Redpoint VS Onsight

[Josephine]

yep - definately had an A-Team belayer on my mighty onsight!

[Evan]

A solid belay always helps steady the hand. Knowing the beta helps too.

There are such detailed guidebooks for the Red with color photographs of routes, route length and bolt number, and forums that discuss the moves of most routes. This makes the Red a fun place to climb but lends to being able to climb harder there than other places, even if you've never physically been to the RRG before.

Most places in the south you don't know the route length or bolt number and you can't see the holds (chalk), and only know special beta if you talked to someone. It's definitely a different approach to a route, no better or worse for me, all climbing is good. But for those counting it definitely matters.

[Yasmeen]

Since you asked for the numbers, JR, and since my results vary a little at home and abroad, I decided to split them up a little.

Away from the Red:
Sport:
OS: 11d
RP: 12a
Trad:
OS: 11c
RP: 11c (the same route... I guess I didn't exactly project anything at Indian Creek)

At the Red:
Sport:
OS: 11d
RP: 12b
Trad:
OS: 11a
RP: 11b

I guess it all comes down to enjoying onsighting more than projecting for me.

Interestingly, though, I climbed harder trad at Indian Creek than at the Red... maybe because the hard trad lines at the Red are more technical than the trad lines at Indian Creek, where it's more about endurance? Just a thought.

[Pru]

I always felt like the ratings at IC were highly subjective, related more to hand size than anything else. Of course if you have no endurance, it will all be hard, but I don't think you can compare IC to the Red... or anywhere else, really.

[pigsteak]

And I don't think anyone asked you Pru.

[Pru]

did you get shut down by 10's in IC, Piggy?

[JR]

Thanks Yasmeen. That's pretty cool. Seems pretty consistent.

Lets see if my numbers reveal anything.

Home (Red)
Sport:12c OS/13a RP
Trad:11aOS/12aRP


Away:(Mostly the New)
Sport:12a OS/12d RP
Trad:11a OS/11d RP

It looks like my Trad has a greater difference between RP and OS.

I guess the interesting thing is the full number grade between sport and trad that keeps popping up. Your (Yasmeen) trad and sport seems to be a little closer. You go you little 11c onsighting on the road traddie.

[JR]

I always thought of a well rounded as having a good balance of power, technique, endurance, etc. rather than sport, trad, bouldering etc. But that's a valid way to look at it.

I found it interesting that you listed those two sets of three...

They almost match up in my mind.

Bouldering---->Power

Sport(at the Red)----->Endurance

Trad(at the Red)----->Technique

Yes, I agree a balance of these would make a well rounded climber.

[pigsteak]

have you been talking to mrs pigsteak? over the summer this sport 10+ in cool springs schooled me....she hung em ad cleaned em....

[JR]

In today's specialist society the well-rounded climber is a myth (in my opinion).

I think I get what you mean. You mean most climbers are much better at some aspects of climbing compared to others. Like you would say that "Most climbers at the Red are much better at sport climbing than Trad climbing because I only found 13 users that have redpointed 5.12 Trad while a hundred climb 5.12 bolted routes every weekend."

I guess I can't argue with that.

But is it the climbers that are specialized or the Red? What if the Motherload consisted of 46 Trad routes graded 12a or better? Don't you think we would be better at gear routes if there were a higher concentration to practice on?

I suppose I feel like many climbers at the Red are pretty well rounded. But you are right for the most part. They are Sport climbers that dabble in trad and bouldering.