What was your first lead? Please describe.

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Googlymoogly

climber
Dec 2, 2012 - 01:08am PT
Easy Rider at Mission Gorge. It is a short 5.7 sport climb. At the time it seamed pretty damn hard. After some procrastinating I finally got up it though and I think that was my one climb for the day
rottingjohnny

Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
Dec 2, 2012 - 01:37am PT
The Trough...Tahquitz....Robbins boots , hexes , and a Chouinard hammer...Loved the scent of the wooden handle and those Mt. Mahogany's that made great pro...RJ
MisterE

Social climber
Dec 2, 2012 - 01:48am PT
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/great-northern-slab/105790657

I later "bouldered" the .10c variation as an approach to the whole thing free-solo...

The last slab bit was a bit unnerving. My first free-solo, as well.
Jon Beck

Trad climber
Oceanside
Dec 2, 2012 - 03:39pm PT
1985 The Dolphin, 5.7+ at Joshua Tree, a Largo route. I recruited a belayer in the Split Rock parking lot, he had done a little climbing and had some Tri-Cams his dad gave him. I had taken a couple of climbing classes in the valley the prior summer, read some books and bought some gear. Did not know any other climbers, had never led, followed or top-roped. I got on it and damn near pitched off testing a Tri-Cam placement. No friends back then, all nuts and hexes. First climb, first lead, first crack, first off-width. Seems like insanity now, but I learned a lot very quickly, just about my most memorable climb.

http://www.mountainproject.com/v/dolphin/105722164
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Dec 2, 2012 - 03:50pm PT
The Dolphin is like big hands for that Largo guy, right?

My first lead? Aleister Crowley let me lead a pitch on Kanchenjunga.
Grampa

climber
from SoCal
Dec 2, 2012 - 06:54pm PT
Angels Fright at Tahquitz. All pitons although only place a few because of so many trees and bushes.
Michelle

Trad climber
Toshi's Station, picking up power converters.
Dec 2, 2012 - 08:11pm PT
some 5.6 at Potter's rock. my partner was more scared for me than I was. first multi pitch, Sea of Tranquility 5.7 on Herring Creek Dome. it started to snow, climbed by someone's bail anchor of 2 micronuts (that got sent to the Philipines!) and quickly made it to the top before it started to dump (it didn't) still love that climb!

Bill Mc Kirgan

Trad climber
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Dec 2, 2012 - 09:09pm PT
First trad lead was The Bone (5.5) at Devils Lake. It was highly recommended as a first by friends at the CMC and was fun until I got to the ledge with a roof about 4 feet above it. I crawled on my hands and knees a bit at that point until finding the chimney exit to the right.

Piece of cake on top rope, but as a first lead it gave me plenty to think about.
jtlocal

Trad climber
Joshua Tree
Dec 2, 2012 - 11:02pm PT
Mike's books in a pair of Vans, on an old static line we found in someones garage. 1989
TGT

Social climber
So Cal
Dec 2, 2012 - 11:30pm PT
The Trough at Big Rock, although since it was all bolts that wasn't considered a "real" lead.

Angels Fright, Tahquitz with a 120 ft Gold Line tied in with a bowline on a coil, a half dozen or so pitons, a Bell Telephone lineman's hammer with the handle sawed down and a parachute cord keeper sling.

Yes!

Mt. Mahoganys are your friends!
Al Fylak

Mountain climber
Rochester Hills, MI
Dec 3, 2012 - 12:09am PT
Wandering Tortoise .. Turtle Rock .. JTree .. 1980.
Not much pro (big hexes), but easy climbing.
I remember thinking, "This leading stuff is not so bad".
As I slowly worked up the grades to 5.9, I found out otherwise!
Al Fylak

Mountain climber
Rochester Hills, MI
Dec 3, 2012 - 12:15am PT
I also remember soloing The Trough at Tahquitz around 1984.
Easy fun climb, until I got off route to the left onto some 5.6/7.
Fortunately, I trailed a rope and was able to set up some funky psycho self-belay. Not sure it would have really helped in case of a fall, but it gave me the courage to continue up.
briham89

Big Wall climber
san jose, ca
Dec 3, 2012 - 12:21am PT
eKat that is rad!!! and funny haha.

My first gear lead was swan slab gully 5.6 3 pitches woohoo!!!


actually that was my first valley gear lead....
My first gear lead was at castle rock on that 5.6 corner to the right of the waterfall. All I had for pro was stoppers haha
Don Paul

Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
Dec 3, 2012 - 09:06am PT
Just found a slab in the New River VA and started leading up it, with goldline rope, and about 5 carabiners and 3-4 nuts clipped to the belt loops my my jeans. I also had a machete in a holster on a biner, not sure why but I expected to have to chop through plants at some point. The route actually had a small technical part with a roof, where I sunk one of my stoppers. As I made the move, I remember seeing the machete upside down and ready to slide out of the holster and down onto my belayer and his girlfriend. Luckily this didn't happen and the climb was a great success, probably went at about 5.4.
johntp

Trad climber
socal
Dec 3, 2012 - 09:18am PT
Funny how you sell yourself short until somebody MAKES you do something, eh?

:-)

Or until you have no choice. Hillarious story Kat; trial by fire, who says no to the Bird?
slabbo

Trad climber
fort garland, colo
Dec 3, 2012 - 10:12am PT
Whitney-Gilman ridge on Cannon cliff in NH '77
I had to convince my partner it was a 300' 5.4 .. it's a bit longer than thatand about 4 grades harder.

Titons, hexes and a couple of slings,, finished in the dark w/o headlamps of course
hossjulia

Trad climber
Where the Hoback and the mighty Snake River meet
Dec 3, 2012 - 10:42am PT
Interesting how many first leads were at Mission Gorge.
I think mine was too, but it could have been in Eldorado Canyon.
Anyway, the first lead I remember was some chimney at Mission Gorge with no obvious pro. 5.6? I was getting tired looking for pro, and it was short, so I just gunned for the top. Soloed the rope up. Getting up there, I had a moment of panic because I had to set up a belay on a couple of not-so-great looking bolts. I didn't want to f*#k that up, so it took me a bit. Probably longer than the climb did. My SO and his brother were pretty quiet as they came up. Couldn't believe I did it with no pro. They had been making bets about me backng off of it. Showed them. They wouldn't lead it.

But I grew up on Rumson Dr. in Santee and used to play around on the boulders there all the time. All by myself in sneakers.

First *real* lead was Walk On The Wild Side in Josh. LOVED it!

This is a fun thread with some, no all, great stories.
EKat, love that one.
ydpl8s

Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
Dec 3, 2012 - 12:28pm PT
June 1972, my first granite lead, East Slab 5.4/5 - The Dome - Boulder Canyon. Old blue Royal Robbins I bought from my mentor. Placed stoppers only, most of them probably weren't too good.


My first sedimentary lead was about a week earlier Calypso 5.6 - Wind Tower - Eldo. Seemed pretty easy, not nearly as slippery as it is nowadays.
Stewart Johnson

climber
lake forest
Dec 3, 2012 - 10:17pm PT
Gene

climber
Dec 3, 2012 - 10:30pm PT
Fingertip Traverse. Tahquitz Rock. 1847.

g
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