Enough with the TICK MARKS already
not for awhile, but someday soon i hope to be a climber again. just like youMeadows.... but for some reason once a year i have to hurt myself and take myself out of climbing for a few months. but dont worry im going to be climbing el cap again in august. now thats some real climbing... have you ever climbed el cap?
I don't have haters, I have fans in denial.
Excessive tick marks take something away from the onsight experience for the next climber. This style of climbing should stay in the gym or on the boulders. I don't mind small tick marks, but the big ones are annoying and I don't feel that I could call it a true onsight if I look up feeling pumped and wondering where to grab or if I should just go big to that distant hold that might or might not be good (and then I see the tick mark) and I feel really let down because I already know that it will probably be good.
I've also seen people do this several times: The climber gets on a route and "takes" or falls several times. They then start brushing holds and tick marking them. They finish the route later and eventually redpoint the climb. Next they make the claim that the route is "soft" for the grade. Fucking idiot losers! If it was so soft for the grade then why the fuck did you fall, take, and tick mark it?
Chances are it was probably onsighted and/or redpointed before the holds were even brushed or chalked up and the drill dust was still there...
I've also seen people do this several times: The climber gets on a route and "takes" or falls several times. They then start brushing holds and tick marking them. They finish the route later and eventually redpoint the climb. Next they make the claim that the route is "soft" for the grade. Fucking idiot losers! If it was so soft for the grade then why the fuck did you fall, take, and tick mark it?
Chances are it was probably onsighted and/or redpointed before the holds were even brushed or chalked up and the drill dust was still there...
"Those iron spikes you use have shortened the life expectancy of the Totem Pole by 50,000 years."
--A Navaho elder
--A Navaho elder
True, most of the routes have chalk all over them. However, (in most cases) the chalk isn't going to tell you how (or where) to grab each hold (usually the chalk is all over the place the good part/the bad parts/holds that don't even exist, etc.), but the tick marks will! They are often on the biggest holds. Is it just a coincidence that they usually show you the "best" part of the hold to grab?
"Those iron spikes you use have shortened the life expectancy of the Totem Pole by 50,000 years."
--A Navaho elder
--A Navaho elder
Now that sounds like a plan!Huggybone wrote:How about we have a 'find out who is using the giant stripe markes and flog them day?'
Or a blowgun with just the round balls. I bet they would think twice about the tick marks then.
You know, like nunchuck skills, bowhunting skills, computer hacking skills... Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.
~ Napoleon Dynamite
~ Napoleon Dynamite
I agree. If we want to say tick marks, big or small, are wrong and take away from an onsight then we need to say using chalk is wrong. Personally I have onsighted many routes at the red and I have learned over the years how to read the chalk and the rock to determine the best way/place to grab a hold. More chalk, darker chalk, usually means a good hold, etc.Toad wrote:How many routes in the Red can be honestly onsighted? Even without the tickmarks, every route is the white route. And if you know how to read the chalk, you could even tell how to grab each hold.
"Climbing is the spice, not the meal." ~ Lurkist
J-rock, settle down man. Has all this bolting gone to your head? Some of your routes are "soft". I guess I have met a bunch of "Fucking idiot losers!" because they are all saying the same thing. Muir valley has soft grades. It is not a big deal they are just grades don't take so it personally. Maybe the sharma system of non-grading would help keep you from slinging expletives at your friends.
About tick marks. I use white chalk. So I leave some white on the holds I use with my hands. I use black soled climbing shoes. So I do leave black marks on the foot holds. I am possibly guilty of tainting someones true onsight experience.
About true onsights. What is a true onsight? Give me a true onsight I will give you a reason it is not a true onsight.
About tick marks. I use white chalk. So I leave some white on the holds I use with my hands. I use black soled climbing shoes. So I do leave black marks on the foot holds. I am possibly guilty of tainting someones true onsight experience.
About true onsights. What is a true onsight? Give me a true onsight I will give you a reason it is not a true onsight.