Lead climbing vs trad climbing reddit. Al's has totems on sale for $71 bucks a pop right now.
Lead climbing vs trad climbing reddit Hey man, Bouldering is climbing without a rope and you do not climb nearly as high. Grades should be created because of the difficulty of the climbing moves and the size/direction/type of hold. The real distinction between top roping and lead climbing is the belay system used. For reference: Female, 110 lbs, 5'3. My question is: Have you personally lost a friend or loved one climbing? If so, how long had you been climbing at that point? In my second year of climbing my best friend died in a top roping accident. Sounds dumb and obvious, but this realization totally changed my climbing and if you're a TR warrior with outdoor goals, it could change yours. I have friends who say that they have been climbing for a decade but refuse to learn new things and change their systems. I prefer rope for swapping leads, and just use slings other times so I don't have to carry a cordelette. Jun 28, 2010 · If you don't do much bouldering, sport climbing (particularly redpointing) and seconding trad that's harder than what you can lead, you will by default be leading close to your limit. Nov 4, 2024 · What’s the difference between types of climbing like sport climbing, trad climbing, and free soloing? Sport climbing uses pre-placed anchors, while trad climbing requires placing your own protection. Anything related to indoor (and outdoor) goes. Take your time, don't rush into anything. Celebrate your great success Congratulations! You’ve narrowly survived your first trad route. I also have been reading John Long's Climbing Anchors. Here's everything you need to know. 5 in my approach shoes and my TC pros are 39. May 29, 2020 · New to trad climbing? Our Beginner's Guide to Trad Climbing breaks down everything you need to know to get started trad climbing today. this thread has more snark than all of r/climbingcirclejerk combined. Sport climbing is very similar to indoor lead climbing, so its not a difficult transition for most. Sport or Lead climbing is when you attach your rope, using quick draws, to fixed anchors in the wall as you go up. 12a. In fact I can't think of anyone who uses two ropes unless they are ice climbing, real alpine climbing, or climbing in England. This will also help you build your trad lead confidence, which makes trad climbing an enjoyable experience and not some anxiety-inducing ordeal. 18K subscribers in the tradclimbing community. Lets take the free Nose climbs as an example: Lynn Hill - Swapped leads/followed, all pitches free with her partner, and lead It took me a pandemic to realize I should exclusively lead climb in the gym if I want to be a better lead climber outdoors. Mostly I follow, but I'm working on leading and have done some tall multipitch trad stuff. when these grades sync up, you know you're climbing at your peak. Sep 2, 2015 · In a nutshell: Top rope and lead climbing are methods for protecting a climb. From my superficial research so far, it looks like there's more time spent on laying gear and technical aspects than the purely physical aspect, which is what attracts me to climbing. Trad gear (placing, bouncing, falling) absolutely damages sandstone, and other rock to a lesser degree, but it’s only a contention because those cracks are also used for hand/foot placement, whereas in sport climbing the holds aren’t affected by the protection. What is less clear is the matter of style - the details in which a climb was achieved. I am considering a sized down TC pro or comfortable flashing a 5. Reddit's rock climbing training community. Nov 27, 2023 · This article compares top rope and lead climbing, discussing the differences in technique, equipment, mental and physical challenges, and risk. She had helped me discover hiking and pushed me to try the climbing gym. About Community ~~Climbing, on the sharp end. During this period I mainly focussed (and will focus) on Bouldering to at least get some climbing in. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Sport climbing routes have permanent protection: a line of bolts with a set of anchors at the top, secured to the rock in advance. I currently work in a climbing gym that offers bouldering, top rope and lead climbing. I didn't know anyone who trad climbed so I enrolled in a two day weekend trad climb course and they taught the basics of placing gear, had you lead some super easy trad. In essence, trad rock climbing embodies the essence of adventure and exploration, marrying the natural world with human ingenuity and determination. Vs else where (mainly American climbing) once you get above your 1st or second piece, there isn’t much ground fall risk (unless a route is labeled X or R). But I'm curious whether I should make an effort to get into it. Dec 27, 2022 · The other type of climbing grouped under sport climbing is trad climbing, which is beyond this article’s scope. This past weekend -- for the first time in 2 years -- I went on a short sport climbing trip to a classic area, and was -- frankly -- bored. You should try on shoes that are intended for multipitch trad climbing. I’ve used mine for tr-ing projects, ascending big walls in Zion and Yosemite, and repeated lead falls on both sport and trad climbs. So, what’s the difference between top roping and lead climbing? Top roping you’re supported from above, while lead climbing you’re always above your rope. Beal ropes (reportedly) have the stretchiest ropes and softest catch in the industry. 