How to get into aid climbing reddit. Reddit's rock climbing training community.


How to get into aid climbing reddit. Read a ton and watch a lot of Job requires first aid/CPR training and the organization I work for does tower rescue training twice a year as a refresher. Generally speaking, when you really start getting up into the grades the WI5/6 sections of a climb are viewed as the 'easy' parts relative to the rock bits. Here you will find answers to questions and information about trad climbing, gear, anchors, how to get started, and much more. For bouldering: Read the basic rules and just go to the next bouldering gym. It's often laughed at by the majority of the climbing community, but you can't really compare it to free climbing. Ideally you can climb trad, but that isn't necessary. You have to face the risk of getting hurt and failing before you 13 votes, 11 comments. Edit: woah, im used to posting a question in a subreddit and getting like 1 response after 24 hours, you guys are awesome! Some examples of potential questions could be; "How do I get stronger?", "How to select my first harness?", or "How does aid climbing work?" If you see a new climber related question posted in another subReddit or in this subreddit, then please politely link them to this thread. I recently decided to get into aid climbing since my gym threatended to suspend my membership unless I wear clothes and shoes (which are clearly aid IMO). Based on how much of a black hole climbing climbing gear acquisition syndrome is you never know …. You are going to need boots, crampons, at least You would have to go through all their lower courses to get to the point of doing ice climbing, which can be a process and big time commitment over a few years to get to that point as somebody else mentioned. Let's discuss how you would respond if involved in an accident. Why bother with trad climbing if you don't like the problem solving part when you can just clip bolts and focus on the part that only matters to you? Climbing uses more core muscles than anything else. The easiest free route on El Cap is 3,000 feet of free climbing on trad gear, has multiple 5. 3M subscribers in the climbing community. Practice building big wall anchors, practice hauling, practice aid climbing, and practice jugging the rope. So many of the skills, techniques and habits you need are best learned in warmth of rock conditions. 12+. If not: Try to find someone on social media or on a bulletin board. The problem is I have no idea where to look for safe places/what equipment I need or people to climb with. I read Big-Wall Climbing, by Jared Ogden to get started, and also read lots of material on internet forums, including Chris McNamara's How to Big Wall Climb. FTFY Reply reply More replies mdibah • I've been wanting to get into climbing all my life but have never had the freedom/independence to get out and do it. Mar 16, 2016 路 Always wanted to go climbing, but don’t know where to start? Use this complete guide to gym and outdoor rock climbing for beginners. Good community to develop within and probably a good value for what you get, but they are rather rigid in their structure. Also, looking for some advice on the gear we will need. Thanks for any suggestions and tips as I get into this side of climbing. Climbing at the gym is a great place to start and learn technique, but Alpinism is about sooooo much more than just technique. Involves bringing a heavy bag of rope up the tower and rescuing a 200lb dummy. Rock is aid, and bouldering, free climbing, free soling, and all the others use rocks. I don't think anyone should ever try climbing. While learning those skills, get out and just start moving. Jul 31, 2025 路 There are a couple exploit-y ways to get to the island, such as the bicycle/bike climbing or using one of the new feet slot eurekas while standing on the raft to lift it up and gain access that way, but you can also just try and parkour your way there on foot. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. Are there any products which you guys would recommend to an aid climbing noob? Mar 8, 2024 路 A summary of various tricks and tips to aid climb more efficiently, also known as “just about everything I wish I knew when I started aid climbing”. If you have to drive more than a few minutes, turn this into a camping Safety was mentioned, fully support a section on this as you get into belay climbing. You’ll climb with frozen hands, shout to your partner over 30-mph winds, dodge hailstorms, re-climb pitches to free hopelessly stuck ropes, and spend an uncomfortable amount of time wondering exactly how loose is too loose when it comes to placing gear in total choss. You can get yourself equipped to start for <$150, which, compared to mountain biking, backpacking, kayaking, cycling, etc is pretty good. Do you jug up on lead line, daisy into equalized pieces and have belayer take in slack until you can safely lead again? I’m interested to get into tree climbing and I was wondering if there is a place where they teach you to climb, (recreational tree climbing, not cutting trees) The job is basically all horizontal aid climbing with steel strops over C beams. If your forearms are the #1 point of failure for you when you’re climbing, think of your climbing session as an extended rep/set scheme like you were weightlifting. Nov 3, 2010 路 I'm actually trying to pick the corn out of this shit and learn to aid climb better. How do I do this? The books and accompanying videos all show him practicing on a rock wall using a crack to place gear. Logistics play a huge part! If you have experience with trad climbing, it will certainly be easier, but you really have to study the ideas and techniques behind how everything works. Dedicated to increasing all our knowledge about how to better improve at our sport. 