Best trad climbing reddit. I'm looking at 2 ropes: The Mammut Crag Classic 9.
Best trad climbing reddit I am looking into 5. Favorite crag bag? Starting to enjoy single pitch trad much more but not enjoying my current hauling situations, a 17L multipitch pack that is stuffed to the brim with things dangling outside or an uncomfortable topo designs 28L that’s much more a fashion bag than built for climbing. I’ve been climbing for 2 years and have just started to get into trad climbing and multi pitch. For the best that Colorado has to offer (not just trad) check out the area around Estes Park. In short, trad climbing, more formally known as traditional climbing, is a form of rock climbing that requires placing your own gear for protection, rather than solely relying on pre-placed bolts. Trad placements So I’ve recently started trad climbing and have only led 2 very easy ones (5. Are they really that good? Is this obsession just my immediate environment or is it because offset nuts are really that great? Trad climbing is a craft honed over time not really something one "learns". Philadelphia Started outdoor climbing last year and have made one trip to the red, so far only sport and top roping. Trad climbing is a lot broader than sport. 8- mid 5. Modern usage of the term trad climbing is where you place your own protection (nuts, cams, etc. And the trad doesn't have bolts in the bold sections, nor does it have bolted anchors at the top. We love the La Sportiva Katana Lace for sport and trad climbing. Solid big gear loops where all biners just don't get bunched together. 6 is a good start if you supplement with sport draws for long pitches. The old school meaning of trad was to always climb from the ground up. Preferably something thorough for rock climbing trad anchors, I don't care about teaching them snow anchors and mountaineering details. I really like my WC Zero's for 0. As others have implied most of the "best" (purely subjective For more specific to rock climbing and trad, I would recommend Craig Leubben's book, "rock climbing: masterising basics". Best way for me to learn to lead trad was abbing (or rappelling on your side of the pond) down a route, placing gear as I go down and weighting it, then climbing back up on the preplaced gear. 5 (which seems to have replaced the Mammut Infinity, which appears to have been Hey y’all, heading out to red rocks for a week here soon. Plus if the stock one isn’t exactly what you want they’ll customize one for you. 2/0. There are some good sport crags, but mos too the clibing is trad. Add your thoughts and get the conversation going. The solution is still my favorite sport climbing shoe that I have tried, precise and makes me feel confident on even the smallest feet. The best single piece of advice I can give you is to approach this as something you will be working on for the rest of your life. 5 days ago · Below, we compare 27 pairs of the best climbing shoes for men, covering options for everything from gym and sport climbing to bouldering and long trad routes. I was leading up to about 5. Am I doing it right? Should I use rope instead of slings? Would it be okay with just one sling after two carabiners? How would you built it in this scenario? Sorry for not having better pics of placements. A subreddit dedicated to discussing and reviewing climbing shoes. Haven’t climbed out there before, but that’s my comfort zone in yosemite, any thoughts on the grading scale landing similar/easier/ harder? Thanks in advance! I've found overall kataki's to be the best all around shoes ice used for crack, having an exceptionally low profile toe, while at the same time being very comfortable (the have a similar neoprene sock construction to tenayas), and also moderately aggressive even when sized to jam comfortably for face climbing. 9…. And I think the E grade + the climbing grade really speak to the overall experience of the climb. I want to get into trad climbing so I wanted to purchase items for a climbing rack. Even climbing on Little Cottonwood Granite with weird flares and pin scars, one of my Metolius cams or an offset cam/nut fit the same or better than an equivalent Totem. Clipstick Jacket Shoes Book Now i need and want a big pack. Reply reply Tom0laSFW • Quickdraws have no place on a trad rack. ). In fact I can't think of anyone who uses two ropes unless they are ice climbing, real alpine climbing, or climbing in England. Trad climbing May 19, 2025 · See our guide to the best climbing backpacks of 2025, with reviews of cragging, alpine, and follower packs from Arc’teryx, Patagonia, Black Diamond, and more. Until then, BD Momentum is a good default starting point. I've had my BD Momentum since I started climbing and I really like it, but its starting to die on me and I want more gear loop space/organization, so ideally I want something with a 5th gear loop. Any suggestions on what a good “starter pack” would look like as far different cam/nut sizes? and then I can experiment and add to it based on need from there. Less impact on the gear means more longevity and a greater chance for a marginal placement to hold a fall. I heard from a trad climber at an NC crag that it is