RRC Archives

Member wrote:Why did the woman cross the road!

Cuz the man told her not to?

I make my partner pull the rope, they put the dam thing up there! The French trust preplaced gear because they know who put it there! Who put the bolts in that you're trusting?

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I use TR'ing as a tool to gather beta or to save time. Let's say there is a crux between two bolts that you just keep falling on over and over before you are able to clip the next bolt.... Well, either stick clip the next bolt or get your partner to hang a rope, dog up, look at the crux and work on it. Once you have it where you want it you move on, pull the rope and try the route on lead again. Otherwise, there is no reason NOT to lead unless it's ridiculously over your head.

Now Wes, what has got you inquiring about what everyone else does with their climbing time and what they think about when they fall? Did you have an epiphany or nail a stellar send over the weekend? Or were you just leading the coolest route you have ever been on in your climbing career and you said "THIS is where it's at"? It's all good, I am just wondering.

Mj

Looking at it from another perspective...

I hope it doesn't sound like I'm slamming TRing, or those who do it (because, hell, I do... often!) -- for example, Leah is a bad mothaf%$ka in her own right, making it to the top of the Inhibitor with only 2 falls, and loads of other examples I can't think of right now, and she works most of her magic on TR. It's not any less worthy of praise and recognition-- TRing a route clean still requires a whole hell of a lot of climbing technique, and sometimes getting a piece back out of the crack once it's wedged itself in there requires holding on in a tough spot just as long as if you were placing it!

SM, there isn't a "moment" where I thought up this poll or whatever. Just some thoughts that I had, and I decided that today was the day to post them.

To me, the following example is what climbing is all about. I think some people call it "the salsa":

There is a route at FRC named the infidel. Killer fun route, starts out vert, then gets a little steep. Two OK stances to shake out on. The last shake is also at the last bolt. The crux is the very last move, a deadpoint off two bad crimps. At the point you throw for the anchor jug, you are looking at a nice 30 foot plus fall. Clean, but there is a slab down there somewhere. So, say you were leading this route, and it is at your limit. You hit the last jug (barely), and try your best to get something back. You know the hard part is coming up, and you know if you go for it and miss, you are taking the ride. So, you are switching hands back and forth, trying to slow your heart rate down, trying to get some of the pump out of your arms. Thinking about those last few moves. You get all you can back from the rest, then set off on the next moves. Now, this is the salsa, working your hardest, trying not to overgrip, or blow the moves or just give up and take the short fall rather then risk the big one. You make it to the last crimps, your fingers are opening up, and all you can think about is that one move. So, you throw. Maybe you hit it, maybe you don't. But, you cannot have the same experence on TR. BTW, I haven't experenced this story yet, but I hope to put myself in that position pretty soon.

I TR routes, but to me that is just a cool workout. Leading is climbing for me. It wasn't always this way, I used to be super scared (still am) but, working through it is what it is all about.

Wes

I TR routes, but to me that is just a cool workout. Leading is climbing for me.

It's always good to see someone get over that mental hurdle. It makes your climbing life SOOO much easier, because you go from "Wow, I can't wait until I get strong/good enough to lead that route", to "Wow, I can't wait until this weekend so I can go try to send that route."

Mj

Wes: You should be a writer: I like the way you described it...

Others shouldn't be writers...and it would even be nice if they weren't screaming like "a girl"...

Personally, I like peace and quiet when I am at the crag... so I can put all my energy into the task at hand and focus on the climb.

I am so deaf that I don't have time to focus on what's "he saying", or why's he "screaming like a girl" ...

Hey Vic,
it's even better when you are reading Wes's tale and it makes you say to yourself, "Oohhhhh yeah, been there before!".

Mj

Wes is truly a great writer... my arms were pumped after reading his "short story". Come on Wes... when will you start?