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General Climbing Discussion

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The Art of Onsight Trad Climbing 9-Nov-2005 At 3:24:46 PM bradc

Message

On 9/11/2005 JBM wrote:
>
>1) If trad onsight climbing is your deal, how do you train? What techniques
>do you find most effective?
>
I agree with a lot of your stated approach and similarly began alpine climbing then more rock now back in Oz. Climbing at the moment much better than normal and can put it down to time spent on rock. Have found a local quarry and been getting out to do short trad lines regularly. Have a woody in the backyard but not really motivated by it.

>2) How do you differentiate the emotions and feelings you experience on
>a trad onsight vs. your first crack at a bolted line?
>
trad onsight is definitely a lot more satisfying. did a classic 18/19 at Girraween on Sunday (mostly trad but 2 bolts down low) and got to the belay pumping the fist and being generally overcome with euphoria. the climbing was good but it was the run out and the need to concentrate that made the experience. Recently did some sport climbing and none of it was nearly as memorable, albeit higher grade.

>3) Where does the future of the onsight trad lead appear to be going?
>(does not include preplaced trad gear) What role will it play for future
>generations?
>
it will still be around - there are enough people that get a buzz from it - and there are plenty of great natural lines around. other people enjoy climbing for different reasons and that's cool too - horses for courses.

>4) What sort of mental prepartion and strategies do you employ when you
>are getting ready for an onsight trad lead at the edge (or beyond) of your
>current abilities?
>
trad makes me think a lot more about it, given the consequences, but I still find myself half way up things thinking, "should have thought about this a bit more". It's during those moments when you have to convince yourself to commit to the moves that climbing becomes really enjoyable. There's no other sport where I've experienced this feeling. And in trad climbing sometimes there's no choice to be made, you can't downclimb the move and don't want to fall so it's a matter of getting on with it - and 99% of the time you're pleasantly surprised!

>5) How do you get to that next level? The next grade?
>
Climb more. And with someone climbing harder than you.

>6) Can the leader fall? Has this ethos changed?
>
Gear is getting better, so falls are getting more tolerable where the rock placements are good. Still, not something that I'm comfortable with!

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