better to have 2 different brands of cams compose your rack (Such as a set of c4's and a set of wild country friends) because even the same "size" will have slightly different dimensions. Always seems to go in on the most engaging fun pitches. Pretty convinced it's going to last me many years because I can barely see any wear after 1. Any You must have been talking to some old dads from Yosemite or the gunks. Trad and sport harnesses can be different with the padding and gear loop layouts. Any recommendations would be highly appreciated! You'll probably have it for several years and you might try a lot of different climbing styles in that time - get 4 full sized gear loops in case you want to learn to trad climb. I really dig the padded tongue and overall fit and find them to be very versatile and capable for trad. 6-5. Any suggestions and local ethics or beta would be much appreciated! This started as me just wondering how people load up with their rack before they start a climb after I saw the How to Rack for Trad Climbing with Beth Rodden video on YouTube, but it got me wondering how people handle their racks overall. My favorite sling for multipitch trad anchors is the rope I am climbing on. 2 and sometimes the plastic piece that guides the trigger wires can be troublesome in tight places. Posted by u/goooooooofy - 8 votes and 3 comments Ladies; trad shoe recommendations?? Trad (lady) babes; any shoe recs to help my poor tootsies feel less like I’m slicing them off every time I shove em in a crack? <3 please and thank you!! To become proficient at climbing trad you first need to be proficient at climbing. If you are single pitch climbing, it's probably fine, but multipitch climbing with a full double rack, draws, anchor material, atc/grigri, and water bottle/packable jacket gets really tight without a lot of gear loop space. I have one that I use for all my trad and ice climbing and it is seriously so good. Let him try them on and purchase the he likes the most. 20K subscribers in the tradclimbing community. That being said, if you’ve got rope to spare for anchor building you certainly gain a lot of ease in connecting pieces (don’t have to fiddle with making static arms and other weird configurations). Best moderate alpine climbs in Banff/Kananaskis/Canadian Rockies? Hi, trad dads - I'm planning a Canada road trip in late July/early August and hoping to get some quality climbing in, and are looking for recommendations! We have a few days to spend in the greater Banff area, and will have a car and a flexible schedule. From what I’ve been hearing, don’t place nuts in horizontal cracks and place cams instead. Offset Nuts My immediate group of climbing partners obsess over offset nuts. If you can consistently boulder v3/v4 outdoors you should be more than strong enough to navigate any crux climbing on 5. I prefer rope for swapping leads, and just use slings other times so I don't have to carry a cordelette. 30 meters seems like a lot of material for an anchor considering most ropes for climbing are 60-70m. My question is, if I’ve used all my cams earlier on a climb. 14+. Good beginner trad routes in Red Rocks Hey Reddit, I'll be spending a few days in Red Rocks during spring break and want to get on some trad lines around the 5. TLDR: Books+instruction+practice+humility Jun 5, 2025 · We found the best climbing harnesses of 2025. The intended use is for single pitch trad and sport climbing, at the project level. 26 votes, 114 comments. Edit: I live in San Diego so mostly I am currently building my trad rack and have several cams already and 4-13 in stoppers. I am moderately experienced trad climber (3 years) climbing 8 years total. Whether you're sport climbing or mountaineering, we have you covered. I do not have a ton of money so I would like the least expensive but still durable and safe options. Mammut contact sling is my personal favorite. And bonus points for well protected mid 10’s trad single pitches. I find the hexes and offsets tend to have the strongest placements and get placed more often but I definely still use the nuts a lot. Should I get comfortable lead climbing indoors and outdoors first before hopping onto trad, or can I go Once you venture out of the city itself there's Booromba rocks, which is a huge trad climbing destination and lots of people rank it just behind Araps as one of Australia's best trad climbing spots. I want to do alpine climbing (e. I feel like best trade climber would imply a certain amount of first ascents and a prioritizing of trad for a while though. Can be striped for fast and light missions but is not THE best for absolute fast and light. You can also do a ton of backpacking in Rocky and its stupidly beautiful. grand Teton, high sierras, etc. Moved PermanentlyThe document has moved here. Have stuck to indoor climbing but have ventured out recently into trad. Want to try trad climbing, looking for “classic not too sketchy” route recommendations? Thanks in advance! I've recently started trad climbing as well and am using DMM nut set 3 (includes a set of nuts, offsets and hexes). Share Add a Comment Sort by: Best Open comment sort options Top New Controversial Old Q&A HunchoBandoOG • I'm looking at buying my first rope and the information on if dry treated is important or not is all over the place with regards to trad climbing so I thought I'd ask y'all. 10 on gear, which is good for Best cities for Trad Climbers Hey everyone, I currently live in a high-rise condominium with my gf in Atlanta, GA. Not sure what rope to go with and what thickness, would like to venture into large multi pitch routes. Or wearing it over lots of layers while ice climbing. 