Scariest thing I've ever done... Lead Climbing

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In this episode I strive to make the next progression in my climbing journey by attempting outdoor leading for the first time. Lead climbing outdoors is a scary step for a beginner climber, but I found there were a number of ways to work around the fear.
Current climbing experience: 199 days
Cinematography, thumbnail design, belayer, logistics: @Kim_Norrie
Cinematography on ropes: Kieran Duncan. Check out his epic Instagram: kieranjduncan
Advice, belayer and "fix Mike's mistakes": Toby Tee

[@Allen_lena]

Holy shit, Mike Boyd collabing with Pete Whittaker, now we can say that you've officially joined the ranks of "Climbing KZbin", going along with one of the greats! Seems superfun (even if trad looks scary af)!

[@wsxgfhccr]

I guess Magnus is next?

[@SasquachPL]

@@wsxgfhccr Magnus is only doing videos on lifting, grip strength and fitness lately:D I think he might've started feeling a drop in form and doesn't think he's good enough to climb:(

[@theaveragecodpl4yer]

@@SasquachPL I think he has noticed that those videos get way more views than just climbing videos. I do miss his old gym session type of videos tho.

[@antrumkfpsalatschleuder8768]

Trad is where the real fun starts, once you go trad you never want to climb inside again

[@PeerlessChad]

Hopefully he’ll still do the Colab with Mike tho

[@maleknecibi]

I've been an avid climber for a few years now, here are my thoughts: - If the Ohm isn't too uncomfortable for you as the leader, go ahead and use it. The only time I'd recommend against it is on sketchy Trad, as the increased forces can cause a weak placement to pop sooner - Ignore anyone that says a stick-clip is cheating. They objectively make climbing safer, so if anyone gives you a funny look tell them to go climb trad or free solo if they have such a hard on for danger. Loads of people use them regularly, especially here in the states, and they can also be handy for other things like bailing, so just keep using it. - IMPORTANT: That Red BD Rope you purchased in your haul isn't rated as a Single Rope. 7.9mm is far too thin alone for Sport Climbing, so DO NOT USE IT. Thankfully it looks like you're actually climbing on a proper rope in the later climbing shots, so I guess you were already corrected on that by someone (looks like a Mammut Crag classic, good choice)

[@Lizlodude]

I feel like the stick clip has the same vibes as knee/elbow pads on a bike. Everyone seems to laugh at them, but they don't really give you any advantage, they just make it hurt a lot less when you mess up.

[@bagel_deficient]

@@Lizlodude I like pads not just because they make stuff hurt less, but because if I actually injury myself, I can't ride for a long time and that SUCKS.

[@ryangamv8]

I've never heard of people giving "funny looks" at a stick clip they're super common here in Squamish. Must be a UK thing

[@DrachenBlasen]

Why is stick clipping considered cheating and by who?? You are still sending the climb if the quickdraws are already placed(all the pro climber have already pre clipped the whole route when they send it), it just makes it safer and way less danger for the 1st, 2nd clip

[@simmojosh71]

​@@DrachenBlasenpro climbers wont often have preclipped the route when they send it btw. Nothing wrong with using a stick clip but that part isn't true.

[@pedropesserl]

I just love how supportive and encouraging Kim is, while also being concerned about Mike's health and safety all the time. She's probably one of the main reasons why he's able to do all of these awesome things

[@Scamspam]

Yeah you can really tell how concerned she is at 18:08 when she thinks he might've hurt himself

[@thecma3]

My contribution to the conversations: I noticed that you often pull a lot of slack when clipping so you can reach higher. This is fine if you're at a good stance, but, in general, you want to climb to where the next bolt is in your face/chest region. This seems scarier, but reaching for a high clip takes longer and puts a ton of slack in the system, so you're quite vulnerable in that moment, especially at the second/third bolt. Its awesome that you share this journey, mistakes and all! Huge fan of that.

[@SpinRightWaY]

Adding to it: As common as it is to hold the rope with your teeth while pulling slack, it's a good idea to get rid of the habit if possible as to not risk falling while clenching the rope with your teeth and creating a serious, horrible injury.

[@JeffCurry]

This. Great advice. It's a much shorter fall to clip at your waist than above your head if you fall as you are trying to clip.

[@joseprupi]

The slack is the same if you fall with the rope in your hand and are about to clip.

[@gRocketOne]

@@joseprupi If you're higher up and closer to the bolt, the extra slack going from the clip back down to your harness is shorter. So as unintuitive as it seems, clipping from higher up means there's less slack in the system so you will fall less far.

[@Crewguy183]

You actually fall the exact same distance with high clipping as you do clipping at your waist. The danger with high clipping is if you start half a meter lower, you will stop falling half a meter lower. When you are at risk of decking, that difference can be important.

[@il24ir]

A couple things to note that I didn't hear him mention if you want to try this as well. 1. Taking a Lead certification class to learn about back clipping, z-clipping, and back stepping (among other risks while climbing) should be done before lead climbing 2. Going outdoors with an experienced climber is a good idea when starting (Which he did during the video) 3. Knowledge of cleaning routes (Getting your gear back) may be needed when climbing outdoors. There are a great deal of videos online where you can learn how to go outside and this video was awesome.

[@mrcmwuk]

Thanks for adding this. The issue I see with someone racing through climbing (how fast can I learn this, how soon before I can...) is that you don't know what you don't know. I really hope the OP doesn't end up injured, or worse, that someone else is influenced by this does because of the mentality.

