Looking to climb the GUNKS Oct 10th 11th

My girlfriend and I are looking to do some beginner/intermediate climbing and are looking for some people to teach us some of the basics (setting up the ropes,chocks,blocks cams and hexes). We have done some climbing at the Delaware Water gap in Pennsylvania with a guide. We would like to get out on the mountain and have fun and learn more about climbing. We do not have gear but may be able to get shoes,harness and helmet before our trip. If you are interested in hanging out and teaching the Nebs a few tricks we would be grateful for it. We are both athletic and have climbed basic areas. We scaled this rock about 7 times each. Any interest in going please let me know. Thank you, Dustin

Dustin, I'd hate to see your post go unacknowledged.

There's a lot of nuances to your situation and there's a lot of attitudes and opinions about beginning climbing strategies, so what I'm going to share is just the personal opinion of one climber.

First of all - congrats on finding climbing to be something you have an interest in. It's challenging, and therefor rewarding, but also potential deadly if you don't know what you're doing. Even those who climb for a very long time sometimes end up dead for factors often out of their control. I don't want to sugar coat reality and say that the sport is entirely safe, but it's safe enough that 99% of climbers do not die or get injured. That's my disclaimer.

For learning, most of the time people hire a trained professional ("guide") for one or more session to start out. They will teach basics of rope management, gear/a.k.a. "protection", anchor building, etc. You'll also hopefully start climbing better if they offer pointers on climbing technique and you listen.

That's not to say you can't learn on your own, it's just difficult finding climbers with 2 spare helmets, 2 spare harnesses (that fit), and 2 spare shoes (that fit). At the very least, you'll want to procure those things yourself whether outright buying the gear or finding a place (like Rock and Snow in new paltz) to rent for the day(s). Then there's the whole liability issue taking new climbers out. I've taken friends I've known for years out, because there's an unspoken rule about suing your friends out of existence should they get hurt. [informal disclaimer/social waiver] At least with a guiding service you'll have the attentive and mindful skills of a professional attending to these things.

Lastly, there should be a gym nearby, and I suggest going to build strength and climbing skill. The best gear you carry is your head and ability. It's also the one thing you can improve upon easily and most safely in your spare time. You may luck out and find some experienced climbers there willing to take you out. Also check websites like meetup for organized climbing trips.

If you haven't already, find a copy of "Freedom of the Hills" which is kinda the climber's bible to all things gear/anchor/rope management related. It's a good reference, and at least once a year I look things up to relearn that I don't use often.

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask them here. There's a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge on this site.

Kevin's comments are spot on. What you're looking for is exactly what the guides here do week in and week out. If you can afford it, it might be the best investment you'll make in this sport.

Rock & Snow rents shoes and helmets. Not harnesses though. You might find instructions on the Web for tying a "swiss seat" type harness out of 18 ft (or so) of 1 inch webbing. It'll do in a pinch.

Emphasis on the word "pinch", if you get my drift.

Such harnesses used to be common BITD but have become a lost art.

If you're into this game for keeps, bite the bullet and start your gear journey by buying harnesses. And then shoes.

Nice pic of Ricks Rocks, NJ. Fun place to climb.

Read John Long's How to Rock Climb and Craig Luebben's Rock Climbing Anchors over, and over, and over again. Once you grasp the fundamentals, then either go with a guide or an experienced climber, and learn how to apply them. That's how I got started. At a place like Ricks Rocks, for example, you don't need anything more than 100 feet of static rope and a few locking carabiners to climb.

Thank you everyone for your valuable information. I think I will go on a few more guided climbs before I fully commit to buying the gear. There is a sports shop here where I live that sells all the climbing gear. I will stop down there and possibly get more info and see if they know local spots and groups. I will look into buying the books suggested. Thank you again for all the knowledgeable information.

If you keep an eye online you can often find shoes, helmets, and harnesses on clearance as old models gets discontinued, etc.

Examples:

rei.com/outlet/c/climbing?r…

sierratradingpost.com/climb…

Not saying to only buy online, especially with shoes where fit is important, but for harnesses and helmets that's less critical, especially when trying to save money and fit isn't as important.

Dustin, where do you live? If you're in Jersey/East PA once you get some basic gear (harness, helmet, shoes) I can show you around. PM me offline to discuss.

Dustin Stark wrote: I think I will go on a few more guided climbs before I fully commit to buying the gear.

Where abouts do you live ? Might be able to help get you on some Rock. But I def agree with buying at least a harness shoes that fit and an atc but for sure some shoes that fit you. Pm me I have some extras I may be able to lend out for the day

I live in the Wilkesbarre/Scranton Pennsylvania area. It's about a 45 minute drive to the water gap.

Might have a better response // willingness to take you out if you were just looking to follow and learn that way instead of wanting someone to teach you ALL of this stuff which is incredibly time committing and something not many (if any) will be willing to do with someone who's not their regular partner.