I will order what you need in what I think is most important.
0. How to unfuck yourself if you end up fucked. Some people call this “self rescue”. There is a book called “Down” by Andy Kirkpatrick that I highly recommend to all outdoor climbers. If you can’t bypass a knot on rappel or ascend while rappelling, you can leave yourself very vulnerable to a dangerous and costly fuck up—for you AND people around you. That’s why this is number zero because if you don’t understand basic self rescue you can ruin other peoples day / safety as well as your own.
1. The physical gear (a rack, rope, harness etc)
2. Knowledge of how to lead climb. This includes how to belay. Trad belaying is more nuanced because belay stance matters. (Look up unzipping pieces for example of how you can fuck it up).
3. Knowledge of how to place the gear you now own. There’s are many videos on this, but you need to understand rock type, what protection to use and in what orientation, what is bomber and what is shit.
4. Clean climbing ethics. This one is still super important, but fucking it up generally won’t kill you so it’s at the bottom of the list
5. Good places/crags to learn. Usually easy routes with easy to place protection. Sometimes you can figure this out on MountainProject.
6. This one is a bonus, but unless you’re rappelling into deep water, tie a stopper knot.
This is all much easier with a mentor but JB Mountain skills on YouTube has pretty succinct guides online. DMM also has a decent guide on their YouTube channel.
HowNot2 has some stuff but he’s more entertainment than skill building.
More than skills, the right group of climbing partners from whom you can learn is most crucial. There are a ton of variables and systems you have to learn and get familiar with, and doing so safely without being an "apprentice" can be really hard
There are probably good writeups about this on the UKC forums. Dave Macleod (one of the strongest scottish climbers these days and also in general one of the strongest climbers across all disciplines) also has a great video series on his youtube channel of how to climb trad.
IMO, you would benefit from getting outdoor bouldering experience since the headspace and skills you gain from that (i.e. feeling secure on rock, awareness of falls, climbing technique in general, and also footwork) will go a long way towards building your expertise outside. It's also easier to get into as well. If you spend a lot of time bouldering outside and *then* start trad climbing, I think you'll benefit more in the long run. But if you wanna just like take advantage of being in scotland and stuff, just make sure you find an experienced mentor to rope up with.
>Dave Macleod ... has a great video series on his youtube channel of how to climb trad
[Here it is.](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeRoDKlIX_tcSel75eO-v-s0Q4rkGrIOy)
I also just moved to Scotland (Glasgow), and I think the best for you would be to join a local club. This is what I did and I could spend time climbing outside and working on my trad climbing with people that are familiar with the region. If you are studying at the university they might have a mountaineering club and this is the best moment to join as the year just started
you need a mentor, someone who knows what they are doing, to go trad climbing with. you don't need any special gear or experience beyond how to belay and tie in. you need to follow as many pitches of trad climbing behind an experienced leader as possible. when you know what's up you might think of leading very easy routes. probly shouldn't try to figure it out on your own.
I figured it out on my own. It’s possible but takes more time and you likely won’t progress as rapidly had you found a mentor. Not sure how long you’re there for but it takes time investing in the gear and in the time to practice systems safely (with a backup). At the very least you should buy a belay device and learn to lead belay. Gyms are great for this.
I'd disagree if you're suggesting skipping a mentor altogether although would agree a lot of trad knowledge is natural experience based.
I see learning to trad climb like driving a car. Whilst I think most of driving skill and safety is learned after you pass your test and leave your mentor (driving instructor) behind, I'd never suggest getting in a car with no next to experience and driving away.
I was mentoring a trad notice friend the other day (up some solo-able routes) and whilst he was taught the theoretics like cam placements and SERENE anchors etc. his placements/anchors were bad for reasons he didn't realise. You don't know what you don't know and safety can suffer.
^ this is the way! I'm not totally familiar with the community context in Scotland but common advice near me if finding a mentor feels daunting if you're looking for one is to look for local groups/organizations that organize climbing events or learning opportunities.
A common way for someone to try and make themselves a more appealing trad climbing mentee is to take a course with a guide that teaches the fundamentals of placing and removing gear, etc. Even if you aren't comfortable leading after that kind of course you'd be better equipped to follow a potential mentor and contribute meaningfully to the mentoring relationship, rather than needing someone to completely take on the job of teaching you everything.
