question.
Re: dry wit & sense of humor...you'll be sorry you got me started haha
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apogee
climber
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Jul 21, 2009 - 06:13pm PT
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"there has been much good info presented.
i apologize to the Supertopians for my cynicism."
I'm surprised, too- some n00b questions really get trashed. Why do you suppose some get hammered, and some get helped?
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 21, 2009 - 06:14pm PT
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Whoever jumps in first often seems to set the tone. Although some posters do seem to invite teasing, and it can get a bit robust.
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
way, WAY out there....(OMG)
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Jul 21, 2009 - 06:28pm PT
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Oh, And never, I mean NEVER head butt El Cap.
It's very hard.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jul 21, 2009 - 06:28pm PT
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some of my first exposure to climbing books were the ones I got at the library.
i should take those back some day.
j/k
The old Robbins Basic Rockcraft gives solid insight, but for the new gear stick with newer libros.
cheers,
M
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Jul 21, 2009 - 06:33pm PT
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stfu n00b!
and welcome to the tacofest...
just grab your mom's old washing line, head out to the crags, and get all up on it oldschool stylee
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jul 21, 2009 - 06:50pm PT
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Mason, I have tons of gear. As long as you have a harness and shoes you'd be good to hang with me and my crew.
I figure just go out and climb. We could start with setting and backing up TR anchors, then eventually proceed to easy leads on bolts.
Eventually start playing around with cramming my gear into cracks on the ground, maybe follow my lead and check out my placements.
Reading books is always good to do as well. That way you could take your newly learned knowledge outside and put it to use under supervision of more experienced climbers.
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squishy
Mountain climber
sacramento
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Jul 21, 2009 - 07:36pm PT
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^^^^^^^
Do that...
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photonez
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Jul 21, 2009 - 07:47pm PT
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Read, read, read. Don't worry though you'll surely forget most of it once you get up on a route. Doing works best for me.
Once you find some more experienced partners, try following them on many multi-pitch routes. You learn what it takes to pull gear, get to see what decent placements look like, and what makes a good belay anchor. Also, you get your head around what it means to get high, like really high. :)
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jstan
climber
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Jul 21, 2009 - 07:49pm PT
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BEGIN QUOTES
"Re: New Climber: Could someone please suggest some resources?
Jul 21, 2009, 03:13pm PT
"there has been much good info presented.
i apologize to the Supertopians for my cynicism."
I'm surprised, too- some n00b questions really get trashed. Why do you suppose some get hammered, and some get helped?
END QUOTES
"Could someone PLEASE suggest some resources?"
Now let me ask. Does not this sound like an intelligent person who would be a great partner on a climb and who would have interesting things to say the whole time?
Eh?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jul 21, 2009 - 08:00pm PT
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Why back in the "Golden Age" of Yosemite stories abound about stealing mom's clothesline to bound up the local granite cliffs with Ked sneakers.
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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Jul 21, 2009 - 08:09pm PT
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Your best bet is finding a good mentor or mentors. There are so many climbers today that it shouldn't be that hard in the bay area. Just put some time in at the local crags to see if your mentor is truly attentive to anchors and belaying. It's much better to find out at a small rock that someone is more walk than talk then a couple pitches up in the sierras.
And if you just don't seem to find that mentor, go it your own. I started in the bay area over 20 years ago. I took some courses in yosemite, read everything I could find, and enlisted some friends to try out climbing. I started leading in the pinnacles on sparsly spaced questionable old bolts in more questionable rock. My skills developed over the years and then I started climbing multi pitch routes in Tahoe, Yosemite, Courtright, etc.
I found the best way I improved my climbing was to boulder frequently. Nothing beats learning various ways to use your hands, feet, balance, etc then trying hard and awkward moves on the boulders.
As far as placing pro, that's something that you have to learn hands on. Test those placements, and not just in a straight down pull. You need to learn to account for rope drag pulling out placements.
Most of us learned with limited resources, so long as you have the desire, and go about it methodically and work your way up, you'll be in the thick of it in no time.
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davidji
Social climber
CA
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Jul 21, 2009 - 08:28pm PT
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I'm not sure if these classes are really still taught, but the rock 1 & rock 2 classes used to be a great way to get started in the east bay. Rock 2 sounds like a starting point for what you want to learn.
http://daltman.com/outdoor.html
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jul 21, 2009 - 08:36pm PT
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No offense to anyone here but I've always found professional climbing instruction to be a waste of money. Don't get me started on gyms.
Just go hang with someone you trust, see they if appear competant, i.e. Topropes for a while, get a feel, then go!!!
If you want to learn how to climb in the real world, climb in the real world - safely on TR's at first, then proceed.
I f*#king hate gyms..... (I do acknowledge they are good training though if that's your deal)
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davidji
Social climber
CA
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Jul 21, 2009 - 08:49pm PT
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the classes I linked are taught on rock, not gym.
I've seen many people learning poor techniques or the "gumby way" from their experienced partner. Professional instruction isn't always great either though.
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mason805
Big Wall climber
East Bay, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 21, 2009 - 08:53pm PT
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Wow, so many responses. Thank you, I have a lot of great information from all of you!
---Bluering, that sounds awesome, I'm in. Can I bring along a friend, she's at the same level I am (we had the lessons together)? I will get the harness and shoes (thanks for the generous offer, I will email you).
I have nothing against gyms, I have climbed their walls quite a few times, but I really enjoy the feeling of being on the rock. Of course if I am near a rock climbing wall, I'll probably go climb it if it's in a gym anyway.
Thanks for the book recommendations from everyone.
And of course, I'm surprised that I haven't been hazed at all. You've all been pretty cool, so thanks.
Last couple of questions (yea right, i'm sure I'll have a lot more): Is camp 4 in Yosemite strictly walk in and is there a limit to how many people can camp there daily?
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mason805
Big Wall climber
East Bay, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 21, 2009 - 09:01pm PT
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So, Scully, how did you get your nickname anyway?
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jul 21, 2009 - 09:01pm PT
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Yeah, I here ya David. I learned on my own w/ books and going out and ultra-bombifying everything at first. Now I'm way more lax, just 3 points instead of like 5.
Photonez even 'had the nerve' to criticise one of my anchors on the topout ledge of NW Books. How dare he!!11!
Hahaa, he thought I was pissed about his criticism, but I was just arguing that while one cam appeared almost tipped out, that cams are bomber with double-axles and the cam met a constriction that would have most definately prevented rotation and exit.
I thought it was bomber, he didn't. Whatever...That's why it's nice climbing with other peeps, talk about sh#t.
I later told him the third cam was placed after the second came up and I looked at the anchor and thought, "wouldn't hurt to slam in a 3rd!!!! piece....."
If you know that belay, it's purdy solid with a tri-cam and a cam equalized.
Mason, e-mail me....
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 21, 2009 - 09:05pm PT
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Camp 4: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/camp4.htm
Be warned that we encourage people to take the initiative, particularly with regard to requests for information that can be found without much effort. As the various religions mostly say, god helps those who help themselves.
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