[@finbarshields]

"I just can't understand why you'd risk decking out if you don't have to" so great seeing this perspective. It's odd that in the climbing culture it's seen as "uncool" to use something like a clipstick. Bravo for normalising it. Safety is cool. Walking is cool. Being alive is cool.

[@olliepope5775]

At my University, all the climbers free solo really hard and high routes outside which is utterly insane. Climber culture defo says safety is uncool which is uncool

[@Ayalatgd]

I can't understand his opinion that falling 1 meter (3 feet) is something "you're not likely to walk away from". Like what??? Boulderer's regularly take 10 foot+ falls without a pads if it's a flat safe landing like what he was leading over. Unless the landing is horrendously unsafe or you're climbing some heady oldschool route where the first clip is 20 feet up stick clips are overkill. If the first bolt is at 10 feet and you're 6 feet tall that's a 4 foot fall max. You're telling me you can't hop off a retaining wall onto flat ground without getting hurt?

[@carlosperezdelema]

​@@AyalatgdI agree that the fear is disproportionate to the danger, but as my mom always says, fear is free. I understand being afraid of having no rope and clipping the first clip before going up can save you from a nasty fall and twisting your ankle.

[@user-tp7zb7ej2s]

​​@@Ayalatgd think that might've just been a wonky cut in editing, it doesn't sounds like one continuous sentence, it sounds like two separate parts stitched together. I think he was trying to say even small heights have the potential to be dangerous but the message got mixed. My guess is he gave some example of how a small height could go bad, but it got cut out, leaving the one meter bit without context.

[@damnination333]

​@@olliepope5775Not really. Most climbers are pretty big on safety and minimizing risk. Free soloing is definitely a minority. Climbers understand that it's a risky sport and that there's always the risk of serious injury or even death, and most of us want to avoid that.

[@nattman007]

He’s just out here doing everything everyone has ever wanted to do and I love it

[@lonesome3958]

Honestly, going leas climbing aint that hatd to find opportunities for

[@techheck3358]

@@lonesome3958equipment costs. Finding a suitable location. Travel costs.

[@beezow7113]

​@techheck3358 equipment is maybe like $600 for 2 people that will last for years. And most places you don't have to travel by anything crazier than a car with 2 wheel drive.

[@niels6090]

@@beezow7113 Ever heard of the Netherlands =/= Flatlands? There are no mountains or even decent boulders for the first 8 hours of driving XD Climbing gyms are still challenging and fun enough though :)

[@trafalgarlaww7147]

Stop watching and give it a try

[@TepidWater]

Shout out to Kim with how she reacted after the first fall on the lead attempt, now that's some genuine love and care

[@johtso1]

Totally! On the flip side, it also reminded me how much the psychology of leading is affected by those you're climbing with. I think one of the biggest things when trying to tackle fear of falling is to celebrate the falls. Turn them into something positive, "nice fall!" When you're climbing with a group of stronger climbers, where falling is a normal part of the climbing routine, it really rubs off on you in a positive way. When falling is witnessed as something shocking/concerning.. one can't help but internalise the idea that you are doing something unsafe.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Yes, that moment is what made me sure that everyone knew what they were doing.

[@vspro-7]

@@johtso1I love this comment! Normalize falling, especially when it’s done safely. If someone gasps I get more scared that I did something wrong than the actual fear of falling.

[@mikelarin8037]

As a climbing guide and instructor, I am quite enjoying this journey. Its one I get to witness often, but always makes me so happy to see. As for the stick clip, f@$k the haters, go home safe. The only reason we lead is to get a rope up in the first place. When I take people outdoors that have learned to lead in the gym, I try to tamper their mindset of "top rope isnt real climbing" get the rope up. having fun is real climbing. Now that's not to say leading isnt an important part of the sport, its huge and can be a ton of fun too. But going home at the end of the day is the most important part. As for the ohm, use it. It's a regular part of my kit, and I use it anytime my belayer is about 15kg less than i am. The shorter falls may be harder on you but that might save you from hitting a ledge midway up the route someday, not to mention it being easier on your belayer. Always spot your falls when you can. Look down and see where your feet are going to end up. Cushion the blow with all fours limbs. Anyway, Great work man! Super looking forward to your collab with Pete, I'm jealous you're getting to climb with him. Hes one of my top favorite people in the youtube world and I'd give anything to get to hit up a multipitch with him. Rock on! Edit: I'd love to invite you over to Vietnam this winter to try some deep water solo if you're interested.

[@Aaron-xq6hv]

"The only reason we lead is to get a rope up in the first place." Maybe for you, and I'm not sure what top roping and stick clipping have to do with each other, but given an area where I could walk to the top and set up a top rope, or lead up the route, I would still lead it instead of top roping it.

[@antrumkfpsalatschleuder8768]

Never used a clipsstick because I or my climbing partners don’t have one … I don’t think i need one, however if you feel better go for it. You can also spot your climber when belaying before the first bolt.

[@nickhenscheid369]

Agreed re: stick clips. They're a great tool and shouldn't be thought of as 'cheating'. They're practically mandatory in many sport climbing areas and many people bolt routes assuming one will be used (first bolt ~5-8m up).

[@largeformatlandscape]

I like the fact that Adam Ondra recently said that top roping was the most pure form of climbing. And it is, you can get ina true flow and really push yourself. Leading is just different and brings many other pleasures and trad is something else again (we live in the Highlands so it’s mostly trad - really, really satisfying!)

[@Aaron-xq6hv]

@@largeformatlandscape Do you have the source of that quote?

