RRC Archives

anticlmber wrote:for some it's the number others the journey.

damn tree hugger, lay of the dope

don't be jealous test taker.

pigsteak wrote:shut da hell up krampus..you're feel good "love em all" attitude is what gives this place a bad name.

your being so mean and hurty, your gonna give our gumby friend here the impression that all we do is talk shit on this site. Its not true Driskell, case and point: try to rotate your right foot clockwise while using your right finger to make a 6. Its the coolest thing you'll do in a month, assuming your climbing doesn't get better.

anticlmber wrote:don't be jealous test taker.

soon...soon the stars will line up once again

Jeez Pig, you're taking a beating on this one. Try to hang in there, it will all be over before the weekend is out. Btw, I run 10 minute miles (around 4-5 a day) and consider myself a crappy jogger. I only do it to keep from getting hooked on making myself puke.

Driskell, take their advice on training. I know you aren't the OP but somehow got caught up in this one. Keep it cool because you'll likely be standing next to these guys at the crag in the spring. You'll probably be over by me near the warm ups.

Oh, and to the OP. Make it a point everytime you go out to get on something one letter grade harder than you think you can redpoint. You'll be surprised how fast that letter goes up.

Atnticlimber your romantization of climbing being a sport that doesn't need to be defined by numbers doesn't work, if your climbing journey doesn't use any numbers to define difficulty, then you're on a trip with no map or guide and you will end up going nowhere i.e. ten years from now you will be climbing the same difficulty and doing the same routes. Every great climber I have read about or met is always looking for the next route of increased difficulty to challenge themselves, to dig deeper, work on technique, train harder, eat better, etc. If you don't have the attitude that you are going to get better, a plan on how you will achieve this and a tool to measure yourself by as in a grading system then you are just spinning your wheels.

i definitely think that it helps to climb with somebody who is stronger than you are. it really helped me when i first started. it's a good way to get motivated and to push yourself that much harder.

i know what routes scare me, interest me, and inspire me. that is all i need to enjoy myself. i will try all climbs regardless of grade. as long as it looks like it may promise the adventure i might seek. and that is the beauty. you never know what you get until you get on it.
as far as the ten years later. in ten years it will still be fun. if one strives for a number and does not achieve it; could that not be a big enough blow to make one stop? what about when you run out of places to climb or refuse to climb sub-grade routes?? all this time spent just chasing that rabbit down the hole; for what??
if you are motivated by the numbers than so be it if that's what gets you out there and smiling. i hope that all of us enjoy our days out there, for the right reasons; not just the ones that get us the most points.

anticlmber wrote: numbers aren't important. i base my climbing well or not on my mental not my physical. if my mind is working than everything else falls into place (and yes maybe i'll climb harder because of it) but that number is not what motivates me. please do not confuse others for yourself.

progression comes in many forms. for some it's the number others the journey. for those that focus on the number the magic is gone. you have reduced this to a simple sport to be measured and quantified. i am sorry.

I hate to break it to ya sister, but you're talkin out of your ass. How, pray tell, does someone who isn't motivated by numbers, or who detests the sport being measured and quantified, keep track of all 10 attempts on Tic Tac Toe, or whatever route? I lose track after 3 or 4, cuz I just don't care...

Why do you even keep that spray list?

Face it... numbers are the reason you push to get stronger. Otherwise there'd be no way to quantify how you're progressing, whatever that progression is. If there were no YDS or V-Scale, or 5 star rating system, you'd invent a system of quantification.... or you'd never recognize that you'd gone above a previous level.

Its silly to even argue otherwise. Next thing you know, you'll be free soloing illegal arches....

mr driskell...far more viscious suitors have called the bluff. spragwa, pru, artsay, et al busted my chops when I first appeared here as "the stalker".... being called the asshole is such a step down for me. time to step up my game....

bcombs...should maybe I get Dr. Phil to help me on this one?

outthere...from your original post, what were your intentions? are you wanting to climb harder? if so, how will you gauge yourself? will it be the stronger mental state you bring? will it be forearms that never get pumped? will it be having solid foot work on slimy slabs? will it be the ability to climb 12a in a few goes? how about the ability to place solid gear, but not every body length?

my point is that to start your elusive ride to "harder" climbing, it helps to have some solid, measurable goals. anti and OW are actually arguing up the same tree. maybe you will say "I want to onsight 11a consistently"....or maybe it will be "I want to lead 5.9 trad without wetting myself"...but without having a measurable goal, then when will you know you have attained it? OW says you need the numbers to gauge..not always true. anti says folks burn out who chase numbers...not always true. shoot, depending on your mood, even your goals will change. For the longest time, I used my hardest redpoint as my gauge of current fitness. As I got older, I decided to use my hardest onsight as the gauge. For awhile, it was how many 5.11 anf 5.11 pitches I could send in a day, first go. Usually my goal changed when I failed at the previous one. But it kept it interesting for me.

Hope that helps a bit.