12+/5. Learn to ice climb. Reply reply gregorydgraham • Starting high is obviously aid, why are you even asking 馃し‍鈾傦笍 Reply reply Gesno • I feel like being able to stay sober is aid Reply reply More So saying you fall on an overhang while aiding a pitch, what's the procedure for regaining your high point? Second question: aiding a pitch, not going to make the anchors (getting dark) Equalize a couple pieces and rappel down. Tower climbers brave extreme weather, back breaking labor, and up to 2,060 foot (~628 meter) vertical climbs to bring you the communication services you depend on. You can't just get dropped off at a crag. Can you give me suggestions on a gift I can get him? I'm looking to spend up to 100$. /r/TradClimbing FAQ Introduction Welcome to the /r/tradclimbing FAQ page. " I'd love to get input from other climbers on With difficult aid climbing you are deliberately putting yourself in danger, you know you're putting yourself in danger, and you have to stand there and watch that flake you're hooking onto flex with nothing but body weight placements for the last 20 feet. you get your choice of routes with no one lining up 2- Very little wall climbing can really be learned in the gunks in the way you're thinking. it's dangerous. In aid climbing, you place gear (like trad climbing) and then you use cloth ladders, called aiders or etriers, to put your body weight on the gear and move upwards until you can place another piece of gear. 13- crux. Starting with Climbing and Training as a 21 yo. Honestly more than a few minutes of ground placements isn't all that helpful when you can use two hands, doesn't have to follow your climbing line, and you load it in whatever direction you want. In trad climbing it's a combination of physical climbing and problem solving. If you have any climbs around you that have been bolted with questionable ethics (meaning bolts right next to gear placements) you can place some gear and back it up with a bolt to take some nice low-consequence falls. For those that have climbed Moonlight -- Is it a good goal to climb it in the first 6 months of aid climbing or is that rushing into things? Any general advice or route recommendations for a beginning aid climber? Hey I’m a new climber and I was wondering if people had some wisdom to share and what you wish you knew when you started rock climbing. Aid climbing on the other hand is helpful for learning to trust gear and finding less obvious placements. There is a variety of different things you can do to start climbing. 2K votes, 154 comments. You'll have to learn how to build anchors, aid climb, haul gear, build a port-a-ledge. . 240 votes, 69 comments. The best way in my opinion and how I got into climbing was just as you said to go down to the local gym. It is physically demanding in a totally different way, and not the way that climbers who really want to push the physicality of climbing tend to get stoked about. Climb outside a lot and you're guaranteed to improve almost all aspects of your climbing, even pure finger strength (depending on what type of climbing you're doing). I'm wondering if it's still a good… Nov 22, 2021 路 Does bouldering make you a better climber? You become a stronger climber and also better at climbing by climbing more and harder. It puts focus on these skills without bothering with belaying, gear and other safety-related skills. 12 pitches, and has a 5. I taught myself Aid by climbing trees, learned hauling on my doorframe with a few hooks, and I'm heading to Yosemite in a month. Most, if not all, mixed climbers know how to ice climb. Crampons are aid because that’s how other people too poor to afford a guide climb. Get good at aid climbing, because that can be the difference between a 45 minute pitch and a 3 hour pitch. 1- aid in the winter. Any advice on where to start or what to do to start getting into aid climbing? Aid climbing gear tips and tricks? I'm trying to get more efficient at aid climbing, I'd really like to climb El Capitan next year via some route or another. Thanks! It requires more gear, and thus is more expensive to get into. I'm wanting to get into big wall climbing - and am really just looking into a lot of these classic big wall areas/routes for the first time One thing I didn't realize was that a lot of these routes are aid climbs and/or when done free are hard 5. Can someone please point me in the right direction? 