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Crag & Route Beta

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Topic Date User

Routes for new leader 19-Mar-2009 At 11:34:38 AM WM

Message

On 19/03/2009 psd wrote:
>My first was the towering mega-classic Yesterday's Heroes (17) on shiny
>rings at Berowra in Sydney

mine too! except back then it had droopy old rusty carrots. I think my second lead was one of those chossy 16 trad routes at diamond bay. all these arapiles coddled babes don't know how good they've got it

>On 18/03/2009 Wendy wrote:
>>I would hope that our new leader toddling up multiple super easy leads
>>is getting good advice on their gear placement and belays by a competant
>>teacher and given extra lessons on the ground if necessary thus they
>wouldn't get through all those easy routes still placing gear that was going to
>>fail.
>
>For sure Wendy - we've been climbing trad together for many years so she
>has done a lot of seconding

without wanting to harp on about it ... even the best theoretical advice from an experienced seconder to a learner leader is after the fact, and usually out of sight of the crappy placement being critiqued, which limits how much the leader can learn from it. Also, basic human nature is that no one likes being criticised, meaning that comments about what "might" have happened or what "might" have improved the placement don't always fully sink in. From my observation it is scarily common that a person who's done heaps of easy leading still places rubbish gear. Sure you'll get there eventually, if you don't kill yourself first. Or you could do a day or 2 of aiding a few pitches with TR backup and get feedback on your gear placements which is immediate, tangible, without interpersonal obstacles, and safe.

seconding also will only give slow progress - when a second finds a loose/popped wire they just whack it on their harness. it doesn't teach them how to make it a good placement. ok i will shut up now