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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, Ca
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A few thoughts on ground up climbing…
One of the things which drew me into climbing years ago, and has kept me coming back for more ever since is the beautiful uncertainty of the enterprise. You make your very best effort and sometimes you really succeed, while other times you have to struggle to find some reward in failure.
One of my favorite ways to play that uncertain game is to climb a new route ground up without preview. This is the way I have chosen to climb, and while it means I have done many fewer routes than I could have otherwise, I have found it most rewarding. I strayed from my creed once. It was a route in Josh and we TR’d it first because it was a dicey thing in a prominent location so I did not want to drill holes until we knew it would go. I went on to do the climb ground up, but it became a technical exercise more than an adventure and so not as much fun as some others.
I have never “bolt laddered” either. Just not my thing, and it’s another way of narrowing my choice in routes.
About other people doing my routes? I try to do climbs I am proud of. Some people like them, but most are not for everybody. I think there is plenty of room for this in climbing. For the most part I climb these routes for my own reasons, not really thinking of the community as a whole, although I freely admit that it gives me pleasure and satisfaction when other climbers enjoy them.
A while ago I decided to quit worrying about how other folks did their climbing, but I would stick to my way for my routes. This thread got me to stray from that position, though. Why do I feel strongly about this route, when most of the time I could care less anymore? It is the double whammy of Doug Robinson, a statesman of our sport being involved, combined with the location of the route, which drew me out.
I do have to tip my hat to Sean and DR for being part of the discussion here. I disagree with your tactics up there but admire you for sticking to your guns and having it out with us. Time will tell if you have opened a Pandora’s box or it is all just part of the flow.
Peace, over and out.
Kris Solem
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GDavis
Trad climber
SoCal
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Geezus, is anyone not lurking the taco?
Can we get Royal or Frost to put up a few thoughts?
:D?
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chossyslab
climber
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"I think Harding, were he with us, would have a good laugh at the climbers that are so outraged by this route today. And Galen would probably side with the GU crew also. Were he with us, he'd be running up and down the cables to photo the route."
im sorry but you cant really expect to be able to speak for them, can you? frankly you just don't know.
"So the route is controversial. Some people inherently cling to the past and tradition, and are threatened by change and new ideas. Others see new things with an open mind, and welcome a fresh perspective. The latter rarely impose their morals on the former. That's human nature."
So now your saying those of us who have a problem with this route are not open minded? Im a very open minded person and, like you said, "welcome a fresh perspective" but thats not what this is about. What if my new perspective included blasting a road up the north fork trail so i could turn the east face of whitney into my weekend crag? because wouldnt this new idea make all that great climbing more accessible to "the masses"? Just because things are new doesnt make them revolutionary or inherently good.
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mojede
Trad climber
Butte, America
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....and just because something is legal, doesn't necessarily make it right.
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Cracko
Trad climber
Quartz Hill, California
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Chossy,
And, "blasting a road up the north fork trail so i could turn the east face of whitney into my weekend crag?" is the same thing as what was done on GU ??? I just don't understand this analogy! You know what I am truly concerned about ?? Coming over the top of Snake Dike after a glorious day of climbing and seeing 400+ people, half of them dressed in pajamas, stampede for the cables at the first flash of lightening. Now that is something that really impacts my climbing experience. Bolts on a face that I can hardly see, let alone climb, just don't get my panties in a bunch !! Especially when you consider how many climbs I have enjoyed over the years that were "not put up in good style". GU is in, it is over! It is not the first controversial route and won't be the last. Let's get to 2000 posts and then all sit down and have a F@cking beer !!!
Cracko
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Cracko wrote: Let's get to 2000 posts and then all sit down and have a F@cking beer !!!
I'm in...maybe the next facelift!
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Sluggo
Big Wall climber
zanadu
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Here's the double whammy Kris :
THEY RAPBOLTED AN AID CLIMB !!
Can you imagine the absurdity of drilling a bolt ladder on rappel?
