What was your first lead? Please describe.

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Gary

Social climber
Right outside of Delacroix
Dec 3, 2012 - 11:39pm PT
Eschar. 5.4 on trashcan rock in jtree. A little tricky for the grade

One of my early leads. I still like that climb. Karpkwitz was another early lead. Trash Can is an interesting place.
Borut

Mountain climber
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dec 4, 2012 - 01:18am PT
By 'lead', what is meant is real stuff I guess! Around the age of 10, my first high boulder was the Roche Hercule east side 'voie normale'. That's an 8 m tall boulder in the Fontainebleau forest (France) where I spent my childhood.


OK, this topic is about 'first leads', but here is a descripton of my first lead fall (ca. 1970, aged 15), copied from a post I once sent on an other site: "My first lead fall was at the Saussois cliffs (France). After a full day of climbing I was quite pumped, but we started up l'Echelle (the ladder, ca 5c), one of the rare multipiches at Saussois. I was leading the second pitch, and had made too much rope drag along the traverse as I started up the final corner. Nothing difficult, but I hadn't been hydrating properly, and cramps started setting into my hands. We used just single (steel) biners, and I remember my fingers not being able to let go of the biner door (ha,ha). I was tugging at the rope so as to place it in the biner, holding the rope with my teeth in order to reach at it once more (everyone does that now and then). While pulling, it must have been a foot that slipped, and I flew. Unfortunately I didn't curse or shout, and the first yank came on my front teeth, which broke. Next I pendled and finally hung below an overhang. The adrenaline must have done its job and I soon got back on the line, now relaxed, and not too shaky. Wasn't much of a fall (ca 30 feet) but I do recall it. BTW, the routes were protected with in place pitons, and we had no harnesses (just a broad, belt type thing, which made you realize about your ribs)."


My first 'real' multipitch lead took place on the limestone face of 'La Pelle' (Diois > Saoû synclinal > Trois Becs), somewhere between Lyon and Marseille, in the French Prealps.
It must have been 1971. The climb (maybe the 'voie de la Tour' ?) was ca. 150 m tall at grade V, and the rope length must have been 40 m, though it might even still have been 30 m, I do not recall. Climbed with my mentor's girl friend and led all pitches though I first thought we would be exchanging leads, ha. She said I was doing well and should just go on.

Borut
darkmagus

Mountain climber
San Diego, CA
Dec 4, 2012 - 11:03am PT
Mine was "Turkey Chute" at Mission Gorge, using all cams. I did some other sport leads that day as well.
KirbyC

climber
Dec 4, 2012 - 11:28am PT
I did my first lead in terrible headpointing style (on a 5.9 no less :P) at Seneca Rocks in WV. It was the first, super short pitch of Marshall's Madness. Maybe 40 feet at the most? When I mock-led it the trip before, I fell on top rope before I had my first piece of mock gear in, meaning if I was on lead I'd have been crumpled on the ground in a broken pile.

I always seem to climb so much better on lead that on TR.. And by better I mean with more precision, focus, economy of movement. Even though I can definitely climb harder stuff on top-rope.

Love this climbing thing.
ydpl8s

Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
Dec 4, 2012 - 12:12pm PT
Riley, did you do The Owl? The committing move to the chicken heads, the short handcrack, the little roof with the head jam at the top, that was my first 5.7 lead, lots of interesting moves on that one.
Skeptimistic

Mountain climber
La Mancha
Dec 4, 2012 - 12:26pm PT
The Flue at JTree. I think it goes at 5.6 and is a right leaning crack/traverse. I had just gone big on a shiny new rack and was anxious to show my friends how cool I was, having been climbing for a whole 5 months or so.

I launched off and placed a bunch of nuts about every 3 to 4 feet. About 20 feet from the top I realized that I was pretty much out of gear and would have to balls it out to the top. Shith just got serious...

My belayer, who was fond of giving "penalty slack" and letting you free fall for about 5 feet when lowering, just happened to flick the rope right then and I watched all my placements zipper out to the one just below me. Of course all the pieces zipped down the rope and hit her, causing her to drop the rope.

