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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 14, 2006 - 11:49am PT
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I go to the Gorge and there's like 10 cars max, I go to the Happy Boulders and there's like 20+ cars on most days. I know bouldering is super popular these days - is the same thing happening in other areas out there??? What gives???
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WoodyS
Trad climber
Riverside
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Feb 14, 2006 - 11:51am PT
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I haven't noticed an uptick in JT.
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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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Feb 14, 2006 - 11:54am PT
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It's the cool thing to do. For about 6 years now, where have you been?
F*^&n old dads...
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salad
climber
San Diego
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Feb 14, 2006 - 11:57am PT
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dude, brah, its the trend. climbing without a rope is so pure. plus, when my ritilin script runs out, i cant focus long enough to climb more than 20 feet at a time.
plus, who has time to learn knots and rope work?? i need instant gratification.
seriously tho, for me, one reason why i tend to bolder more these days is because of the family. if we take a vaca up to the bishop area, its much easier to spend the day bouldering cause the wife and toddler and I can be together having a good time all day.
with the second kid due anytime, its getting more and more difficult to sell those 3 day big wall weekends where the fam stays home.
in her defense, tho, she sat in camp 4 alone, with a 2 year old, pregnant with morning sickness for 5 days in a heat wave while i melted my way up lurking fear this summer. i think she had more fun.
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville
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Feb 14, 2006 - 12:25pm PT
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if i were a teenager...
Let's see.
All i need is a chalk bag, shoes and maybe gas money and i can hang out and smoke someone elses' pot and watch fit, half-naked women do gymnastics.
and the question was?
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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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Feb 14, 2006 - 12:28pm PT
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It's sort of like when your favorite local band suddenly becomes wildly popular, and even though you still like them there's all these new folks around w/whom you now unwillingly have something in common that you sorta were happy keeping amongst your friends.
By this I mean that most of us would agree that bouldering is wonderful, and it's no surprise that it's suddenly very popular, but there certainly seems to be a fashion element that's increasing that popularity beyond the intrinsic appeal of the activity itself.
The low barriers to entry certainly don't hurt its appeal. Remember when sport climbing took off, and people said it was b/c it was so simple and user-friendly, it was real climbing dumbed downfor the masses?
This makes that sh#t look like neurosurgery.
Plus, when I look at the demographics of the local boulderers-come-lately around here, what I see is people who enjoy feeling very strong, pulling off huge moves, and not having to focus or endure very long: an activity highly suited to folks with very high testosterone levels, and short attention spans. And whattya know? They're a bunch of strong young dudes. Go figger.
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Russ Walling
Social climber
This ain't Tijuana
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Feb 14, 2006 - 12:36pm PT
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JT bouldering is dead. I haven't seen a single person on the Function, High Heeled Sneakers, Betty Joe Yablonski, or the So High all year. Not even with a 15 foot stack of pads.
Plenty of n00bs on rope though....
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Apocalypsenow
Trad climber
Cali
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Feb 14, 2006 - 12:47pm PT
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C'mon Bachar. They carry a mattress on their backs and no protection. Of course there are so many of them. Breeding like rabbits!
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burp
Trad climber
Salt Lake City
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Feb 14, 2006 - 01:05pm PT
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In my mind, it's definately an extension of the indoor gyms.
Some of the bouldering areas in LCC (Utah) look like skateboard parks now ... gobs of folks hanging around on a huge platform of stacked pads, getting their latest send videotaped / photographed, and cranking harder than I ever could(!).
Enjoy!
burp
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Feb 14, 2006 - 01:07pm PT
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I figure eventually boulderers will get done PRACTICING and go real climbing!
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WBraun
climber
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Feb 14, 2006 - 01:08pm PT
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I hope they stay on the boulders. The roped climbs will remain free.
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Apocalypsenow
Trad climber
Cali
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Feb 14, 2006 - 01:32pm PT
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Fully agree with that one.
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nature
climber
Flagstaff, AZ
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Feb 14, 2006 - 01:38pm PT
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Bouldering has basically killed off roped climbing with the current generation, the vast majority want nothing to do with it. Think the crags are empty now? Wait till the old guard quits - there'll be nobody
I can only hope this is true. May the pad-people enjoy pebble pinching for all eternity. I'm to old and fragile to boulder anyway. After all, every fall is a ground fall and my ankles no longer appreciate that.
