Trad climbing reddit. However, sport routes are equipped with pre-placed bolts in the rock for protection. What size slings and how many each do you like having set aside for trad anchors? Or do you prefer cordelette? And why. Jan 21, 2021 · Trad climbing is dangerous, fun, and addictive. This past weekend -- for the first time in 2 years -- I went on a short sport climbing trip to a classic area, and was -- frankly -- bored. Whether you’re placing gear or bailing off a bold move, downclimbing is a seriously underrated skill in trad climbing. Learn about career opportunities, leadership, and advertising solutions across our trusted brands 13 votes, 58 comments. I currently work in a climbing gym that offers bouldering, top rope and lead climbing. like 5. Disagree, you can learn how to climb as you follow, some areas have terrible sport climbing and great trad climbing. Is it odd to want to jump into trad as a newer climber? I've been climbing for about a year now, and have consistently lead 5. That being said, if you’ve got rope to spare for anchor building you certainly gain a lot of ease in connecting pieces (don’t have to fiddle with making static arms and other weird configurations). 10b sport outside when I… What is trad climbing? In short, trad climbing, more formally known as traditional climbing, is a form of rock climbing that requires placing your own gear for protection, rather than solely relying on pre-placed bolts. 173 votes, 88 comments. Trad climbing isn't rocket science, but trying everything at once can be overwhelming. Starter rack is complete! Any tips for a new trad climber? Would love to hear all sorts of experiences and advice! Newb question Hi guys, I've been thinking about trad climbing lately because it seems cooler in general. Also see some examples of gear-racking options. How to go from bouldering to trad? So I'm decent at bouldering, and I'm looking to get into trad climbing but I don't know any trad climbers and I can't afford a full-on course. Preferably something thorough for rock climbing trad anchors, I don't care about teaching them snow anchors and mountaineering details. I have one that I use for all my trad and ice climbing and it is seriously so good. Honestly, I think "trad" harnesses are bulky and over rated. Best option is to hire a professional rock guide and have them teach you, or take a group class, or go to an event/climbing festival. Keeps the front 4 loops clear for cams/nuts and slings while I climb. 16 votes, 42 comments. Very overwhelmed on where to start. Trad opens up more adventure-style climbing, tackling big walls and being out there on the wall for hours. . it's dangerous. I was leading up to about 5. Some additional things you need to think about: How your gear placements affect the system. 593 votes, 159 comments. It's still in great shape. Think about protecting your second - especially on traverses. Alpine climbing in the Canadian Rockies I used alpine draws almost exclusively as even with double ropes it could be hard to extend or make tricky placements work. Hey! By the way… this page contains affiliate links. But, If slab’s aren’t your thing and you’re more crack or edging, then I can honestly say the TCs are the best. Any suggestions on what a good “starter pack” would look like as far different cam/nut sizes? and then I can experiment and add to it based on need from there. I am looking at the black diamond chaos and the petzl sama. Apr 4, 2025 · If you plan on trad climbing, cams are essential. Discover everything to get started. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. 3M subscribers in the climbing community. Apr 14, 2021 · We have written up a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to build your very first rack for trad climbing, what you should consider and how much all this might cost you. Thanks for your support! I own bouldering stuff (two pads); sport climbing stuff (quick draws & rope); traditional climbing gear (sets of cams, nuts, tricams, hexes); aid climbing gear (pitons, hammers, ledge, pigs, bashies, etc); alpine/ice climbing gear (ice tools, mountaineering axe, screws, snargs, crampons, deadman anchors, boots, specialized clothing, etc Been trad climbing with some buddies for a while now and ready to commit and buy my own rack. Obviously, you need to work on your gear placements, but that is something that comes with time. My go-to is a 4-gear loop harness with a gear sling. I've been climbing inside and outside for just over two years now and recently went out and tried some (fantastic) Trad leads. Sport or Lead climbing is when you attach your rope, using quick draws, to fixed anchors in the wall as you go up. What is the best way to do it? After climbing in a pair of mythos for years, I like how well they smear and climb on slabs. While sport climbing practice rappelling, anchor building, belaying up a follower. For your first time climbing trad, you did pretty well. No hanging on the rope to work out the moves (hang dogging). Two years ago, though, I got into trad and haven't looked back. The higher heel helps support your ankle torqued over in cracks and the rigidity of the sole helps with edging. It's not something one replaces all that often (I don't anyways) so I want to make the right purchase. Moved Permanently The document has moved here. It Caught me on a daisy whip while aid climbing in the Fishers. 