Climbing Courtesy 2
When someone I don't know asks me if they can top rope on my lead cord I just put up I always tell them, "no", but offer to pull their rope through. The old tape trick works great if you do it right.
If they ask me to TR before I go up I always say, "I'll be gald to put your rope up instead of mine so you can TR the climb." 99 times out of 100 they are more than happy to let me do this for them so that they can TR the climb.
If they ask me to TR before I go up I always say, "I'll be gald to put your rope up instead of mine so you can TR the climb." 99 times out of 100 they are more than happy to let me do this for them so that they can TR the climb.
Lest we all forget... climbing is a mostly meaningless pursuit that we do for fun.
i would say she was asking a lot of you if your rope was still bundled up.. and everyone is different with the situation. if you don't know them, trusting them to not mess up the rope is a little tough. would you let just anyone belay you? probably not. and if you were planning on or thinking about using it, then you're more than justified. it says a lot, though, that you were worried about if you were being rude.. we all know you're good people 
and great loves will one day have to part -smashing pumpkins
I find it odd that the girl would ask a total stranger for use of their gear if she had friends around. Especially since our gear is something we use to protect our lives and we want to monitor how it is used.
On the one hand she asked you for your rope as a question which inherently allows for a "no" response. This is something I find interesting and have struggled with in my own life in that there appears to be an assumption that if someone asks us a question we have to respond positively. So the question is no longer a true question but rather a heads-up for a soon to occur action. But sometimes the person truly is asking if you are okay with it and won't think any differently of you for saying, "No."
I don't know if I'd call her rude since other than your inherently nice disposition she didn't seem to be pressuring you and when she noticed that you were uncomfortable with the question she backed down. Maybe a bit presumptive though.
I'm reminded of a time at T-wall when we got there late and were trying to get a pitch in before dark. Some Canadian fellows came along and had a rope but didn't have a guide to the area. Long story shorter, they borrowed our guide book and we borrowed their brand new rope. Everyone was happy. Of course, this came about after a basis of association was estabilished.
Michelle, our belle, I would have probably said no too. I don't think I would have felt stingy about it either. We all have a certain fondness for our new gear. I remember I used to be a bit of a nazi about getting my new rope dirty or having people stand on my "waterproof" rope bag. Now despite my efforts at keeping it clean, the rope leaves my hands black and I appreciate clean feet more than a "dry" rope. Now if it were a life and death situation and you said no...well, that is an entirely different scenario. Given most circumstances that occur in climbing, when the gear is necessary for your own protection, you should not feel an obligation to let a random person borrow it.
So, there's my novel on your situation. Climb on!
On the one hand she asked you for your rope as a question which inherently allows for a "no" response. This is something I find interesting and have struggled with in my own life in that there appears to be an assumption that if someone asks us a question we have to respond positively. So the question is no longer a true question but rather a heads-up for a soon to occur action. But sometimes the person truly is asking if you are okay with it and won't think any differently of you for saying, "No."
I don't know if I'd call her rude since other than your inherently nice disposition she didn't seem to be pressuring you and when she noticed that you were uncomfortable with the question she backed down. Maybe a bit presumptive though.
I'm reminded of a time at T-wall when we got there late and were trying to get a pitch in before dark. Some Canadian fellows came along and had a rope but didn't have a guide to the area. Long story shorter, they borrowed our guide book and we borrowed their brand new rope. Everyone was happy. Of course, this came about after a basis of association was estabilished.
Michelle, our belle, I would have probably said no too. I don't think I would have felt stingy about it either. We all have a certain fondness for our new gear. I remember I used to be a bit of a nazi about getting my new rope dirty or having people stand on my "waterproof" rope bag. Now despite my efforts at keeping it clean, the rope leaves my hands black and I appreciate clean feet more than a "dry" rope. Now if it were a life and death situation and you said no...well, that is an entirely different scenario. Given most circumstances that occur in climbing, when the gear is necessary for your own protection, you should not feel an obligation to let a random person borrow it.
So, there's my novel on your situation. Climb on!
I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
- Robert McCloskey
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.
- Emo Philips
- Robert McCloskey
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.
- Emo Philips
i climbed on someone elses rope this weekend. i vaguely knew one guy in the group of about 8. they had gotten on Wild Yet Tasty and after whipping at the third bolt about 3 or 4 times the leader came down. Sunshine had scared everyone else off of doing the climb b/c of its old, questionable bolts so i offered to climb it and clean it for them. i felt funny asking one guy to throw my shoes up and then another guy if i could use his rope and draws as i was tying in. i wouldn't normally do this normally but my gear wasn't unpacked and i was doing them a favor. i figure i was still in the non-rude catagory.
Sand inhibits the production of toughtosterone, so get it out and send.
I think it's a sign of the new guy climbers mentality. These *kids* nice or not come out of the gym where there are free ropes and draws to use at will and then go the cliff, esp a cliff like the lode and expect the same. I think it sucks that she assumed you'd let her TR on your rope after you hung it on Chainsaw. She should have been following her 'rope gun' around and TR'ing his routes instead of trying to poach routes off of you.
"Climbing is the spice, not the meal." ~ Lurkist
I agree with you people. Anyone climbing with friends should borrow equipment from their friends, not total strangers.
Think of it this way: would you let a random person borrow your car? Maybe they just want to drive around the block, but what happens when they have an accident or run you out of gas? Worse yet, what happens when they get hurt using your stuff and blame you?
Think of it this way: would you let a random person borrow your car? Maybe they just want to drive around the block, but what happens when they have an accident or run you out of gas? Worse yet, what happens when they get hurt using your stuff and blame you?
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the lurkist
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