12a max, sport lead 5. Jul 24, 2025 · Discover the key differences between bouldering vs lead climbing, including gear, risks, techniques, and which style suits you best. ~~ lol we aren't pussies Created Jan 22, 2013 362 Members 5 Online Top 50% Ranked by Size Apr 24, 2023 · 8. The slings for alpines are fairly cheap on their own. Trad climbing with quickdraws is not ideal, but it works if you bring a few alpines as well for strategic extensions. Hello Climbing, I am an advanced level boulder climber and I am really looking forward to jumping into Trad climbing. Dry treatment is a good upgrade for your first rope, especially dry sheath, it'll stay nicer, longer. 10b sport outside when I started getting into trad, then kinda had to start over when learning on gear. It Some gyms rate TR and lead climbs differently, this is a mistake. Al's has totems on sale for $71 bucks a pop right now. Read now! Read about the basics of lead climbing, including what lead climbing entails, how to learn to do it and what gear is required. How am I protected? Like sport climbing, traditional climbing involves leading, but instead of using fixed gear like bolts for protection, trad climbers carry a rack of removable trad gear such as wires, camming devices and hexes. I know everyone always says work on your feet, but it is probably the universal truth of climbing. I guess I went into the conversation as a somewhat ignorant climber that almost exclusively boulders, I consider climbing with ropes and safety gear (non-trad) to be sport climbing. In principle, any E-grade can also be perfectly safe, it just needs to be physically harder than a scary route of the same grade. aid climbing is pretty clear. All brands fit differently as well so maybe offering to purchase one in your budget is a good idea. If you're already good at elevation, and you are a confident trad climber at the grade of your alpine climb, you'll be fine! Reply reply thE_best_cookies • Nuts and Cams for Sport Climbing Hey Everyone, I've been top rope and lead climbing for a few years outside, and I just started to wonder if it might be worth buying a few Trad pieces. There are E9's that are French 7c death routes - Indian Face the obvious example - and there are E9's that Please don't forget that trad climbing is more than just plugging gear and moving up the rock. Anyone have a fav accessory cord and want to say why? Price, softness, strength, weight? Do you use/train prussik’s and do they grab? Thank you! The dynamic belay is seldom used in trad climbing, and when belaying on a multi-pitch you can't move around. 11 level for a few years. In that case, should I just stick to lead climbing or top . As far as active equalization, I think you and I have both seen climbers spending time at a belay building a macrame project. Unless you’re a hard man attempting an overhanging route in a cave (then your name is probably Ondra) soft vs hard catches don’t really apply to trad climbing so much. 7 Holcomb Valley Pinnacles) If you're on your 3rd trad lead ever and you're out of gear, looking at a dangerous fall, and all you have is a horizontal nut placement, you should reassess what you're climbing My rock climbing teachers recommended me the sportiva kubo. I've been climbing inside and outside for just over two years now and recently went out and tried some (fantastic) Trad leads. A friend and I mock lead up a crack multiple times, really making sure our gear was good. The jump to trad climbing is a little bigger, and we encourage seeking out qualified instruction – whether from a mentor, a guide, or I top rope at 5. 10 trad climber. In short, trad climbing, more formally known as traditional climbing, is a form of rock climbing that requires placing your own gear for protection, rather than solely relying on pre-placed bolts. Trad, sport, aid, doesn't matter as long as it's on lead. I was leading up to about 5. A thing about trad-climbing is being able to improvise with what you got, in the most efficient and safe manner. One of the reasons I like mythos for crack climbing is the thick, stiff toebox. What Is Trad Climbing What is trad climbing then? I think trad has ruined sport climbing for me I've been climbing 10 + years, 5 quite seriously, and have clipped bolts all over North America. Placing gear on my first trad lead, most exciting climbing experience so far! (Triple Decker 5. Im curious what everyone’s climbing progression/timeline has been like? How quickly did you progress from V1 to V2, and then V2 to V3 etc (not limited to bouldering grades). Jan 21, 2021 · Trad climbing is dangerous, fun, and addictive. There are certainly more "pure" forms of free climbing style, but that doesn't necessarily negate a free climb ascent. There's a higher concentration of quality beginner routes at Squamish too, so you don't need to keep moving from place to place. Trad opens up more adventure-style climbing, tackling big walls and being out there on the wall for hours. Why wouldn't you be climbing multipitch trad on one rope? I've done plenty of long granite routes with one rope and everything was peachy. This is