So a while back I was watching dosage IV with some friends and during the part in switzerland, dave graham puts on this knee-bar pad (looked like it had stealth rubber on it) to help hold a sketchy knee bar. right off the bat my friend says that's "fucking cheating" and that if it doesn't hold on his own, he should find another way to do the move. One friend was nice enough to point out that climbing shoes aren't that different and if those rules were to be followed, we should all still be in mountain boots.
Later though, Tommy Caldwell is getting ready to do the Changing Corners pitch on the Nose, but instead of moving straight into it, he climbs up a crack on he left a ways, clips a bolt, then downclimbs and does the crux move on TR. Now, that same friend yells "climbing up easier ground to clip that bolt is cheating".
So i'm just wondering where folks stand. not necessarily on thses 2 points, but in climbing in general. what constitutes cheating (aside from the obvious things like pulling on gear and claiming a free send)?
and yes dru, we all know that cheating is aid and the one cheating is probly the one having the most fun.