UKC

Hi, I have a bit of a dilemma.

So to preface this I started technical climbing last october, and I've had courses in belaying, lead climbing, ice climbing etc. This spring I'll have my first season outdoors, and start with sport climbing. I've been climbing indoors several times per week since October.

Since the beginning the plan has been alpine climbing, and now me and my friends are going to take a trad course before we start gaining experience on the easier stuff first at crags and then in the mountains.

Dilemma:

Either I take a trad course pretty early in the season, in May by myself, or together with my friends in July.

Taking it in May I get more time to practice before the season is over in September-October (snow starts in the mountains then). But I will have to find someone else to do trad climbing with, which isn't a certainty. I also get less time to get acquainted with climbing outdoors beforehand (I don't know if that matters much).

Taking it in July I get more time to prepare by climbing outdoors for half a season. I can take the course with my friends. But I also will have less time to do trad climbing until it starts snowing and I'm guessing trad climbing in winter doesn't work very well.

In reply to TheFasting:

My advice is to get on one as soon as you can!

If you haven't got someone in mind to run a course feel free to check out my site: www.jbmountainskills.co.uk
People like me run open courses, so going on your own is no problem.

In reply to TheFasting:

Get on a course as soon as possible.
It's a bit like learning to drive. Passing your test is only the beginning, the real learning starts when you're out there putting everything into practice

In reply to TheFasting:

Get yourself booked on one sooner rather than later. If you were in the UK I'd have suggested that you should think about joining a club afterwards, not sure if Norway have a similar set up to the UK. You'll still be learning new things about trad in a few years time even if you get out a huge amount so just remember that even once you've completed a course there is still a huge amount to learn.

In reply to TheFasting:
Do a course as soon as possible, with a good course, and a bit of practice, you should be able to go outside and climb simpler straightforward stuff with your friends giving them a great springboard for their course.

In reply to TheFasting:

Like the rest. Sooner!! You cannot guarantee the future. You just never know whats around the corner.

In reply to TheFasting:

Since you guys were literally unanimous in this I think I have to make an early course happen.

In reply to TheFasting:

Hi TheFasting.

I have a course running May 1st 5th if your interested. Its a 5 day course and it should cover all bases for you. Plus it gives you plenty of time to get on the rock post the course whilst the summers actually here!

It is heavily discounted at the moment as well due to only one space remaining.
Have a look at


www.facebook.com/verticallakeland

or

www.verticallakeland.co.uk

Cheers, and sorry to jump on your thread.

In reply to TheFasting:

whether taking a course earlier or later, hit the books ASAP. Ropework and trad books, books on knots, watch lots of youtube videos on trad. Get some gear and go to a local crag and practice trad gear placements and belay building / anchor building at the base of the crag. It' amazing what you can learn with a few books and a piece of rock.

In reply to TheFasting:

I hate to say it but it sounds like you might be taking on too much at once, how confident do you feel leading sport outdoors?

I only say this because paying for an expensive course is only worth it if you are ready to get the most value out of it.

In reply to TheFasting:

I know this may be too late now, but I agree with SpringFall. Learning to lead outdoors is an essential skill to have and it opens up so many opportunities to you, but you need to consider very carefully whether you are psychologically ready to lead on real rock. Bear in mind that no one except yourself will be responsible for (and checking) your placements and safety when you are up there on the crag. Also, remember that if you are the only member of your group of friends who can lead then they will probably turn to you for guidance and starting the routes off. Something to consider anyway, hope it helps.

In reply to TheFasting:
Good to get on a course / post for a partner that you can second routes with.
Use parners forum to find people to hook up with to go doing some sport climbing Outdoors, .. with this you have almost the same safety as indoors (take care with your first two bolt clips), you will probably find you can't do the same level outdoor as you could indoors, because, depending on Rock type, you will spend a lot of time experimenting / feeling for the best hand + footholds, as these are no longer obvious, so you will be hanging around a fair bit more than at the wall.
Nevertheless, this is real climbing, and transferable to trad, but then comes even more hanging around learning to place gear properly, finding what fits, fiddling about until you have the right size seated as good as you can, so you feel happy you can fall on it without worry.
Then you might find runouts larger than bolt routes that you need to face too.
Just do your early trad well within your climbing limit, grades you could theoretically solo, to build confidence, and be able to focus in the practical non-climbing aspects.
Edit.. I see you are based in Oslo? .. Perhaps there's a better forum for finding local partners!

In reply to Rock to Fakey:

I guess since this thread still gets replies from time to time (which is great, but unexpected), maybe I should update.

Based on your advice I booked a course for next week, and one of my friends will go with me. The other friend will climb with us from time to time, maybe have a course later for herself.

I've been climbing outside, now been out lead climbing 3 times on bolts, and now today I seconded two multi-pitch trad routes with a friend in Trondheim.

Going forward I'll be doing a mix of sport climbing and trad climbing depending on what me and my Trondheim partner fancy (but probably mostly trad). Then some alpine climbing this summer and fall.

In reply to TheFasting:

Good progress!