182 votes, 21 comments. 10b sport outside when I started getting into trad, then kinda had to start over when learning on gear. 10b sport outside when I… Trad climbing standards and practices change over time. But I'm curious whether I should make an effort to get into it. 26 votes, 114 comments. It's more of a marathon, single moves aren't usually the issue, but having the body endurance to sustain climbing for a long time is. If you want to get feedback on your cam placements learn aid climbing-- you weight and bounce test each piece (well, when starting out anyway) which is phenomenal training for trad. Here’s how to get better at it: Stay calm I think trad has ruined sport climbing for me I've been climbing 10 + years, 5 quite seriously, and have clipped bolts all over North America. And while learning basic trad is far away from the cutting edge, teaching yourself to trad climb requires the same kind of thorough comprehension that people inventing new aspects of the sport require. Once you are comfortable with the rope systems involved and all that's left is learning to place protection, do that. Jul 9, 2023 · "Trad" is an exciting style of climbing that relies on pieces of protection placed by climbers for safety. 11's indoors and a few times outside, all sport routes. Mines yellow. At GearLab, our roots are in rock climbing, as the website started as an offshoot of SuperTopo. Trad climbing is not a textbook activity- there is exceptions to every rule, different ways of doing things in different situations etc. The home of Climbing on reddit. First trad experience this Sunday with my friend ! we were supervised by a guide de haute montagne and learned a lot! Hey man, Bouldering is climbing without a rope and you do not climb nearly as high. . What runners do you use for trad climbs? Currently using BD nylon runners, but I'm due to replace them this spring. 13 votes, 58 comments. Reply reply mortalwombat- • Reply reply More replies dutchspook • Reply reply Rotem_ • Reply reply dutchspook • Reply reply more replyMore repliesMore replies fourdoorshack • Reply reply More replies Mar 9, 2022 · Sport climbing shares the main objective of trad climbing: to climb higher using only one’s hands and feet on the existing rock features. I was looking at the Edelrid tech slings at REI the other day, and they seem to be quite a bit stiffer than most Dyneema runners. 1. Sep 5, 2023 · Climbing since 2015, mostly trad. I wanted to get the community’s thoughts on choosing Leavenworth versus Squamish as the class location. Solid big gear loops where all biners just don't get bunched together. Do: Study each piece before you whip on it. However I am curious, and also building my own confidence for taking falls. What was your progression like, did you have to fall on your gear a We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Just curious. Reply reply More replies Kiwibertc • We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Route finding Getting back down Cleaning and re-racking gear A subreddit dedicated to discussing and reviewing climbing shoes. My first every trad rack after climbing for around 2 years, Super psyched to test it out soon Best easy Trad climbs SLC end of Oct? Hi fam! I have some guide books on the way but wanted to ask the hive brain for recommendations on super fun single and multi pitch trad climbs in Little or Big Cottonwood Canyons or slightly further afield near the end of October. You’ve just realised the gear’s below your feet, the next move is sketchy, and committing means maybe decking… Time to downclimb. Hi r/climbing, I am looking to invest in a new harness. There is also trad climbing where you do not use anchors, but put your own gear into the wall. Two climbers from England, Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall, set out to explore this world and climb the world’s hardest offwidths. Been trad climbing for a while now, and have slowly built up a decent trad rack. 12 votes, 48 comments. I appreciate every placement is different and should be judged on its individual merits. I climb in the gym during the week, and outdoors whenever I can get out. Traditional climbing: use at your own risk. Comfy enough to hang in while cleaning routes but preferably not too heavy or warm. I climb mostly in Utah in rock canyon and Ibex with the occasional moab trip. What happens to the rest of them when you fall on the top piece. And yes we are scared of falling. Learn to Lead Trad Climbing Course Options Howdy folks! My goal next summer is to start getting comfortable leading, and I wanted to take this learn to lead course in the PNW. I'm a newbie to crack and trad climbing, but am looking to get started once the season gets going. Also, be careful placing too many wires at the start without a omnidirectional piece. Opinions on trad shoes I'm looking for a good trad/crack shoe that can smear well and has all day comfort. Even in massive sport areas such as the New and the Red, cracks are left alone and trad ethics are respected. Is it not a good idea to get into trad? (easy trad. Crack climbing in Squamish you barely need draws if your cams extend. I put some gear in the other day to backup a rather runnout pitch but felt better when I got to the shiny bolt and clipped into that. 19K subscribers in the tradclimbing community. 