RURP

Hey Mr. Matt P. This is RURP. How about some directions to this place that make sense for people who do not live in Seattle. For example, directions from a major freeway. Yes. RURP has spoken.

Ja, "Library Ledge" has recently been restored. These reference materials are to be replaced after "browsing", and are not to be "checked out" and taken home. RURP has spoken.

Here comes Chuck: "Yeah, either that or the fact that Classic Crack has totally bomber jams, it's clean, it's easy to get to, and it's an easy walkoff. Not to mention that it's a "classic". Maybe that's why this guy decided to solo it?" RURP says: Nothing wrong with soloing it. It is a great soloing exercise up or down. The point is that the guy approaches it when someone else is using it. Mr. Chuck again: "Sometimes it isn't all about RURP. Sometimes just maybe a soloist climbs near RURP because RURP is on something the soloist wants to climb. Sometimes maybe it's not just to be near RURP." Sometimes. RURP responds: I am RURP, and it IS all about me just as it is all about that other guy. Go ahead and roll your eyes with that stupid animated icon like that girl who sat in front of you in 10th grade. And now, Mr. MattP.: "Also, it only takes a minute to scramble down there from the car; maybe the guy had only a few minutes to spare while on a grocery run from one of the campgrounds or something... or there may have been some other motivation not quite so obvious." RURP responds: maybe the guy already bought his groceries and was heading back to camp. Maybe he wanted to develop some sweat-induced pheremones before approaching the saucy babes featured in Leavenworth's vibrant and seductive nightlife. Maybe a member of his "audience" was an attractive female over whose nebische boyfriend he wished to demonstrate his virility expressed through daring. [Following the American male myth that she will leave her man immediately, shove him into the nearest tent and engage in primal activities.] In summary, "the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain." "Some poeople are motivated by goals other than showing off." Maybe so, but not many that I have met in such a context. Wait your turn or do one of the numerous other routes in the area. As a soloist, I myself do not feel I have any sort of priority and you can ask and the guys with the top-rope have a right to say get lost. RURP has spoken.

That first guy says this: "So this weekend I was at 8 mile rock doing some TR'ing with some semi-climber friends and a guy asks if he can jump on Classic (we had it roped). I said sure, assuming he would put on a harness and ask for a belay, and he started free-soloing it. He obviously had the necessary skills and made it up without so much as a slip. I was not too pleased about his decision to climb unroped. I understand that he was taking his own risks, but who would have helped him if he fell? I just thought that it was a bit inconsiderate of him to put that on us." Insight #1. He probably chose to solo Classic Crack because you were there and he wanted to feed his ego or raise his low self-esteem by demonstrating his excellence in front of you. This is not a new phenomenon. Back in the late 1970's, I recall being roped up and actually starting the moves of a climb in Joshua Tree when a well-known "celebrity soloist" [not Mr. Yablonski] jumps in front of me and proceeds to solo the climb. Rather than gaping in awe as he intended, we hurled insults at the arrogant sonofthebitch who could not even wait his turn, especially with plenty of great routes nearby. Later that week, we saw a couple of guys climbing "Bearded Cabbage" which requires a hand-traverse and reach to a vertical crack. The second guy following the route fell on the traverse and was dangling with the rope still going through several pieces of pro. Mr. "celebrity soloist", decides it is his time to demonstrate his superiority, and actually does the route, traversing over the guy dangling, and passing the gear and the belayer. Most un-cool that was. Insight #2. I am an avid soloist and was even more so in the past. The rule is self-sufficiency. Don't climb in a way that will physically affect other people. Which means, don't climb anything that you might fall off of (because it is rude to hit people on the way down or on the ground) or cause someone to have to rescue you or save your life. You can expect that some people will not like it because they are either genuinely worried and/or cannot through their own experience understand that some people are capable of doing this relatively safely. Insight #3. Some of the best soloing circuits in Leavenworth are bound to have people around. (Icicle Canyon, Peshastin Pinnacles, Castle Rock.) You can usually avoid routes with ropes hanging on them or just wait. (What...you got ants biting in your underpants or something?) Maybe on a multi-pitch climb you could ask people at a belay if you can climb through in front but buggering-in on a one-pitch top-rope climb seems a bit like grand-standing. RURP has spoken.

