Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Author

Starting out

Leigh

11-Jun-2009
8:32:54 PM

Hey guys.
I'm new and fear sounding like a real newb (coz i am) who sounds completely stupid. But I find climbing so interesting, I've always wanted to get involved in it and have decided there is no time like the present. I was just wondering how you get started in climbing? Like the very basics, as I am starting completely from scratch. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks =)


Li

11-Jun-2009
8:47:36 PM

Hi Leigh, welcome to this site! You will find that the people here are very knowledgeable and helpful. I've learnt a lot from reading posts here and asking questions. My experience at starting out was at a climbing gym with friends, then someone gave me one of those 1 day climbing/abseiling experiences. After that I was hooked. You can become a member of the Victorian Climbing Club - VCC. They have regular outings teaching beginners through to lead climbing. www.vicclimb.org.au. www.roc.org.au also outings teaching people to climb. Other than that there are people who don't mind taking newbies out and teaching them the ropes (pardon the pun). That's also what has helped me along with my climbing. Good luck! Li


IdratherbeclimbingM9

12-Jun-2009
11:00:03 AM

Pretty much as Li has said.

I think starting out would differ a bit depending where you do it.
If you are city based then these days the gyms seem to be social contact points for outdoor trips as well.
If you are rural based then it is more word of mouth and linking up with local mentors.

To get a taste for it you don't have to spend big $. Many folk who are prepared to teach others usually have gear they lend like harness, helmet etc.; and you can get by on many easier climbs with a pair of cheap 'dunlop volleys'.

Beyond the introductory climbing stage, you would be expected to obtain your own basic gear; being ... harness, shoes, helmet, belay/abseil device and karabiner. As you continue to participate you will find yourself purchasing rope and rack to match the passion ...

Enthusiasm and common sense are your biggest assets when starting out!


nmonteith

12-Jun-2009
11:19:46 AM

If you do pay for some climbing training - make sure it is TRAINING, not just an adventure experience where you don't learn any of the technical side of it. Climbing is all about being self sufficient - so a good knowledge of the gear and techniques is key. The strength and body skills will come naturally once you have your own gear and are comfortable using it. It's a moderately expensive sport once you take it seriously, but it's quite easy to tag along with others and share their gear for the first year of so. There is tonnes of information in magazines and on the net - look out for the local magazine ROCK, and international magazines Climbing & Rock and Ice in most large news agents. They usually have great articles dealing with equiipment and technique.

Mike Bee

12-Jun-2009
11:30:06 AM

Hey Leigh,

First off, a warning. Climbing is a dangerous hobby, not just because you can get hurt or killed, but because you'll probably end up spending inordinate amounts of time and money pursuing your new hobby! Be prepared for that.

Other than that, welcome!

As the others have said, climbers are typically pretty friendly people, so don't be afraid to ask questions either here or in person. The more you can learn, the safer you'll be and the faster you'll be able to progress.
If there's a gym nearby, get a mate who is also interested and head along. Thats probably the easiest way, they'll sort you out with the basics like how to tie in, belay on top rope etc.

Another good option is to get a good intro book. How to Rock Climb! by John Long is a very good book, and I believe that Glen Tempest also has a good one out called Rockclimbing - Getting Started.


Li

12-Jun-2009
11:47:47 AM

One more thing.....ask lots of questions, even if you think you sound completely stupid - you're not! When it comes to learning and safety.....no question is stupid, especially when you're trying to get your head around something.


The good Dr

12-Jun-2009
11:55:58 AM

That is all true, remember;

'There is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid people.'


MonkeyBoy

12-Jun-2009
11:59:50 AM

I second Li's second post....Ask Questions, all the time and of everyone. Its how I have learnt loads and made friends and developed as a climber - everything from why are you...... , How did you.... where did you... what's that for ..... and 99.9% of the time people give you full and friendly answers and are more than happy to share the knowledge.

MB

Leigh

14-Jun-2009
10:27:22 PM

soz for the late reply. but thanks so much for all the information and advice everyone, its really a massive boost and im even keener to get involved. I contacted my local indoor rockclimbing gym and they gave some really good information which Im going to follow up along with everything that you guys have told me. Um, now this is unrelated, and will sound dumb without a doubt. To climb Mt Bogong, do you need equipment and to actually physically climb, or is it a hike? Or does it just depend on the path you take? Thanks so much everyone, hugely appreciated.


Sabu

14-Jun-2009
11:03:05 PM

Bogong is not really a rock climbing area. just a place for epic hikes - especially in winter
when its covered in snow. I think there are some small outcrops on it however.
To climb it all you need is a really good pair of legs as the walk in is brutal from what i've
heard. just also need to be well prepared with food, shelter and warm/wet weather clothing
as its an exposed area subject to mountainous weather such as snow, high winds, low
visibility etc.

fish boy

15-Jun-2009
8:09:00 AM

Brutal? In summer if you're fit it is a 3 hour walk max to the summit up Staircase which is the hardest way (aside from some other off track spurs).


Sabu

15-Jun-2009
11:57:29 AM

I was thinking of it in winter, so there you go!


evanbb

15-Jun-2009
12:04:36 PM

On 12/06/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>If you do pay for some climbing training - make sure it is TRAINING, not
>just an adventure experience where you don't learn any of the technical
>side of it. Climbing is all about being self sufficient - so a good knowledge
>of the gear and techniques is key.