28 votes, 31 comments. Is there anything important missing? Share Sort by: Top Open comment sort options Best Top New Controversial Old Q&A Add a Comment [deleted] • Comment deleted by user Reply reply roborbbrobor • Fucking hell the comments in here. If you're looking to get into wall climbing, then go straight to the big beefy aiders. I have paid of pocket aiders by metolius and totally love em for my puerposes: mostly free routes with short aid sections. Food for thought. Jul 23, 2025 路 Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. I don't know anything about aid climbing except that I need to learn how to do it. Aid climbing is great for honing gear placement skills. Reddit's rock climbing training community. After that, take a class on alpine rescue, then climb more, pick another target. It's not a gift. I know the gym membership is tough to swallow, but unless you can easily get outside where you're at, it's going to be a necessary evil. It helped me build confidence in my gear and build mental strength when thinking of falls (I still try not to fall while trad climbing but I think to some extent once you get into the 10s you need a willingness to fall on gear to progress). Bouldering is the essence of the hardest parts of climbing. I spend a lot of time here and even if your not climbing I swear just being in the valley makes you a better climbing. How can I use my tree to practice aid climbing? Any help (ideally with link to video/article) would be most appreciated. Keep in mind, your partner will also need at least shoes and a harness. You still got plenty of time to get into comp climbing. I finally borrowed some basic stuff and gave it a try and I LOVED it. You’ll need some special gear, as well as new techniques. what/how is the best way to get started to learn the ins and outs to be safe. You place a lot of gear, have fewer options for placements and weight every piece. There are others. If there are any resources that can point me to safe climbing Practicing aid will certainly help, but you need to get to the valley if you want to climb El Cap. My gf and I have been climbing (mostly indoors) about a month and a half and I've decided I want to buy some top roping gear for outdoors climbing. At some point you'll want to get into rock climbing, better to start earlier rather than later (as with everything). Obviously, many world class athletes started way younger but you shouldn't get discouraged because of that. A big wall is essentially a vertical expanse of rock which is too big to climb in a single day. It's fun in and of itself, and also useful for mountaineering. I did a weekend ice climbing trip through my high school (in Colorado) last year and I really had a blast wanted to get into ice climbing. Is trad climbing harder? Big wall climbing is a guaranteed adventure. Learn to trad climb which is placing gear in the cracks to anchor to instead of bolts. If you have a good story of an incident and how you/someone else reacted please also share it. Maybe you can find a climbing buddy there. I've got the McNamara How to Big Wall Climb book. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but climbing has some of the smallest startup costs of all outdoor hobbies. 1. So they are all aid climbing. After arriving in Utica,NY for college I've been feeling a strong urge to try to get into rock climbing. Then you're totally addicted and you'll either move back in with your parents or into a van to fund your addiction. Since I now am forced to Aid climb I thought I might as well go all out use other Aid like a harness and chalk. If you want to get into climbing/mountaineering get the book Freedom of the Hills and start practicing skills. 121 votes, 67 comments. I know there are quite a few athletes that started around the age of 11. 20K subscribers in the tradclimbing community. Food, water and other gear is taken up in a haul bag and nights are spent sleeping on a portaledge or natural rock ledge thousands of feet off the ground. I have one first aid kit for everything from trekking to alpine climbing so it has more than needed but basically: Bandaids Bandages Israeli Bandage (not needed but quite useful as it's multi-purpose) Gloves Splint Triangle-Cloth Leukotape (any climbing tape will do, be sure to get the sticky stuff that holds on wet skin) Blister-Plasters Desinfectant Spray 15 votes, 14 comments. Hike local mountains, head to local climbing gym and start meeting people. I had a buddy who had done some big aid stuff show me how, but the basic stuff is all pretty much exactly what you think it is. There's so much more to rope/system management with big wall climbing than with multipitch that it can likely be the difference between success and failure. Two things: first, you don't have to get into rock climbing. And yes we are scared of falling. While it certainly has value, it's not a requirement by any means. Watching RR15 this weekend reminded me about how much I really loved ice climbing, but I am not How to get started with climbing training as a beginner to fitness? Any time I google "beginner strength training for climbing" or other variations, I only ever find the "don't hangboard as a beginner" or "wait until you do v4-5s before considering strength training" answers. You could try aid climbing a pitch or two—having to stand on every piece and bounce testing them can help your confidence in your placements. Start with an easy boulder (s) and get some basic tension and blood through the system, take a couple minute break, then begin the workout. Found this guide on how to choose climbing shoes. The first L3 who helped build my kit for the job has me place my anchor slings directly in the carabiners on my cowstails. Is top roping something that we can learn on our own (with the aid of online videos and books/guides) without somebody more