This is "Dwayner", coming out of exile to make a few brief comments about a friend. I am using RURP’s avatar (“thanks, RURP”) because my original one was discontinued for reasons about which I can only speculate and for which I don’t wish to dilute this post. Like many of you, probably, I waited in nervous anticipation to learn the names of the three men killed in the avalanche in Banff on February 12th. Over the last 30 years, I have lost several good friends and all-too-many acquaintances in climbing or adventure-related incidents. Anyone seriously involved in mountaineering for a long period of time has probably experienced the same. When the names were reported, I was very sad to learn that an old friend of mine, Jim Andreus of Tacoma, was among those who perished. Regretably, I was traveling at the time of the memorials last Saturday but I just wanted to offer a few words of appreciation. Jim was not a famous climber, but he was solidly dedicated to an adventurous existence which he lived quite fully. I first met him around 1982 while rock climbing in Leavenworth, he was in his mid-40’s then, and our paths crossed over and over again through the years, in various places and contexts. Jim was a leader and possessed a very commanding presence and an inspiring air of confidence. He was fun to be with and his articulate comments often showed great insight and thoughtfulness. He spent a good part of his life in service to others including participation in the Tacoma Mountain Rescue unit. Although some climbers make fun of Mountain Rescue and their organized regime, they really do a great and often under-appreciated job for us and if I were ever so unfortunate to have to be searched for and/or rescued, I would have been delighted, relieved and comforted to be found and cared for by a brave individual such as Jim. In his mid-60’s, he was living life with gusto and will be deeply missed by those who got to know him. I can still hear his unmistakable voice calling out with its youthful enthusiasm. Here’s to you, friend Jim! Those of you who would like to view a touching memorial to our fallen friends can visit the following link: Tacoma Mountain Rescue Memorial Aloha, - Don

This is RURP: Maybe Mr. Chocolate would have some good training buddies if he changed his faux chat room name to something less frightening. How about "Want to Climb Rainier Guy" or "Psyched to Go Climbing Guy". "Sexual Chocolate" and that old Moondance thing makes many people nervous. I am sorry that you have to hear this from someone on the internet, but I am just trying to help you achieve your climbing and training goals. RURP has spoken.

This is RURP. Your reply suggests you are as classy as the girl in the picture. But maybe you are the girl in the picture? RURP has spoken.

This is RURP: Ya, Miss Muffy, I can not tell if your little devil head icons are giving me two thumbs up or otherwise. I think it is probably two thumbs up many times. I am glad that you agree with me. RURP has spoken.

This is RURP: Is Louis standing with the "flipping-off expert" girl? It looks like the same coat, and the same girl. I am surprised that she is not giving Mr. Whittaker "the bird". RURP has spoken.

This is RURP: And I think that maybe "the finger" is this girl's special trademark. Here is another one from some other time: Classy! RURP has spoken.

This is RURP: Fascinating and big fun events like the following are one big reason I do not go to "pub clubs": Makes you really want to go! RURP has spoken.

This is RURP: Miss Muffy. I do not know where you came up with that. Do you expect wisdom to all of a sudden come to you? There is a genre of literature thousands of years old known as "wisdom literature" in which advice is passed on through the generations in order to assist people in being moral and for making good decisions. Learn something worthwhile (a personal lesson or from wherever) and pass it on so others can learn from it and add to their accumulated body of "good sense"/wisdom. With your current perspective, your progress will be long and slow. Does offering one's moral perspective (in this case, admonishing people for being insensitive to human suffering) make one "self-righteous"? (a rather negative term). If I myself am righteous by advocating that people think before they make light of tragedy, then call me what you wish. The problem seems to lie in the fact that people do not want to hear it because it perhaps directly implicates them, and/or they just have utter disrespect for the messenger, anonymous or otherwise. RURP has spoken.

This is RURP: Ya, Mike..your response above was all too predictable. RURP has spoken.