Future Route Names
Future Route Names
Does anybody out there have really cool ideas for possible route names? If so, suggestions are welcome.
"Those iron spikes you use have shortened the life expectancy of the Totem Pole by 50,000 years."
--A Navaho elder
--A Navaho elder
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I am a big fan of the organic process of naming a route where the route itself and the experience uncover the name. Like "cliffhanger", "sharp", "roadside attraction", "jump for joy"...those are the more superficial and obvious ones, but still give you a connection with the route. It doesn't always have to make sense to everyone else, but at least there is something interesting behind the name. I like it even more when the guide books give you an insight to the nostalgia...like "Close Encounters With A Wench" in Johnny's Guide. I find it weird to just name a route having never seen it. Though it must be hard to come up with names when you put up a bunch of new routes every weekend.
I like the idea of going with themes for route names in a particular area. You could use "Frodo," "Sam," "Aragorn," etc. for one part of a crag, or "Black Dog," "Stairway to Heaven," "When the Levee Breaks," and so on for a different crag. The Panty Wall at Red Rocks follows this idea, as well as our own Dip Wall with its Dr. Seuss theme. It makes it easy to come up with a list of names, and gives the climbs at a crag a sense of coherence.
Just my 0.02's worth . . . .
Just my 0.02's worth . . . .
I think the theme idea could be cool, but should also incorporate at least some insight into the experience rather than just some random string of name. ie "black dog" could have a black streak up the route that gives it a nice line. Or maybe the first ascention got bit by a dog while putting on his shoes. "When the levee breaks" could be in a water streak, or maybe the route is always wet. "stairway to heaven" could have a striking staircase feature, or perhaps a spectacular top-out.
"how ironic....now he's blind after a life of enjoying being able to see."~Homer