Leading
The following article was written by Al Stebbins and is as useful today as when I took the new
course back in 1995. I can pin point the moment I knew I wanted to lead and that was when I was
on the first belay ledge on Frog’s Head at the Gunk’s on new seconds weekend but neither I nor
my friend had any idea who to turn to but we both read this article and it inspired us.
We put together a rack, without those expensive cams, and we went to local crags here
in Boston and practiced setting belay anchors on the ground. Our first “leads” were top rope climbs
at the Quarries and our first real leads were on Cannon and Whitehorse in NH, our first Gunks leads
were the weekend after the 4th of July, just over a month and a half after new seconds. Everyone has
a different time table and you should only proceed when your comfortable, remember leading is a mental
game and if your mind is not there you will not have any fun at all. Thanks Al for the inspiration.
Now that you have finished this years Rock Climbing Program you have probably heard a lot of talk about,
and perhaps thought of, leading. First of all, no one has to lead, and you should only lead when, and if,
you want to. In truth though, if you want to discover what climbing is really about you'll find yourself
on the sharp end on the rope. The beauty of the crags are still there if you're a second, but the journey
to self awareness comes with extending yourself and accepting risk, and in climbing that means being out
there in front, alone, on the sharp end. When I finished the beginner program my mates and I found
ourselves isolated. (This, by the way, is something we've worked hard to change.) A friend and I put
together a rack and off we went. With these thoughts in mind I'd like to offer some ideas to those of you
who want to lead, to make the experience a little easier.
The Rack
When I started climbing there were two kinds of protection that everyone used, stoppers and Hexentrics.
Oh there were some funky things that a few people used, like stacked stoppers, (ask anyone today if
they know what these are) but basically it was hexes and stoppers. You still can't go wrong with these.
True, there is a bewildering array of pro out there today, and much of it works; but before you walk out
of the store with sliders, gliders and things that go cam in the night, learn how to place a good stopper.
It's hard to go wrong with a full set of the new curved stoppers, say a set of 1-9 Rocks. Hexentrics are
a low priced alternative to much of the more modern stuff, and you can drop your car on a well placed one
and expect it to hold. Hexes 4—9 will cover almost any moderate climb in the East. When you put kevlar or
perlon on your hexes use a different color for each size so you don't have to go fumbling around when
you're desperate for the right piece. The same principle applies to slings. Don't be afraid to take ten
slings with you. Evenly spaced on a 160 foot pitch, that would mean one sling every 16 feet. How does a
32 foot fall sound to you? You'll want lots of carabiners—remember you will be using 2 per piece plus
others to rack on. You should plan on having at least 25. The Black Diamond Light D's are reasonably priced,
strong, and will give you years of faithful service.
When you're ready for the fancier stuff, start with some medium Friends, say a #2 and #3.
(Seldom in the East on moderate routes will you need anything bigger then a #3 Friend.)
I should say a word about my personal favorite, Tricams. The small Tricams, .5, 1, and, 1.5,
can go many places where nothing else will. After you learn how to use them you'll wonder how
you ever got along without them.
I'd like to offer some ideas on ropes. It really doesn't make any sense to get a rope shorter
than 165 feet long. Many modern pitches are that long so you'll be really unhappy if you're
forced to stop 15 feet short of the belay. In America the standard for most members of the tribe
has been a single 11 mm rope. Big, fat, strong, and rugged an 11 mm Another very reasonable, and
more modern, alternative is a single 10.5 mm rope. It isn't quite as strong as a single 11 mm, but
still it's plenty strong enough, and it's lighter. Some people like twin ropes of 8.5mm or less.
They must be used like a single 1 mm or 10.5mm rope and thus lose much of the advantage a true
double rope would have. Personally I've always referred to twin ropes as Prom Queen ropes because
they look as if they are better suited to holding up the Prom Queen's dress than for climbing.
You might give some serious thought to getting double 9mm ropes, now sometimes called half ropes.
They cost more and are a little harder to get to learn to use well. ( You can end up with 300
feet of spaghetti.) They are, however, much safer and much more versatile. In the mountains
they are infinitely better. On long routes, such as on Cannon, they'll also cut the number
of rappels in half.
Take your rack when you go to top roping areas and walk around between climbs placing pieces.
Ask someone who has been climbing for a while to critique your placements. When you second,
think about the pro you’re pulling out and how it went in. Remember no book or videotape can
teach you how to place a piece. When you feel you’re ready to try leading, see if you can go
with an experienced leader.
Keep in mind that only you can tell when you’re ready to lead. If you screw up, you’ll
only have yourself to blame, it’s a very existential sport.