the only correct answer, and should get added to browsers as an autocorrect replacement for every variation of "Best Trad Harness" , "What is the best Trad Harness", etc. In this article we break down sport climbing and trad climbing in detail, focusing on their similarities and differences, as well as describing the skills, knowledge, and equipment required for each. You can share carabiners between your quickdraws and alpine draws and just swap them out depending on if you're trad climbing and sport climbing. I also have no intention of starting a sport vs trad vs bouldering debate, as the question I'm asking is only really about trad, and I understand rapping or lowering off of fixed anchors/chains on a sport route. I do notice the interesting resulting behavior is that in America you might as well try for the on-sight of what you’re trying since consequence of failure is (generally) low. 11 on gear. I mentioned early on that I was specifically addressing "trad climbing gear anchors" because I thought that someone would immediately apply what I wrote to a two bolt sport anchor. 7, but it took so long to get here that it feels like I’ll never be a 5. And yes we are scared of falling. 11a/b sport climbing outdoors, hardest redpoint outdoors is a 5. Immediately yell, “Sport climbing is neither!” at anyone who will listen and start planning your next climbs: the Diamond, El Cap, Trango Tower, etc. That's not how UK trad grades work. The gear loops are tiny compared to my dead bird harness. Feb 25, 2021 · Lead climbing involves clipping a rope into protection while ascending a route from the ground up. I intend on taking a course this summer and would like some advice for climbing training. Crack climbing is a lot different than face climbing and 'easy for you' grades can be tricky at first. I wear a 40/40. If you are single pitch climbing, it's probably fine, but multipitch climbing with a full double rack, draws, anchor material, atc/grigri, and water bottle/packable jacket gets really tight without a lot of gear loop space. 10+/5. Some opinions about this would be great. Otherwise, it's just like any other trad climb, albeit with slightly more route finding, slightly more vegetation, slightly colder, and more exhausting due to the elevation. There is also trad climbing where you do not use anchors, but put your own gear into the wall. Trad climbing standards and practices change over time. It stretches out, but not back while wet. The traditional lead climbing class will prepare you for the next level of climbing. Sometimes, if there is a long space between bolts or I climb past the anchor, it might be nice to have something that I could secure myself with. Any grade can be so bold you're practically soloing, the climbing just needs to be really physically easy for the grade. 9 is my hardest trad lead with a 5. 11b/c and hardest redpoint is a 5. What is Lead Belaying? How hard a given grade feels to an individual varies so much depending on factors like where you are, if its sport/trad, how comfortable you are with the style of climbing of that particular pitch, if you are climbing it 1500' off the ground in the middle of el cap, if the route was given its grade in 1964 vs. I love TC pros but have always had them sized for comfort and can wear my current size all day on long multipitches and alpine routes. The skillets aren't exactly the same (trad is more endurance, and sport is more power endurance), but if you get good at one, you get good at the other. Nov 1, 2023 · Furthermore, trad climbing fosters resilience, teaching climbers to confront fear and uncertainty head-on, transforming obstacles into stepping stones towards personal growth and accomplishment. 60 votes, 10 comments. 17 votes, 34 comments. The best shoe is the one that fits your foot and meets your needs. But I highly recommend PAS for beginning climber so they get in the habit of anchoring the same way each time without having to problem solve or decide which piece of gear to use in which way This intermediate-level climbing series explains how to transition from top-rope climbing to trad lead climbing. If it helps for determining common practices, I believe the climbing video I am referencing was shot somewhere in the UK. I'd find a solid trad mentor, and follow their advice for learning to place gear. Hi anyone have a recommendation for a climbing harness for mountain trad use? Needs to be fairly packable and light for carrying (about 300-350g) but also reasonably comfortable for multi pitch use and hanging stances etc. The finer points of rope management, route finding, belay organization, etc. I started lead climbing, then switched to almost only bouldering, which I think all in all has affected my "technique" negatively for lead. I'm not looking to lead trad aaaanytime soon, but I'd like to have decent understanding of following to open up opportunities to climb more routes. They do soften a lot over time though, but you can always buy a new pair. Honestly I've found I love the adventure/technical aspect (gear, knots, anchors) more than 'hard' climbing. Learn how to lead trad routes safely, place and remove gear, clip gear, use slings, lead belay, protect leader falls, manage your rope, route planning and more. Then go back to bolt clipping for a year before you get up the