5 and 5. Go to your local climbing/mountaineering stores and talk to the folks there about how to get started. I always rack at least two. This thread will be posted again every Sunday so there should always be an opportunity to ask your question and have it answered. A place to talk about trad climbing. Cuz you can have an easy route (as far as the moves), that’s super spicy cuz of bad gear/no gear and serous ground fall potential. Rappelling is one of the riskiest bits of climbing, best to learn the gear and technique from a mentor. The best sport climber is likely to be the best trad climber too after some effort, if what you are talking about is sending the hardest individual pitches. You should try on shoes that are intended for multipitch trad climbing. 7 -5. Although I hear the Gunks is tough. If you're an experienced climber and want to contribute to the community, these threads are a great opportunity for that. Any Gunks climbers have insight? My partner and I are learning to trad climb, started with mock placements and now are climbing very easy grades (5. How do the easy routes (5. Best advice would be to see what he is planning on using it for. The best advice I have for you is to boulder a ton so that you start to develop proper technique so that you don't get elvis leg (as much) while placing gear. As far as brands go, I absolutely recommend the mammut dyneema slings. I got into climbing this year and have spent a lot of indoor climbing, both top roping and bouldering. I wasn’t thrilled with how the Infinity held up, even though I know it’s a Best crack climbing shoe What model would you recommend for narrow cracks (finger tips to hands)? I'm thinking sensitive slippers with a flat toe box and rubber on top. Be the first to comment Nobody's responded to this post yet. In this thread you can ask any trad climbing related question that you may have. Absolutely don't buy quickdraws of any length for a trad rack! Evolv The Generals - These are probably the best, but after six or so pitches the foot swelling starts to become a slight issue. I already have some sport climbing items such as quick draws, rope, harness, and shoes. g. Aug 1, 2025 · See our guide to the best climbing quickdraws of 2025, with the best sport, trad, and ultralight quickdraws from Petzl, Black Diamond, Camp, Metolius, and more. If that is not an option for whatever reason then I use whatever slings I have available on my harness. I use Camp Nano 22 for my trad rack. Came to say this. I climb in Squamish and cannot say enough good things about the black Totem. 7) at Leavenworth compare to those at Index? I've climbed a couple of easy routes at Index, such as Pisces, Great Northern Slab, Corner Flash, Hag Crack, and Senior Citizens in Space. Planning to retire my old Mammut Infinity in the next few months and looking to buy something to replace it. Finally able to buy some trad gear! Can’t wait to learn what it’s all about Share Add a Comment Sort by: Top Open comment sort options Best Top New Controversial Old Q&A damphands • If you don’t know who Heinz Mariacher is, he is basically responsible for designing most of the best climbing shoes of the last 20+ years and all of the recommended shoes on this thread. Which ones should I check out? I have some guide books on the way but wanted to ask the hive brain for recommendations on super fun single and multi pitch trad climbs in Little or Big Cottonwood Canyons or slightly further afield near the end of October. We spend most of our weekends driving about 2 hours to climb at T Wall, Sandrock, Lost Wall, etc. 9. Also surprisingly durable for a high performance shoe, lasted 8 months before I resoled them could have probably pushed it another month or 2. Find recommendations for durable, stretchable slim-fit jeans suitable for crack climbing and outdoor activities. Aside from tech cord which is not accessory cord. They also come in different colors, so you can differentiate the rope biners from gear/bolt biners if you want. No snark I’m just trying to figure it out. If you strictly want twins for bolted multipitch, and aren't interested in half rope technique for trad climbing, I'd say both of those are unnecessarily heavy and you'd be better off going for something in the sub-8mm range. 