Introduction to rock climbing course

[OllieVic]

Hi There,

Looking for some advice, having done bushwalking and some basic alpine walks for some years looking to try some walks with more difficulty where some climbing might be involved. As such im looking for recommendations on any good introductory courses which can help myself and my walking partner get a good grasp of the basics. Also any suggestions for Alpine walks in Victoria to begin applying such skills.

I was after something similar to this http://climbingadventures.com.au/rockcl ... ourses#rc1

Any suggestions welcome.

Ollie

[Lophophaps]

Ollie, welcome to the forum. A good place to start is the Victorian Climbing Club, http://vicclimb.org.au/
However, before doing this, you may wish to think about what you are attempting to achieve. Bushwalking and rock climbing are related, but are generally not equal objectives on a trip. On many occasions I've had to go on a bushwalk (up to a day or more) to get to climbs, and on bushwalks used climbing skills (such as on The Castle in Morton National Park). Beyond that is alpine climbing, and there's not much in Australia. Have you Been to Feathertop? Look at the south face, steep and icy in winter. Tom Kneen died there. Blue Lake and Watsons Crags are also steep.

Before going on a course it will assist if you read about the subject, perhaps with a library book, 796 something from memory. You need to be aware that different countries have different systems. The most obvious is grading. A grade 11 in Australia is 5.10 in the US. More importantly, some climbing calls are different. I once saw a library book that had a climbing call that meant the opposite of what is used in Australia. Oops.

Learning a few knots is good: tape knot, double fisherman's, bowline and figure eight. The rest are less important. When you can make a bowline around your waist one-handed in a few seconds you have reached a good standard. Learn about swami seats and how to improvise such as a one krab abseil, one krab belay, and making a harness in a rope.

Finally, climbing can be addictive. It's impossible to convey the feeling at the sharp end as a crux move is overcome, or the freedom of being on steep rock. Once you've done that, very little else seems to be imprtant.

[OllieVic]

Thanks for the reply very informative, I'm gonna have a look into the reading recommended.

I understand what you're saying about the difference between Alpine climbing and bushwalking which is one of the reasons I came here. I've recently been looking at more challenging walks and I'm thinking of starting with Mt Anne in Tasmania and maybe at some point Federation Peaks in Tasmania. My real objective are those walks which end up with some small sections of basic climbing / scrambling and I want to feel confident should the need arise I know how to go about securing a line, how to tie knots and how I should approach the situation.

By the way another basic question but if I'm looking for some rope/caribener/ATC to get started practice some knots, techniques etc where is a good place to begin ?

Thanks again.

[Tortoise]

I understand what you're saying about the difference between Alpine climbing and bushwalking which is one of the reasons I came here. I've recently been looking at more challenging walks and I'm thinking of starting with Mt Anne in Tasmania and maybe at some point Federation Peaks in Tasmania. My real objective are those walks which end up with some small sections of basic climbing / scrambling and I want to feel confident should the need arise I know how to go about securing a line, how to tie knots and how I should approach the situation..

Hey Ollie,

Before I got to your last post, I was going to mention Tassie in general, and Mt Anne & Federation in particular. And to say what a great idea I think it is. I found that just 2 private rock climbing lessons, one from someone I know, and one from a very kind offer from a forum member here, has made a HUGE difference to the 'tippy top' of mountains in Tassie. Mind you, I think it would take a fair bit of experience to do ropes well enough for Federation, from what I'm told. Not easy anchor points apparently. But I'm sure the basic rock-climbing skills will help enormously. Lots of people don't need to use ropes there.

A bit of rock climbing was part of my strategy of dealing with a fear of heights. The report I need to write soon will be 'In which Tortoise Smashes the Anne Circuit', which will be in dramatic contrast to my previous experience there just a year before.

The rock climbing changed my perspective, gave me lots of new skills and focus. Instead of looking at near-vertical rock and seeing no hand- or footholds, I now see heaps of possibilities. I'm now comfortable with good finger holds, rather than freaking out if there's nothing I can wrap my hand around. I think about where to put my weight to maximise the effectiveness of smaller holds. I used to be looking for a flat platform to stand on, whereas now I'm happy with a good 2 or 3 cm ledge if it's angled the right way. And definitely less than that if there's not a big drop.

One of the gems I got from the lessons was "If you get stuck, stop, take a deep breath, and have a look around." That got me down a tricky bit of Anne without actually needing the help that was offered. We didn't use a rope this time, but 2 of the group did help the less confident ones of us, by checking out each climby bit, giving lots of encouragement, guiding people's hands and feet, and giving a hoik where needed.

http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=19317&hilit=+epic

http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=21135&hilit=+fear+of+heights

All the best for your adventures.

[Lophophaps]

OllieVic, Tassie is another matter - you need more skills for the big stuff. As advised above, a litle bit of advice can go a long way. Start small on easy grades at gentle angles and gradually work up to harder steeper stuff. On bigger places like Federation you need to be able to do things without thinking, and that's where practice comes in.

Climbing ropes are 10-11 mm diameter, and if you can find a rope that thick to use for practisng knots it will be easier - the rope is reasonably thick and easy to handle. Knots will be hard at first but persist. Once you understand them the skill will last forever. You should not need any gear at first as the person taking you climbing will (or should) have enough.

[benjabimon]

I too would be interested to know if there are any introductory rock climbing courses in Victoria. As it is something that I have tried and enjoyed, but would like to not suck at.

I've had to learn some knots recently, so I can suggest YouTube is a good place to start looking for instructions on knots. There are also webpages dedicated to the subject, as well as a few good apps available for purchase or free for smartphones. Once you start learning a few knots the rest make more sense, it is sort of hard to explain, but you will begin to see the underlying logic of why certain knots are tied in specific ways. There are also a number of YouTube channels that offer advice on rock climbing too, so that is also good place to start as well.

Not quite the same however as having an instructor there in front of you, offering constructive criticism on technique, which is why I am keen to look into a decent introductory course

[Lophophaps]

Not quite the same however as having an instructor there in front of you, offering constructive criticism on technique, which is why I am keen to look into a decent introductory course

True. There's a number of free outdoor climbing walls in Melbourne. Also, commercial indoor walls can be useful. maybe start with the outdoor walls and see how you go, maybe ask people there about knots. Most free outdoor walls are traverses or not very high, so all climbing is solo.

See
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=outd ... 0gSxyqCoBQ
for free and commercial walls. If anyone wants to take up the outdoor option, PM me and i may be able to attend with some gear.

[benjabimon]

Great, thank you I've seen a few walls around Melbourne, hopefully it will catch on and we will see some more.

Been wondering if joining a club might also be a way to learn more, if they're happy to take complete hacks, erm, I mean novices

[Lophophaps]

Benjabimon, the VCC have courses and will take on bumblies. I did one of their courses, worked out well. It pays to learn as much as you can before as this avoids the need to learn the very basics on the course. Why spend time on a weekend at a crag learning knots and commands when you could be climbing?

There's a good list of walls at
http://www.chockstone.org/melbourne/melbourne.htm
Any of the indoor walls are good. I like the outdoor walls for training - free. Indoor is better for a more realistic experience.