[@andydt82]

12:59 she’s belaying too far from the wall, so gets dragged forwards rather than just up. Also, most climbing walls will have sandbags around to use as a ground anchor if there’s a big weight difference between the climber & belayer

[@Dwindamir]

I was going to stay the same, a belayer should be close to the wall and even have their foot up against it for additional support as well as a sandbag. My belayer used to be half my weight and was the best belayer I ever had and rarely came off the ground

[@juliangershwin]

Some gyms have ground anchors in the floor. Outdoors they can sometimes be improvised if there is a suitable environment (a boulder or something).

[@skilllessbeast7416]

Don't do Sandbags. They block dynamic belaying.

[@muizzy]

I'm also a bit scared that she took one of her hands off the break rope.

[@lee-lemon]

Ground anchor! He's got to check it and learn about ways to improvise seculy outdoors.

[@nickhyatt5870]

Oh my, can't wait for the trad climbing instalment. Nothing as a gripping as being metres above a teeny wire you only placed to stop your second from telling you that you would hit the deck from there! Good on you Mike for plugging away on the rock.

[@blonkkiller9113]

He should do a video with the wide boys😂😂...... Hahhahha edit because i didnt see the end of the video yet

[@KieranJDuncan]

Nice one, Mike! Thanks a lot for bringing me on board to film your send, you cruised it 💪. Psyched for the next few months 😉

[@timkoh363]

I have 2 quick thoughts! 1. When you took that big fall in the gym, Kim is a bit too far from the wall. That causes the forces to be more horizontal on her which is much harder to resist than if she was closer to the wall. If she's closer to the wall, that would cause the forces to be more vertical and thus you have gravity in your favor to increase the resistance. There's also naturally more slack in the system the further you get from the wall which can contribute to your fall distance. I nearly dropped someone to the ground when I didn't understand this. 2. Try to clip the bolts when the clip is between your head and chest. I know it feels safer to clip high, but if you were to take a fall in that moment, you've got so much rope out, plus your belayer is probably trying to give you more, if your belayer doesn't react in time, you could easily deck. I think this is particularly important on the first 3 bolts. Love your attitude toward safety!! Stay sendy!

[@jacobkelly3863]

Would love to say that there is a huge difference in indoor and outdoor grades! Indoor grades are always fairly soft comparatively - can do some 7A's indoors, but 6B outdoors is a huge achievement and my PB! Plus there is a definite factor of having to be more careful of your actions outdoors, increasing how hard those routes actually feel because it's often a lot slower and a lot more precise than indoors. Happy climbing!!

[@skilllessbeast7416]

I'm just going to assert, that you don't climb enough outdoors, or on the same type of rock. At the start of every season I get beat down fairly hard by the rock, but at the end my indoor and outdoor grades are almost the same. There really is a steep learning curve.

[@jacobkelly3863]

@@skilllessbeast7416 Oh yeah no definitely, I mean there are climbers who started outdoors and find it super hard to pull off climbing on plastic so it is definitely a matter of perspective. The movements, route reading, texture and risk factors are all different between indoor and outdoor such that its hard to compare the two is all I'm saying.

[@jacobkelly3863]

@@skilllessbeast7416 Yorkshire grit kills me emotionally and physically :D

[@hubertswierkiel5403]

It depends for me personally climbing outdoors is easier. In gym my personal best is VI in kurtyka grading scale and outdoor my best is VI.1+ os in limestone(in frenche grading scale it will be something like 6a and 6b+)

[@ben-op4fr]

That’s funny because i’m the polar opposite, have climbed 7as outdoors but soon as i’m indoor my PB is 6b. Whichever u get used to and practice the most the better you’ll get at !

[@landonkryger]

On your ohm comparison falls, I think the biggest difference is how much slack Kim had in the line. I know as a belayer it's hard to judge how much to have. You don't want too much so they fall far, and you don't want too little to make it hard to clip. Standing closer to the wall helps too, but can hurt visibility, so I enjoy using belay glasses. 3:15 & 15:24 Be careful not to have the rope between your legs. If you fall, you'll end up "flossing" yourself. Usually only a problem on the first clip.

[@TheTom-Saunders]

12:29 The problem I would point out here is Kim is gripping the rope to close to the belay device, gripping the rope too close the the belay device can in the event of the fall cause a finger or skin to get caught and damaged. It also gives you less leverage which means its easier for the rope to slip and give Kim a bad burn. Hope this helps 👍

[@idkphoenix]

Agreed, her hands were so close to the belay device it scared me

[@jazzbassjames6403]

Absolutely. And if you get your skin nipped, your reaction will be to get the hands out of danger and (probably) let go of the rope. Also, you should probably stand closer to the wall. You don’t want to get pulled into it, rather upwards.

[@TheTom-Saunders]

@@jackwhocodes Yeah its just a recipe for disaster

[@TheTom-Saunders]

@@jazzbassjames6403 Another good point

[@TheTom-Saunders]

@@idkphoenix Any climber would be scared seeing that...

[@Kampfschildi99]

When taking bigger falls (and when lead climbing in general) your belayer NEEDS TO KNOW about dynamic belaying. There are times when you as a belayer needs to jump, for example, to soften the fall and othertimes when you need to take in as much slack as quickly as possible (while the partner is falling) to reduce the chance of a fall to the bottom. This needs experience and ideally someone who is standing right next to the belayer when taking these falls trainings to tell them what should be done better. But in general a good idea that everyone should do.

[@wrathika]

Tbh when you're the lighter partner like Kim is, you don't really have to learn about timing the slack by jumping. You are guaranteed a soft catch unless you hit each other. But moving back and forth and knowing when to stand under the first bolt etc is all really good to learn

[@flatulentpaul]

I've been climbing for the last 16 years. I don't have any suggestions and am really enjoying watching you learn how to climb, very nostalgic. You should be extremely proud of the progress you've made in what's only a fraction of a year. Seriously, it's phenomenal.

