| Messages 1 - 14 of total 14 in this topic |
Mike Friedrichs
Sport climber
City of Salt
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 11, 2012 - 02:11pm PT
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What was your path? For me, after years of trad climbing I realized I liked climbing more than fiddling with protection. As the Master of Kludge pointed out, "gear is just a nuisance." So I mostly sport climb. Then again at some point I realized I could get a lot more climbing in after work if I just roped up at the gym instead of driving up and down the mountains.
Don't get me wrong. I still love being outside and get out almost every weekend. But I don't have much desire to do run-out slabby climbing on shoddy gear anymore.
Anyone else follow a similar path?
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Jul 11, 2012 - 02:22pm PT
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Mike, I agree with you that you can get a huge amount of climbing done at the gym - maximum efficiency. That's why I make the choice for the gym for a total of 4 hours rather than a day driving back and forth to the Pinnacles or Castle Rock.
But the gym just doesn't feel anywhere near as much fun as climbing on real rock. It feels like training. The key for me is that when I've been outside regularly and then go back and climb in the gym, I feel kind of depressed. And that the routes I like most in the gym are the ones where I come down and say, gee that almost felt like a real route.
Phyl
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Jul 11, 2012 - 02:26pm PT
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OK, I just saw the other post. Did I get trolled? That's OK - Laughing at myself.
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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Jul 11, 2012 - 02:31pm PT
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I was raised climbing in a very traditional manner. My first multi-pitch climb was the Exum route on the Grand. I went to college in Northern Arizona in the pre-Pit era. Chalk, yes chalk, was still somewhat frowned upon in those days and you could almost count the total number of bolts and fixed pins on the local crags on one hand.
Then climbers started rap bolting local limestone. I clipped my first bolt on a sport route well after I was able to lead 5.10 on gear. Cranking on limestone just seemed more fun than groveling up some horror show in Sedona, plus there were more girls at the sport areas.
Then I moved to SF for grad school. I had no car or money and was crazy busy so I resigned myself to the gym. I’d occasionally dropped into gyms from time to time but had never really spent much time in them. The convenient hours, music, taco truck parked out in front and yoga tights made it quite easy to settle in as a gym climber.
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FrankZappa
Trad climber
80' from the Hankster
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Jul 11, 2012 - 02:51pm PT
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I say that Alex Honnold can get more trad climbing done in 2 hours than you can at the gym or sport climbing.
Maybe you should improve your skills instead of lowering the standard.
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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Jul 11, 2012 - 02:56pm PT
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You know how much gym climbing Alex Honnold could get in in 2 hours?
To each their own. Some like being in shape. Some like the adventure. Some just like climbing anything no matter where it is.
Un-cup Honnold's nuts please.
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sullly
Trad climber
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Jul 11, 2012 - 02:59pm PT
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"I realized I liked climbing more than fiddling with protection." Hope you've had a vasectomy, Mike.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jul 11, 2012 - 03:00pm PT
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Say it isn't so!!! The only time I could tolerate climbing gyms was when I was between marriages and wanted to get hooked up.
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FrankZappa
Trad climber
80' from the Hankster
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Jul 11, 2012 - 03:24pm PT
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Fine, nuts uncupped. Then I'll just say it: "You're Fµcking LIGHT!!"
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Jul 11, 2012 - 03:33pm PT
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Maybe you should un-cup Honnold's ballz.
BWAHAAHAHAHAHAHA
+99999999999999
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Jul 11, 2012 - 03:40pm PT
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Anyone else follow a similar path?
Nope! But dif strokes for dif folks - all good.
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10b4me
Ice climber
dingy room at the Happy boulders hotel
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Jul 11, 2012 - 04:09pm PT
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No, but have gone from trad to sport to bouldering(outside)
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toadgas
Trad climber
los angeles
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Jul 11, 2012 - 04:50pm PT
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i've known a few people who went in reverse
they gave up the "hassle and risk" of leading hard trad routes for the simplicity of bouldering and OTD bouldering--worse that can happen is a probable broken arm or a leg; not death
also knew a guy who did not see any point in lead climbing; he had no interest in multi-pitch routes, so he did nothing other than top rope single pitch routes that were 5.11 or harder. he seemed content to call that his "climbing career," and was pretty certain he would never be killed or injured rock climbing
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| Messages 1 - 14 of total 14 in this topic |
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