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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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or somehow, a climber boyfriend
Me too. If you find one, let me know.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
Of THIS World (Planet Earth)
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Hmmm...I sent myself a test e-mail from Supertopo and got nothing.
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overwatch
climber
Arizona
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Don't we already have a sempervirens?
How about another picture or two Kailey?
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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I thought so, too.
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overwatch
climber
Arizona
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Come on you have to convince Locker! He will resole your shoes
Anita aren't you and the Doctor married yet?
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jeff constine
Trad climber
Ao Namao
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You all fell for it.. HA HA HA!
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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I'm just chiming in to give a personal endorsement to both Cosmiccragsman and locker as both being competent and trustworthy. I'm a 200 pounder, and still would trust either of them with my life--which is what one does when climbing together. There are others posting here as well, with whom I would climb with unhesitatingly; too many to list here. Please listen to Phylp, as her advice is excellent!
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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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Anita aren't you and the Doctor married yet?
Nope. But I'll send you an invite if it happens, dikhead err I mean overwatch!
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ladyscarlett
Trad climber
SF Bay Area, California
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It looks like you're on your way to success here already, but I feel like posting some pointers that I picked up along the way.
First, you're going to end up redefining your concept of 'Safe' to encompass a whole new set of situations. You will be consciously engaging in new situations that female relatives, friends, public safety, have taught you are 'unsafe'. Now is the time to trash all that and start fresh.
Example: driving out to meet someone at a random dirt parking lot at a random blip on google maps. You don't know what your end destination will be, only that it will be within a 2.5 hour drive radius of your meet up point. You don't know his/her 'real' name - only an internet handle. Although you have his/her phone number, you won't get cell reception for the next 12 possibly 20 hours as you know that most community protected climbing areas don't get cell service (yay slot canyons and remote locales!) so you're prepared for the fact that a cell number only gives you the impression of accountability. You found out the location of this said meetup at 12midnight last night along with your contact's cell number (which won't work for most of the day), and there's no time to run a background check as you have to leave at 4am to make the meet up time. By the time your non-climbing friends read your note (if you left one - if you're like me, you forgot to fire off a message when you got in the car at 4a because you were so excited to GO CLIMB!!) around 10am, you should be on your first or second pitch - and deep in the heart of no cell service. Basically no one knows where you are going, for how long, or with whom and by the time they find out, you should be at least 6-12 hours into your adventure, and none of your friends will be able to tell the rangers anything particularly helpful - not even what you were wearing when you left that morning.
This is a safe situation. :) And actually a really great way to start a belay partner relationship!
I'm sure you realized that "safe" gets entirely redefined in everything around climbing. The same goes for meeting new people - how to 'safely' meet new people gets redefined as you do it more and more often.
So best wishes in your search, and have fun! No one will look out for your safety as well as you do for yourself, in climbing and in life!
Cheers
LS
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Here's another comment, in the form of "P.S."
Never allow yourself to be belayed through a GriGri! I won't!
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overwatch
climber
Arizona
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fuggin please! Seems to be fine for some of the best climbers out there. If you have had a bad experience it's probably the belayer.
vvvvv right so bashing the device is disingenuous
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That's my point! Bingo! Never let a device substitute for competency.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Until one knows the competency level of the partner, don't rely on devices!
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Looking forward to my daughter making her own series of bad decisions regarding personal safety.
My daughters (now 28 and 30) got their chances to see how what constitutes "safe" in climbing social situations differs from "safe" in non-climbing social situations. The older one did at least show enough wisdom to nix the idea of holding her bachelorette party in Camp 4, though.
My wife still gets on me because of my attitude toward these sorts of issues. She says, particularly with respect to my younger, still single, daughter to go to the mountains alone: "You don't get it. She's a woman, not a man." [I should put that in all caps, because she usually shouts it to me.] I maintain I do get it, although with a certain, fatherly, bias (i.e. it's OK as long as it won't kill her.)
For this father of daughters and older brother of sisters (and soon-to-be grandfather of a granddaughter), this has provided most interesting reading. Thanks, zurriola, for starting the thread and enduring the trolls.
John
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jeff constine
Trad climber
Ao Namao
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"Wrong, rigger breath!!!..."
Better than ole climbing shoe Breath!!
LOCKER DUDE.
;)
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ladyscarlett
Trad climber
SF Bay Area, California
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Look at it from a different perspective
You've agreed to meet up with this total stranger who you only know by their online handle. Their avatar is nice, but you know full well that the avatar is probably fake. You've promised to take this person (who says they are female, but functionally, belay competence isn't gender specific) to a cool place that's a bit out of the way, and great climbing. You'll probably be leading almost everything since this person has admitted to being a beginner and now you have to come to terms with the fact that someone you've never seen before (you don't even know how much they weigh) will be lead belaying you on some moderate, but still vertical, terrain...that is if they show up at all. You're generally pretty exclusive about who you climb with, but all your other climbing friends are booked this weekend, so you decided to take a chance. on someone who has never felt what it's like to catch a lead fall outside of a gym. If you're lucky, they've gotten their gym belay card.
You hope this person doesn't freak out at the remoteness of this area.
You hope this person won't drop you when something unexpected happens.
You hope this person doesn't try to flirt with you instead of paying attention to the climbing.
You hope this person doesn't cry assault once they get home after the crag in attempts to extort money out of you.
You hope they actually show up on time at the coordinates you gave them. The last 4 times, you're new potential climbing buddy couldn't find the meet up, or make your 7am meet up time and you're friggin' tired of weak ass, can't get it together n00bs.
Most of all, you hope to be able to make it home safe and sound because that is never a given. On this brand new meet up, this risk, no one has your back except you.
Just another perspective, thanks folks!
Cheers
LS
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couchmaster
climber
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^^^^Like Lady S says, and if you feel at all uncomfortable with your new climbing partner, just hit them square on right in the eyes with your mace spray. Presumably not when it's your lead of course:-)
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Simpler solution: go set up a few short toprope problems belayed from the ground, sequentially; watch how your newbie belayer does on taking up rope, giving slack, and take a few short deliberate falls just a few feet off the deck. Then expand the envelope. After a few hours, you can evaluate each other's prowess at climbing and belay safety.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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I've bought and sold tons of things on craigslist. I've found about a half dozen partners online. I've found about a half dozen partners on the Camp 4 Bulletin board. I've rented my rental homes many times thru craigslist.
I've never had any serious issues (knock on wood). It's a matter of setting up guidelines (e.g. voice verify), following them religiously (even when someone says they are in a hurry, this is a sign to be more careful not less), backing away from anyone who doesn't agree to do things the way you want to do them, and listening to your intuition and/or any red flags that go off.
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