courage to do it all again. Now my question is this: Once I get a new partner, how well can I expect all the improvements I made Bouldering to translate over to Sport? I already noticed a #2 Lead climbing comps (spoken from my own experience so take it with a grain of salt) are noticeably less competitive than bouldering ones at most levels of competition. Anyway, to my question: I have been taught that trad climbing is just climbing where you place your own pro (as in passive and active protection and not clipping bolts I’ve had a Beal Booster Unicore (9. Now I'm on an exchange program to Scotland and there's not much outdoor sports climbing here so learning to trad climb would be ideal I guess. I climb in southern Arizona so it will mainly be well protected routes on pretty sharp granite. Question up front: when it comes to a group of 3 consisting 2/3 of total outdoor newbies (and 1/3 “booksmart” but no confidence outside leader), where is the ethical/etiquette line of being patient, helpful, double checking everything they do and correcting grave mistakes vs going “on purpose asshole” mode to try and drive home that Primary Climbing Area: Northeast USA, The Gunks Current Lead Range: up to 5. In lead, the selection it's a compromise between efficiency and risk of failure, so in that sense lead is more mentally difficult than bouldering. This post goes over the exact differences and the gear used. From advice on which gym to visit to videos of world cup IFSC climbers, you can find it all here. Always belaying climbers heavier than me. 5. This makes lead climbing both more dangerous and more difficult. Just know that trad climbing takes incredible knowledge and experience and is only performed outside. are easier to learn when you're not scared shitless by the climbing. As far as rule of thumb, figure dropping your TR grade down two grades for leading, 3 grades for trad. 3M subscribers in the climbing community. May 1, 2022 · Short for traditional climbing, trad climbing is a form of free climbing where the lead climber places temporary protection equipment into cracks and other features of the rock while ascending the climbing route. 8/5. Don't be afraid to *sew up your routes for awhile til you take a few falls and/or have an experienced climber watching your placements. There are two forms of lead climbing: sport climbing and traditional climbing (known as “trad”). According to the charts I have seen this all lines up (the trad downgrade being a purely fear thing which I’m working on). I have been climbing for about 2 years, but only bouldering and top roping indoors, and I have only ever used a typical ATC belay device, which I am very comfortable with. The home of Climbing on reddit. It's for caving, so trad climbing helps me practice endurance, strength, exposure tolerance, and gear placement for aid climbing. So far in my trad climbing career I have been using a typical setup with 10+ Alpine quickdraws each consisting of of 2 biners… Please see my reply to tongmengjia here. The concept of free climbing vs. 11c sport, gym I feel comfortable on 5. A lot of Reddit has this do-it-yourself attitude and this is not a safe approach for rock climbing. Apr 29, 2024 · Gym climbing Indoor lead climbing Outdoor sport climbing Trad climbing Each step builds on the previous one. Also surprisingly durable for a high performance shoe, lasted 8 months before I resoled them could have probably pushed it another month or 2. Totems vs Friends vs ??? I've got a whole double rack of WC friends (except singles in the 0. A fair chunk of trad climbing in the UK is face climbing. 8 trad (with a few exceptions), 5. I’ve always had dedicated PAS but am leaning toward ditching it entirely and primarily anchoring with the climbing rope (I mostly do multi-pitch trad). I’d expect whatever your typical sport vs trad lead gap to hold there. 6 Experience: climbing for 5y, trad leading for one year ~35 pitches led total since my first lead last June. 1. it's dangerous. Jan 8, 2024 · In this article we'll take a closer look at the differences between sport climbing and trad climbing (traditional climbing). We break it down with this guide to belaying and climbing on the sharp end. However, I am looking to get into lead climbing and potentially start going outside once I'm comfortable with the basics of lead (and when New England winter allows it lol). Hey all! Because of the not very dependable nature of my usual Sport Climbing partner, I am without a climbing buddy for a while now. Apr 15, 2020 · What is the difference between bouldering vs climbing? We'll detail how they compare and help you decide what is best for you. Am I wrong with assuming that lead climbing and top roping are encompassed within sport climbing? Yes, I am talking about the Solution Guide. 11-, trad 5. Right now I have been sport climbing and now how to lead and clean routes, and soon will get into 2-3 pitch of sport only climbing. Most situations it’s just a catch, don’t overthink it. At this point I would say a beefy secure rope to learn on is more important than weight and to a degree handling. 