7 range. DMM wallnut, size 3. They are a stiffer shoe though, so if OP is looking for something flexible I suspect the Mythos would be a winner. Curious what folks use and are happy with. For you this means you need dry if you're a guide or going ice climbing/mountaineering, because normal people and climbing- you just stop climbing when it's wet out. 15 votes, 23 comments. Making sure if you do that your belay device is rated for thinner ropes. I mostly climb in the Northeast, predominantly trad, but with some sport occasionally. I personally dont like using sport draws for trad climbing so I carry 10 regular shoulder length slings and 2 double length slings on longer stuff, all racked with 2 carabiners on my harness. Before you dismiss a harness as too expensive, think critically about what it really costs over its lifetime. Likely hanging some TR as well and harder multipitch. I've also climbed outside a few times. Anyone recommend a rope? I am a relative beginer (7 months fairly solid). I'm still pretty new at trad climbing and I was a hex sceptic until the other day - I went climbing somewhere different to my usual haunt - a rather exposed cliff where the erosion had scooped out the most marvellous hex placements - absolutely bomber! At this point, just get what's cheap and fits. 10 range. There is a ton of trad climbing at Lumpy Ridge, plus some fun, epic alpine trad in Rocky Mountain National Park. Looking to do many more trips next year. Scotland has some amazing climbing, but could be a bit different to what you're used to depending on where you've come from. The best shoe is the one that fits your foot and meets your needs. Apr 4, 2025 · We've done our best to offer you solid recommendations for the best harness for the money, the best all-around harness, and the best for various climbing disciplines like sport climbing, multi-pitch and trad climbing, alpine climbing, and ice climbing. C. All brands fit differently as well so maybe offering to purchase one in your budget is a good idea. A thing about trad-climbing is being able to improvise with what you got, in the most efficient and safe manner. Rock protection, anchor, videos, photos, questions about gear, gear reviews and more! TOPICS Gaming Valheim Genshin Impact Minecraft Pokimane Halo Infinite Call of Duty: Warzone Path of Exile Hollow Knight: Silksong Escape from Tarkov Watch Dogs: Legion Sports NFL NBA Megan Anderson Atlanta Hawks Los Angeles Lakers Boston Celtics Arsenal F. There may be a few guided outings nearby. They inspire more confidence than any other small piece but they are slightly bigger than 0. I have the Butora Alturas and love them for Sierra climbing. Something between 9. I had probably half a dozen pairs of mythos over the years, and finally "tried" the TCs, and now have 2 pairs (one new style, one old - I find myself reaching for the old style more often) and can say they are hands down the best crack/trad shoe. 10 trad climber. The best trad harness? I've had it with the floppy and small gear loops of my current harnesses so I'm looking for a new one. My husband and I have recently gotten back into climbing after a 20+ year break. The only time to have them is if you already had them from sport climbing and you don't want to get runners to replace the dog bones of your existing quickdraws. Hi anyone have a recommendation for a climbing harness for mountain trad use? Needs to be fairly packable and light for carrying (about 300-350g) but also reasonably comfortable for multi pitch use and hanging stances etc. If you plan to climb anything higher than 30 meters (half a rope lenght), the self-rescue book is also mandatory, for your partner and your safety. I use a 240 centimeter sling for trad anchors and it works for many different types of anchors as well as being lighter than the same amount of cord. 7, but it took so long to get here that it feels like I’ll never be a 5. Blending edging power, precision, and comfort into one versatile package, it's well-suited for any type of roped climbing. The harness becomes a lot more important when you're going to be wearing it all day, loading it down with 15lbs of trad gear, and doing hanging belays in it. I need to get a new harness, but I don’t know what the good ones are these days. 17K subscribers in the tradclimbing community. One needs to be patient and enjoy the process of doing a lot of climbing, learning, and practicing. 10b sport outside when I started getting into trad, then kinda had to start over when learning on gear. Trying to master my gear placement though. Traditional climbing: use at your own risk. Been trad climbing with some buddies for a while now and ready to commit and buy my own rack. Enough of a downturn to help with small pebble holds, very powerful push on high steps, high top for ankle pro, look like ugly air jordans. No hanging on the rope to work out the moves (hang dogging). I love trad climbing, hence why I created this subreddit, but ultimately, it's different strokes for different folks. What do you guys think? I'm new to trad so I would love any advice! Edit: Thanks for all the replies! Apr 4, 2021 · We field tested 7 of the best climbing harnesses in 2025 from top brands like Petzl, Arc'teryx, and Black Diamond. 