Worth buying hexes in New England?

[lucky luke]

The best way to learn how to lead is to follow a compentent leader and observe their placements carefully as you remove them. After you follow a climb and clean it (without falling), then go right back and lead it as soon as you can. You will have confidence on lead knowing a) where the placements are, and b) that you already did the climb without falls. Good luck and be safe.

Even if I agree with the idea to learn how to lead with a competent leader (and I am still learning with one of my partner), there is a discussion about those who know where the placements are an be confident in a route and those who learn to stay calm in a route that you don't know and find the rest to place the pro. In some case, the good leader can put you on real situation knowing that you can climb the pitch an, as you don't climb over your head, you have a good experience where a real fall can happen. I am in favor of this second way to learn as you don't gain confidence on what you climb before, but you gain confidence by knowing your limit. As you increase your limit by a deeper knowledge, you can, on my opinion, on sight any route at your level very easily after.     

[M_Sprague]

One thing you become aware of from seconding and not so much from the other ways is what it is like to clean the pieces, so not to over set them when you don't need to or place them too deep. You also learn the importance of being aware of protecting your second with directionals from feeling what it is like when the leader doesn't, or maybe observing the leader's mistakes, like seeing how crappy some of their placements were after being jiggled around by the rope a bit.

[DLottmann]

Or you could just lead the thing.... you gotta start sometime.

True though I don't think Kiddy Crack is a good first lead at the grade... The Chimney at Square Ledge, and West Face of Square, are far better 1st leads...

I've seen two aspiring new leaders hit that ledge halfway up Kiddy Crack when blowing the upper 5.7 crux move.

[M_Sprague]

Peewee's Big Adventure at the Crows Nest crag at Rumney is a great first gear lead that eats nuts, if you happen to be there for the other climbing.

[Jeff]

"I've seen two aspiring new leaders hit that ledge halfway up Kiddy Crack when blowing the upper 5.7 crux move."

There have also been some ankles broken slipping off the polished layback at the start--first gear doesn't keep you off the ground

[danf]

True though I don't think Kiddy Crack is a good first lead at the grade... The Chimney at Square Ledge, and West Face of Square, are far better 1st leads...

The Chimney was one of my first leads. I probably would have led the chimney before I led the Standard Route on the main face had there not been people at the Chimney when we got there. It's a good first lead for sure, only bad thing about it is there's not much for gear other than cam's.

[tradmanclimbz]

Kiddy crack is got to be one of the worst bags of shit @ the whole cliff. feels like it was greased up with vasaline. Climbing is supposed to be fun and that was unpleasant at best. a short, buggy, slippery mouse fart in the woods. never would bother to repete even if i lived there.

[strandman]

I agree trad, just horrrible.
At least Toe Crack isn't slick

[tradmanclimbz]

Toe crack is delicious 5 star climb.  kiddy crack gets the official bag of dog doo award.

[David_G48]

Kiddy Crack a fun place to watch some inflated egos brought back to reality. Even 5.10 leaders have to give pause  before moving on to the harder rated climbs after warming up on this deceptive climb. Once you figure it out it is really only a 5.7.

[DLottmann]

Oh come on, Kiddy Crack has 15 feet of good climbing on it! The moves after the big ledge are fun.... so three quality moves on the whole route.... yup, BoS

While we’re talking good first leads in the area over on Whitehorse, to the left of Beezlebub, “Root to Root” or “Beginer’s Delight” depending on what guidebook you look at is pretty awesome 5.5 with good gear... no one ever over there.

[tradmanclimbz]

I could care less what the grade is. it is a slimy unpleasant short climb in the woods with zero exposure and zero asthetics = BOS