Leaderboard

Can you keep the gear you find at a climbing area or not? That is the question. Apparently, some people don't understand this important part of climbing culture, so here is a reminder in the form of a case study. BOOTY = Finder may keep it without guilt or return it at their discretion. Loser should not expect gear returned. NOT BOOTY = finder should attempt to find the loser and return his/her gear, a finder's fee or some other form of gratitude is generally appropriate. Single biner or quickdraw and/or piece of removable protection on a climb that was probably left by someone who bailed because it was too hard/scary. BOOTY. 1-2 cams/nuts on a route, probably by left by someone who bailed or a partner who couldn't clean them or some stoners who just forgot them. BOOTY. Biner on slings or otherwise in an anchor where it looks like people belay and/or rappel, particularly in the alpine. NOT BOOTY. Quickdraws or perma-draws on every bolt of a steep sport route where it's difficult to clean/place quickdraws. NOT BOOTY. Nut or other removable protection in an anchor in the alpine. Probably NOT BOOTY unless the rest of the anchor is super solid. Gear left in a bucket/bag under a rock/tree near climbs where route development/maintenance is happening. NOT BOOTY. Someone's cute ass. Definitely BOOTY, but you need consent to grab it and/or take it home. Feel free to add your own cases and spread the word.

I bootied a brand new # 0.75 Camalot C4 and a couple of carabiners off of Stuart and posted here to find the owner. Not finding the owner, I climbed on it until getting off route on the Ice Cliff Arete, got it stuck and ended up lowering off it. The mountain giveth, the mountain taketh. It's probably still there for all I know.