I agree with everything Neil has said. It was something I was terrible at initially; for some reason I seem to take a lot of bumblies out, probbaly an ego thing. But I never used to show people what to do, or why, but just tell them. I had some excellent teachers starting out, who taught me why to do things. In the end, these are the skills you want. Climbing can be a bit scary, but it's mostly pretty safe; if you know what you're doing. If you don't, and are entirely dependent on your leader, the scope for things going wrong is awesome.

rockranga

16-Jun-2009
10:39:30 AM

Hi Leigh, congrats on a fantastic choice of sport :)

if you're starting out from scratch I'd recommend an indoor gym if possible as it allows you to get your footing. You'll find, initially, the hardest part of climbing is learning to balance your weight and shifting it around in order to make your way up each climb, indoor gyms are a very safe way to learn and you can push your limits without worrying about getting stuck halfway. The other good thing about climbing indoors is the ability to get your fitness up very quickly, you'll be able to bang out ten climbs in a couple of hours compared to 1 or 2 during a day trip at an outdoor crag, if you go a couple of times a week your strength and ability will shoot up quite fast.

Of course you'll need someone to climb with which can be another challenge in itself, if possible find a friend who's keen and get into it together, if not you'll find the notice boards at gyms have scores of people looking for climbing partners, they vary in ability from beginner to experienced so you shouldn't have any problems finding someone to climb with.

As the others have said, climbers are a friendly bunch who are always up for a conversation and happy to answer questions. It's a dangerous sport but most of the danger can be negated by being safe and smart. Learn everything you can from those around you and you'll be fine.

Gear is another topic and something you'll want to investigate, to climb indoors you'll need a harness, carabiner, shoes and a chalkbag (At first you can hire these). With a harness i'd advise visitng various stores and trying on several brands, go somewhere you can sit in the harness to determine if it's comfortable, you should get something decent for around $150 but as you'll be spending a lot of time in this thing over the years you'll want it to fit perfectly, don't be afraid to spend a little extra if it means getting something really confortable. Shoes are another matter, as you're really new to climbing i would probably recommend something cheaper if they're for indoor use as you'll end up replacing them within a year or so (Not because they've worn out but because you'll want something a bit more technical), again, go for comfort. For chalkbags and carabiners buy whatever suits your style and budget, functionality doesn't really change with these, carabiners open and shut and chalkbags hold chalk.

Have a look around for your gear rather than buying from the first store you visit, you'll find you can almost always get a good deal by shopping around, go to shops and look for sales, visit websites and compare overall prices and service. www.rockhardware.com.au is quite a good site with a large range of products and cheap postage.

Hope it all made sense, have fun and happy climbing!! :)


foreverabumbly

16-Jun-2009
11:57:35 AM

hey Leigh, Like has been mentioned Bogong is a hiking/ back country skiing hill. Australia doesnt have any real technical mountaineering, the closest we have is the walk in to Moonarie (*tongue very much in cheek*)

If you want to experience such things then you need to get over to NZ.

The only other advice I want to emphasis is learning to climb is very much a who you know type of thing. So when you hit the gym, be social and friendly, and leave the ego at the door. Nothing puts off a potential mentor than a kid showing off at the gym. recognise that you have a lot to learn from people even if you can climb better than them indoors. Indoor climbing is different from outdoor climbing, not all the skills transfer easily, so when you do go outside remember that.

The last thing I would like to add is not everyone is safe, and there are some dodgy climbers out there teaching dodgy skills. So, buy some book, (the ones already mentioned are winners, the Tempest one is great), google or whatever to invest in some personal knowledge as well. learn from a few different people. And if things look dodgy, or if the mentor gives a suss answer then back off. If things look weird politly question why they did it like that, and if it still looks weird dont use it.
Climb safe

16-Jun-2009
12:43:30 PM

On 15/06/2009 Sabu wrote:
>I was thinking of it in winter, so there you go!

Have a look at the Eastern Victoria guide for details about the mixed climbing that Neil Monteith and others have done during winter on Bogong. It also has a section on winter climbing at Mount Buller.


Sabu

16-Jun-2009
1:23:27 PM

On 16/06/2009 BA wrote:
>On 15/06/2009 Sabu wrote:
>>I was thinking of it in winter, so there you go!
>
>Have a look at the Eastern Victoria guide for details about the mixed
>climbing that Neil Monteith and others have done during winter on Bogong.
>It also has a section on winter climbing at Mount Buller.

Don't worry i've already looked at that...with envy!

Leigh

17-Jun-2009
11:38:36 AM

Thanks for all the useful and practical information everyone. I'll keep every bit in mind. I've started doing some reading about different things, it's all a bit overwhelming at the moment but all the advice has been a huge help. Should be climbing within the next few days and have an older brother who is really keen to join in aswell, so I was lucky in that element. Thanks so much for the help, I never really expected so many people to offer so much good help. =)


cookie

22-Jun-2009
4:42:26 PM

>First off, a warning. Climbing is a dangerous hobby, not just because
>you can get hurt or killed, but because you'll probably end up spending
>inordinate amounts of time and money pursuing your new hobby! Be prepared
>for that.

mmmmm Gear Aquisition Syndrome..... i like the shinies.


russianSpy

22-Jun-2009
5:33:18 PM

yeah, suffering from GAS myself lately...

is there a cure for it?

There are 26 messages in this topic.