Daughter is getting pretty keen on climbing and although I am not upto climbing (Long standing knee issues) I like to ensure I know as much as I can about things they fancy trying.

We have gone from indoor bouldering to top rope indoors to her leading last night so my learning curve is pretty steep at the moment (Don’t laugh I didn’t even know what a figure 8 knot was before last week)

Any suggestions for reading up appreciated

Check out the UKC Forums, loads of info and friendly chat there.

Ta

This is worth a look http://www.rockfax.com/climbing-guides/books/beginners-guide-for-climbers/

Rockfax are sort of the commercial arm of UKC, producing guidebooks and the guides to different styles of climbing that you’ll find at the bottom of that link are a nice accessible way in.

BMC also have excellent publications https://www.thebmc.co.uk/get-into-climbing-indoor-climbing-bmc-magazine-for-beginners

Check out the UKC Forums, loads of info and friendly chat mostly drivel there.

Fixed that for you 😉

Haha – nice one. I know exactly what you mean!

My missus used to read UKC a bit and would say stuff like “This one guy posted a reasonable question and 10 posts in it has descended into abuse and idiocy”.

Being a STW forum dweller, I had no idea of such behaviour on t’internet.

As a beginner I am full of stupid questions that probably sound stupid to experienced climbers. Trouble is when its my daughters safety at risk I would rather ask first rather than learn by experience first.

Thanks for the suggestions guys

As a climber (and UKC user) I’d say it’s probably the go to site for forums. Yes there’s drivel but there’s also the occasional gem (though a lot fewer than say ten years ago), this one http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=608172 for example could have gone downhill but ended up being brilliant. It’s even got an Eiger rewrite of the Eagles’ Hotel California and Benny Hill’s Ernie for good measure 😀

Like any forum, it’s worth lurking for a while to get a feel for who knows what they are talking about (often their profile will provide further clues or links to their web page or blog) and who’s just talking the talk.

Edit: There’s no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid answers.

Try looking on the BMC website for your local mountaineering club, they might be able to help.

+1 for UKC.

I’ll move this to the chat forum, you might get a broader response (or abuse).

Synchronicity. The UKC newsletter just appeared in my Inbox. (-:

I understand your desire not to endanger your daughter. Back in the year dot most of us bought a rope and some pumps and went out and did it – but we were only risking our own necks.

Find a local climbing club and join it.

If you thought STW was full of self-righteous ****s….

Lots of good folk on there too though.

(Don’t laugh I didn’t even know what a figure 8 knot was before last week)

LOL

need bs/mentalist filter for UKC – imagine a cyber world occupied by the type that get off their turbo trainers to reply to “what gears for” threads to tell you they can ride the Fred Witton on an SS no problem

considered going last century?

lots of very poor instructional books out there but this is very good and very clear in a positive way on safety issues and technique

http://www.rockfax.com/climbing-guides/books/sport-climbing-plus-2011/

sports climbing only – not read the trad one so can’t comment