[@ItsSansom]

Your belayer absolutely should have told you about backclipping and z-clipping on your first lead climb if they hadn't already. Either of those happening would be a big safety risk!

[@ostrichfacts7565]

Thank you for getting me into climbing! I completed my first climb April 1st after watching your previous videos and have been doing 4 hours a week since then! I’ve grown from a 5b/c 59 now doing 6B/6B+ and working towards 6C! You’ve been a massive inspiration for me

[@Jonathan-bw5oz]

Hi Mike, certified climbing instructor here certified at the Royal Dutch Climbing and Mountaineering Federation. I've got a few pointers. Kim is not close enough to the wall, it's always important to make sure you get pulled up as a belayer. When you get pulled sideways you might trip and let go of the brake side of the rope. That's where things get dangerous. As for the Ohm device: As a rule of thumb I would only use the device that you guys are using on a wall without complicated surfaces. As a belayer you want to be able to control the fall of your climbing to make him/her dodge certain dangerous aspects of the wall you're scaling. There's all types of tricks you can use to annul the difference. I'd advice you to inform yourself about that at your local gym or climbing store. The methods you'll applied will probably differ since most crags and gyms are different! Another pointer is that Kim held the brake side of the rope very close to the belay device. I would advice you guys to keep at least two fistlenghts between your hand and the belay device at all times. Bonus pointer: I didn't really see you guys spot each other before the first clip. That made me cringe, especially during your first lead climbing attempt. Rock on my man, have fun! If you have any more questions don't hesitate to reach out.

[@stefanrutherford2272]

Clip sticking the first bolt is totally acceptable and is practiced right up the very top level of climbing and is totally acceptable with almost all climbers. Kim's catches looked great, with experience she might take it a little slack when a leader falls but whilst learning I'd just encourage keeping/getting that brake hand down when a fall happens (which is what she did). Ohm is very useful for belayers who are lighter than the climber. I weigh 53KG and whilst I don't actually own an Ohm I'm considering getting one as almost all people I climb with are heavier than me and when it gets to belaying people in the 75+kg category I could really do with the extra friction to slow the climber down. I wouldn't use one of these for trad as they are likely to pull out any directional piece of gear (such as nuts), and will also likely move things like Cams to less favourable positions or even get them stuck. Great job!!!

[@nickhenscheid369]

100% agree re: stick clipping. No shame in keeping your ankles intact and many sport climbs are bolted assuming you will use one. It's also a great way to work a hard route (by stick clipping your way up it, bolt-to-bolt).

[@epicemma547]

kim is literally amazing! you can tell how much she cares for mike (and vice versa) like in all videos where she’s in it she’s always asking if he’s okay !!! such a cute couple !!

[@climbermacleod]

Good job big yin! It takes everyone a good while to become a solid leader. You video brought back some fine memories of climbing in the 'Shanner.

[@MikeBoyd]

would love to work with you one day dude. Huge inspiration.

[@Nightwishmaster]

After Pete schools him up I hope to see a collab with you two one day! You're a legend and have hugely inspired my climbing journey Dave, thanks for all you do!

[@mattdryden]

Well done! I loved the honesty and humility that you display as you work through a difficult stage in climbing, making the move to lead climbing. Most of the KZbin channels out there are trying to hype themselves up for the awesome things they are doing, but you confidently showed your fear and your gaps in knowledge. We need more content like this. Keep it up and I look forward to watching you learn trad!

[@ercle88]

Great video, awesome to see your journey as you learn to climb! Standing in close to the wall when belaying will dramatically reduce any slack in the system and how far you fall. Ultimately do what make you feel safe, but I personally stand right in close when the climber is lower on the wall (first three bolts as a rule of thumb) and then move back a few steps for a better view / softer catch as they climb higher. A belayer being pulled off the ground isn't an issue if aware of surroundings, and worst case scenario the belayer will never go higher than the first draw. If this happens they can easily lower themselves back to the ground and (hopefully) any mid air collision should be soft, with most of the force being used pulling the belayer up. I find this approach lets me be versatile, providing a soft or abrupt catch as best suited to the situation.

[@jamiemilsom6215]

Using the friction device on the first clip will help with you not hitting your belayer however will impact more force on your protection and yourself. In sport this doesn't matter loads it may just mean you shorten the life of your harness and rope by a small amount. However have a look at soft catches tutorial or similar. When taking a large fall it's comfortable to have a slow deceleration and if you make it onto trad it can help your gear hold rather than ripping.

[@RevereShin]

Kim, you're definitely a keeper. Mike is lucky to have you there, supporting AND worrying for him.

[@nicolasduguay4]

Next step: trad climbing!!! There is no limit of how you can push youself in climbing, physicaly, mentaly, emotionaly, you are in for a treat Mike and it is amazing to witness your climbing endeavor!

[@frankherrewijn2508]

You can tell he's a mountain biker because any problem he runs into his first instinct is to buy some gear to solve it. Great video!

[@stefanrutherford2272]

Props for the magic edit back clipping fix at 1m 36s :D

[@MikeBoyd]

👀

[@frietje1100]

Hey Mike, I think Kim’s safety is more important than the hardness of the fall. For that reason alone I think the Ohm is a good solution. I also think it’s less scary because you build less momentum during your fall. Great video! I love these climbing videos and I wanted to try Lead climbing myself for a while now.