experienced to go with us? I've talked to a few experienced climbers at my gym and they say as long as I have basic gear How to get into mountain climbing/meet people to mountain climb with? I'm new to the Sacramento area and it is the first time I've lived near mountains and I really love them. Aid climbing The Nose is definitely doable in two years if you're already in good shape for endurance activities. How to get into mountain climbing as a beginner? I’m interested in mountain climbing but I have no experience whatsoever. Everything else can be shared. There are routes you can aid, but it's really nothing like aiding granite out west not just in the rock type, protection, and angle, but also, a lotttt of climbing a wall is learning how to be efficient not just in placements Yeah aid climbing is an entirely different beast. I built a master list of climbing skills for teaching friends, from single pitch sport climbing, to leading ski trips in complex avalanche terrain and first aid. Probably not the best way to learn but that's what I get for having big wall dream in Chicago. So I've been climbing for about 2 years and doing trad for about a year now and want to start expanding my skill sets into aid climbing so that I can get one more step closer to doing some of my dream big walls. You're only slightly older. Did you have any hooks or cam hooks? The other side of climbing is aid climbing. While sport climbing practice rappelling, anchor building, belaying up a follower. Spend as much time as possible challenging yourself in the outdoors, and focus heavily on how to manage the risks that come with it all. For top level posts post a situation (hypothetical or one you've experienced) and discuss how you would respond to that in the child comments. The basic procedure goes like this: The leader climbs up the first pitch, free and/ or with aid, trailing a second rope (the haul line). Check reddit or tiktok for guides if you're interested. Plan to move into outdoor trad climbing. Then books like "Medicine for Mountaineering" and "Wilderness Medicine - Beyond First Aid. Aid is fucking scary, that's kind of the point of aid climbing. Final thoughts: if calling something aid is simply a pejorative than is actually aid climbing aid? Top-rope solo is an easy way to get your climbing fix while maintaining social distancing. Is it too late to try and get into competing? 15 votes, 18 comments. He says that 80% of success comes from mastering aid basics that you can do in your backyard tree. Folks who actually work in jobs involving climbing, how'd you get into the job? Not only is this aid, it's an insult to the climbing community. Continue climbing, but don’t go as hard. Camp in the winter. This subreddit is for these professional adrenaline junkies to discuss their field, and share their stories and media. I'll be hiring a guide in the gunks to give me a full day intro to aid climbing and then I'll be doing a few aid climbs in the early fall to try to get ready for that later fall attempt at Moonlight (thinking October). Getting stronger and retaining muscle is harder as you age. Feb 23, 2022 路 The Basics A “big-wall climb” is just an overgrown rock route, but complicated by aid climbing and the need to haul a bag. e. You can read about these techniques in any aid climbing book, or Freedom of the Hills, which is worth it's weight in gold if you want to get into trad or Alpine climbing. Traditional climbing: use at your own risk. Aid climbing, it's all about the problem solving. Pfft. Since no one seems awake at the wheel how about we do it ourselves? Mark (rocketparrotlet) is serious and looking for good info on how to better his aid climbing. At the end of the day, you can get into climbing for as little as ~$200 in the gym (not including membership) or with people who have gear. I would appreciate any tips or suggestions for a newbie. Maybe practice safe falling in the beginning and get comfortable with the height For rope climbing: Ask your local climbing gym when the next belaying course is. Most of these seem fairly straightforward, but in practice can be incredibly I'm putting together a presentation on what should be in a first aid kit for groups ranging from solo to small groups to larger commercial expeditions. Me and my girlfriend want to get into rock climbing this summer but we are both totally brand new. Petzl wrote a guide on how to do it right. Sep 19, 2022 路 If you decide to get into alpine climbing, you’ll wake up heinously early. Just start climbing, mess Facebook, look for a climbing group local to your area attend events at your climbing gym look for a meetup of climbers in your area find the local climbing spots and just go reconnoiter, i. Depending on your current understanding of the various systems at play the answers you get could be quite different and range from really helpful to irrelevant. My friend's really stoked on the Shield, but that would require a lot of practice and knowledge of aid techniques, both clean and hammer. Thx for any help! Do a lot of it in the gym. just go watch, it's still a fun activity just to hike to find the climbing spots. In conclusion, the aid discussion is a joke that probably sprung out of people flexing about how they free things "more free" than other people. You have to stumble on roots and rocks. When she reaches the anchor, she ties in and fixes (ties off) the lead I have a friend I'd like to get a gift for and he just started getting into aid climbing this year. But no matter what, you'r gonna 16 votes, 42 comments. climbing without setting up a rope in advance you need to have a solid background in lead climbing outdoors and in gyms. Our first go at a climb definitely took way longer than we expected though, so maybe take that into account, it can be slow going, especially when you're still figuring stuff out and getting comfortable with it. Buy a set of quick draws and start sport climbing (lead climbing outdoors while clipping to anchors that are bolted into the rock). 