Looking to Improve my Confidence

FAQ and threads for those just starting to hike the Colorado 14ers.
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daway8
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Re: Looking to Improve my Confidence

Post by daway8 »

Conor wrote: Sun Oct 18, 2020 10:56 pm Lizard head is probably the hardest ranked 13er. The rest, although I may just be flapping my lips from the comfort of my home as I haven't climbed them, seem pretty tame. Ropes or technical equipment doesn't always equate to climbing difficulty.
But you're looking at them from the perspective of an experienced climber who can say "I've done much harder routes..." whereas I'm looking from the perspective of someone who has mostly done walk-ups and recently been playing on class 3/4 ridges and thus says "this looks harder than anything I've ever done..."

That's why I said in my earlier comment that it seems "they're a significant step up in difficulty vs any of the 14er standard routes."
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SchralpTheGnar
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Re: Looking to Improve my Confidence

Post by SchralpTheGnar »

Regardless of the climb you want to think “I got this” when you’re at the bottom
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Re: Looking to Improve my Confidence

Post by Conor »

daway8 wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 7:25 am
Conor wrote: Sun Oct 18, 2020 10:56 pm Lizard head is probably the hardest ranked 13er. The rest, although I may just be flapping my lips from the comfort of my home as I haven't climbed them, seem pretty tame. Ropes or technical equipment doesn't always equate to climbing difficulty.
But you're looking at them from the perspective of an experienced climber who can say "I've done much harder routes..." whereas I'm looking from the perspective of someone who has mostly done walk-ups and recently been playing on class 3/4 ridges and thus says "this looks harder than anything I've ever done..."

That's why I said in my earlier comment that it seems "they're a significant step up in difficulty vs any of the 14er standard routes."
Why can't most people look at it from the perspective of "I've done much harder routes..."? I'm not talking about grinding up the diamond, I'm talking about moderate single pitch sport or top rope routes.
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HikerGuy
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Re: Looking to Improve my Confidence

Post by HikerGuy »

I agree with Conor, once you have worked your way up to the easy 5th class 13ers, they won't feel like that big of a jump. Lizard Head is an outlier 13er and the casual 13er bagger who has finished the 5.easy peaks will be confronted for the first time with something that is a big step up.
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daway8
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Re: Looking to Improve my Confidence

Post by daway8 »

HikerGuy wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 9:14 am I agree with Conor, once you have worked your way up to the easy 5th class 13ers, they won't feel like that big of a jump. Lizard Head is an outlier 13er and the casual 13er bagger who has finished the 5.easy peaks will be confronted for the first time with something that is a big step up.
Ah but that's the thing - I'm still working my "way up to the easy 5th class 13ers" and trying to gain perspective on what lies ahead.

Beyond finishing the standard 14er routes I've done routes like the Wheeler-North Star Traverse, Snowmass S-Ridge, and Kelso/Sawtooth/etc. Probably the most challenging route thus far was staying try stay on the ridgetop for the second half of Ellingwood Ridge up La Plata.

I've not done roped climbing in the wild and even in the gym I've so far only been able to top out on a 5.10 (got halfway up a 5.11 last time).

So given that brief background are you saying the likes of Jagged and Dallas "won't feel like that big of a jump" if I went out and did them tomorrow or just that by the time I eventually work through a semi-logical progression of peaks leading up to them that they'll not seem like a big deal?
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Re: Looking to Improve my Confidence

Post by Ptglhs »

SchralpTheGnar wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 7:52 am Regardless of the climb you want to think “I got this” when you’re at the bottom
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Re: Looking to Improve my Confidence

Post by angry »

daway8 wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 10:18 am So given that brief background are you saying the likes of Jagged and Dallas "won't feel like that big of a jump" if I went out and did them tomorrow or just that by the time I eventually work through a semi-logical progression of peaks leading up to them that they'll not seem like a big deal?
I’ve only gone up Jagged once and in snow conditions and did not use a rope on ascent, only for the rappel. Jagged is really easy as far as the “climbing” in my opinion. I’ve done Dallas twice, both in snow conditions and both routes, the 5easy and 5.7. Roped up for those ascents because the amount of snow was significant enough but if the standard was dry, wouldn’t have been necessary. When you say you haven’t climbed in the wild, what does that mean? alpine? do you climb outside at all? I think that would improve your confidence.

