jhamaker Posted January 30, 2003 Share Posted January 30, 2003 Keep it simple. When you get "Have you climbed Mt. Rainier?" Respond w/ - "Many times, by many was; and several (hundred) other mtns in WA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted January 30, 2003 Share Posted January 30, 2003 Keep it simple. When you get "Have you climbed Mt. Rainier?" Respond w/ - "Many times, by many was; and several (hundred) other mtns in WA. Â "Mount Rainier, what is that, Ive never heard of it!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fern Posted January 30, 2003 Share Posted January 30, 2003 I think the lowermainland equivalent is "Have you climbed the Chief?". Or even better "Have you hiked the Grouse Grind?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Parker Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 (edited) I had to meet with a life insurance guy last week and the subject came up about my climbing. Talk about clueless. I told him I should re-write their questionaire because it sucks. I told him to do some hypothetical research and get back to me. I met with him again today and he said there isn't much knowledge about it out there and he learned more from me in 5 minutes than he could find out anywhere else. The funny thing is, they don't even care if you white water kayak! Â Fortunately the guy is pretty cool and we figured out I may have to lie a little, which of course comes with risk too. It just pisses me off that the general public (an insurance underwriters) look at climbing as such an extremely risky sport. Thank the friggin' press for that! Â BTW, insurance was invented by the mafia. What a scam! You pay us, we don't pay you with out a fight. Â Someone who knew I was a "climber" ask me if I'd climbed Mt. Si. They were truly astonished when I said no! Â Â Edited February 1, 2003 by David_Parker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icegirl Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 My non climbing friends and co-workers are always calling me crazy, saying I'm going to kill myself ice climbing, and trying to get me to stop. It pisses me off. So I don't talk about it unless I know someone around is a climber. I have gotten tired of trying to justify "the RISKS I take"... Â Way back when, no one thought it was strange when I told them I was a scuba diver, and the things I did were a lot nuttier than anything I do now... (caves, shipwrecks, deep - 300+) They'd just say, WOW, isn't it cold up here, and ask if I'd done any tropical diving, and then go on about their trip to cayman, almost apologetically since I had not been there... Â Whatever.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North_by_Northwest Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 Friends and roommates who don't climb always ask if I had a nice hike. Â Relatives just look at the pictures and shake their heads. Â What really bothers me is when people try to introduce you to their "climbing" friends. "Oh, you climb? You should hangout with Mike, he climbed Mt. St. Helens AND Mt. Si last year." They don't understand the different styles of climbing and the different styles of climbers and you can't explain why you're not that interested in hanging out with so-and-so without sounding like an antisocial asshole. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpineK Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 I spend most of my time with either climbers, tree guys or people who hang out on a regular basis with the previous two groups. Tree guys are nutz to begin with, and a lot of them climb some. Â When I talk to people who don't climb I'm usually don't elaborate much about climbing unless they are interested. Normally I find other things to talk about that we are both interested in. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 I "climbed" mount si 36 times one summer. Now I am bored of it. Wonder why  I still think the photos do all the justice if you take good ones.  Ice climbing photos help too. Even if it's just an ice crag most people seem impressed.  I think most people have heard of rainier baker and helens. If you have not done them no big deal but they are good mountains to do. Though not technical if you dont want them to be. My favorite slog of them is that baker.  I have climbed with dudes that have done the mac and they are rough and tough slog masters beyond my wants at the moment. However we swap skills when it gets tough and I have taken the cruxes of the technical climbing. Let me tell you that there is something to be said about both abilities and if you hold both of them good for you.  Just because someone climbs rainier does not mean they can climb something like Triple Coolers on Dragontail (although not technical too much) or something like the Nose of El Cap. Some peaks take totally different skills. The media does not understand any of this for instance.  Either way fuck it. I am going to climb mount shitneck this weekend and I will place my name in the summit register.  Later beyotches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reginald Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Here's what I think... I read your little informational piece that was full of big words that you probably learned in English 101 at school and it really made me want to poop off a ledge. 'normal' people?? people that don't climb are the same as you and I. You aren't better than them because you spend your weekend pooping off ledges. I find that if you treat people like equals instead of people that are below you 'because they don't climb' you will have a lot more friends. And even better, they won't think you're a big worded snotty head with an ANCHOR stuck up your ass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattp Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 I don't think you can ever expect non-climbers to "get it," if what you are hoping for is that they will understand why your idea of fun is hauling a pack through the jungle and up and down some dangerous mountain in the rain and snow or clinging to a cliff-face, just barely escaping a dangeroius fall. If you value your friendship with a non-climber, or even your relationship with a casual acquaintance at work, you can tell them about your weekend, but you'll have to be equally willing to try to understand why they find it so exciting to race motorcycles or collect stamps. And my bet is that most of us climbers just can't understand... Â In general, it seems to me that my adventures are much more interesting to me than they are to most others, and beyond a casual interest, I can't really expect much more from anybody -- they just want me to be able to function on Monday morning, or to be able to stay up with everybody else at the party on Saturday night after I got back from some huge climb. I gotta enjoy my climbing for my own self, celebrate the excitement of climbing with my friends who climb, and once in a while I can invite my non-climber's to look at my pictures or listen to a story because it gives me a sense that I am sharing myself with them. If I don't try this too much, they may find it interesting and sometimes I even think we can make some personal connection by sharing this kind of stuff -- but there is a good chance that they'll get just as bored as I do when listening to their constant tales of the latest stamp show that all sound the same. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 the funniest stuff is sharing pictures with my parents. they freak when they see photos of me at smith but when I show them photos of the clemenceau icefields in canada in a whiteout or something they're all happy and relaxed, "oh how fun that looks" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billygoat Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 I don't show my parents the pictures. They couldn't handle me getting a motorcycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juneriver Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 When I had a motorcycle it was WAY more dangerous than my climbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dryad Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Everybody's hobbies are much more interesting to themselves than to anyone else, whether that be climbing or crochet. Let's not get too elitist here. Â As for parents, I have to say that mine are great. They're east coast city slickers and don't understand or approve at all of what I do, but they respect that it's something I love, and even buy me the gifts I want rather than what they want me to have. I got an ice axe for Christmas last year, and a Schoeller jacket this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_Simpkins Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 I try to keep the climbing talk away from my friends. If they ask questions I will answer them. Usually if they just ask one or two questions they just want a simple answer, like "climbing in Leavenworth" or " climbed Rainier" or something. But some friends ask more which shows they are interested in learning some details. So I'll do my best to give them answers they can understand. Â Almost everyone can do something that you can't. Find out what your friends can do, and ask them about that. I've taken a few friends top-roping or hiking, they loved it. But don't expect them to take it any further. Just have fun. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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