Learning to Lead - My experience taking an indoor lead climbing course! Part 1

Hi guys,

Well I have recently taken my lead climbing class and what an experience it was. I thought I would do a few posts to document my experience so other beginners who are thinking of taking their lead course know what was involved in mine, as well as maybe help some make a decision on signing up for lead! This is Learning to Lead – Part 1!

Course Day 1

Well, been waiting for this for a long time! I have arrived with my shiny new grigri and fresh blue BD rope at the gym for my course, ready to rock, no pun intended. $160 for two 2 hour sessions, all you need is your own rope, grigri, and a partner who is as stoked as you – I have all these ingredients. Never climbed in this gym before though so don’t know how tough these grades are! The gym requirement is that you can climb a 5.8 to take the course, but no-one asks or tests us. Other gyms I checked want you to climbing a 5.9 or even 5.10 before you can sign up. I can do 5.8’s no problem in other gyms, and can compete most 5.9’s so I think I’ll be ok. Some may think that this is to early to take a lead test, maybe they are right – Im sure I will hear from you below. Regardless I’m doing it. My goal in the end is alpine so I want to start leading even if its not on the most technical of gym routes, and I leading is just a dream of mine so with the support of a new experienced climbing friend I met on MP I signed up!

I am meeting my new partner today and looking forward to it, I can tell she’s as excited as I am so I’m sure we will get along just fine. Big part of the beginner battle is finding a good partner to hold your 9.9mm lifeline that you are comfortable climbing with. I am hoping that this is the case today. She can climb a few grades higher than me, and I know she can definitely teach me a thing or two I’m sure.

I prepared for this for the last 2 weeks, I upped my climbing volume and push my max as well as climb easy routes as flawlwssly as possible to try to develop technique So I can focus more on clipping than climbing at the beginning. Unfortunately, my 2-year-old decided last night that sleeping is overrated and who needs it, so I am awake until 2a.m, I’m deadly tired today. Doesn’t matter now, there’s no re-scheduling at this point and I’ve been waiting for this day for what seems an eternity. I am told that this day is more of a “theory” based instruction anyway so I’ll be OK.

Today we are covering:

• Equipment needed for lead belaying: Quickdraws & carabiners, Grigri, Rope 
• Introduction to fall factor and fall factor math
• Z-clipping & back-clipping primer
• How to clip a quickdraw from all angles & body positioning while belaying
• (Each Gym is different and may teach different things at different times with different methods please keep that in mind! What works at one gym does NOT apply to them all!)

I have read Freedom of the Hills more than once, I have logged over 1000 hours of youtube video on the grigri, rope types, clipping, ropework, lead belaying. I have practiced fall factor math, set up belay stations and multipitch anchors in my bedroom, tying of the grigri for hands free etc. When she asks about the pieces of a quickdraw, or what a factor 2 fall is, I am delighted that I know all the answers. Feelin’ good.

Then she signals us to go over to the climbing wall and she will show us how to clip. Oh yes! I have watched my fare share of clipping videos – I even installed bolts on my bedroom wall to practise clipping each side, with each hand from high, low, wherever. I know I’m going to kill this!
Then – she shows us a method I have never seen before. Grabbing the carabiners with your pointer and middle finger at the top and pushing the rope in with your thumb. I ask her – what about this way? And I show her what I learned from my Youtube education, and as I do it my thumb gets caught in the gate for a second, that’s why its wrong. If you fell at that exact time, which is possible, say goodbye to that little piggy. And because I practiced MY way so many days for so long – I just can’t comprehend her method and I am having mass difficulty processing her clipping method in my brain. I can foresee issues ahead. Lesson learned.

Climbing on the reminder of the day, we are on toprope while pulling a “dummy” lead line up with us and clipping as we go for practise. I just can’t compute clipping the quickdraws and its causing me delays on the wall and im pumped out in no time. I lose focus, I panic, my mental game fails. Furthermore, I climb 2 grades below my norm and struggle because of the newly added task and what I blame lack od sleep! The rest of the night… follows this trend. Then its closing time.

I leave feeling defeated, not worthy of lead climbing, and probably leaving a less-than-desirable impression on my new partner who's life will basically be in my hands next class. At that moment of walking out of the gym I have that “I want to quit” feeling.

That feeling will pass as it always does. Within an hour or two of leaving the gym Im already planning what days this week I’m going to train climbing to increase my technique ability and endurance. I will also memorize how to clip that draw the way I have been taught until tis 2nd nature. No more late nights if I am to have energy to succeed in this sport. I promise myself that next time we meet will be different.  