Dallas was my first centennial so I don’t feel like there’s necessarily a logical progression if you already are comfortable rock climbing.
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Re: Looking to Improve my Confidence

Post by HikerGuy »

daway8 wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 10:18 am So given that brief background are you saying the likes of Jagged and Dallas "won't feel like that big of a jump" if I went out and did them tomorrow or just that by the time I eventually work through a semi-logical progression of peaks leading up to them that they'll not seem like a big deal?
By the time you work up to them. For most folks, the more you are exposed to exposure, the easier it becomes. Same with scrambling, as you begin to move from difficult 3rd class to 4th class, the harder stuff becomes your new baseline and the previous stuff will seem not that big a deal. Of course this has to deal with how a peak "feels" vs. how difficult the peak is actually rated. As for roped climbing, you will probably end up free climbing the easy 5th class 13ers, except for maybe Dallas as it feels/is exposed. Dallas is the only 13er that I was on belay. If I were to do it again, I would free climb it. The crux move is not that difficult, but once you know how to do it then the exposure component becomes less of a big deal. It is likely that the only rope work will be rappels on the harder 13ers. If you have the chance, I recommend that you do some laps on the right side of the 2nd Flatiron. Flatiron scrambling is a great way to gain experience to exposure and more difficult climbing, it really boosts the confidence.
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Re: Looking to Improve my Confidence

Post by HikerGuy »

angry wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 10:56 am Dallas was my first centennial so I don’t feel like there’s necessarily a logical progression if you already are comfortable rock climbing.
I think this is an accurate statement, anyone with rock climbing experience will be nonplussed with the harder 13ers. I have zero rock climbing experience, I just followed the scrambling/exposure progression, so that is where my perspective comes from.
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daway8
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Re: Looking to Improve my Confidence

Post by daway8 »

angry wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 10:56 am When you say you haven’t climbed in the wild, what does that mean? alpine? do you climb outside at all? I think that would improve your confidence.
That means I've never used a rope outside of a gym. All my outdoors "climbing" has been just hands and feet (based on some other threads I think I've mostly done class 3 with a some class 4 and perhaps a few isolated low class 5 moves here and there).
HikerGuy wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 11:17 am
angry wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 10:56 am Dallas was my first centennial so I don’t feel like there’s necessarily a logical progression if you already are comfortable rock climbing.
I think this is an accurate statement, anyone with rock climbing experience will be nonplussed with the harder 13ers. I have zero rock climbing experience, I just followed the scrambling/exposure progression, so that is where my perspective comes from.
Those are some good data points. I may find these not as hard as I'm expecting, though I'd hate to hike all the way up to a tough section and then turn around because I'm not ready for it (since I'm often solo and don't yet know how to lead climb). Obviously I would turn back if needed but I'd much prefer to ramp my experience/confidence in such a way as to minimize the odds of having to turn back. Thus the reason I recently put off the idea of doing NE Crestone at this stage...
HikerGuy wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 11:13 am If you have the chance, I recommend that you do some laps on the right side of the 2nd Flatiron. Flatiron scrambling is a great way to gain experience to exposure and more difficult climbing, it really boosts the confidence.
That's a good idea - I've heard a lot of talk about the Flatirons but I've never been there...
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Re: Looking to Improve my Confidence

Post by HikerGuy »

daway8 wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 1:25 pm I'd hate to hike all the way up to a tough section and then turn around because I'm not ready for it (since I'm often solo and don't yet know how to lead climb).
I prefer solo hiking (77% of summits), but for the more difficult peaks I like to have a partner. Whether it be route finding or pointing out holds, a partner is good thing to have. A partner also helps with confidence. Turning around is not bad either, in fact it's often a valuable learning exercise. I would much rather partner with someone who has turned around on peaks than with someone who has not.
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Re: Looking to Improve my Confidence

Post by daway8 »

HikerGuy wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 1:42 pm
daway8 wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 1:25 pm I'd hate to hike all the way up to a tough section and then turn around because I'm not ready for it (since I'm often solo and don't yet know how to lead climb).
I prefer solo hiking (77% of summits), but for the more difficult peaks I like to have a partner. Whether it be route finding or pointing out holds, a partner is good thing to have. A partner also helps with confidence. Turning around is not bad either, in fact it's often a valuable learning exercise. I would much rather partner with someone who has turned around on peaks than with someone who has not.
Oh I have and do turn around when needed but only a few times out of well over 100 summits - mostly because I check the route and weather in advance to minimize the chance of needing to turn back. Plus by slowly increasing the difficulty of what I'm doing I'm less likely to have to turn back due to the difficulty of the route.

I prefer to keep those turn arounds few and far between...
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