RRC Archives

rockjunky45 wrote:I think it's really funny that all of you have the arrogance, or maybe it's the ignorance, to look down your nose at these two and claim to have never made a mistake. I would like all of you to look back into your "vast years of experience" and honestly tell me that you have NEVER made a mistake. I find that impossible to believe. It pains me to see, what is supposed to be such a "tight knit community", sitting up on your respective soapboxes, passing judgement and bitching about what SOMEONE ELSE DID. and criticizing people who are already grieving, instead of showing compassion to them...like a community. And maybe even using their story as a reminder that no matter how many years of experience you have, shit happens. Instead, you're all just using this as an opportunity to shout your opinion when it was never asked for. This isn't about whether they were wrong or right, and it's not a blame game. I would hope that if i were in their shoes, the climbing community wouldn't turn its back on me like you have all done to them. -S&T

I don't like music at the crags, never have...if you want to pop your headphones on and be cool like Nalle, no problem, but PDMs-public displasy of music- are usually a great head start to distracted belaying...as are dogfights and big groups. That accident could have been fatal in less than a blink of the eye, if anything we might feel relief, I've fallen trying to get kneebars and you often fall pretty awkward...

Tight knit community...hmm, I've seen bolt wars-coming to blows...witnessed bachar tackling a sitting ed barry at snowbird, trad vs. sport, etc and so on, I have to kind of question tight knitedness. Some climbers are flat out pricks. I have been on occasion...

I very jokingly but very seriously (parse this out) always say....safety (first)... last....

I may be old fashioned, but I am not comfortable climbing with or belaying someone wearing ear buds/listening to their I-Pods. I really feel like it is a safety issue. If the climber and belayer can't communicate, it is a definite hazard. If you can't hear any of these statements: "watch your leg behind the rope!" "Take!" "Slack!" "watch me" "falling" "hold up, there is a knot in the rope" "Your knot isn't tied" "the rope just fell off of your harness"--yes, saw it happen to a climber on Convicted. Then....you have a safety issue. Music at the cliff just adds to the noise that is present with crowds, the I-pod only makes the person wearing it unsafe, but I think both are dangerous.

To the person expressing distress at the lack of empathy being expressed regarding the accident....I am very sad that the poor little doggie got killed and I know the owners are likely very upset. I am glad the climber is ok and I hope the belayer tries to learn from the mistake (one that a lot of belayers make with the gri gri) and not dwell too much on it (other than to help educate others to make climbing safer). Most people who have climbed for years have had a mistake or two during the learning curve and sometimes with really bad consequences. Buck up!

Twenty-two days and this is only on page nine? I think the community is taking it easy.

steep4me wrote:I may be old fashioned, but I am not comfortable climbing with or belaying someone wearing ear buds/listening to their I-Pods. I really feel like it is a safety issue. If the climber and belayer can't communicate, it is a definite hazard. If you can't hear any of these statements: "watch your leg behind the rope!" "Take!" "Slack!" "watch me" "falling" "hold up, there is a knot in the rope" "Your knot isn't tied" "the rope just fell off of your harness"--yes, saw it happen to a climber on Convicted. Then....you have a safety issue. Music at the cliff just adds to the noise that is present with crowds, the I-pod only makes the person wearing it unsafe, but I think both are dangerous.
!

I should probably clarify...I too wouldn't be stoked with a belayer/climber wearing 'phones en route...more of a stoke tool bfore your rad burn at the base was what I was alluding to. Now a different scenario...when Bachar was wearing his yellow walkman while free soloing the Gift at red rocks, you could have heard a pin drop...the ambient sound was tape in the cameras rolling. I asked him later what he was listening to...."Living in America"-JB.

But I digress..."Let's be careful out there"