Parker places his new #4 on this mellow entry-level trad climb. Photo by Kristopher Orr
For the aspiring trad climber, quartzite can be your best friend. Lots of edges and jugs while you do your placements, and a large variety of options for your pro. Rock Canyon has some really great trad climbs if it’s something you’re interested in trying out. One of my first ever trad leads was this super mellow 5.7 called Tinker Toys. It’s only about 35′ high, can easily be top-roped, and provides some fun options for getting creative with your protection. You could easily protect the whole thing with passive, or mix it up with some microcams or standard tri-camming units. It starts with a hand crack that is riddled with ample face-holds, which makes it a really mellow first trad lead because you have tons of options for your stance when it does come time to place that first nut or cam. There’s also a great place to place a #4 Camalot, which is always a treat when you’re climbing short easy pitches. Connect with your buddy who has a rack and try your hand on your first trad lead on Tinker Toys. Plus there’s a super steep .10b sport route just around the arete, so your climbing options are numerous.
http://mountainproject.com/v/tinker-toys/105798732
Parker moves through the crux of this mellow line. Photo by Kristopher Orr
