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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 25, 2013 - 11:51pm PT
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Modern ice climbing is a perfect refllection of global warming....we humans are very adaptable. You see, the real athleticisim vis a vis ice tools requires that they not be used on ice.
I just watched a video at the OR show that i would call climbing porn. Good production values and insanely athletic movement but 0 character development and marginal relationship to real climbing. Dry tooling on overhanging rock with fully leafed trees in the background, the nearest ice at the local pub and bolts scarcely a meter apart.
I also witnessed the comp at the Ouray Ice Fest where the hardest moves were transitioning from a hanging, rotating log to an overhanging artificial wall where you could grab hanging straight ice ax shafts BUT only on the part painted red- kinda like a climbing gym BUT even more artificial.
The "M" grade was designed to give difficulty ratings to highly technical mixed (hence the M) climbing. Mixed presumably (at least in the beginning) referring to a "mix" of ice and rock.
A funny thing happened....the higher (read more difficult) the M rating became the less ice appeared on the climb until by the time M ratings approached double digits the ice had disappeared entirely.
Ice climbing has always been that segment of climbing where the difference between following and leading has been the most intimidating. Not to worry, the hardest dry tooling routes have reversed the tables by having bolts placed closer together than the tightest sport routes you have ever climbed.
Voila....if you love athletic movement without adventure, modern dry tooling is for you and you don't have to invest in expensive cold weather clothing. You'll get the hardest send by waiting until Summer and climbing in shorts without fear of the screaming barfies!
By the way, i never said that i was quitting ST but i have made a personal vow to never post on anything but a climbing thread. Okay, i am hoplessly Old School.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Jan 25, 2013 - 11:52pm PT
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Where did our ethics go?
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nature
climber
Boulder, CO
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Jan 25, 2013 - 11:54pm PT
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Two things
1) I've invested in cold weather clothes
2) I suggest you use the term 'global climate change' as global warming only feeds the denial fire.
TFPU
Edit: do SushiFest threads count as climbing threads?
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Kalimon
Trad climber
Ridgway, CO
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Jan 25, 2013 - 11:56pm PT
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I think it is "screaming barfies" . . . ? Pretty sure it was "creaming" before the edit!
Really, is it when your hands warm up after a non-frostbite induced freeze?
Dry tooling seems so contrived . . . like some artificial steel structure erected in nature for people to cling to.
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snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
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Jan 25, 2013 - 11:59pm PT
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I'll take that same challenge- never post on anything but a climbing thread- i like it
Anything that involves tooling probably sucks
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dogtown
Trad climber
Cheyenne, Wyoming and Marshall Islands atoll.
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Jan 26, 2013 - 12:00am PT
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Where did our ethics go?
I don’t know where, but I know when.
The day Rape bolting became O.K.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 26, 2013 - 12:02am PT
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Jim, did you copy this to Rheinhold? I'm sure he'd love to read it.
That whole Ouray scene is so Disney.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
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Jan 26, 2013 - 12:02am PT
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Warm & cold cycles make ice. I prefer snow, but I fear adaptations are imminent, like it or knot.
Meh.
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john hansen
climber
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Jan 26, 2013 - 12:02am PT
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I always thought of the M ratings as snow , ice, and rock. And there was that climb in the Black. Do they realy use styrofoam???
A good topic.
Just wait till the 'Gecko Skin' comes out...
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Michelle
Trad climber
Toshi's Station, picking up power converters.
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Jan 26, 2013 - 12:08am PT
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Mixed climbing is neither..?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 26, 2013 - 12:09am PT
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Sushi Fests are only held at climbing areas....now, should you do one at a Tea Party convention.....
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Captain...or Skully
climber
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Jan 26, 2013 - 12:11am PT
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It'd never work....They'd take your sushi home, fry it up & tell YOU how much it tasted like fish.
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Kalimon
Trad climber
Ridgway, CO
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Jan 26, 2013 - 12:15am PT
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Jim, did you copy this to Rheinhold? I'm sure he'd love to read it.
That whole Ouray scene is so Disney.
Bingo!
Just another roadside attraction.
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10b4me
Boulder climber
Somewhere on 395
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Jan 26, 2013 - 12:20am PT
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I think that most ice climbers got bored with pure icee, therefore, they decided to climb rock(forget the ice) with ice tools. It's aid limping.
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nature
climber
Boulder, CO
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Jan 26, 2013 - 12:21am PT
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TeaBaggerSushiFest. Oh the horror!!!!!
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Jan 26, 2013 - 12:24am PT
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That's nICE and all..but the real question is will all this help on Latok or not?
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Jan 26, 2013 - 12:28am PT
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Calm down Jim. There's M climbing, yeah, but then there's also M climbing.
The former, yeah, you saw it at the Ouray comp. But the latter, well, that's something different. I'm not the guy to talk to about it, but get in touch with Will Gadd (posts here occasionally as gilwadd or something similar). Might open your eyes.
Of course, the best comment on the whole M-grade things was made a while back when Barry Blanchard, Steve House, and Scott Backes climbed a new route on Howse Peak in winter. At that time, the M-grade thing was just getting rolling, with M8 pretty much the hardest thing going. They named their route M16 "because it's twice as hard as M8."
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 26, 2013 - 12:37am PT
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Ghost, i'm pretty well versed on the state of mixed climbing and know that some very, very necky mixed routes are being put up by the people you have cited and many others.
The fact remains that a lot of the hardest dry tooling climbs , including climbs in the Canmore/Banff areas are bolted more tightly than a Boeing 747 fuselage.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Jan 26, 2013 - 12:38am PT
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The fact remains that a lot of the hardest dry tooling climbs , including climbs in the Canmore/Banff areas are bolted more tightly than a Boeing 747 fuselage.
No argument about that. Just wanted to say that not all M climbers are Eldo Prancers.
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