[@notapplicable7292]

I'm really loving this climbing content! As someone who somewhat recently took up bouldering its great seeing another beginners journey

[@ian-wilson]

Hell yeah!!! Excited for your video with Pete Whitaker!!

[@MikeBoyd]

🙏

[@the1wheeler]

this is my favourite series from you! I recently started climbing myself and seeing your progress is super motivating!

[@Enn-]

Fantastic! I love that your #1 priority is safety. I look forward to seeing the next video.

[@niklasstahl98]

Just as a safety warning: it's usually not a great idea to grab the rope at any point when falling, can get pretty dangerous. Great job overcoming your fear and pulling through, climbing outside is an amazing experience!

[@sarahwardles1947]

I second this! Every time you fell you grabbed the rope, a natural instinct. But do not do this, it can be pretty dangerous. Try taking practice falls inside without grabbing the rope, stead sticking you hands out to the sides to get used to it.

[@LakaiSkateForLife]

That’s not really true. Most of the time it’s perfectly fine and can even prevent you from flipping upside down and smashing your head. Sure you could get a finger caught in the rope but the odds are tiny. No reason to actively avoid it.

[@AaronJeffers]

Why is it a bad idea? Not being critical, I've been bouldering for a couple years and want to branch into roped climbing so have next to zero knowledge but I'm curious

[@kerrynisbet1514]

​@AaronJeffers it's a bad idea because if you grab it whilst you a falling you're going to get a decent rope burn, everyone does it once or twice and they're not fun. When I fall I generally try to have my hands about chest height, facing the rock so I can push off if I come into contact with the rock while falling.

[@driesjansen3273]

@@kerrynisbet1514 I usually grab the rope just above my harness to give some stability while falling. Have done this countless of times and never had a rope burn before.

[@ChadNierenhausen]

Love the direction you've been going with your videos! Keep up the good work, it's great to come along on these journeys with you.

[@lazeavlad]

As a climber I am really impresed of you progres, keep it up and try the 7a, that s the most important thing to just try it

[@thomasmills6789]

Thought it was hilarious how you backclipped the very first carabiner in your demonstration- but your fix-it edit was so clean I did a double-take when it magically switched.

[@Sn34ksh0t]

Hey, Mike! First of all, congrats on the insane progress! Keep using the stick-clip. Didn't even know a thing like that existed, but I'm gonna get one myself :) The Ohm seems to be a good way for you to balance out the weight difference nicely. An alternative indoors could be a weight bag, but I get that those are annoying to drag around outdoors. A few bad habits you should avoid: - Stop using your mouth when getting rope to do a clip. This can be really dangerous, as there is a chance to fall while you're biting down on the rope. You could loose all your teeth or worse. Learn the proper way to getting rope by hand instead. - You are also pulling a lot of rope when clipping. You should instead try to get closer to the next clip. An ideal clip is somewhere from waist to head. I get that this doesn't always work, but you should aim for this. Keep up the good work and the entertaining videos :D

[@aidanhalloran6828]

Glad to see you've caught the climbing bug, excited to see you link up with one of the WideBoyz! It tends to be better for the belayer to stay close to the wall so that they can be right under the bottom bolt, at least once the climber is out of range of falling on them. This leaves less slack in the system and will send the belayer up rather than into the wall during a fall. The ohm is a good tool for when there is a big weight difference between partners, but other than that I find it tends to just add a lot of rope drag for the leader and forces the belayer to stand further from the wall to engage the friction.

[@dumbcrumb879]

Yes please always use the Ohm when you belayer is significantly lighter than you. You absolutely do not want the belayer to get sucked Into the first draw. With devices like a grigri the draw can press down on the cam and prevent it from working properly. Its rare but it can happen. I have never heard of people advising against using the ohm. The only situation I can imagine where it makes sense if you are trad climbing and you want to reduce the peak load on your gear. Like you mentioned the ohm gives a harder fall for the climber which would also cause more force on the draw and bolt. This is not an issue for bolts as they are insanely strong but if you were placing sketchy nuts and cams in the wall then a softer fall would lower the chance of your gear popping out.

[@thecma3]

Ohm on any passive gear placements would be suicidal. That's literally creating a zipper. I guess I could imagine putting one on a bomber cam, but putting such a big upward load on one piece still goes against a lot of the safety mindset in trad climbing.

[@dumbcrumb879]

@thecma3 oh good point. I forgot that the ohm pulls upwards on the first piece

[@shaunoleary8740]

Love the humility in this video mate! I'm still working on getting comfortable with falling.

[@finnmackinaw3283]

Hi Mike, just wanted to give my thoughts as to a couple of things you mentioned. I have over 8 years of climbing experience, including five years as a competitive youth climber. Very quickly, as many others have mentioned these, but the ohm and the stick clip are 100% personal preference and you should do what makes you comfortable. No reasonable climber will accuse you of having bad ethics if you use them. If you every get into trad, you’ll not want to use the ohm as softer catches are more important in that discipline. With the stick clip, at many crags, particularly in America, you’ll get funny looks if you don’t use one, so take from that what you will. The only critique I have of the big fall is that she appears to be tied off way to the back; if a belayer is going to tie themselves off, they need to do so relatively close to their feet. Otherwise, a long extra strand of tensioned rope can get in the way and potentially cause injury, as well as simply not being as effective at keeping the belayer on the ground. As an example, it looks like in the clip, the tie off section of rope comes up uncomfortably into her armpit, but doesn’t effectively keep her on the ground.

[@popcorny007]

Suuuuuper excited to see you and Pete climb together!