I’ve got the place if you got the time
You don't have to go to The Valley (that's what climbers call Yosemite) to lead.
My first successful lead was at the Quincy Quarries. My first lead was in the rain and, well,
that's another story. Quarry climbs like Boardwalk are quite reasonable. Look around and see
if a climb can be protected as you top rope. The Lower Pond Area at Hammond Pond offers about
6 cracks from 5.2 to 5.5 that take pro. Take care though, the rock at Hammond can be highly greasy.
Much of the climbing that Boston people do is in North Conway or New Paltz, New York.
Are you a North Conway or New Paltz entity? Do you know what happened at Yasgur's Farm?
(Do you care?) Do you like things that are funky? Do you think Shoppers World in Framingham
is the cultural height of Western civilization? Are you enamored of the phoniness of the '80s?
If your answer to the first two is yes, you're New Paltz, yes to the second two you're North Conway.
Though they may be culturally different each offers Magnificent climbing. There's a problem, though,
for beginning climbers in New Hampshire. Unless you lead 5.8's and 5.9's there is a limited
selection of good, safe routes. A very good friend of mine who loathes climbing in New Paltz
(can you say overhang?) set the self-admitted world's record for number of ascents of Thin Air
(a wonderful, if crowded, climb in North Conway~because we just couldn't lead harder in those days.
New Paltz, known the world over as the Shawangunks or just Gunks, has more laudable easy and
moderate climbs than any place this side of North Wales, and any place in the good old U.S. of A.
The climbs are steep, very steep, exposed (you can feel more exposed 40 feet up on a Gunks roof then
10 pitches up on Cannon) on wonderful rock. Because you often can't see all of the route unfolding
before you, it's exciting climbing. You just never know if there's a big jug just over the next
overhang or not. Fortunately, when God built the Gunks he often put horizontal buckets just
where you want them. With that in mind let me suggest some good routes to try.
'Gunks 5.2
Take a walk, see the Trapps and enjoy a really nice face.
Take some big pieces. You can walk off after the first pitch.
This is an old moonlight climb. The overhang fell off years ago.
Don't miss this one, and don't drift off to the left on the first pitch or it gets a lot harder.
Good and varied climbing.
'Gunks 5.3
Many people have started leading on this. It's a little loose at the top, so take care not to kick stuff off and don't climb under anyone on it.
The second pitch is a joy. Great exposure for a 5.3.
The first pitch is fun and can be done when it's wet elsewhere, but the name should tell you that.
Blocky first pitch but a nice corner on the second, most people rap off at the end of the second.
This is a nice climb but you enjoy it more if you lead harder than 5.3.
'Gunks 5.4
Fun and not all that hard.
The crux is right off the ground so you can have your belayer spot you till you're over it and stable.
More than one new leader has had a religious experience on the third pitch. Don't miss this climb!
The second pitch will have you walking on air. Like Gelsa this is one you just have to do.
'Gunks 5.5
The crux is short, (as is true of many Gunks climbs) a hang (Gunks talk for overhang) about 10 feet up so get a good piece in before pulling it.
A great route, but get your pro right on the first bulge so it is set for a outward and downward pull or it's crater city.
This one is really super. A lot of Boston climbers skip the chimney on the first pitch and climb the face to the left. Take some big pieces for just below the layback.
This climb is a really good introduction to Gunks overhangs.
A good solid 5.5.
When you climb in the Gunks don't trust your life to the old resident pitons (pins), back them up. This is where you'll really appreciate Tricams. You can plug them into horizontal cracks and, if you have small ones, old pin scars.
Pushing the Grade
The above climbs are quality routes. They're fun, and if you place pro as you go along, quite reasonable. Remember though, you're the one out front. If you don't want to lead a pitch, back off! You can always come back later. It's a lot better to swallow a little pride than to get hurt. In climbing the old adage "Pride cometh before a fall" has a double meaning! When I started climbing new leaders didn't do hard routes. That's no longer true. There are a lot of people around who lead 5.9's and 5.10's their first year. Who knows, you may. What seems horrendous in June may be a cruise in October. If you're climbing well, and you place good protection, there's no reason not to. To climb well you need fire in your belly, but you also need a clear absolute grasp of reality. Look and think. Just because you want a piece of protection to be good won't make it so. If you hope to become an old climber your expectation can't get in the way of reality. There are great days out there. You, a friend, and a rope, alone, on a big wall fighting through hard leads. It's the essence of what climbing is about. Belaying in high and airy spots looking out at the rim of the world, it can change your life. It did mine.