11 and 5. One of my main partners doesn't rock climb and the only place I notice it non-rock/ice routes is that he tends to be a little less comfortable with exposure. Hopefully this will be of some benefit to people here, I certainly would not be sure how to Hey everyone! I'm a freshman in college who's been rock climbing about 5 years now, my friends and I just got into trad and crack climbing this past summer. Most of the links are to pictures that help explain or show a concept more clearly, or show an example of something. May 29, 2020 路 New to trad climbing? Our Beginner's Guide to Trad Climbing breaks down everything you need to know to get started trad climbing today. I started out bouldering all you really need for that is a pair of shoes and some calk. "The Approach" is such an important part of climbing. Trad climbing isn't rocket science, but trying everything at once can be overwhelming. You have to carry yourself there, you have to earn the climb. Hey everyone. Tower climbing is part of the gritty back-end of the telecommunications industry. I'm gathering recommendations from groups like the Wilderness Medical Society, NOLS and the Mountaineers. I'd like to develop mountain climbing as a hobby, and also meet other people that like mountain climbing. Cutting steps is not aid because that’s how I climb. a6 = you fall, you die. Next I’ll buy my own equipments and keep on climbing. This will not be popular here because people like saying "just climb", but get into hangboarding and strength training sooner rather than later. I think this would be more useful if broken down differently, right now it kinda reads like a pile of everything you’ve read about climbing. I always wanted to get into climbing but i didn’t have the basic equipment, and was a bit lazy to get started. These tips may take years off your learning curve. Once you are comfortable with the rope systems involved and all that's left is learning to place protection, do that. The home of Climbing on reddit. Here's how I transitioned Maybe not AMGA approved but it worked for me. I've been teaching myself some big wall and aid skills using Chris McNamara's book. For those that have climbed Moonlight -- Is it a good goal to climb it in the first 6 months of aid climbing or is that rushing into things? Any general advice or route recommendations for a beginning aid climber? In sport climbing and bouldering, it's all about the physical act of climbing. Sep 3, 2023 路 Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Take with the people there to see if you can get a lesson with one of the trainers to get you started. There's not much stopping you from learning to aid climb a wall in a year or two, if you're willing to dump effort into it. Face climbing strength does not tend to transfer particularly well to crack climbing. Ice climbing is foundational to traditional mixed, a little less so for bolted drytooling routes but still pretty damn important. Second thing: mountaineering is expensive, so prep yourself. Unless you’re a very good free climber, most routes require aid climbing to reach the summit. How might I work towards climbing a big wall? I have learned the basics of climbing and mountaineering mostly through friends so far, but I don't know anyone who does this sort of thing. How do you learn how to aid climb? Should I take a class (which one)? Also, for climbers who started with indoor climbing and then started climbing outdoors more, did you notice any significant differences in how you climb / technique / strengths? Overall I'm super excited to experience some real rock, and have really enjoyed reading all of the posts from this sub in the past month or so. Make sure to check them out! (Hint: Ctrl+Click or Cmd+Click will open the link Just passed my rock climbing instructor exam! I am now certified to teach everything from indoor top-roping to solo aid climbing and self rescue! Climbing too much too fast can get you injured pretty quick, and getting into a situation without enough experience can get you killed. As you get comfortable with that start acquiring trad gear (I hope you have a job by this stage!). ~$400 if you need to get everything to climb on top rope outside. Reply HESH_CATS • Additional comment actions Not aid climbing, but I’m looking into getting into fixed line photography. The posts below is a good start. To add, aid climbing is pretty simple, but the details and finer points become tricky. Why do YOU enjoy rock climbing and what advice would you give to a total rookie that wants to get into hobby? To get into leading ice, i. The grade system grades the level of danger involved. uqdcxb qorvu oblzmns hyyaqia cyug miukrk vxgogq rfs phobci abom