RRC Archives

So a buddy posted over on facebook about tape being put on hold at the bouldering area known as the coffee shop. he seemed genuinely concerned with what had transpired. My first inclination was to argue that removable climbing tape was far less intrusive than a crash pad eroding the base or a bolt putting a permanent scar on the rock.

But always the diplomat, I decided to see what others thought. IN your time as a climber, what is the one thing (or two) that has happened that truly had you thinking "really?" and swearing that our 'sport" had finally jumped the shark....

for me, it was when pre placed draws were still considered a red point. the second was when stick clipping the first bolt became "normal"..both seemed to be cheating the purity of why we climbed. now I do both.

I wonder if marking holds for a sick problem will become the norm.....

Stick clipping keeps you from breaking your ankle. Calling it a redpoint when you already had the draws there doesn't matter if you sent the route because nobody cares if you hung the draws or not. Putting tape on an outdoor boulder problem just seems weird and pointless though. I don't understand. When I show up at left flank to find a huge group of people waiting in line to hang dog on every route there and blast electronic music I feel its all gone to shit. Also left my draws on hanging on wild yet tasty to give it a second go, walked away for fifteen minutes and came back to find some guy climbing on them, taking at every clip until the crux where you he tried for a long time then bailed. I was pissed, guy was obviously not capable of doing the route and only tried because someone else's draws were hanging.

Thats my point willy. Only 15 years ago was it considered cheating to have draws up for a send. Now it is no big deal. Removable tape on outdoor holds seems mInor agaInst the backdrop of radios, drugs and alcohol, dogs, babies, smokers, hammocks and euros at the crag.

Tape on holds is minor compaired to drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol have been part of climbing a lot longer then you have been. It pissesme off when I am not allowed to drink at a crag!

Tape on holds is pretty gay. But if they remove it before they leave, then I see no problem with that. Fucking gym climbers are fucking this game up!

When there are more climbers at the crag/gym from last months group-on.

Jumped.

Willy wrote:Stick clipping keeps you from breaking your ankle. Calling it a redpoint when you already had the draws there doesn't matter if you sent the route because nobody cares if you hung the draws or not. Putting tape on an outdoor boulder problem just seems weird and pointless though. I don't understand. When I show up at left flank to find a huge group of people waiting in line to hang dog on every route there and blast electronic music I feel its all gone to shit. Also left my draws on hanging on wild yet tasty to give it a second go, walked away for fifteen minutes and came back to find some guy climbing on them, taking at every clip until the crux where you he tried for a long time then bailed. I was pissed, guy was obviously not capable of doing the route and only tried because someone else's draws were hanging.

I had always heard of this but never experienced it until this Sat at said crag. Showed up early to beat the groups to the warm ups. While on Maypop a group of 10 or so college kids show up and rigs their top rope gang bangs on the 8s and played music so loud I couldnt communicate with my partner. Not to mention 4 hammocks all of which were hung across the walking trail. When I said something about it I just received blank stares.

Tape outside. Lame.

don't hate, i'm sure they laid up a couple of bucks at Muir on saturday.

Ask them to turn their music off. If they refuse, turn it off and toss the device as far into the woods as you can.

pigsteak wrote:So a buddy posted over on facebook about tape being put on hold at the bouldering area known as the coffee shop. he seemed genuinely concerned with what had transpired. My first inclination was to argue that removable climbing tape was far less intrusive than a crash pad eroding the base or a bolt putting a permanent scar on the rock.

But always the diplomat, I decided to see what others thought. IN your time as a climber, what is the one thing (or two) that has happened that truly had you thinking "really?" and swearing that our 'sport" had finally jumped the shark....

for me, it was when pre placed draws were still considered a red point. the second was when stick clipping the first bolt became "normal"..both seemed to be cheating the purity of why we climbed. now I do both.

I wonder if marking holds for a sick problem will become the norm.....

I thought marking holds for a sick (and not-so-sick) problems and routes already WAS a norm. It is just that it is usually done with climbing chalk and tickmarks-- and those are everywhere you look.

Marking the holds with removable tape seems way more complicated, but hey, if it is removed at the end of the day, it is a less invasive approach than tickmarks, or last-year's blue color playground chalk.

Of course the problem is that it WON'T get removed--not all of it, because people are too tired, too rushed at the end of the day, they apre planning to cme back "first thing tomorrow", or they just don't care. So in addition to cigarette butts, climbing tape, and corners of cliff bar wrappers you will have color tape blowing around in the wind and littering the base.