Why trad just might be better than sport

Post by **Yasmeen** » Mon Nov 03, 2003 11:30 pm

I was just thinking today about how people rave about a trad route when it's hand over hand perfect jams all the way, but aren't quite so psyched when a sport route is a crimp ladder the entire time. I agree with this... I definitely think it's fun to handjam all the way up a splitter... I was just wondering what everyone else thinks about it, as in why is one type of repetitive motion more fun than another?

Post by **merrick** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 12:18 am

i think endless hands can be fun becuase with good technique you feel super secure and it is pretty effortless. endless crimps are not like that. you get tired and don't feel secure at all. after doing prince of darkness i didn't want to see another crimp for a month.

Post by **merrick** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 12:24 am

you know if you keep talking like this, yas, you are going to drive loren insane.

Post by **Yasmeen** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 12:29 am

Shh, Merrick... or else he'll figure out that the only reason I climb trad is to impress him...

Post by **ynot** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 12:41 am

I think you are impressing a few others too. A little jelousy might be dangerous.
Splitters are not the norm in the red.The routes I have been doing throw a lot of different things at me on the way up,and I dont have to have 4 of the same size pieces to do it.Last time I climbed sport, my belayer had to tell me I was passing bolts.I just didnt notice them.

Post by **Yasmeen** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:14 am

That's cuz of your badass lead head!

Post by **tomdarch** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 2:18 am

Where's the (Troll -1) moderating option? Oh, wait, this isn't Slashdot.

Post by **Wes** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 2:43 am

Mostly it is because it is an unusual type of route around here. Go to Indian Creek, UT, climb splitter after splitter, and it will start to feel the same as left-right-left sport routes. When you need 10 of the same size cam for a 100 foot route, it can get very repetative. But you can also drill your jamming technique for whatever size you want.

Wes

Post by **SCIN** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 3:20 am

I used to hate Crack Attack because it was so repetitive. I swore that I never wanted to go to Indian Creek, UT. That was before I opened my mind and learned to enjoy every route I climbed though. I think I was just being a bitch. Now it's fun to do routes like Bronto and Crack Attack because you can just get into a rhythm and sort of zone out.

Same goes for left-right-left-right routes at the Red. However, I don't think there are too many left-right-left-right non-sequential hard routes at the Red. I used to say that when I was a closed minded trad-only wanker with no experience. I find that most of the routes in the Red above 5.11 involve some sort of cool sequence. I aso find that most people who make that criticism are ones who have not attempted to climb any sport lines in the 5.12 and above range. Take the most enduro-mundane wall in the Red, the Undertow Wall at the Lode, and you'll find that there are still some pretty cool moves on each of those routes. How about the .12 wall at Torrent? Racer-X, Steelworker, Bare Metal Teen, they all involve some pretty damn cool sequences. Especially Steelworker.

Don't believe the hype.

Post by **loren** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:25 pm

I'm impressed Yas.