WOW things and attitudes have changed since I learned to climb! Insurance??? what???? You want to learn trad, buy a rack/rope/books, find someone who has lots of experience, buy them a six pack, offer to drive to the crag and get mileage seconding them. Get them to explain their anchors and anything else you are wondering about. Use YOUR common sence, if something looks dangerous don't do it. In my opinion a day course will not teach you much more (maybe less) than a weekend seconding a good leader on mulitpitch. Once you have experience seconding (could be a weekend or a year) try leading some easy climbs that you have wired. Ask your experienced partner how your placements were. If anyone wants to hook up this spring in halifax I'll gladly go out with you, or hook up for a group trip for some multi pitch in welsford. I'm sure we could round up some guys from NB to join us.
jeremy
Trad climbing course
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by martha » Mon Feb 20, 2006 1:17 pm
jeremy wrote:WOW things and attitudes have changed since I learned to climb! Insurance??? what???? You want to learn trad, buy a rack/rope/books, find someone who has lots of experience, buy them a six pack, offer to drive to the crag and get mileage seconding them. Get them to explain their anchors and anything else you are wondering about. Use YOUR common sence, if something looks dangerous don't do it. In my opinion a day course will not teach you much more (maybe less) than a weekend seconding a good leader on mulitpitch. Once you have experience seconding (could be a weekend or a year) try leading some easy climbs that you have wired. Ask your experienced partner how your placements were. If anyone wants to hook up this spring in halifax I'll gladly go out with you, or hook up for a group trip for some multi pitch in welsford. I'm sure we could round up some guys from NB to join us.
jeremy
that is just what I was saying all along... You got it Jeremy! For sure we'd join you in Welsford!
The phrase "working mother" is redundant. ~Jane Sellman
If a husband speaks in the woods, and his wife is not there to hear him...is he still wrong?
If a husband speaks in the woods, and his wife is not there to hear him...is he still wrong?
- martha
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by MarkR » Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:12 pm
A few points about Jeremy's generally fine post...
A key part of making it work is the the bit about having the knowledge to know if something is safe, as implied in the bit about "books".
Just because someone is "experienced" doesn't mean that they are safe, they could just be lucky (especially if their experience includes lots of "epics")...
See earlier post about assumption...
Experience also doesn't mean that someone is good at teaching and can explain "why" which is a necessary component of future decision making.
Following leaders up trad climbs is a fine thing to do and it certainly gets me on climbs I wouldn't otherwise do, but my background knowledge allows me to make sound (sometimes...) decisions about how safe that person is and whether I should keep climbing with them.
A good course is an excellent way to get that background knowledge. Follow it up by climbing with good, experienced climbers.
In a nut shell, get knowledge (somehow), hang with trad climbers (nowadays most of them don't smell too bad), and, as Jeremy said, use common sense.
Oh yeah, don't forget to have fun!
A key part of making it work is the the bit about having the knowledge to know if something is safe, as implied in the bit about "books".
Just because someone is "experienced" doesn't mean that they are safe, they could just be lucky (especially if their experience includes lots of "epics")...
See earlier post about assumption...
Experience also doesn't mean that someone is good at teaching and can explain "why" which is a necessary component of future decision making.
Following leaders up trad climbs is a fine thing to do and it certainly gets me on climbs I wouldn't otherwise do, but my background knowledge allows me to make sound (sometimes...) decisions about how safe that person is and whether I should keep climbing with them.
A good course is an excellent way to get that background knowledge. Follow it up by climbing with good, experienced climbers.
In a nut shell, get knowledge (somehow), hang with trad climbers (nowadays most of them don't smell too bad), and, as Jeremy said, use common sense.
Oh yeah, don't forget to have fun!
- MarkR
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- Location: Antigonish-ish
by The Teth » Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:10 pm
The Mitt’s sputtering indignation aside, I agree 100% with John Bowle’s post. He summed the situation up very well. My completely uninformed rant stemmed from my concern that unfounded lawsuits might destroy Canadian society as it has done in the states (but this is mostly fear based on ignorance as I have not taken the time research the differences between Canadian and US law), and secondly from my resentment over not being able to get any experienced trad climbers to show me the ropes when I was trying to learn trad.
The Teth
The Teth
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The Teth - Posts: 453
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by The Teth » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:43 pm
I should probably give props to The Mitt, Stevo, and the boys for this Stoners thing. It’s a great way for new trad climbers to spend time at the cliff with those more hardened veterans. I hope I have time to get out with you guys this year. I also hope for less precipitation in 2006.
The Teth
The Teth
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The Teth - Posts: 453
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- Location: Halifax
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