[@getinwizard2877]

Well soft falls are used for a reason. They are easier on the rope. Hard falls, per the name, are harder on the rope. I’m not too familiar with it, but I’m thinking that that device that adds more friction might be safer than constantly taking hard falls all the time, but again, soft falls are there for a reason to preserve the rope and to not jolt you every time you fall. As long as you communicate to your belayer that hard falls are for below 3/4 clips and soft falls are for above 3/4 clips. Another thing to add: if you’ve fallen a few times while you lead a route, make sure to use the other side of the rope for the next person. It gives the rope a chance to decompress from the stretch of falling. Just another safety precaution to think about.

[@vaseklepic12]

It's designed for cases where the belayer is significantly lighter than you. Being catapulted to the first QuickDraw isn't exactly a soft catch

[@WingDingMcKing]

I am completely on board with this becoming a climbing channel

[@nchan602]

Mike being too scared to boulder to the first clip is hilarious and mad relatable to me 😭

[@macornman]

When I saw your first rock climbing video, you inspired me to try it. I also caught the bug and have been climbing consistently for 3 months now. Maybe in a few more months i’ll get top rope certified!

[@axe_man_]

You should try competition climbing next.

[@nickcarter6628]

Watching your first climbing video got me to start learning climbing. I’m loving it so far but not been outside the gym yet. This has shown me how it can progress so naturally. Keep up the great work 👍

[@trickster1833]

12:50 this is pretty normal, especially on longer falls, and especially if your belayer is lighter than you. but any fall more than a meter or 2 is gonna pull your belayer off the ground. Just make sure they watch their head when you're falling and you'll be fine. I think standing slightly to the side and closer to the wall is also usually a little safer for the belayer.

[@PopeyeTheVRMan]

As someone who's worked at a climbing gym for 2 years, your first lead experience seems terrifying to me! We teach leading as a 3 week class and even then plenty of my friends take years to feel comfortable with it. Very glad to see you wearing a helmet in the rest of the video, real rock is much harder than the gym walls and it's quite easy to get flipped upside down if you fall onto a backstep. Climbing outdoors alone takes a great deal of courage and feels totally different to indoor climbing so combining everything at once can be overwhelming. Seems like you've got a great deal of support around you though, I didn't notice any big mistakes that could have been particularly dangerous, so good on you and your teachers! I'm not surprised the gym staff didn't react to your fall practice, we make our team kids do "whipper therapy" when they want to progress but the fear is holding them back. Basically what you did, taking progressively larger falls at your own pace, below the clip, at the clip, and then above. I'd really recommend doing a lot of this in the gym so you can get a solid feel for falling on lead. Climbing is such a tremendous sport because it incorporates a full body workout, a mental puzzle to figure out, and an emotional mountain to overcome. Can't wait to see you trad climb with Pete!

[@KyleLanmon]

Belayer should be almost directly under the first bolt. That way in the event of a fall, they only have upward force instead of being slammed into the wall

[@StiffiBoyGaming]

i love your channel because i love learning new skills especially extreme sports. i do skiing, mountainbiking, enduro bikeing, climbing, cliphdiveing, surfing, etc.... and i have a big tolerance to adrenaline and fear. it is amazing for me to see you throw yourself into this stuff and i can tell you its not an easy feat! i see you are holding yourself back with fear but you overcome it. this will get easier with time. keep it upp! never dont have fear. that is when you make mistakes.

[@provuksmc6619]

For your scenario at minute 12 second 30: I have seen you already use the Ohm. Keep using it. I find it the most comfortable for a belayer if the rope would be on my breakhand side right next to me. If the belayer stands close to the wall, around 1m. There will be less slack, the catches wont be that hard and you can stand next to the point where the climber would fall. So in case the climber falls on the early draws, you'll land on the same hight but next to each other. You'll remember that when you get your first pair of shoes in your face 😅 Edit: 1. Learn to tie in with your knot properly. No need for a ,,stopper" knot. It makes clipping easier because you dont have to grab so deeply for the rope. 2. NEVER EVER bite on the rope! Use your chin or the shoulder. Because if you fall, you will not have any chance to safe your teeth! They will be ripped out mercilessly! 3. Try to clip between chest and hip level. Its safer and saves energy.

[@Maw0822]

Super excited for the episode with Pete!

[@denniss1618]

Hey Mike, me and my wife went lead climbing a lot and we have a quite significant weight difference by around 95 ish to 50 ish so the ohm is a must have. I'm a big fan of it but there is a third option you didn't consider. Weighing your girlfriend down with sandbags a thing we did as well but got rid of it because of the ohm convenience. Cheers

[@starguy821]

Having a good mentor really helps when first climbing outside. I didn’t have one and having a consistent climbing partner helps a lot too so you can climb outside as much as possible. I’ve been climbing for 8 years now and I’m still learning and I’ve taught newer climbers stuff too.

[@felixromahn2254]

Next time try free soloing!!;)

[@fleabites]

Really enjoyed this! Subscribed! I've been climbing quite a bit longer than you have, about 8 years now! But only gotten into lead sport in the last year. Just wanted to say that I think I felt every single emotion that you displayed in this video! That fear of falling never really disappears for many of us, and I know guys that have been doing it for 10+ years who still get sketched out when at their limit. One thing I've found is that the fear can be temporarily reduced by doing a few practice falls every time you go out, I treat it as a "mental warm-up". Once you get that initial "big fall" out of the way it really helps you to relax and frees up some mental space for focusing on the climbing and having fun! Side note, I think I recognise Benny Beg there? Great little crag (only been once though), my favourite type of walk in (a very short one! XD). Looking forward to your colab with Pete! Trad is rad! :)

[@davidsmith4811]

Free climbing next?