37 votes, 118 comments. Which ones should I check out? Climbers climbing established routes will have an intended descent route and that typically does not require to leave any gear behind. Find out how to start now! Trad belaying is more nuanced because belay stance matters. Gri-gris are fine for every kind of climbing and don't listen to hypothetical nervous nellies tell you otherwise. Trad climbing is a lot more than placing gear and clipping it. Jan 29, 2021 · Get the scoop on all things Moab climbing including info on the best rock climbing areas and routes you can't miss when climbing in Moab. I'm contemplating making the switch to Dyneema. What is the best way to do it? 5. 11 votes, 15 comments. (Look up unzipping pieces for example of how you can fuck it up). For more specific to rock climbing and trad, I would recommend Craig Leubben's book, "rock climbing: masterising basics". So if you make a purchase after clicking one at no cost to you we may earn a small commission. May 29, 2020 · New to trad climbing? Our Beginner's Guide to Trad Climbing breaks down everything you need to know to get started trad climbing today. Read a ton and watch a lot of videos. is America’s largest digital and print publisher. If you plan to climb anything higher than 30 meters (half a rope lenght), the self-rescue book is also mandatory, for your partner and your safety. I understand the sama, is a "sport You’ve basically just perfectly described the Misty Mountain Cadillac. I've been climbing seriously for around 6 months but i was climbing off and on for around 2 years. 11 trad climbers: Do you climb more pitches of sport or trad in a given year? Might sound like a stupid question, but after hearing often the advice, "do sport to get better at trad" and Eric Horst's claim that many strong trad climbers do more sport than trad, I thought I'd put the question to this sub. Knowledge of how to place the gear you now own. If you live near good trad climbing, use a climbing forum like Mountain Project or a social network like Facebook Groups to find local climbers that have experience looking for partners. Plus if the stock one isn’t exactly what you want they’ll customize one for you. Clean climbing ethics. Trying to get some input from other climbers here. Best time to start trad climbing? At what point in a person's rock climbing career would you say it's ideal to start trad climbing? And how would one go about starting this? To me trad climbing is sort of a big goal in my climbing career that I hope I can do. What’s your hard trad shoe or choice and how would you size it? About me: 130 lb female Primarily climb basalt cracks at the Lower gorge at Smith or Trout Creek as I live in Bend But I travel to climb a lot as well and spend time climbing in Index, Squamish and Yosemite - as well as Red Rocks and Indian creek So a lot of basalt and granite! People Inc. Reply reply Tom0laSFW • Wide Boys - Trad / OffWidth Crack: "The world of offwidth crack climbing is a strange sub-culture rumoured to be dominated by knuckle-dragging, bar-brawling dirt-bags! The climbing is tough,painful and bloody. It’s route/crag dependent of course, but I’d recommend a draw for every 8-10 feet of trad climbing. Follow someone experienced, I'm sure they'd love another belayer. How to Downclimb (Especially When You’re Trad Climbing) . If you fell you would lower to the ground, pull the rope and start it again. I’ve been climbing about 8 years, leading trad consistently for maybe 3. After witnessing a fatal 800 foot fall, losing friends and acquaintances over the years, and seeing so many capable climbers succumb to the mountains, I actually have begun to question if any of it is actually worth it. now if the descent is a bunch of rappels and the fixed gear (slings, bolts, nuts, whatever) look suspect you would leave behind some of your own and remove the suspect gear. Get tips on what cams, nuts and other gear to take rock climbing and how to organize it all. Did the piece move or shift at all after you fell? 40 votes, 79 comments. 20K subscribers in the tradclimbing community. If you're planning on aiding a big wall obviously you want something like a Cadillac, but if you're just doing a couple pitches or single pitch, just buy a cheap sport harness. Kinda curious about what everyone else has in mind for their own dream rack. Just keep climbing well below your level and really focusing on perfect placements. Hi, trad dads - I'm planning a Canada road trip in late July/early August and hoping to get some quality climbing in, and are looking for recommendations! We have a few days to spend in the greater Banff area, and will have a car and a flexible schedule. Just don't get cocky or too eager, take it slow, make sure your climbing partners know what they're getting into. Now I take one up every trad climb, no matter what. Your list would get me up a 100-120 foot pitch or so comfortably. The Art Of Downclimbing. