Johnny_Tuff

You're so old-school, RuMR!

Reminds me of that quip (book title?), "conquistadors of the useless," except Caldwell is more of a pioneer of the inconceivably sick. Most of us will not climb that many pitches of those grades in our lifetime, let alone consecutively. Awe-inspiring and fantastic.

Especially when cool heads, balance, and reason prevail. Nicely put.

The Masons would take you to Area 51, put digital implants in the back of your hand, and make you ride a goat while they hypnotize you into becoming an Illuminati spy at the UN!

I would say that avoiding the pump would not necessarily be the best goal (have you ever climbed at your limit and not gotten pumped?), but rather learning to climb through and deal with the pump. I think this is immensely valuable, and just as trainable as working lockoffs or crimping or anything else. Gitcher money's worth!

Quit horsing around!

OK, but is this a problem somehow?

Shaddup, I'm old nuff ta use the computer an' go to 7-11 by myself and it's five blox away, so there! Really, though, very much your same comment has been thrown out there plenty more seriously, by plenty of legitimately crotchety individuals right here in our own cyber-sandbox. It's fuggin' scandalous, brah.

Stealthy Martian anti-gravity technology would certainly go a long way toward explaining the lad's climbing exploits...perhaps you're onto something there.

Seriously, though, I think this is more of a snide, snarky misconception that is popular among certain segments (read: old and crotchety segments) of the climbing population--you people know who you are. Of the people I either know or encounter enough to chit-chat with at the gym, all of them climb outside, and use the gym as training, or just a place to enjoy climbing movement, because they can't get enough otherwise. There are many more who I don't know, but have seen out at the crags plenty of times. In places like the rainy PacNW, some of us do consider gym climbing to be "climbing," as climbing outside is often simply not an option when you are a crag climber and it is pouring rain for more of the year than not. Even if that were not the case, however, is it either surprising or a particularly big deal that people might consider gym climbing to be "climbing?" There are plenty of people who think ClearChannel's focus group-selected, computerized broadcasts of bubblegum mall-pop constitute "listening to music;" plenty of people think McDonald's, Denny's, and Taco Bell are "food;" plenty of people who think Budweiser and Miller are "beer;" people who think Folgers is "good coffee;" people who think People and TV Guide constitute "journalism;" people who think 128kbps MP3s "sound fine;" people who view strip-malls and subdivisions as "progress..." See any kind of a trend there?

MOTHERFUCKINGSLANDEROUSLIARSACKOFSHITFASCISTGRRRRUUUUMBLEGRKRKFRGARKINGSCHNRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH.... Oh, shit! My brain! CALL 911! I think I'm aneurysming!

Ah, perhaps those two ends may not be as mutually exclusive as you think.

Being an espresso swilling, fancy-cheese loving, beret wearing ( ), Europe worshipping liberal pinko sports climber, I would love me some of that. I think, too, that there are examples of that type of scenario cropping up, as a result of climbing's popularity. Good examples are parks such as Smith where climbers and parks management work together to be good stewards of a heavily used area; Red River Gorge, where there is a strong, proactive coalition of climbers working to maintain the area and open new areas nearby, working with land managers, etc.; Horse Pens 40, where climbers came together to save a climbing resource...all of these are examples of climbers being proactive and working with each other or land managers to expand and preserve the sport and the sport's resources. More interesting are private parks or ranches that might not have originally been created for climbing, but have seen climbing becoming popular, and have opened their property to climbers. Most prominently recently is the Horseshoe Canyon Ranch in Arkansas (see the new R&I, or Dosage III w/ Sharma's Witness the Fitness), which seems to have more of a ropin' and ridin' thing going, but has welcomed climbers, and is fast becoming recognized as a premier bouldering destination. I believe there is a similar area in Tennessee, and I know there is one in Texas, as well, albeit more specifically climbing-focused. There is also Crawdad Canyon in southern Utah, which I think was a hotsprings and swimming pool area first, then expanded into climbing. While I'm sure a lot of you haters will just decry the commercialization of the sport, I would say that what it signifies is the popularity of climbing encouraging the appropriation and preservation of climbing resources for climbers. It may be commercial in some places, but as the purchase of land for its climbing value becomes more common, I would think we will see just as many examples that are more park-like, such as HP40, the newer areas at the Red, etc. Once crags have a value as a resource to be used, that helps tip the balance in our favor, and perhaps against the use of these areas as places where resources would be extracted (e.g. Indian Creek, Oak Flat...where next?). Ramble, ramble.

There's not really a right answer, I don't think; at least as far as one or the other. Doing routes will help build or maintain endurance. Bouldering will help crank up the power. Make a conscientious effort to mix it up with some of both (perhaps alternating your gym trips between bouldering days and route days, according to what area of your climbing needs more work), and you'll reap the benefits of both. Even if the type of climbing doesn't translate, the power and endurance will, and you'll be psyched when you stick the deadpoint to the flaring, two-finger, first-knuckle pin scar after hanging there at the crappy stance trying to fiddle in opposed RPs held in with bubblegum and faith for five minutes. Get on it, and have fun!

He probably knew you already had enough climbing on your property, and was protecting you against a possible hostile takeover by the hordes of PNW climbers who would be unquenchably jealous if you added a sick granite boulder to your collection. It probably wouldn't be so hard to move, though. I mean, you're a contractor; you've got trucks, right? Just get a few pals together and lift it into the back of the F350, and off you go! Or just hoist it onto the roof rack of the Brand X company van?

Well, it is in fucking Spanaway, so what can you expect, really?

Shame, that shit's probably going to wind up in the middle of some suburbian subdivision's community center water feature, surrounded by lily pads and koi.

What everyone really knows is that dope smoking hippies can't boulder. "Yeah, brah, I'm just gonna, like, kick it on my pad under this tree and listen to some sweet Phish jams until the temps cool down. Plus I think I lost one of my climbing shoes on the approach." "Dude, we're 50 feet from the car!" "I know. Trippy, huh?" etc....

"Decent" [/i]and[/i] pretty good? Easy on the hyperbole there, chief; people are going to think you're a shill.

At least as many of those as there are "Sausagesmoker"s.

I love my Beal cord. Light 'n' supple for the big send, durable enough for the doggin', groovy technology. Oh, and it's every bit of the 60 metres it's supposed to be.

"Rob Tamahaya, Rob Tamahaya! The man to see for banana or papaya! Get your produce jones on, 'cause he's there and then he's gone, Tamahaya! Tamahaya! Rob-rob-rob Tamahaya! Roooob Tamahayaaaaaa's Saaamuraaaaiiii...Fruuuuiiiiiittttt...Staaaaaaaannnnnd! (Tamahaya!)" That one? I kind of like it. It's got that crazy Hawaii Five-O/Weird Al/Sonny Chiba vibe to it, and the Tamahaya Hula Dancers really frost the cake. Silly, but fun, and undeniably effective. I've probably tripled my papaya intake since they started airing that ad!

The inimitable DFA strikes again!

Fuck it, just climb in Aggro.

Was it returned to REI after?