[@spatersonx1213]

Congrats on 3 mill Mike!🎉 keep it up, loving these longer project videos!!!

[@timmynastics]

Pete is THE best climber alive today. Not the strongest, not the fastest, he’s the best CLIMBER alive. Underrated on a massive scale. He can hang with the best climbers in their own field and keep up. Put that climber into Pete’s world and they’re at day 1 hour 0 😂

[@xinsanedefeatx]

Pete is absolutely the best crack climber in the world, but objectively is not even close to being the best overall climber I don't know why you're acting like top level climbers can't learn to crack climb? Pete literally just released a video where he gets two high level climbers to hop on a crack trad route in a matter of a couple days Clearly you're a big Pete fan, nothing wrong with that, but no need to diminish other climbers to prop Pete up

[@timmynastics]

@@xinsanedefeatx in the same video series it shows Pete managing to climb all the Boulder problems set yet the other 2 climbers struggle. Also the crack Pete sends them up is a low level crack climb. Comparing the 3 Pete is the clear stand out

[@xinsanedefeatx]

@@timmynastics comparing him to Bosi, Ghisolfi, and Ondra he isn't in the same realm They've all climbed some of the toughest sport routes and boulder problems in the world Their disciplines are also exponentially larger than crack climbing. This means they have much more competition and have a higher chance of needing to "compete" with genetic freaks If any of them dedicated themselves to crack climbing, they'd be among the best, if not the best. No matter how much he trains Pete will never climb Silence or Burden of Dreams I'm not trying to attack you or Pete personally, but if we're truly being objective there really isn't much of an argument for Pete being better than the guys I listed

[@timmynastics]

@@xinsanedefeatx you’re missing my point. All round best climber, in all areas of climbing. Pete will come out on top. Yes the climbers you listed will batter him on a sport or Boulder wall at the high levels. I’d love to see ondra climb el cap solo in a day. I’d love to see if Ondra even knows how to plan such a thing.

[@xinsanedefeatx]

@@timmynastics so again, by that logic, aren't the Glove Trotters some of the best basketball players cause they're great at niche trick shots that no one else even tries to get good at? I may even concede (more on technicality than anything) that Pete is more "well rounded" in the sense that if you add together hardest sport route climbed, hardest boulder, and hardest crack together (converting all to same grading scale) that Pete may be higher than the guys I listed. But to consider him a better overall climber than them because he excels in a tiny niche of climbing? You're just adding qualifiers/moving the goalpost to make Pete "better" in my opinion At the end of the day seems pretty obvious we aren't going to come to a consensus here no matter what 🤷‍♂️

[@acatwithahat6306]

21:20, i get so happy for him, seing the suport, and how happy he is he did it, makes me all warm, and i can't stop smiling, keep it up Mike!

[@skibbyskib13]

Professional routesetter with ~15 years of experience here. Kims belaying in the gym looked alright, the distance of the fall was mostly up to the weight difference. As a belayer she can help reduce the fall distance by anticipating the fall and sitting into it as opposed to just going for a ride. Good lead belaying is very nuanced and often taken for granted so good to take it seriously and practice. From all i've seen the Ohm is a reasonable solution for big weight differences, although not perfect. I wouldn't recommend using it when the weight difference is minimal as you did on your 6a send. It's more ideal to find a belay partner that matches your weight a bit better. DO NOT use anchors or sandbags as others have suggested in the comments, you'll be asking for trouble. Big ups for taking us on your journey, glad you're enjoying yourself!

[@jod125]

Whats wrong with anchors or sand bags? I know nothing about climbing, just curious.

[@skibbyskib13]

@jod125 for lead belaying you need to be able to move freely depending on the situation. Sometimes closer to the wall, sometimes farther depending on what your come is doing. But primarily being anchored down prevents you from giving a soft catch where you come off the ground to slow the climbers fall. This can lead to your climber slamming back into the wall when they fall, opening up a big chance for injury. Ohm is a much less risky alternative.

[@driesjansen3273]

awesome video! I love that you're making more climbing vids. Just some tips about lead climbing that I haven't seen mentioned in the top comments: very important is communication between climber and belayer. That's why usually you say "Clipping!" when taking rope to clip and "okay" or "Clipped" when you are done clipping so the belayer knows when to give some slack and when to take it in.

[@clippedwings225]

Man these videos really make me want to try climbing

[@lastnamefirstname8655]

amazing job well done, mike boyd!

[@GeorgePowell1]

I love watching this series and so happy you're doing a colab with Pete! A few things I'd point out: It looks like Kim was holding the dead rope a little too close to the belay device, which can cause the hand/skin to be pulled in. Obviously painful for her but worse it can cause people to reactively let go. You might get away with this with a GriGri but it's a serious error with an ATC / tube device. Great to see you using a GriGri though! Practicing lead falls is really worthwhile for you and your belayer, and indoor walls will be used to facilitating this. I found that my lead grade went up a solid two letters after a couple of sessions practicing unannounced falls. Regarding the ohm, I also use it when belaying a much heavier climbing partner. It's a safe, tested, professional bit of kit, and if there's a risk your belayer is going to be pulled all the way to the first quickdraw (it looks like there is) it's a good idea, and better than a sandbag or ground anchor which will give you an even harder catch and reduce the movement of the belayer. Lastly, you've got the right attitude with the clip stick, as do the vast majority of climbers. Pros also use them, and especially at crags with high first bolts they're pretty common. It's not even uncommon to clip the first two clips if you can reach. Stay safe!