Freaking out, I ended up finishing the route, but I then spent the rest of the weekend learning how to properly place gear...
Kenygl

Trad climber
Salt Lake City
Dec 4, 2012 - 01:36pm PT
African Flake Big Rock. I think I sh#t myself. Early 80's. First multipitch-Uneventful, Tahquitz.
Andy Fielding

Trad climber
UK
Dec 4, 2012 - 03:01pm PT
Diamond Crack, Froggatt Edge, Peak District, UK. It was 1976, I was 15. The route is only 25' long and HS 4b (5.6). I think that was my entire rack right there on my Whillans harness.

TWP

Trad climber
Mancos, CO
May 17, 2013 - 10:39am PT
Bump.

You only get to lose your virginity once so it's gonna be memorable!

Lot's of great stories posted so far.

Soooo, how did you lost your cherry?
Sparky

Trad climber
vagabond movin on
May 17, 2013 - 12:10pm PT
E.O. Lieback 5.5 @ Vedauwoo. Perfect 1st trad experience back in '94.
protour

Trad climber
Concord, CA
May 17, 2013 - 12:31pm PT
All five pitches of the nutcracker, I was terrified
G Zeus

Trad climber
Tucson, AZ
May 17, 2013 - 01:29pm PT
Table Mountain, near Sonora, Ca. Something on Welcome Wall. Maybe Keebler's Revenge?

A guy at work said he knew how to climb and I wanted to, so I bought some gear and off we went. I didn't know that he really didn't know what he thought he knew.

There was already a bail biner a couple bolts up. He got that far, bailed, and pulled the rope. Then it was my turn. I tied in, placed a draw or two and clipped them, then headed up toward the hard stuff.

That's when actual climbers walked past and said something like, "Hey, do you know you're climbing on a static rope?" I was, but I didn't know static rope from a hole in the ground (which is where I'd probably be right now if I had fallen). They just kept walking. I know I can't rely on anybody to make the world safe for me but, they. just. kept. walking. Too busy to save a life, I guess.

I bailed without falling and we moved on to The Grotto where other actual climbers filled me in on dynamic vs. static rope. I never climbed with that guy again. I did, however, devour Basic Rockcraft, How to Rock Climb, Climbing Anchors, and Freedom of the Hills.

I met Before-Christ Go-B that day and we became climbing partners.

Sidesaddle at The Grotto is what I consider my first lead; the aforementioned was a close brush with death.
Elcapinyoazz

Social climber
Joshua Tree
May 17, 2013 - 01:48pm PT
Some 5.7 or 5.8 fingercrack at Sunset, TN. My rack was a set of stoppers and hexes. Got 15' up, placed a nut, got 40' up, started shaking, sewing machine, pumping out, looking at ground fall. First two nut selections didn't fit...soooo pumped, gottat get the piece in or I deck, finally get a nut placed and clipped, immediately slumped onto it insanely pumped.

Somehow finished the lead, placing about 4 pieces in 80'.
mike m

Trad climber
black hills
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 11, 2013 - 12:17am PT
Jack got his first lead this year and put up a new route the next day. Possibly the easiest route in Spearfish Canyon.... We are hoping. He also did his first trad lead this year the first pitch of Mr. Clean at Devils Tower. I am guessing he will also get on his first ice lead this winter. He was primed to do it last year as the conditions were perfect with fat ice and warm temps but I had to pull the plug as the day was getting late. The opportunity never came up again last year, but he now is a lot stronger and has a lot more experience.
Modesto Mutant

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
Dec 11, 2013 - 01:49pm PT
1975 Church Bowl Chimney 5.7 in Galibier boots. First lead in EB's Grack Marginal 5.9. I was gripped!
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Dec 11, 2013 - 01:54pm PT
Um, well it was at Devils lake... And I used Pins... But the details are hazy....
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Dec 11, 2013 - 01:59pm PT
I can't remember if it was Devil's Lake or Mt Erie, WA.
Either one would not be worth slaughtering any more bytes over.
steveA

Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
Dec 11, 2013 - 02:12pm PT
Hey Mike,

I wonder 50 years from now, if your son will remember his 1st lead?

I sure as hell can't, but I do remember the few times I scared myself.

Steve
kev

climber
A pile of dirt.
Dec 11, 2013 - 02:30pm PT
P1 Pop Bottle at the leap.
michaellane

climber
Bonita, California
Dec 11, 2013 - 02:32pm PT
Happy to see so many Mission Gorgers on this ... mine was Crack of Dust 5.8. Protected it with three hexes. Number sixes, if I recall. Felt like a million bucks.
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