RRC Archives

You're full on in the meat of the route. An onsite at your grade limit.
You're gear/bolt is at your waist. You're totally pumped, your gear is good, you look up 5 feet and you see where you want to be. You don't know if you have enough reserve to pull the move. What do you do? Do you take or do you go for it?

I was talking to rhino and he said something neat that got me thinking. He said that Johnny's instinct in such a situation is to advance to higher ground and I just don't know if that's what most people do. I kinda think not. I push through it for sure sometimes but there are definitely times when I just take instead of advancing and taking the fall. My best sends were when I went for it and I usually surprise myself with the reserve by body feeds on when I thought there was nothing left.

I try to do the "up or off" style as much as I can. Routes or bouldering, I do some math, do the warriors way "set my intentions" thing, and go. But, only when I am super sure that the fall is clean. If I am not sure, then I will take or grab gear and try to learn the route for the next time. I flashed this really high problem this weekend to the top, didn't like the finish and downclimbed 15 feet to the crux and jumped. But, another problem, just as high, with a strange top out, I sent. The math just made sense to me on the second one.

Many times you can "escape up" to a better stance/rest on routes.

Wes

I've gotten more comfortable with just going for it. I've been in so many situations where I feel like there's no way I'll make the move, and then I don't take, and then I make the move, that I feel like I can't really justify taking. Plus, it's so cool to surprise yourself-- even if you don't send the route, but you make it a move farther than you thought you would, it's awesome!

More likely to take on an onsight attempt and more likely to go for it the next time.

Artsay wrote:You're gear/bolt is at your waist. You're totally pumped, your gear is good, you look up 5 feet and you see where you want to be.

"I know! Dino!"
--Odub

go for it.. what do you really have to lose, especially on a sport climb? taking a fall is better everyday than taking. you'll never know if you never try.

I am trying to learn to do what Wes said. It seems that at least half of the time I go for it something appears that wasn't there before(a hold not a mermaid). and I have been encouraged to be comfortable falling with all the caveats mentioned above. I said I am trying...

It all depends on how ugly the fall is. And how truly wasted I am. And how good the next good holds are.

i am much more likely to go for it if i am trying to onsight. if it is just a redpoint burn i will sometimes wuss out. and if i have already fallen i often become a wus.

but only on the rope. i am totally in the 'up or off' school when bouldering as long as the fall is manageable. for some reason I would rather fall 20 feet ropeless than 5 on a rope. i feel like i have so much more control if i can twist and land, but it probably just what you are used to.

Now this is a real climbing thread. 8)