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capndick4
Boulder climber
where the moon tells secrets...
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Feb 14, 2006 - 01:39pm PT
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part of the appeal of bouldering is not having to use the ropes, pro, etc. The only thing you really need is yourself. And a crash pad for safety of course. I agree though that it seems there are too many 'trendies' showing up. People not concerned about doing it because they love to but to impress others. I hate it when I'm climbing and I hear someone ask their friend if they got good pics or footage.
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Ca
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Feb 14, 2006 - 01:48pm PT
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I saw oodles of people walking to and fro with pads on this weekend in JT. Of course, except for Toe Jam that meant all the climbs were empty for us to enjoy. I like it.
What's kind of funny though is that Stoney Point has less people bouldering than I can ever remember. Maybe the holds are too small for beanie heads to use?
And Joe, us oldsters are never going to quit climbing!
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Apocalypsenow
Trad climber
Cali
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Feb 14, 2006 - 01:48pm PT
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"Need a crash pad," remember when you couldn't walk up to a boulder without finding some carpeting at the base?
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Landgolier
climber
the flatness
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Feb 14, 2006 - 02:47pm PT
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oooh it's going to get so much worse before it gets better. At an outdoor comp last year we had no less than 3 vans full of 10-15 year old kids constituting the various local gyms' "teams" (WTF!!!) roll up in the morning, with soccer parents in SUV's coming in right behind to yell at the kids, bitch about how the event was run, talk sh!t about the other "teams," and generally suck in the way that only upper middle class parents can suck. Of course the kids pulled harder than me, but what's the point?
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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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Feb 14, 2006 - 02:49pm PT
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I always preferred solo sports to the team kind. Bit of a bummer to see this coming up here.
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Rock!...oopsie.
Trad climber
pitch above you
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Feb 14, 2006 - 02:52pm PT
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Landgo -
Holy crap man! Why were you still there? "Comp" means it's time to hop in the vehicle for a quick roadtrip to anyplace else.
--->bob
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Feb 14, 2006 - 02:55pm PT
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Uh... I really am looking forward to ramping up my climbing activity after years of relative inactivity. But even a cursory browse of this forum (and a couple of others) makes me wonder if I'd enjoy being out on the rocks (cliffs/crags/boulders/mountains) with a lot of the people out there now. On some thread (can't think which) somebody mentioned that gym climbing was the bane of climbing. I agree.
I guess I believe too much in trad climbing and alpine climbing.
But, to each their own.
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426
Sport climber
Campus Punks Slab, Rocktown
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Feb 14, 2006 - 02:56pm PT
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Yeah, Mr. Bachar, seems to be the general trend here in the dirty South (TAG at least). At least it's what I see from underneath my idiot crown and Urban Climber tee.
pulling off huge moves, and not having to focus or endure very long ...And whattya know? They're a bunch of strong young dudes. Go figger.
Heh, good comment. I had to chuckle yesterday when one of the young 'uns flew past 4 feet of rattly fingers to catch the top rail on a 'classic' problem. Inspiring and way cleaner than my 'fiddly stacks' beta. He was amused that someone "actually jammed it"...
We get a busload of kids from a private school up at LRC a couple times a week. One of the new school 'proud' problems is called "Don't Tell My Dad"...you guys can probably figure out the story...
(I'm just jealous that my public high school didn't have such a program...)
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Landgolier
climber
the flatness
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Feb 14, 2006 - 03:07pm PT
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Landgo -
Holy crap man! Why were you still there? "Comp" means it's time to hop in the vehicle for a quick roadtrip to anyplace else.
--->bob
The comp was the annual benefit for Governors Stable, an insanely great little spot in SE PA (very close to 3 mile island, hehehe). It's not even really a comp other than the fact that if you do bother to turn in a score card and you happen to come up near the top of one of the fairly arbitrary divisions, you get more free swag than normal, though it does draw the best of the best for a real throw-down as well. Watching the guy who had just put in the day that won him Best Overall throw down 40 pullups in the pullup raffle (1 ticket for each one you can do) was one of the sickest moments of physical fitness I have ever witnessed. Jackass parents and little punks that want to be chris sharma when they grow up notwithstanding, it's a damn good time.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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Feb 14, 2006 - 03:24pm PT
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Ahhh climbing. Always something to bitch about. If it ain't the sport climbers, then it's the boulderers. If it ain't the boulderers, then its them damn gymbies.
