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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 3, 2018 - 03:06pm PT
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Yes, sometimes you could care less and a frivolous name for a line comes readily or not at all and you settle for a name that merely 'works'
But what triggers you to use a thoughtful route name?
Thoughtful names might include;
puns
deep meaning
reflecting something important about the safety of the route
musical or artistically resonate
For me, generally, I try to link a route name to something about the route. Could be anything. But often the route name is a word that means something to me outside of the climbing specific context, but may apply.
For example, I have a route I love that I put up with mtnyoung called "Legitimation" - at the time, I had been reading about how things gain significance through a process of legitimation. This area was basically new to us and I knew that this line would be that legitimizing factor for the rest of the routes we would put up there. So the name has significance outside of climbing and applies equally well to the route and it's relative position to other climbs on the wall.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Always a secondary consideration for me. Usually my partner comes up with the name. Some climbs that I did like “Leanie Meanie” and Enema Crack” already had names given by people who first tried them and failed. I thought....what the hell, I’ll ride with them.
Sport climbs maybe should be numbered left to right or vise versa.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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I like puns.
I did a jugfest route and called it A Thousand Pints Of Lite off the George Bush speech and then decades later almost guided his son Jeb up it (long story not worth it).
I also like routes that commemorate a passed friend.
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Cali
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I agree with Jim that sport routes should just be numbered.
When we used to put routes up in Josh and the Southern Sierra we use all of those inspirations. Fear - EBGBs, Pun - Good to the last drop, Music - Supertramp Crime of the Century, Difficulty - Hang em High, etc.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Numbers don't work. New routes screw them up.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Yo Ron...just add letters for new climbs. The one to the right of 14 is now 14a. Now that could confuse a few folks.
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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I always think of the perfect name after I have told others of the crappy name that first popped into my head.
A recent foray, The Cleaver, took a little while to name. Too many Shakey Flakes, Flakes of wrath, etc, already out there.
Other stuff takes a name by shape and then in the process of cultivating the send finds its true name. The Diagonal became, over a year of backing off before even attempting, the Minipony Gangbang. The ungulate action on the drive in settled it one frosty morning. And the thing is indeed a pretty full-on, if dimunitive, experience.
Some of my compatriots will pick a theme and then change my route name to something that fits their fancy. Fine by me, so long as the rock-dodging, rope-holding, hand drilling, etc, get shared oht equal.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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So 14a is actually a .13c, but 10d is actually an .11b, but 12d is actually .12c,.....
Nah, some sport routes have cool names, some are even a bit runout like Full Metal Jockstrap.
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Gail Hightower
climber
SE
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I try to name routes after some distinct feature of the climb, but also reference something beyond climbing.
Recently I saw a new route in late summer, really white limestone, but just now getting around to cleaning/bolting it.
Was thinking: Light in August? Or maybe a tried and true moby dick reference because of the white nature of the rock?
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Yeti
Trad climber
Ketchum, Idaho
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Sorry (not really) to promote my work, but check out "What's at the Root of the Name of the Route" in my book "Climbing to Freedom." It's available through Western Eye Press.
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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For me, generally, I try to link a route name to something about the route...
Easy for you to say Mungeclimber.
All you do is simply take one of the million or so words in the English language and add the word "Munge" to the beginning or the end ;)
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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TBC- next time you are running dry on Flake names, I give you the following license royalty-free in perpetuity:
Flake This Job and Shove It (if the climb needed some cleaning)
Flake It To the Limit
Flake and Bake
And, inspired by Trump-meister hisself.... drum-roll...
Flake News
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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For a direct line, up a groove on a crappy rock pinnacle, The Derrierettissima. It is waiting for you Munge.
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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what about a classic for the area? like:
PDW, phil. P-f*#king-DW, man!
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jeff constine
Trad climber
Ao Namao
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With the new weed laws, I can't remember any FA.
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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A thoughtful name? Hmm...
How about Clay and Earwax? Routes at Index, Wa, that I think were named by Jon Nelson. As I remember, the goal was to come up with route names that had nothing whatsoever to do with the route and nothing to do with any previous name used. Route names as close to random as possible. I am not sure what thought process, if any, was used, but it seemed to me a difficult goal to achieve unless you appealed to a higher authority on randomization, like dice.
I wasn't intending to tell any story about me, since I pretty near never have done first ascents, and even then did not name them. However, in checking out Index just now I found that a route I did there on top rope has an inexplicably accurate representation on mountain project. The line was picked, if I remember, by Dick Cilley. It was short and ended at a ledge next to the remains of a campfire. Prompted to come up with a name, I chose Heat Seeker.
edit:
I would have preferred Quest for Fire but did not like the movie.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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For me, generally, I try to link a route name to something about the route.
So how many routes do you have named “Choss” and “Grass”?
:-)
I love naming routes. I have a running list of names to call on if something immediate doesn’t
present itself.
I’ve just been bouldering for the past few years and, laugh all you want, problems get names too.
And damn good problems deserve damn good names.
This one is called The Art of Dreaming (it’s pretty much a route (-: )
after a Carlos Castaneda book.
Like, I could have never called it “Hueco Line” or “NW Arete”
much less other good names like “Hipsters Know Things” or “Hot For Teacher”.
Bottom line is, a good line deserves a good name.
I think a great line deserves something....romantic.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 3, 2018 - 08:05pm PT
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bravecowboy, that looks like cottage cheese! the chossy one.
mtnyoung, "March Mungeness"! :)
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7SacredPools
Trad climber
Ontario, Canada
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That line is certainly worthy of a name.
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