The Limitations of Self Teaching
A question I'm often asked goes along the lines of "Why would someone hire you to teach them something they can just learn on YouTube with a couple hours of practice?" At face value it's a compelling question; why would someone spend money to have me teach them something like cleaning sport anchors when there are a few dozen free videos showing how to do that exact thing?
The deeper you dig into the question, the more complex the situation becomes. Like many situations in life, it is important to view the question from several different perspectives to avoid being limited by our own scope.
All of the tutorials and lessons on YouTube are very straightforward, obvious to people who already know those skills. It's tempting to say that anyone can learn these skills on YouTube when you're someone who already has those skills and has used them in a practical environment. But it can be very different when someone is learning these concepts for the first time.
Video lessons lack several key aspects of in-person interaction that are vital to learning and retention. When learning online, you can not ask clarifying questions to your instructor. If any instruction is ambiguous or unclear the student is left to fend for themselves, either by "figuring it out" or by finding another video. When learning from an instructor you can seek clarification, or have the instructor explain a concept at a deeper level, to help you fit that knowledge into your mental structure.
Donna and Anthony learn how to build top rope anchors from trees.
YouTube learning also provides no feedback. When an instructor is teaching a new skill, they will observe the students and provide corrective feedback. Perhaps a knot is being tied slightly wrong, a carabiner is clipped into the wrong spot, or the order of steps has been misaligned. A competent instructor will recognize and correct these issues in real time, without the student needing to go through a trial-and-error process to figure out something has gone wrong.
Self teaching also has a limited vehicle for testing, or verifying understanding. Again this comes down to a lack of feedback. Any instructor worth their salt will "test" students on new skills, watching them perform tasks on their own with no external input. This can provide the student with an important milestone, the acknowledgment that they are performing a process correctly and can be trusted to do this on their own.
Evan sends his first traditional route on lead, Too Fast In Fog (5.7). Evan spent several days practicing with us before leading his first route.
Whether you're interested in learning about building static anchors, cleaning sport routes, placing traditional gear, or any other critical safety skill, consider seeking professional instruction. Many of your peers may deem these skills "simple" or "easy to learn" but those peers may have their views clouded by their own experience. Follow your gut, and stay safe.
Let's go climbing!