You guys should have figured out by now that everybody sucks.
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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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Feb 14, 2006 - 03:57pm PT
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You all suck!
only I do not, because I RULE. Stay off my rocks!!!
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landcruiserbob
Trad climber
the ville, colorado
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Feb 14, 2006 - 05:25pm PT
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It's all good. There's tons of undiscovered tiny stones out there. It keeps everybody spread out! The happys are probably the scariest sh#t out there. All that stuff in the Bishop area is top notch & really hard. The best thing about bouldering is you get a good leaders head. I have noticed around here the extra trash, beds, & video cameras.rg
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capndick4
Boulder climber
reachingfortherandomorwhateverwillbewilderme
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Feb 14, 2006 - 05:26pm PT
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how did it turn into such a huge retail holiday?
Two words: Hallmark conspiracy
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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Back in the mix
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Feb 14, 2006 - 07:06pm PT
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I'll probably get shamed for this, but it really is a better workout and technique training to go bouldering than cragging. Think about it, when you go sporting, at least half your time is spent belaying, more if you're a fast climber or your in a party of three...plus the down time of racking, reracking, coiling the strings, etc...as opposed to bouldering where if you want it to be such an event, it can be hours and hours of continual motion and technique training.
Now I know that most BeanieBabies (tm that sh#t if knew how to make that symbol)only care about how far they can throw between holds and the steepest, most miserable holds they can hold onto, but you can really dial in your technique with a steady diet of bouldering, especially on granite (JB, how about a steady diet of TM knob highballs to get the technique and head dialed in for the Bachar-Yerian?).
Probably my ADD kicking in, where's my rohypnal......oh sh#t, wrong pill....must slee....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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Tahoe climber
Trad climber
Tahoe
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Feb 14, 2006 - 07:09pm PT
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I'm with you, Cap'n.
My plans for V-Day include avoiding cards and restaurants and flowers at all costs.
I might hang out with some chocolate and some champagne, though - any excuse, even that of Valentine's, is a good one!
RE: bouldering, though: it holds it's merits.
It can be done safely alone.
It is easy access (except at Hueco.)
You can really challenge yourself with individual moves, and create added strength and flexibility and climbing creativity.
But it's still not as cool as getting up in the air.
A
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Blakeb
Big Wall climber
Ashland, Oregon
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Feb 14, 2006 - 07:25pm PT
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Isn't bachar a troll on this site anyway?? He said he went to owen's river gorge, which i thought was a sport climbing crag, but bachar i thought hates sport climbing? Anyone care to comment
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426
Sport climber
Campus Punks Slab, Rocktown
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Feb 14, 2006 - 07:30pm PT
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I've seen JB climb some in ORG. no cord. He usually downclimbed a nearby 5.11 to "descend"...
Nothing like looking across the trench, seeing Bachar all"like a bird or a lizard, free as can be."
Still on the horn, Mr. Bachar?
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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Back in the mix
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Feb 14, 2006 - 07:39pm PT
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So he's a boulderer then....
Like Croft boulders Astroman.
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 14, 2006 - 09:10pm PT
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Don't get me wrong, I love bouldering - from 10 feet to a 1,000 (or more). Just wanted to see if the popularity is going to last. Bouldering was super popular back in the seventies and then "carabiner" climbing came in to play and the boulders were deserted for like ten or fifteen years. You couldn't have paid someone to go bouldering with you. I dig the popularity myself. Hate those pad things though. Takes all the fun out of falling. It's like "sport bouldering" or something. Russ is right. Go do "The Function" or "So High" without a pad - now that's bouldering...or the "Central Scrutinizer"!
Whatever happened to the Scrutinizer anyway?
cheers, jb
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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Back in the mix
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Feb 14, 2006 - 09:19pm PT
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So High WITH a pad is pretty burl, at least for a weakmo like me.
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Feb 15, 2006 - 10:13am PT
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wonder if I'd enjoy being out on the rocks (cliffs/crags/boulders/mountains) with a lot of the people out there now
Not to worry, Patrick. You only have to walk a ridiculously small distance to leave the crowd behind.
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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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Feb 15, 2006 - 10:24am PT
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Somewhat ironically, bouldering was one of the best things I've done to shape up my lead head. Therre comes a point where it's better to keep climbing hard moves than to bail, and training myself to forge on during this time was important.
