I have an upcoming trip with some new-to-trad climbing friends, so I wanted to
share some info about gear and packing lists.
I’m new to trad, what do I need?
As a new-to-trad climber, you’ll be following, so you won’t need as much gear as
the leader yet.
Harness, Helmet
Clothing layers - I prefer socks that go above my ankles, pants with
pockets, an athletic t-shirt, an athletic long-sleeved shirt, a puffy jacket and
a windbreaker. I normally start a November morning with all but the windbreaker,
lose the puffy on the hike/climb, put the puffy back on at cold/windy belays
where I’m still for a long time, and only use the windbreaker if it’s really
cold/windy or raining/sleeting. Sometimes it’s hot in November and I strip down
to the t-shirt, but more often than not I just push the long-sleeved shirt
sleeves up/down as needed.
Belay/Rappel Device - Get one with two channels that has guide mode. Could be
a Petzl Reverso, ATC Guide, etc. Or if you want assisted locking for lead, many
friends and I use the Edelrid Gigajul.
Approach shoes - We may hike 2 hours, carry our shoes up the route, and walk
back a different way for 2 hours. So you want something comfortable, sturdy, and
something that may help you grip and “climb” on the harder-than-walking but
not-steep-enough-to-need-a-rope yet rock.
Climbing shoes - I stress comfort again because we may be in the shoes for 10+
hours. I wear La Sportiva TC Pros.
Personal anchor - If we’re rappelling, we all need one of these. Many people
like the adjustable anchors like Petzl Connect Adjust, Kong Slyde or Metolius PAS. I’ve used
the PAS but, I grew to dislike it’s bulk and lack of stretch, so I
switched to double strand Purcell Prusik -
https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/single-strand-purcell-prusik. But over time I
also felt similarly about that - it was bulky and I carried it to use only on
rappels. Then I switched to using a sling which I already had used when I was
climbing up! I like this option the best so far. The main downside is that it’s
not as easily adjustable. In recent years, Luke’s started using the Climbing
Technology ROLLNLOCK with nylon webbing. This is my second favorite option
today - it’s easily adjustable and multi-purpose; but the con is that it’s a
little more gear than the slings only approach. Anyways, you just need something
to connect you to the anchor when you’re not tied into a rope which goes through
the anchor.
Locking carabiners - 3 - for belay/rap device, for personal anchor, for third
hand
Non-locking carabiners - 4 - Really these are holders for my approach
shoes and jackets. If I want to take off my puffy, I stuff it into it’s chest
pocket and clip it to my harness. And if walking off the top of the route and
not going back to the base of the climb, having biners for your approach shoes
really helps. An alternative is to stuff them in a backpack, but I don’t
like the bulk option for single day multipitch climbs.
Water/food holder - I’ve gone without water up climbs. I’ve carried a bottle with a
small accessory cord on my harness. But my current and favorite approach is to
use a hydration backpack like
https://nathansports.com/products/trailmix-7-liter-race-pack?variant=20448714850392
which can fit a 2L water bladder and also some layers and snacks and emergency
gear. I also stuff food in my pockets :)
Notes on Jason’s full lists
OK, my full packing lists are below. I have the lists in the AnyList app on my
phone, and share it with a climbing partner so we can edit the core list
together. And when I’m packing for my trip, I duplicate the list in the AnyList
app so I can cross the items off as I pack. And when I’m at location getting
ready to climb, I do the cross-offs for the Day lists.
This is a report about my October 2024 trip with a focus on climbing in The
Gunks in New York. The leaves were falling during this trip - and, new to me, it
seemed as though leaves might the inspiration for butterflies. Multiple
times I’d be overlooking a beautiful vista to notice a fluttering specimen in
the wind. In October in Austin, these flutterers are butterflies dancing in the
air, harvesting the pollens and nectars - the leaves don’t fall til later.
However, in Gardiner, NY at this time, the air dancers were leaves. I wondered:
did leaves give ideas to butterflies on how to move around?
This is a report about a climbing trip to Joshua Tree National Park in April and
May 2024. We camped and climbed trad for 4 days in beautiful weather.
Joshua Tree National Park West Entrance Sign
My hope for this story is that climbers may be able to leverage some insights
within and apply lessons during their climbing experiences. Non-climbers may
also enjoy getting to know my world a little more even though it’s primarily a
story about climbing.
This post is a story about a climbing trip that Luke and I went on to Red Rock
just outside of Las Vegas in 2023 to attempt to finish Epinephrine (Epi). For an intro
and to our first two scouting sessions on Epi, see
https://www.jasonkoppe.com/posts/climbing-trip-report-epi-1-and-2/. I won’t go
into the details of that trip here, but suffice it to say that we didn’t ever
finish Epi on our first two attempts - nor did we think we would - but one of
the attempts was … more influential than the other. So, if you’re a intrigued,
make sure to check out that post.
This post is a story about two climbing trips that Luke and I went on to Red
Rocks just outside of Las Vegas in 2022 to prepare for an eventual climb of
Epinephrine, the famous 5.9 in Red Rocks. We made progress on our climbing
goals, did some scouting, changed plans numerous times, were involved in
multiple accidents, one of us got a moderate injury and, of course, we had fun.
Some of the accidents led to much reflection and discussion, and some of them
became awesome stories of climbing at its finest. I first drafted this story in
January 2023 as one of many steps I took personally to process the second trip.
The story sat for a year while I finished work at Indeed and settled into
post-Indeed time. In January 2024, I picked it back up with some light editing
and final touches. My hope for this story is that climbers may be able to
leverage some insights within and apply lessons during their climbing
experiences. Non-climbers may also enjoy getting to know my world a little more
even though it’s primarily a story about climbing.
We were hosting a potluck with family and I was in charge of cooking the
standing rib roast (aka prime rib). It was my first time cooking this dish which
is popular in the USA at this time of year. Leading up to the cooking day, we
researched portion sizes and cooking approaches. Beforehand, we decided not to
bother with frenching the ribs since it seemed more cosmetic than practical and
to skip tying the ribs since we didn’t have twine. As plans go, on cooking day I
read that twine helped the rib cook more evenly, so I found myself asking my mom
and a neighbor:
My last day at Indeed was Friday, March 10. I spent about 14 of my 36 years there, approximately 40% of my life. It’s been a fun ride! I’ve grown so much during my time at Indeed, in large part because of the amazing people that I got to learn from. I cherish the friendships that I’ve developed through these years and will continue to grow them. I consider myself lucky to have joined Indeed, and I feel grateful for being a part of growing a company with a socially-oriented mission of helping people get jobs. I am excited for the next phase in my life, equipped with lessons from these years of growth at Indeed.
I recently went through a private and individual Somatic Release Breathwork session with Dr Dave Cohodes in Austin, Texas. I was curious to try the session because:
I’ve had increased anxiety recently, so I’ve been trying to learn about anxiety, understand anxiety, and what contributes to mine.
After going through 3 years of talk therapy, being privileged to have months of EMDR and practicing meditation for over 5 years, I am a huge proponent of mental health therapies. It strikes me as odd that we learn about geometry and chemistry in childhood education but we don’t learn how to process our difficult life experiences. So, I am all for trying mental health practices, and this one was new to me.
Joshua Tree National Park West Entrance Sign