Climbing tips WANTED!!!

“Any information about climbing(tips,technics,gear etc.)is wellcome.”

“Sorry, I'm only into stuff I can do without ropes. Good luck.

Check out www.adventurelore.com that's Ray Jardine's website, he's got some good info on climbing and Gear”

“A few years back, Matt tried to start a website mirroring this one only devoted to climbing. I think it flopped. All they ever talked about was climbing.”

“What kind of climbing are you looking to get into - sport, gym, traditional? Where are you? - different types of rock require different gear and techniques.
My suggestion is go to the local rock gym and rent equipment for a while. Watch and learn about body movement and balancing on the walls. Talk to the other climbers there, try to get someone to teach you and take you out climbing on real rock.
It's an expensive, gear intense sport, so don't jump into it and buy a bunch of gear unless you're sure you'll stick with it.”

“I don't know where you live and so I can't direct you to anywhere specific, but:

Basic instruction (knots, rope work, technique, etc.) are best learned in a course/instructor, toprope (foolproof) environment. My first course was when another high school teacher and I got a few seniors together on an activity day and signed up for a course with a private firm. We got in tough with them through the Fédération québécoise de la marche et de l'escalade, which we joined. After that we organised ice climbing trips and my buddy, a Phys. Ed. teacher, got the admin. to pay for an instructor's course and I am now a 'moniteur' - next below inst.

SO, Get a course, preferably organised by a local club or association. Find these through Climbing Magazine and TT, Alpinezone or the Alpine Club of America - or Alpine Club of Canada (use the web). Join a club - I did my Avalanche Rescue and Glacier Travel/Crevasse Rescue FREE through the Montreal Section of the Alpine Club of Canada. Many places, including my rural high school have climbing walls and instruction available - these are also listed in Climbing Mag. also, if you're Canadian, get Gripped Magazine for Canadian climbers through ACC or Explore Magazine. Good luck and Happy Trails.”

“I have climbed a few times, what exactly do you want to know?

You should first of all, get some good climbing shoes, a chalk bag and some chalk, and go find some good bolders to try it out on. I find boldering to be more fun, and easier then rockclimbing.

Go somewhere where people climb, and ask them if you can try it out, most people will let you use there harness and ropes to try it out.

Have fun!”

“I've been a climber for nearly 20 years (rock, alpine, ice, big wall, aid, trad, sport, bouldering, you name it and I've done it). My partner and I "learned" to climb from a book when I was 13 years old -- we pretty much made all the mistakes, but luckily none that killed us, although my partner did take a 40 foot ground fall and suffered a componound fracture of the arm, cracked hip, and broken ribs. Best be at learning the ropes, is to read as much as possible, and then either take an introductory class or find someone with the knowledge, patience, and desire to teach a newbie. As a last word of advice, stay out of the gym -- you might learn some climbing techniques and get stronger there, but the outdoors on real rock with a real insructor will teach you what you need to know about climbing in the real world. I'd also stay away from anything on the internet... there is so much misinformation (possible deadly) about climbing there. If you have any specific questions, I'll be glad to answer them... what do you think about this?”

“Don't look down”

“Where do you live? What will you be climbing? Limestone, Granite, etc.? What kind of experance do you have?”

“I just knew that I'd find that Walkindude lurking around on this thread...hey pal. waaasss uuppp.”

“As has been mentioned, where do you live? That will present a certain set of options. Next, what kind of climbing appeals to you? There are a lot of different flavors, and a person usually prefers one over another. There is bouldering, which is unroped and near the ground. There is peak climbing, snow and ice climbing, mountaineering, technical rock climbing, lead climbing, top roped climbing, alpine mixed snow and ice climbs. Its definitly a personal choice, and no wrong answers. So what interests you, and why?”

“YO Sirpete!
All I had to do was see this thread and went right to it. LOL!!”

“Some good advice so far but I'll refrain from adding to it until we have a better idea what you really want to know.

By the way, didn't "... what do you think about this?" used to be somebody else's tag line around here once? Did Thunder Train used to have another name?”

“snake boy”

“Heyyyyy good call explorer. Speaking of T-Train, do you happen to have any unwanted gear you'd sell a feller?”

“ken, Good one! You're on a role today, man. Keep it up. :o)”

“Naked Ape -- Somehow, I've amassed quite a pile of gear over the years, and much of it, just sits around unused, unless I'm doing a big wall, which tends to eat up a lot of steel. Everything I own (including my climbing and camping gear) fits in my truck, but I still feel like I have too much stuff, so I'm always looking at ways of reducing the pile. Th whole mass is neither created nor destroyed maxim -- yesterday in fact, I got a new ice/alpine pack, so I gave my old one to a buddy. I've got a set of HB offsets (nuts with a slight flare) I would be willing to part with... but I probably have other stuff as well, what specifically are you looking for? What do you think about this?”

“ANSWER US GOD DAMN IT!”

“Please go back and read my post. Then, of course, get out and do what you like best and have fun. BUT, read my post; I'll stand by what I said and say it again: learn the BASICS with an instructor (and if possible friends) and have a few beers afterward - then go play outside. Happy trails.”