WHACK :-(
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Few years ago back east a copuple of strong young guys chopped some bolts from a 5.6 trade rout including a bolted belay that had been there longer than these punks had been alive. They then got drunk and hammered a quater keg into the chimny/offwidth of pitch two of Moby Grape. They may have gotten drunk and retro kegged Moby a week or so before the chopping spree? The exact time sequence eludes me now... That keg was fixed for about a year and you could see it from the highway a half mile or so away. ( Low impact retro fixed gear) Then they grew up a bit and have been climbing all kinds of hard stuff and a lot of it has bolts. Pretty darn suer that not all of those bolts went in ground up. Yea, theres allways skeletons if you know where to look;)
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
Castle Rock
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Tom Brassel was the guy that left the keg.
He moved to Fort Collins, you may search Google if you want to prosecute...I don't know, it has been so long...
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wildone
climber
Where you want to be
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I've read "downward bound", and would like some help getting the excellent Harding qoute about people verbatim.
It was something to the effect of, "Climbing is stupid. I look out at all the people in the world and think of all the stupid f*#king stipidity, and just think, man, this is stupid."
Or something to that effect (help me out)
Semper Farcisimus!.
edit, FOUND IT!
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
Castle Rock
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Be careful with Brassell, BTW.
He was a stud cross country runner turned rocker, he ran a sub 10 two mile his softmore year at Homestead, awesome, but once got DQ'ed for stuffing Atomic Balm up a ducks ass at a meet, the duck died, he got whacked, but went on to set records.
Also cut off a bears dick from hetch hetchy road kill, used to whip it out in the quad at high school.
you can imagine the climber this guy was.
I ran with all thes freaks.
I had the fastest three mile in the nation my freshman year, so they bumped me to varsity.
then my tendons snapped.
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/1968/homested.htm#Varsity%20Boys
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wildone
climber
Where you want to be
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Warren Harding:
“It’s a genetic combination of stuff. I can just look at the stupidity of humankind without being a Democrat, Republican, Christian or Muslim. I look and think, ‘What a bunch of stupid f*#king stupidity.’ Going back to my early years, I’ve always had one f*#k of a strong mind. Fortunately, it didn’t lead to raping, burning and pillaging. By a strong mind, I mean someone coming up to me and telling me ‘Oh, Warren, this is all wrong.’ I’d say, ‘Oh really? Well, frankly that’s what you think. Now, are you telling me that you have a better mind than I do? No, I don’t think so!’ Actually, I’ve never said this to anyone, but my attitude is: Hey fella, you do your climbs, and I’ll do mine.”
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
Castle Rock
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you know whats funny is that, if you look at those results, what a slaughter!
We used to line up with 100 people from 10 schools, and get, 1 2 3 4 5.
maybe some guy was juiced and had a freak day, but we would get him the next time.
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nick d
Trad climber
nm
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1098 mental patient in custody!
edit: of course you are right Mustang. I must be the mental patient!
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Mustang
climber
From the wild, not the ranch
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I believe that would be 1096, Jody????
edit: nick d, there are more than jest a few here:)
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Let's see who deletes their post so they can have 1100.
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Dr. Taco
Social climber
New Freedonia, Caledonia
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Dr. Taco is concerned.
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Sean Jones
climber
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Does anyone here have a job ? Where in God's name do you find so much time to do this. I need to know the secret to this. I'm working way too much at this time in my life and obviously don't need to be. I must be stupid.
I'm not waiting for 2,000 posts. I'm 1/2 way through a 6 pack already.
Peace,
Sean.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Sean,
Jobs suck.
Ha....
Thanks for sharing your sixer with us!
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Sean wrote
"Does anyone here have a job ? Where in God's name do you find so much time to do this"
Must.... Resist......
I usually just take time out from more productive writing and activities in favor of the addictive quality of the internet and in most particular Supertopo.
Accomplish less! Post more!
Step away from the keyboard buddy or you'll fall down the wormhole
;-)
Karl
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