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Hootervillian
climber
Zak's Cabin
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Feb 17, 2006 - 10:17am PT
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the best part about bouldering is since the moves start out about redpoint level for most of the 'real' climbers, you tend to get a more vibrant crowd: more teeth, more girls, less looping 'back in the day', 'those damn kids', 'those damn bolts' and divorce stories.
i'll take 'send brah' to 'i remember when' anyday; keeps you young.
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426
Sport climber
Campus Punks Slab, Rocktown
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Feb 17, 2006 - 10:21am PT
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hey, still plenty of "those damn kids" for this weak sauz gramps...
it's like crux move, crux move, crux move
My problem now is that I'm pretty good for about 14 feet 3 inches, then I just "can't ever recover"...sound familiar?
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Hootervillian
climber
Zak's Cabin
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Feb 17, 2006 - 11:34am PT
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sound familiar? i reckon so.
jeez, can't a guy fling a little poo in the morning? i've been on my cheater, locked-heel alpine rig all week so i'm already dirty.
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426
Sport climber
Campus Punks Slab, Rocktown
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Feb 17, 2006 - 04:37pm PT
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..is that dirtier than the bubba brush, chalk-pot and 3 pads?
Or is that apples and oranges™
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Ksolem
Trad climber
LA, Ca
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Feb 17, 2006 - 05:19pm PT
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John,
Good question about the Scrutinizer. I used to hang wih him quite a bit. He had been "dissapeared" from the Josh scene for a long time, and then Chelsea and I ran into him out there maybe 3 years ago. The old recumbent bike and the car covered in silver duct tape were gone. Just John. He seemed fine. Has some rental income in San Diego going on or something like that.
Remember our chat about edging shoes at Crossroads the other week? I'll email you with my questions.
Cheers-Kris
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clustiere
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Feb 17, 2006 - 07:33pm PT
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Bacar didn't you TR SOHigh
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NinjaChimp
climber
Davis, CA
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Feb 17, 2006 - 09:12pm PT
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Bouldering is the gateway drug of climbing. Sooner or later the crags won't be so empty and we'll all wish for the days of yore.
I love bouldering as much as anyone, but I also love throwing a rope on and experiencing the different challenges to be had in that arena.
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fletch
Social climber
South Lake Tahoe, Ca.
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Feb 17, 2006 - 09:45pm PT
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J.B.,
The reason why bouldering has increased in popularity so much is simple. V-grades turned 5.11 climbers into 5.12 climbers and so on and so forth. V5 = B1. V-grades are more concise than yds. I don't believe in pushing ethics but I respect royal robbins belief that bouldering and sport climbing are only training for the real thing. Boulder problems and top ropes used to be sandbagged on purpose. Now it is more common to see boulder problems overrated because it helps sell guidebooks. Moving through the grades and climbing harder was one of the factors that made me addicted to climbing. Thanks Vermin..
Fletch F. Fletch
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 17, 2006 - 11:05pm PT
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clustiere- yeah I did the first top rope ascent, then bouldered it later. I think Tobin Sorenson did the first on-sight (ie ground-up). Not an on-sight flash. I believe he fell once at the lip move (no pads back then) and got it next try! Ballsy-est climber I've ever met to this day!!! r.i.p. tobin....
fletch - yeah I agree with you - the V-grade decimal "equivalents" are blown way out of proportion. "Midnight Lightning" is YDS 5.12c, for example. Always was, always will be. Fountainbleau guys have done it and called it 7b+ (=5.12c). they don't have no friggin' separate system for bouldering and they've been bouldering for a quite a while as well.
Uh-oh, I opened my big mouth up again! cheers, jb
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
extraordinaire
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Dec 18, 2013 - 01:14am PT
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He said he went to owen's river gorge, which i thought was a sport climbing crag, but bachar i thought hates sport climbing? Anyone care to comment ^^(troll or not) I seen him a couple times in there. One was a photo session, and he was hanging/ chalking at the top of something while the photog snapped (I remember it being in a mag). The actual topout was a sketch slab (off route?) section that looked even worse. The other time, he was soloing something trailing a rope to set-up a TR(?) for whoever he was with. Of course, he had his own ground up routes there too. like Pickpocket etc.
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