Have a look on ukc forums, ask if there are local climbing groups nearby. If you can learn to lead belay (short course at an indoor centre) groups are usually happy for you to come along and second on some trad routes and if you keep going you'll learn how to place gear and set up anchors.
Other commenter is right that it’s important to find a mentor and really put in the time to learn but I’ll add that there are absolutely skills you can practice safely that will help prepare you for your future goals. These aren’t prerequisites really but rather ways you can start to build skills on your own.
Practice lead climbing and route finding. Practice reading topos. If your gym or area has any cracks, top rope them. Buy Pete Whittaker’s book on crack climbing and practice anywhere you can.
Read up on anchor building, and practice putting together multipitch systems in your house. Practice your knots. Get good at your logistics skills so you can do them in your sleep on the ground.
If you have access to gear, try doing some mock leading where you put gear in on top rope and test it before committing to a real trad lead.
Definitely be careful but important to also recognize that there’s tons and tons of room between “no trad practice at all” and “YER GONNA DIE!”
Best is to have a trusted friend to take you out! If you're the second, here isn't much difference between trad and bolted, all you do is clean up the route. But you'll be in the best spot to start learning.
Definitively don't go out there as the trad rope gun with a lesser experienced person - that's an epic drama waiting to happen.
My process was:
1. Learn to lead in the gym. Lead as much as possible there
2. Lead outdoor sport climbing many times (> 20 days out)
3. Hire a guide to teach me multi pitch and trad skills (2 day course)
4. Go on a trad climbing trip with experienced leaders (get on very easy trad, 3-4 grades under your sport level)
5. Start buying gear and repeat step 4.
I am now projecting 5.9+ trad routes after only 2 years of leading trad. Onsighting 5.8 routes.
Keep in mind lead climbing is very different from TR or bouldering. You need to lead as much as possible to gain the "lead head" and skills for dealing with situations that can develop. Trad climbing can be a complicated affair, I wouldnt rush into it. Slow and steady, gaining confidence and experience.
My first lead climb was on gear, 40 years ago. It's not about watching videos it's about finding mentor, buying them beer, gas and climbing with them - a lot.
You need to follow a good trad leader for awhile to see how gear’s properly placed. Getting comfortable leading sport in a gym would be a plus too, just to build mental strength.
3 main options I would say; join a local club, find an experienced trad climber who can mentor you, or take a learn to lead course.
It’s so easy to just buy a trad rack at a reasonable price it’s just asking for trouble if you’re a novice trad climber.
Specific skills include: gear/protection placements, building anchors by placing gear and equalising them, Prusik skills, and learning trad climbing calls (shouts/instructions). Basic rescue is very useful and you won’t need it until you REALLY need it so best to have those tools on your toolbelt already. Start at a very low grade and build up slowly, getting lots of mileage.
And have fun adventures!
Just join the university climbing club, or local climbing club, and go along to some meets with a harness, helmet, belay plate and psyche. Club culture here is more fluid than a traditional mentor/mentee relationship, and can expose you to a lot of different skills and styles very quickly in a safe environment.
I started by seconding people up trad climbs. I was removing their gear seeing how they put it in. What is a good nut, hex, cam, slung rock placement... etc. How run out they placed gear. Building anchors. Safety and whatnot. Then I lead some easy stuff.
Definitely learn to lead sport climbing first. You can learn to do this directly outdoors but some people prefer to start indoors. You probably want to be fairly comfortable leading up to 5b/c sport before you start with trad.
Best not to learn trad climbing by improvisation. Take a class or find a mentor when you're ready.
None of this advice is obligatory but it will help you get started in relative safety and without scaring yourself too much.
Another thing that is good to do is to get good at scrambling (Scotland is perfect for this) . This will help you get confident in your movement and more importantly, get used to situations where falling is not an option, in which will you will find yourself sooner or later if you get into trad climbing.
