How long did it take you to get good at climbing?

How long did it take you to get good at climbing? It'll never happen....... But sucking at climbing is still a lot of fun.

Every time I get comfortable and ready to start pushing my trad grade I end up not climbing for a while and reseting the clock.

For me getting over my fear of heights has been reward enough.

Boulder outside and learn to use your feet. Focus on moving smoothly, working your footholds, not just on clawing your way up stuff. Do a little of everything: face, crack, liebacks, mantels. Watch and imitate good climbers, especially good female climbers. They're really good at using technique to compensate for lack of brute strength and reach--something everyone can benefit from.

You'll get strong in the gym, which is good, but all that strength will be wasted if you don't know how to apply it well.

Brian in SLC wrote: Join a gym and/or get some mileage? Maybe try to find someone to work with you on climbing technique? I'm sure a guide service could help, so could a gym session where movement is stressed.

Great advice. I initially learned to climb outdoors, because everywhere I read, it said gym sucks and is totally different from outdoors. I went climbing here and there that summer and wasn't really good and could hardly complete easy climbs on top-rope. One day I decided that going on these trips and not being able to finish them really sucked and was a complete waste of time, money and gas - so I joined a gym. Best decision ever! If you don't live near a crag, gym is a good place to gain strength and work on some technique. Many gyms offer some sort of technique clinics to members for free or very nominal fee.

It doesn't matter how good you get. You will always want to get better. I bet if you asked some of the top climbers in the world if they thought they were good climbers they wouldn't give you a straight answer. They would probably tell you all about how there footwork sucks or how there onsight skill are lacking. The key to being good is identifying your weaknesses and putting yourself in situations that provide opportunities for growth. The most important things are enjoying the evolution, the people you meet along the way, and not taking yourself to seriously.

“The best climber in the world is the one who's having the most fun.” - Alex Lowe

Base it on jugs. Next time you climb notice what you consider to be a bomber jug. Then 6 months to a year notice what you now consider to be a jug, if its goten smaller then you've gotten better.

i understand where you're coming from; i have a goal of leading 5.10/easy 11 onsight anywhere i go, because being able to get up those grades seems to open up a lot of options in terms of cool-looking routes and i want to be able to do it with a new-ish partner, without the risk of flailing.

last year i climbed 3 or 4 days a week; full days, 5+ pitches a day, from june through september, and then got in anywhere from 5 to 10 days each month the rest of 2009. i've been out 44 days so far in 2010. last june, i had a 90% onsight rate on 5.9/10a, and currently i'm 90% on 10d, ~50% on 11a/b. looking back, i feel like i've climbed a lot to get there - it's pretty much all i do with my spare days. so, if you want to improve a lot, climb a lot.

someone mentioned that climbing lots of different places is a good thing to do; i'm totally behind this. you can be a star at your home crag, but if your home crag is sandstone sport climbing, chances are you won't be able to bring your "A" game to a multi-pitch granite route, or even a sandstone area like Eldo or a desert tower; rock and climbing style varies a lot between areas and climbing disciplines. exposing yourself to many different styles of climbing and types of rock will do a lot for you. it might not up your onsight ability a ton, but you'll become more efficient and gain confidence in your ability to go to an unfamiliar area and get on the routes you want to do without flailing about.

for some people, me included, part of the fun of anything is being able to measure it somehow. the more climbing i can do, and in more places, and tougher grades, the better. the guy who gets the most drunk at the party wins.

I was great the first time, if we measure it by how much fun I had. (We all "sucked" once upon a time.) I've always thought that one of the great things about climbing is you have fun at every grade, all through the years. Heck, you're climbing! If you're a bad tennis player, for instance, you're apologizing to people in the court next to you, you're retrieving balls, you're all over the place; essentially you're not playing tennis, you're picking up a ball. With climbing, you're out on the rock, slowly getting better by doing what you love, learning new things, enjoying life. In my book, if you want to do it again tomorrow: you're a climber! Go climb, keep smiling and in a few years you'll be so much better that you'll wonder what you were worrying about today. Attitude is everything. I LOVE THIS SPORT!

It took me about 8 months to lead a 5.11-. But I was also climbing five days a week and I hit the gym hard during the winter months.

rob bauer wrote:I was great the first time, if we measure it by how much fun I had. (We all "sucked" once upon a time.) I've always thought that one of the great things about climbing is you have fun at every grade, all through the years. Heck, you're climbing! If you're a bad tennis player, for instance, you're apologizing to people in the court next to you, you're retrieving balls, you're all over the place; essentially you're not playing tennis, you're picking up a ball. With climbing, you're out on the rock, slowly getting better by doing what you love, learning new things, enjoying life. In my book, if you want to do it again tomorrow: you're a climber! Go climb, keep smiling and in a few years you'll be so much better that you'll wonder what you were worrying about today. Attitude is everything. I LOVE THIS SPORT!

best post on this thread! sums it up real well.

After 36 years of working at it, I know this is the year I get good...

Scott O wrote:“The best climber in the world is the one who's having the most fun.” - Alex Lowe

Damn, you beat me to the quote. According to Alex Lowe, it took me 2 minutes on the First Flatiron to be the best climber in the world.

According to me, it took a full summer of following and then leading to call myself a "climber".

Any day now. It's going to happen any day. I can feel it. HA!

I've been climbing for half of my life and I still wouldn't consider myself a good climber...

"You're right, I wasn't specific enough. What I'm hoping to do at the very least is get to a point where I can lead 5.6 sport or trad."

Spencer:

I'll answer your question with your stated goal in mind.

The philosopher Yogi Berra sums up my point:

"Baseball [Rock climbing] is 90% mental. The other half is physical."

The physical demands of 5.6 climbing are modest. Hence at 5.6, leading is even MORE than "90% mental."

Realize your problem is "mental" and not "physical" ability to perform the moves. You know this is true if on a top rope you can readily climb the pitch.

How long will it take you to overcome your mental difficulties?

The real, existential answer is: "As long as you make it take."

It's an issue of trust: do you trust yourself? do you trust the gear? do you trust the situation? More trust equal less fear and the converse.

Terry Price

spencerparkin wrote:EDIT: My main goal in life is to get married, which is even more lofty than a goal to climb 5.15.

In Utah, only if you are gay...

Ha ha.

Climbing hard is, well, hard. Someday hopefully I'll get there, but in the mean time I just refuse to give up. Take the time to bask in the glory of minor accomplishments.