That was day 1. In conclusion my takeaway from this first day of the course was:

• I advise to never try to learn of Youtube or just through print and think you have it all figured out. Obviously professional instruction by people who know what they are doing is key along with practise and repetition of these new skills. Research what it is you will be doing and go in with an open mind prepped and ready to learn. I knew this but thought I could shuffle through the information online and choose the right method in advance. Nope.
• Its good to know what back clipping is, what z-clipping is how they happen and why they are bad before taking the course.
• A quick prepper on climbing fall factor math is advised – its simple math and having an idea before hand can help you better understand what was taught in your lead class as they covered it very quickly
• Don’t be hard on yourself – your learning a new and difficult task that takes time and practise to master. Don’t quit and don’t let anyone including yourself make you feel like you’re not good enough or not ready. Yes I could have had more of a solid base but I am working on building technique outside of learning how to lead. Always dedicate time to your weakness and I think it will make you a better climber.
• I never realized how much of a mental game lead climbing is. I was so focused on “just climb and clip” but it is SO MUCH MORE than that. Breathing, focus on the current movement, controlling panic or doubt and the ability to always keep calm and controlled I think was the biggest surprise on this first day.

Anyway – Class #2 – Learning how to fall is next!

Disclaimer – This is just my experience and my thoughts on that experience! Take what you will from it!

Thanks guys,

North Col

Inspiring stuff

When do you learn to lead belay?

If the first day is how to clip, and the second day is how to fall... something is missing! do they have a separate class for leading and for lead belaying these days? 

Oh, and presumably yet another class for learning how to clean anchors?

Pure adventure!

I think we have a strong candidate for Elizabeth and Jimmy's next film.

Diary Project?

F loyd wrote: Diary Project?

There is an "over-50" thread. Why not a North Col Diary thread? ;)

This post violated Guideline #1 and has been removed.

Lena chita wrote: When do you learn to lead belay?

If the first day is how to clip, and the second day is how to fall... something is missing! do they have a separate class for leading and for lead belaying these days? 

Oh, and presumably yet another class for learning how to clean anchors?

Lead belaying was part 2 of the class - next post coming

Cleaning anchors was never discussed, but they did show us a sample sport anchor with 2 quickdraws. This was more of an indoor lead course so the anchor carabiners are already existing at the top of the route as opposite opposed 

Keep up the stoke, North Col!  The rest of the forum is getting pretty boring.

Ignore the fucktards North col, keep having fun & learning. 

Why would a gym cover fall factor math?  Our lead course covering clipping, belaying, and falling was three hours total, what's with this multi-day junk?

Sloppy Second wrote: Pure adventure!

I think we have a strong candidate for Elizabeth and Jimmy's next film.

lol I know its a gripping story is it not

Ross Goldberg wrote:

Yea you're kinda right, I guess my comment could be applied to many threads on MP

There is a whole lot more drivel on the internet than there is on even the most inane MP thread.  Thankfully, electrons are cheap.  

Time is not cheap, so spend it wisely.  If a thread is not of interest, why read it and comment on it?
You are probably a pretty decent guy, as is North Col.  Just remember that there is a real person behind every post.

Magpie79 wrote:

There is a whole lot more drivel on the internet than there is on even the most inane MP thread.  Thankfully, electrons are cheap.  

Time is not cheap, so spend it wisely.  If a thread is not of interest, why read it and comment on it?
You are probably a pretty decent guy, as is North Col.  Just remember that there is a real person behind every post.

its all good guys this kind if shit comes with the territory. Ive posted enough to know this and it wont get to me anymore nor should it get to anyone. useless comments like this that are a real waste of sever space only serve to make the commetor look a fool to the reasonable population so no need to even reply to them! 

Good job, Colin. I'm liking your stoke.

North Col wrote: 
I have logged over 1000 hours of youtube video on the grigri, rope types, clipping, ropework, lead belaying.

Hoping beyond hope that this is hyperbole and that you did not actually spend 40 hours/week for six months just watching YouTube videos. 

Matthew Bertolatus wrote: Why would a gym cover fall factor math?  Our lead course covering clipping, belaying, and falling was three hours total, what's with this multi-day junk?

What if you can't do the crux, so you build an anchor so your rope gun can come up and do it for you?

Also dude don't worry about clipping the way they want. Just figure out what works best for you. For back hand clips I just throw my middle finger in the basket of the draw to stabilise and push the rope through with index and thumb. The other way I just squeeze the rope and the carabiner in my hand.

Your finger passing slightly through the gate or whatever really isn't that big of a deal.

Even if you lose a finger just become a big waller.

Connor Dobson wrote: Also dude don't worry about clipping the way they want. Just figure out what works best for you. For back hand clips I just throw my middle finger in the basket of the draw to stabilise and push the rope through with index and thumb. The other way I just squeeze the rope and the carabiner in my hand.

Your finger passing slightly through the gate or whatever really isn't that big of a deal.

Even if you lose a finger just become a big waller.

+1 do what works for you

Wow,  $160 for an indoor lead climbing class ?  Is that in line with other gyms, because ours only charges $50 for members for the same two 2-hr sessions.

caughtinside wrote:

There's a lot of advanced clipping theory to cover. How to know when it's ok to overclip, tricks to recover from an underclip, knowing when not to let your partner take, and determining whether the appropriate move is a dyno or to just punch a grumpy. 

You forgot the proper technique for grabbing the draw! Way more important than underclipping!