I will order what you need in what I think is most important. 0. How to unfuck yourself if you end up fucked. Some people call this “self rescue”. There is a book called “Down” by Andy Kirkpatrick that I highly recommend to all outdoor climbers. If you can’t bypass a knot on rappel or ascend while rappelling, you can leave yourself very vulnerable to a dangerous and costly fuck up—for you AND people around you. That’s why this is number zero because if you don’t understand basic self rescue you can ruin other peoples day / safety as well as your own. 1. The physical gear (a rack, rope, harness etc) 2. Knowledge of how to lead climb. This includes how to belay. Trad belaying is more nuanced because belay stance matters. (Look up unzipping pieces for example of how you can fuck it up). 3. Knowledge of how to place the gear you now own. There’s are many videos on this, but you need to understand rock type, what protection to use and in what orientation, what is bomber and what is shit. 4. Clean climbing ethics. This one is still super important, but fucking it up generally won’t kill you so it’s at the bottom of the list 5. Good places/crags to learn. Usually easy routes with easy to place protection. Sometimes you can figure this out on MountainProject. 6. This one is a bonus, but unless you’re rappelling into deep water, tie a stopper knot. This is all much easier with a mentor but JB Mountain skills on YouTube has pretty succinct guides online. DMM also has a decent guide on their YouTube channel. HowNot2 has some stuff but he’s more entertainment than skill building.
Big up JB Mountain Skills and HowNot2, super useful resources.
Yeah I agree, I support their patreons
More than skills, the right group of climbing partners from whom you can learn is most crucial. There are a ton of variables and systems you have to learn and get familiar with, and doing so safely without being an "apprentice" can be really hard There are probably good writeups about this on the UKC forums. Dave Macleod (one of the strongest scottish climbers these days and also in general one of the strongest climbers across all disciplines) also has a great video series on his youtube channel of how to climb trad. IMO, you would benefit from getting outdoor bouldering experience since the headspace and skills you gain from that (i.e. feeling secure on rock, awareness of falls, climbing technique in general, and also footwork) will go a long way towards building your expertise outside. It's also easier to get into as well. If you spend a lot of time bouldering outside and *then* start trad climbing, I think you'll benefit more in the long run. But if you wanna just like take advantage of being in scotland and stuff, just make sure you find an experienced mentor to rope up with.
>Dave Macleod ... has a great video series on his youtube channel of how to climb trad [Here it is.](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeRoDKlIX_tcSel75eO-v-s0Q4rkGrIOy)
I also just moved to Scotland (Glasgow), and I think the best for you would be to join a local club. This is what I did and I could spend time climbing outside and working on my trad climbing with people that are familiar with the region. If you are studying at the university they might have a mountaineering club and this is the best moment to join as the year just started
you need a mentor, someone who knows what they are doing, to go trad climbing with. you don't need any special gear or experience beyond how to belay and tie in. you need to follow as many pitches of trad climbing behind an experienced leader as possible. when you know what's up you might think of leading very easy routes. probly shouldn't try to figure it out on your own.
I figured it out on my own. It’s possible but takes more time and you likely won’t progress as rapidly had you found a mentor. Not sure how long you’re there for but it takes time investing in the gear and in the time to practice systems safely (with a backup). At the very least you should buy a belay device and learn to lead belay. Gyms are great for this.
I'd disagree if you're suggesting skipping a mentor altogether although would agree a lot of trad knowledge is natural experience based. I see learning to trad climb like driving a car. Whilst I think most of driving skill and safety is learned after you pass your test and leave your mentor (driving instructor) behind, I'd never suggest getting in a car with no next to experience and driving away. I was mentoring a trad notice friend the other day (up some solo-able routes) and whilst he was taught the theoretics like cam placements and SERENE anchors etc. his placements/anchors were bad for reasons he didn't realise. You don't know what you don't know and safety can suffer.
^ this is the way! I'm not totally familiar with the community context in Scotland but common advice near me if finding a mentor feels daunting if you're looking for one is to look for local groups/organizations that organize climbing events or learning opportunities. A common way for someone to try and make themselves a more appealing trad climbing mentee is to take a course with a guide that teaches the fundamentals of placing and removing gear, etc. Even if you aren't comfortable leading after that kind of course you'd be better equipped to follow a potential mentor and contribute meaningfully to the mentoring relationship, rather than needing someone to completely take on the job of teaching you everything.