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. There’s are many videos on this, but you need to understand rock type, what protection to use and in what orientation, what is bomber and what is shit. My trad improved a lot after buying a book called 'Crack Climbers Technique Manual,' and then seeking out varied crack sizes. Everyone’s route to trad climbing will be slightly different, and our guide can help! The trad ethic, especially in my current home of North Carolina, is so strong that trad climbing is here to stay as the primary mode of climbing (at least in NC) for a long time. Harness isn't bulky but holds a lot of gear and is padded enough to be comfortable on multi pitch. I've used mine for trad, ice, mountaineering, ski tourin, cragging, and for general use in the last 5 years. Our expert team has a combined 40 years of climbing experience and has field-tested the best climbing gear since the inception of our site Practice trad in a single pitch environment and practice multipitch on fully bolted routes (better yet, practice bringing up a second and rappeling on single pitch routes!) It's important to realize how much one doesn't know and to not have too much confidence. In a trad climbing fall, how often does a piece of gear placements rip? I often see gear placements rip out in YouTube videos of people falling. Climbing cams increase your safety, acting as anchor points in cracks and crevices where bolts are lacking. Most of the stuff I do is trad/multi's with a bit of sport as well. 54 votes, 34 comments. Some people don't even climb in the gym. If you’re serious about trad climbing get doubles in totems up through yellow. Apr 4, 2025 · We've done our best to offer you solid recommendations for the best harness for the money, the best all-around harness, and the best for various climbing disciplines like sport climbing, multi-pitch and trad climbing, alpine climbing, and ice climbing. Bouldering is similar, but I think boulderers and trad climbers are driven by different things. Jul 10, 2024 · Standard trad climbing kit Additional items when climbing in more remote regions What's the difference between single and multi-pitch climbing? What are trad climbing grades? Just exactly what is trad climbing? When I started dipping my toes into mountaineering, I spent plenty of time around hardened rock climbers and started to hear the term Oct 18, 2021 · Trad Climbing is the classic way of climbing outdoors - using some cool gear, a cool head, and a lot of knowledge. 183 votes, 96 comments. Add to that the fact that a lot of trad climbing requires specific skills, like jamming or friction slabs, that are hard to train effectively indoors and also quite rare in sport climbing. Which ones should I check out? Alpine draws depend a lot on where you climb like all trad gear. Trad climbing also valued the onsight and the most beta you would generally get about a route would be the line and the grade. From my superficial research so far, it looks like there's more time spent on laying gear and technical aspects than the purely physical aspect, which is what attracts me to Been trad climbing with some buddies for a while now and ready to commit and buy my own rack. The old school meaning of trad was to always climb from the ground up. 4 etc) I am fascinated with the idea of placing gear and climbing in this way. Thanks, and my apologies if this is asked everyday. The best trad harness? I've had it with the floppy and small gear loops of my current harnesses so I'm looking for a new one. Everyone I know uses them, usually with a guide or a reverso on the harness for the occasional top belay or rappel. Trying trad Hi Climbit, i going to give trad climbing a go in a few weeks and wanted to see if any one had any good advice or know of any tutorials online about placing gear. The 5th loop holds all of my nonsense gear that I carry for non climbing/emergencies. Stuff like prusiks, gloves, belay plate and a nanotrax+tiblock for rescue. I have friends who say that they have been climbing for a decade but refuse to learn new things and change their systems. After that the difference isn’t as pronounced, but they are truly far better - particularly in places like Squamish or Yosemite where you’re constantly plugging gear in old pin scars. No one-size-fits all in either climbing style (blocks vs swing) or anchor building (slings vs rope). The single biggest improvement I saw in my trad climbing was from "mock leading" (leading up while simultaneous being belayed on a top rope with 5-10 feet of slack) and take whips on increasingly marginal gear until something actually ripped. At the level you're climbing at now and looking to climb, technique is 95% of your success so don't worry about training, worry about getting better at reading and climbing cracks of all sizes. For those of you who went sport->trad, did you re-do any fall practice, getting comfortable falling on your pro/placements? Just curious if it was a big thing to deal with, a little thing, etc. Trad climbing is a craft honed over time not really something one "learns". Sport leaders clip into these bolts as they pass using quickdraws, which are two carabiners attached by a short sling. What is trad climbing? In short, trad climbing, more formally known as traditional climbing, is a form of rock climbing that requires placing your own gear for protection, rather than solely relying on pre-placed bolts. Was wondering what my ideal trad rack would be if money wasn't an issue. kljr lnu jombvw ghufo niqnrby khvbdx wkodpl gvvaoz emgvy fydneh