9, and boulder at V3 with the occasional V4. This being said, it depends whats holding you back. You “lead” both sport and trad climbs – but not in the same way. Finally, lookout for ledges and other objective risks especially on those easy climbs. It is easy to be less attentive while trad belaying, but don't take your role lightly. Needs 4 good size gear loops for trad rack. A subreddit for the indoor bouldering community. I’m looking for recommendations for a shoe for hard single pitch trad. 7mm) for a few years now and it’s still holding up great. 3) up to 3 and haven't felt the need for anything more (stoppers and tricams fill gaps for me). Mar 21, 2022 · Now, you can always just continue with sport climbing if you live in a place where there are bolted routes nearby, but does that offer you the challenge you’re looking for? Let’s take a look at the main differences between trad climbing vs sport climbing to see how the two compare when it comes to getting vertical. I think mock leading while trailing a fake lead rope really helps you feel it all out. Everyone’s route to trad climbing will be slightly different, and our guide can help! Hi guys, I've been thinking about trad climbing lately because it seems cooler in general. At which grade did you start to plateau? When did you start seriously training? I recently started climbing outside and am looking for a first rope for leading that will be able to take a beating. I’ve been climbing about 8 years, leading trad consistently for maybe 3. Weights? Style of session? Small technique tips for equipment? Tell me how to make the switch as smoothly as possible. FWIW, I would like to learn trad one day, but I'd like to focus on my movement and lead-head before I head that way. Which I do see myself headed into. Would love to hear your thoughts or a bit about what has worked for Hey fellow Northeastern-er. Climbing lead is also different, you might want to work on endurance and footwork, you are holding your entire weight for the climb unlike top rope and you have to stop to place protection, precise moves will help prevent you from burning out. Now I’m comfy to around 5. I also think that in general everything there is soft so you might expect to find the grades a little easy overall. He suggested buying Alpine Quickdraws as opposed to regular quickdraws if I will eventually get into trad climbing. Dedicated to increasing all our knowledge about how to better improve at our sport. Feb 1, 2022 · Transitioning from top roping to lead climbing can be a big challenge. When I first started, I had been sports climbing at a 5. 1, 0. 2004, etc. Reply reply What makes you enjoy sport/trad climbing? Is it the adventure? The physical challenge? Getting a little scared running it out but keeping the headspace you need to execute? All of the above? Bouldering is similar, but I think boulderers and trad climbers are driven by different things. He is adamant that top-roping is absolutely NOT sport climbing. If you’re new to climbing, there are lots of strange terms and different styles of climbing that might seem confusing, but the distinction between sport and trad is really an important one. Should I get comfortable lead climbing indoors and outdoors first before hopping onto trad, or can I go Aug 23, 2022 · Learning to lead climb means memorizing a system AND accumulating fluency and trust in that system. I've been climbing about 2 years and have done plenty of leading on sport routes, and also been getting into mountaineering so trad is an obvious next step. The solution is still my favorite sport climbing shoe that I have tried, precise and makes me feel confident on even the smallest feet. I’ve been trad climbing for 3 years now and am starting to break into 5. I've also climbed outside a few times. Two years ago, though, I got into trad and haven't looked back. So I started trad leading about 4 months after I started sport leading but I had been indoor climbing for maybe a year. Nov 6, 2023 · Venturing into the world of rock climbing? Here are 5 differences between lead climbing vs top rope climbing. For you this means you need dry if you're a guide or going ice climbing/mountaineering, because normal people and climbing- you just stop climbing when it's wet out. We cover gear, setup, safety, communication and technique. The mere fact that you are unsure of the equipment you need to lead climb tells me that you are clearly not going to lead safely. They climb up cliffs without any bolts, placing removable protection in the rock as they climb. Traditional climbing: use at your own risk. 2, and 0. My SO and I got into an argument about sport climbing. A friend and I learnt trad climbing with a guide, and he told us to avoid using static materials for building anchors, as it can be harder on the anchor points in case of a fall, which is more likely for them to fail. Learn to belay a lead climber, including how it differs from top-rope belaying. I got into climbing this year and have spent a lot of indoor climbing, both top roping and bouldering. It's been a good experience, they are really comfortable and versatile for both climbing and short rock routes. 110 votes, 23 comments. Taking it slow, learning a lot. So, I'm a relatively new climber, and have only started sport climbing for a couple of months (I know, MOAN). Trad and sport harnesses can be different with the padding and gear loop layouts. 9- hardest onsite, I feel comfortable on 5. qsmpxfuelmxdlaujrbjqinzaqtmmjebchngoneljklrmczlhxilglkhrocgtaicrvgmumfuuqpbhwwbhcwa