[@Nicholas-cm6rx]

Amazing job man! As a new trad climber and a Wide Boyz fan I am super excited for your next video.

[@remzero7472]

I never comment usually, but you probably become my favorite youtube channel, love the fact that you condense all the experience you've had into one video, showing your initial mistakes and continuous improvement without ever giving up. And probably because i discover climber a year ago and I enjoy seeing the same passion I had myself. Sorry for spelling mistakes. i'm french and we are not good at english ;)

[@Bread._]

I will watch every climbing video you make. Plus a lot of the others too, probably, but I'm just obsessed with climbing right now, as I'm sure you understand.

[@rygyd]

Love your content Mike! So interesting! Hope you have a great day

[@SiGuy86]

Loving this series! Been climbing for 5ish years and feel like I can relate to when I started out. Can't wait for the next episode with the wide boyz 👌

[@ScobieClimbs]

Great to see you climbing again man👌 great efforts all round as usual, cant wait for the next one will be a great colab!

[@teodorconstantinescu670]

Absolutely loving the climbing content. I recently got into bouldering myself, been bouldering for 4 ish months and I'm around a 6a level. This is really inspiring me to try some other forms of climbing, once I got the time and money of course. Keep it up, I love these videos!

[@olalansman7516]

I just had my first lead climb experiences this year - indoor and outdoor. Amazing to see how your journey matches mine regarding to fesr of falling, and even funnier to ser you start using Ohm. After the almost accident my friend and I had not using Ohm I’m never going to not use it again.

[@samsondrake41]

Super cool to see you lead climbing! It’ll be epic to see you try trad!

[@sethusk]

Well, that was intense. Nice job, Mike. You continue to push past your perceived limits. Humans are amazing.

[@josefanon8504]

I'm so glad you found a hobby you love that much :D My hobby too and I went lead climbing inside and outside a lot too the last months :)

[@ryan7658]

I absolutely love the climbing series! Keep up the good climbing!

[@jukenryu8127]

I’m really loving these climbing videos. Your explanation of bouldering from your last video still had me in stitches:-)

[@marlymarlmarl]

Oh nice! Collab with the wide boyz! Looking forward to it!

[@johnarinehart]

Being able to learn from Pete is a huge privilege. Congrats on your journey so far and rest assure that you'll be learning from the best

[@bluepalmsmusic]

Bro, you‘re so good! The progress seems immense, 6b outdoors already? 👏🏽

[@LeVraiPoio]

congratz on overcoming the fear !

[@jamesjmn9624]

Dude it’s so awesome to see you getting psyched on climbing. I was the same way when I started. Pete’s such a sick dude you’re going to learn so much from him.

[@THEsweetlil16]

So proud of you! You're such an inspiration.

[@Pshady]

Very cool to see someone go through the process of learning to lead climb. With all the climbing content this felt unique and insightful. Also the film crew was worth it

[@mpgrim3312]

I love this channels descent into full climbing addiction

[@Freddols]

18:10 Kim asking if Mike's okay, that was powerful

[@ikrolo1]

I know, that was very touching!

[@atomic7680]

Awesome video man! I don't agree with going out like this by yourself without a proper lead climbing course before.. but glad you broke it down into bits after being scared

[@tomosothejuggler]

Absolutely amazing video once again Mike! You always deliver the best content! Sorry for not watching sooner. I look forward to the next video! Keep it up! I’m a huge fan Mike!

[@hydrodragonn7385]

Wow this was a great video documenting your experience! I think you'll find a lot of common ground among all climbers starting to lead. Btw, as a climbing gym employee, fall practice is heavily encouraged, and it is actually a dedicated part of our lead climbing classes. In the example part of the video, part of what might have contributed to the greater fall is Kim's distance from the wall. Now because it was an overhanging route, it isn't entirely realistic for her to be right up against the wall, because of course she needs to see you, but if the climber is gonna take a fall, the belayer should prepare by taking out as much slack as possible while still safely maintaining control of the brake end of the rope, and eliminate the amount of rope in the system by moving closer to the wall. This won't necessarily make YOUR fall smaller, but it will mitigate the distance the belayer is pulled up. It also couldve been that you weren't using the ohm in the gym like you were outside. Those help with falls A LOT! Honestly, in my opinion although belaying isn't the more dangerous side of leading, it is the more complex. Lead belaying is SO MUCH MORE complicated than top rope. It is very dynamic and involves a lot of concentration from the belayer in order to shift positions and manage the amount of slack in the rope to keep the climber both safe, comfortable, and give them essentially complete freedom. It seemed like you guys picked up all of this stuff really quickly! :)

[@applepie-sq8mm]

Stoked for the video with Pete man!

[@jonathanbreckheimer1506]

Dude, this is so much fun to watch! I think this is some of my favorite content on the internet right now! Also I can't believe you have a collab with Pete Whitaker coming up!!!! So psyched for that :D

[@cheesepotatogratin]

Very nice video, loved every second of it, since I've also been learning how to lead climb. I did a lead climbing course and learnt some things for correctly securing and, well, climbing. I've noticed at 12:30 that the rope was very loose. My instructor told me, when I did similar things, that the looser the rope is, the longer the fall will be. Keeping it a little more tight (not too much, so climbing is still possible) and only give rope when necessary (e.g. when clipping in), reduces the fall distance drastically. And also some of the movements, such as for rope giving, are usually designed so that the belayer can tighten the rope as quickly as possible. Also rope on the ground, looked like the rope bag was on top of a table. But overall neato!!

[@MamaDespik]

I yelled when I saw Pete at the end, it's weird when two youtubers from different genres that you follow come together!