Author |
Routes for new leader / Your 1st lead. |
|
|
17-Mar-2009 4:22:55 PM
|
My better half has expressed an interest in having a crack at trad leading on our upcoming trip to Araps. Does anyone have any recommendations for some good routes for learners down there?
The starred easy routes I've done down there are generally pretty long and exposed - attributes I'd like to avoid in this case! I'd don't want her to be freaked out but not too bored either - what do you think? She can comfortably follow 18/19 trad routes and has occasionally led sport routes at that grade too.
|
17-Mar-2009 4:47:34 PM
|
Well, for a warm up i suggest she solo Watchtower Crack
|
17-Mar-2009 5:05:39 PM
|
There's heaps of good stuff on Bushranger wall to get started on.
|
17-Mar-2009 5:09:46 PM
|
P1 libretto for a lace up, though I'd normally drop a few more grades
|
17-Mar-2009 5:09:52 PM
|
My second ever lead was Piccolo (Gr 10 at the Organ Pipes). It has a bit of a stopper move in the middle of the first pitch, unless perhaps you have been given the beta that you step up to a huge jug.
Tale of Woe (Gr 10 in the Northern Group) was my third ever lead. The first pitch is a left leaning crack that eats good gear placements. The second pitch has a couple of steep moves but not ones that should stop a 18/9 sport leader.
On Sunday we did a great gr 11 climb on the left side of Grotto Wall. bggrd if I can remember the name of it.
|
17-Mar-2009 5:13:17 PM
|
OK mate, jokes aside - when i went with Bex and she started leading we did multi pitch stuff and she led the easier pitches.
So, for example on Resignation she did pitch 1 and 4. On Skink she did pitch 1. Works well that way i think.
|
17-Mar-2009 5:38:12 PM
|
Also find a steep crack and get the new leader to aid it on top rope or top belay on a grigri or similar.
I had one leader of a years' experience do this and they hated it, gear pulled 8 times in 10m, and the experience was pronounced "a waste of time". A few years later they now aare very glad they did it.
|
17-Mar-2009 5:49:19 PM
|
bo exodus and tip toe ridge
|
17-Mar-2009 6:30:05 PM
|
Trapeze
|
17-Mar-2009 8:30:45 PM
|
Oh dear, are you asking for a sandbagging or what.
"O.K. Honey, a nice person from Chockstone has recommended this route for you. They say its easy and
well protected. It's called 'Elmer Thud'"
Try "Hammer"
|
17-Mar-2009 9:15:27 PM
|
Eskimo nell
|
17-Mar-2009 9:15:41 PM
|
Yeah, trust Eduardo. For my money Keyboard 8 in the Grogan Pipes. Fantastic gear, not too exposed, chains at top.
|
17-Mar-2009 9:30:26 PM
|
Dude, send them up Diapazon on the organ pipes. Three short grade 8 pitches of a crack, a face/crack and a chimney. Its easy as, not very exposed, massive belay ledges and bomber gear the whole way up. Its about the perfect climb for starting a leader out.
|
18-Mar-2009 8:54:43 AM
|
I guess if she seconds 18/19 and leads 20 on sport I would focus less on the route and more on the anchors. If she wants to learn then I would suggest not putting her on a route with chains at the top. I am sure from her sport climbing she knows how to use fixed gear. Perhaps nice cruisy multipitching like Arachnus where you have to set up multidirectional anchors would be good. There are also plenty of stances from whihc you can really take your time to place gear. If she is interested in learning to lead trad then the difficulty of the route should obviously be the last priority. From what you say the exposure on Arachnus shouldn't be a drama at all.
|
18-Mar-2009 9:59:09 AM
|
Piccolo is good; plenty of good wires. However, the bulge needs a bit of spunk to launch over, enough to test their head but (given the grade) not enough to fall off. Be careful getting off the back though.
If 14 isn't too hard, CS Concerto (pitch 1) is one of the most underrated routes in that area. Good holds, a great crack with perfect gear, and enough rests. Pitch 2 has quite different character (might be your lead).
|
18-Mar-2009 12:19:48 PM
|
Hell for Leather...great holds / great moves / great gear / rap descent...need I say more !
|
18-Mar-2009 1:24:00 PM
|
i would second tip toe ridge. Super easy so it might be a little too 'boring'. But it has
good protection, a chance to build anchors in a low risk environment, a bit of route
finding, a bit of downclimbing even!
The chance to place gear with really low stress (kind of like Mikl's aiding suggestion)
where you have time to think about how everything will work is invaluable.
|
18-Mar-2009 1:44:10 PM
|
People have such a range of opinions on what suits a beginner leader .... To completely minimise stress, drama, epic and injury, go for single pitch, super easy and mountains of gear. Learning to lead is not about the climbing, it's about the gear and the process. By the time someone has exhausted everything below 10 at Bushrangers, they should be able to place some pretty good gear and set up anchors. Exodus and Hammer are also good. Tip Toe Ridge is actually a really good climb - bugger easy being boring, it's got great rock, long pitches, gets you up high and plenty of practice at setting up multipitch belays and rope management. Diapason and D-major are also good.
Regardless of what someone can climb on sport, I don't think 14 is the grade range to start leading on. There's an awful lot of other stuff to think about, not in the least being that trad here is harder to read and a very different experience to sport. I also think Trapeze and Piccolo scare enough beginner leaders and really could wait until someone has built up some gear placement skills. Err on the stupidly safe side and start on the phenomenally easy stuff that is sunny side of bushrangers.
|
18-Mar-2009 2:14:54 PM
|
I think Mikl's suggestion (to aid something while backed up by a toprope) is easily the best. A grade 18 climber could do 100 Araps routes below grade 10 and still be placing pathetic pro, because they aren't going to weight any of it. Weighting every piece on aid gives much more useful feedback - especially if they have to get creative when the bomber slots are more than 1.5m apart. Being on TR also lets them clean their own gear as they go, so they should also learn not to overcam etc.
I'd advise against Trapeze - on multiple occasions I've seen beginners facing a 15m groundfall when the Z-forces lifted out wires at the L end of the traverse. I'd also advise against all the multipitch suggestions, at least for starters! FWIW I've put new leaders on Exodus with no problems
|
18-Mar-2009 2:20:38 PM
|
yeah. trapeze is not a good plan at all in my opinion.
I reckon hell for leather is a good option - the climbing will feel challenging to a stronger climber but the gear is all there and easy to place. good combo for your new leader.
that said, I'm a big proponent of lots of easy stuff and just practicing heaps of gear placement. i've not come across a "boring" easy araps climb yet - awesome rock, awesome setting, nice moves. can't go wrong.
|