In reply to Rob892:
Based on my experience (gone from leading HVS this time last year to 3 E2s last week, plan on leading my first E3 by the end of summer).
- as others have said, outdoor bouldering is a good idea. Teaches you to read rock and pull hard in relative safety.
- but don’t forget the gym, which is a massively beneficial training tool if used well. I recommend
1) the start of EVERY session do 30 minutes of low level endurance traversing. On a pump scale of 1-4, never be more than a 2. Try to stay on the wall for the duration. (Bring headphones, it's boring.) This ARC (aerobic recovery and capillary training) is invaluable in trad because it means after a while you just don’t get pumped on easy-medium ground, and that matters a lot when you need to place gear without getting tired/scared
2) boulder in the gym, making yourself do hard moves. This is not a true substitute for bouldering outside, but will improve your capacity to execute hard moves in short sequences of the sort found on trad cruxes
3) climb the slab, a lot. Good footwork is most people's biggest weakness, and it most goes to shit when tired and scared. Good footwork can be the difference between falling off and finding a route easy in trad. The best way to improve footwork is to get used to standing on tiny edges and transferring your weight around in a controlled manner. Hence, the slab is essential. Climb it at least once a week for at least 90 minutes (I do sessions where I only ARC + slab, which have the advantage of not being physically taxing allowing more days of climbing in total.)
- For now, don't bother with the lead wall if your head game is OK (as you say it is). When you want to push beyond E1, start leading at your limit in the gym - fall of regularly, *because you are pumped*. this will a) improve your power endurance meaning you get less pumped less quickly in due course, and b) will teach you to know *exactly* how long you can actually hang on for (often longer than you think) so that when you're leading trad you know exactly what your limits are - and will usually be climbing way under them.
Post edited at 12:39