80m rope /ropebag Food/3l blatter 2 climbing harnesses/ helmets Sportdraws / carabiners. Now I'm on an exchange program to Scotland and there's not much outdoor sports climbing here so learning to trad climb would be ideal I guess. I was looking for something that could carry a small trad rack or big sport rack, and found one that's also light enough to be a backpacking pack. No one-size-fits all in either climbing style (blocks vs swing) or anchor building (slings vs rope). I was wondering though which cams are used most, basicly what sizes should I buy? also is it worth getting stoppers in 1-3? At what point in a person's rock climbing career would you say it's ideal to start trad climbing? And how would one go about starting this? To me trad climbing is sort of a big goal in my climbing career that I hope I can do. Humbly asking for recommendations of slightly less traveled multipitches, 5. It stretches out, but not back while wet. Dry treatment is a good upgrade for your first rope, especially dry sheath, it'll stay nicer, longer. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. I do like the E scale of British Trad climbing. I'm struggling to find a do-it-all harness I really like for trad/multipitch/ice climbing. Very overwhelmed on where to start. Now I’m comfy to around 5. 7). 5 seasons and 2 washes. So: How do you store your rack (and other gear) at home? Trad climbing systems are not outrageously difficult to understand in their elements, but the situations in which you apply that knowledge can be complex, and are nearly infinite in their small differences. That little gold wire held my first fall, and ever since, brings on good feelings on a lead. 5 and below), and we're stoked!! But also I'm wondering if there's any Gunks climbers in here who have advice on what walls to hit to keep practicing on super easy grades. The main complaint with those seem to This will also help you build your trad lead confidence, which makes trad climbing an enjoyable experience and not some anxiety-inducing ordeal. 1 but DMM Dragonflies would be a good alternative. Versatile enough to go multiday or day climbing in any condition, burly and somewhat minimal. Multipitch climbing can be very simple, just implementing techniques, but there are often a lot of factors one may not be aware of. ;) Reply reply is_907 • This is the only correct answer, and should get added to browsers as an autocorrect replacement for every variation of "Best Trad Harness" , "What is the best Trad Harness", etc. Needs 4 good size gear loops for trad rack. There's also a bunch of smaller crags like Mount Coree and Snake rock offering mostly sport climbing. Firstly there is very little sport climbing. Comfy enough to hang in while cleaning routes but preferably not too heavy or warm. I totally get why people may not really get stoked on trad climbing, but as others gently pointed out, they're wrong. Hey Guys, I am looking for a Crag Pack to throw everything in. I’ve been climbing about 8 years, leading trad consistently for maybe 3. From searching Mountain Project, Gunks and Cathedral Ledge look cool. it's dangerous. Here are our in-depth reviews! Hey All, I am planning a trip to Boston for 10ish days at the end of April/early May. 5-9. You’ve basically just perfectly described the Misty Mountain Cadillac. 12 votes, 48 comments. If I was buying a rope for just traditional climbing, I would choose the rope with the lowest impact force. . Oct 16, 2018 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. It covers everything from hard single pitch cragging where you're basically sport climbing on gear to sketchballs alpine climbing where the gear is mostly there so they can follow the rope to find your body. Why wouldn't you be climbing multipitch trad on one rope? I've done plenty of long granite routes with one rope and everything was peachy. Thanks, and my apologies if this is asked everyday. I am looking for recommendations on some classic multipitch climbs in the Northeast. Honourable mentions to the smaller blue offset, and the red six. Share your experiences and discover the best options. ) but want to know what skills I should have solid before I dive into the mountains. If you fell you would lower to the ground, pull the rope and start it again. 6, 5. Tending to Blue ice moonlight 55l Blue ice octupus 45l they just brought out new versions Myster ranch 47l Mountain hardware crag wagon 60l Bd creek 50l Bd stone duffel 42l Mammut Is this a serious question? There’s not gonna be a discernible difference between whatever spools your climbing shop has. There's a higher concentration of quality beginner routes at Squamish too, so you don't need to keep moving from place to place. Or concerned about weight because you're climbing 5. Edit: Also can't deny I enjoy placing an old machine nut slung on cord, occasionally. What advice do people have and what items would you recommend as most important. For me, crack climbing is just so uncomfortable on both my hands (boney) and feet (bad ankle and boney), I can’t guarantee that I won’t be in excruciating pain and I’ll be able to leave a jam in there long enough. I'm headed to Leavenworth with my friend, who is also new to both trad and crack climbing, so we're looking to do the easiest possible routes so we can get solid on gear placements 51 votes, 73 comments. 1 is ok, 2 is super good, 3 is allso super good. I'm looking at 2 ropes: The Mammut Crag Classic 9. zzgjluiijcqvxkbgertunwotrnfzvtjyukgejwahpdiecwothyzpkhfcrsyccljkbwpgfcwckzwdy