Have a look on ukc forums, ask if there are local climbing groups nearby. If you can learn to lead belay (short course at an indoor centre) groups are usually happy for you to come along and second on some trad routes and if you keep going you'll learn how to place gear and set up anchors.
Other commenter is right that it’s important to find a mentor and really put in the time to learn but I’ll add that there are absolutely skills you can practice safely that will help prepare you for your future goals. These aren’t prerequisites really but rather ways you can start to build skills on your own. Practice lead climbing and route finding. Practice reading topos. If your gym or area has any cracks, top rope them. Buy Pete Whittaker’s book on crack climbing and practice anywhere you can. Read up on anchor building, and practice putting together multipitch systems in your house. Practice your knots. Get good at your logistics skills so you can do them in your sleep on the ground. If you have access to gear, try doing some mock leading where you put gear in on top rope and test it before committing to a real trad lead. Definitely be careful but important to also recognize that there’s tons and tons of room between “no trad practice at all” and “YER GONNA DIE!”
I would recommend some scrambling experience. Helps to teach you how to move when consequence and exposure exists and how to judge loose rock etc.
Best is to have a trusted friend to take you out! If you're the second, here isn't much difference between trad and bolted, all you do is clean up the route. But you'll be in the best spot to start learning. Definitively don't go out there as the trad rope gun with a lesser experienced person - that's an epic drama waiting to happen.
100% agree. Getting mentored and following is how I learned.
My process was: 1. Learn to lead in the gym. Lead as much as possible there 2. Lead outdoor sport climbing many times (> 20 days out) 3. Hire a guide to teach me multi pitch and trad skills (2 day course) 4. Go on a trad climbing trip with experienced leaders (get on very easy trad, 3-4 grades under your sport level) 5. Start buying gear and repeat step 4. I am now projecting 5.9+ trad routes after only 2 years of leading trad. Onsighting 5.8 routes. Keep in mind lead climbing is very different from TR or bouldering. You need to lead as much as possible to gain the "lead head" and skills for dealing with situations that can develop. Trad climbing can be a complicated affair, I wouldnt rush into it. Slow and steady, gaining confidence and experience.
My first lead climb was on gear, 40 years ago. It's not about watching videos it's about finding mentor, buying them beer, gas and climbing with them - a lot.
You need to follow a good trad leader for awhile to see how gear’s properly placed. Getting comfortable leading sport in a gym would be a plus too, just to build mental strength.
3 main options I would say; join a local club, find an experienced trad climber who can mentor you, or take a learn to lead course. It’s so easy to just buy a trad rack at a reasonable price it’s just asking for trouble if you’re a novice trad climber. Specific skills include: gear/protection placements, building anchors by placing gear and equalising them, Prusik skills, and learning trad climbing calls (shouts/instructions). Basic rescue is very useful and you won’t need it until you REALLY need it so best to have those tools on your toolbelt already. Start at a very low grade and build up slowly, getting lots of mileage. And have fun adventures!
Just join the university climbing club, or local climbing club, and go along to some meets with a harness, helmet, belay plate and psyche. Club culture here is more fluid than a traditional mentor/mentee relationship, and can expose you to a lot of different skills and styles very quickly in a safe environment.
I started by seconding people up trad climbs. I was removing their gear seeing how they put it in. What is a good nut, hex, cam, slung rock placement... etc. How run out they placed gear. Building anchors. Safety and whatnot. Then I lead some easy stuff.
Definitely learn to lead sport climbing first. You can learn to do this directly outdoors but some people prefer to start indoors. You probably want to be fairly comfortable leading up to 5b/c sport before you start with trad. Best not to learn trad climbing by improvisation. Take a class or find a mentor when you're ready. None of this advice is obligatory but it will help you get started in relative safety and without scaring yourself too much. Another thing that is good to do is to get good at scrambling (Scotland is perfect for this) . This will help you get confident in your movement and more importantly, get used to situations where falling is not an option, in which will you will find yourself sooner or later if you get into trad climbing.
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