RRC Archives

Since climbing is no longer real and is running over with people who have no sense of the history of their sport they so passionately run their mouths about, I am forming the Climbing Antiquity Society. Our goal will be to meet and climb several days a year using the most antiquated gear we can buy, borrow, or make. The car collectors race their 1930's racers. Golfers golf St. Andrews with vintage clubs. Some musicians play vintage instruments. How can we, as completely spoiled climbers used to all the modern conveniences, truly appreciate the ascents of our ancestors? We could even have different "eras" of gear. People could then say they climbed a certain route with only 1950's gear meaning the newest equipment they used could only be made (or mimic) gear prior to 1960. This could open up whole new worlds of climbing. Think how much more fun that old boring 5.9 trad lead would be using only antiquated gear. Think how much fun it would be trying to replicate the gear used 30, 40, even 50 years ago. Finding or making the right equipment would actually be half the battle. I'm serious about this. Any takers?

I am down...count me in. Oh, and I think there should be an exception for pitons. I like the idea, but I am not sure we should damage routes just to climb oldschool.

Damnit, I was looking forward to slamming a bunch of pins into Synchronicity...

Sounds like the climbing equivalent of Darkon, or at least Civil War reenactments.

Sounds great! Where do I find quickdraws from 50 years ago?

Yeah, pitons will definitely have to be out, unless we go to someone's private property just for fun. I don't believe they had quickdraws fifty years ago. They used carabiners and webbing when they didn't clip the rope directly to a placement's carabiner. Since most of us only have anecdotal knowledge of what was used when, a good bit of research will have to be done to get it right.

so, I assume you guys will also be replicating the oldest discipline of rock climbing, naked free soloing?

In winter of course.

I think a field trip is in order:

http://www.americanalpineclub.org/pages/page/26

We could now create even more climbing categories and sub-divide "trad" climbing into all different levels, "true trad"-all passive, new age 70's trad, rigid friends, 1980's first generation choinard cams with first generation tcus..the possibilities are endless!

That's great sendit! Couple this with the clothing lines that would come back into the fashion at the crag: plaid collared uppers, thorn-proof tweed, and Lycra!