RRC Archives

Thanks for the heads up, Andrew. Hey reospeed - let me know if you need another instructor out there-- we can sit at the base of the routes he's setting up and make fun of the lead guy until he cries, then outclimb him for the coup de grace.

Kris-- the reason it probably wasn't practiced back in the day was because there were fewer people climbing 10 years ago, and the number of gumbies heading out with one leader was much lower, too. You've got to let go of your old and crusty attitude sometime.

dude. How many times does this have to be explained?
Sand and grit encrusted ropes were used to cut the blocks for the pyramids. TRing through rings or other fixed gear, with the rope running over a small diameter too numerous to count times while under tension (of body weight) is the perfect saw and will eat metal up in a season. Lowering one time at the end of the day to clean is minimal wear vs TRing an all day gumby-fest. Given that there are ever increasingly more gumbies climbing on the low end routes, this is an unforgivable transgression of cliff ettiquette, especially by someone who is responsible for fostering the climbing education of new, inexperienced climbers.

I have never climbed at Idylwild, but give me this dip shit's email and I will tell him not to do this and why.
(I feel pretty fucking self righteous this morning, so catch me before the coffee buzz wears off.)

I was at looking glass once watching a camp group learn to climb. The kid couldn't get up the route so the instructor told him to climb the rope. The kid followed his instructions and I watched as he climbed up the rope; the instructor/belayer of course couldn't pull rope through his belay device and a big loop of slack resulted. It was very disturbing!

asdf

spuzo wrote:I stood and watched, speechless as the belayer, using an atc took his hands totally off, both hands off the device to take a picture! while the climber continued onward. Oh, but they were all wearing helmets...uh. suck at life is right.

ooh, that is a pet peeve of mine, even with a gri gri. is it really that much work to keep one hand on the rope, just in case?

TankAzz wrote:

spuzo wrote:I stood and watched, speechless as the belayer, using an atc took his hands totally off, both hands off the device to take a picture! while the climber continued onward. Oh, but they were all wearing helmets...uh. suck at life is right.

ooh, that is a pet peeve of mine, even with a gri gri. is it really that much work to keep one hand on the rope, just in case?

Mine too, thats why I wouldn't use a gri gri for the first several years I climbed and only teach people how to belay using an atc first so they understand the mechanics of it all.

[quote="Yasmeen"]Thanks for the heads up, Andrew. Hey reospeed - let me know if you need another instructor out there-- we can sit at the base of the routes he's setting up and make fun of the lead guy until he cries, then outclimb him for the coup de grace.

come on out... it's fun. well, except for this guy. I'm just perplexed as how he became the climbing instructor...the only thing he has over me is more years of climbing, a degree in outdoor ed, and some ranger certification.

I think I am with Kris on this one. Not so much his argument but his reaction to an appeal of the supposed popular authority.
Sorry ReoSpeed it just pains me when I read stuff like...
Hey guess what I just saw. Check it out, this guy with an emery board was sawing back and forth, back and forth between his toes. Man thats gotta hurt. Is this WRONG? Who is with ME??? Anybody, Anybody?

It also pains me to say you are right. Go on policing climbers it is an ugly job but I guess it is good that you do it. I just love those shiny anchor at the tops of routes. And this may be the only place where you will be patted on the back for telling climbers how to climb.

JR wrote:Hey guess what I just saw. Check it out, this guy with an emery board was sawing back and forth, back and forth between his toes. Man thats gotta hurt. Is this WRONG? Who is with ME??? Anybody, Anybody?

That's terrible, JR! I'm so sorry you had to witness that. I'm totally with you, man. That is wrong.

I saw JR stand on a hold yesterday and it broke off permantly destroying the rock for all else who climbs it. I think we should outlaw standing on holds.