Catch-22

[layton]

Anyone else feel this way? You do a climb and write a TR and get flamed for chestbeat. Folks just assume you are tooting your own horn. In reality, most of us are not doing climbing magazine worthy climbs. Isn't this BB for the TR's of the mere mortals? So what's everyone doing on this board?

I say, write your TR and spray away so all of us who don't solo 7 patagonian routes in a day can say GOOD JOB and we can all for a moment be in your shoes.

I haven't read a single TR that suggest the climbers thought they were hot shit...even Polish Bob's account of Pyramid was humble. But most of us get accused of thinking we're all that. I wish we all were.

I think lots of the folks who get written up in the Mags are just like us, and all of us have the potential to climb sick and hard shit.

 

Just rambling...

[tomcat]

You know what I noticed? People often like to bitch just to be bitching about something. Don't get discouraged from writing a TR exactly how you want to write it. I thoroughly enjoy most of the TRs I've read on this website and don't really care if people ARE chestbeating. If you climb a route and it's a 'worthy' route, mere mention of you having climbed it would be considered chestbeating to a lot of people. So when you're writing a TR, don't worry about what other people think so much, just concentrate on providing accurate information .. which is what TRs are supposed to be all about.

[eric8]

I'm totally in agreement Micheal Layton. I think the most interesting part of this site is the tr's (unless there to long) even if its just a report on say the beckey route on liberty bell, then it lets others discuss the different variations to the route, etc.

[freeclimb9]

It's virtually impossible to please everybody all the time.

This I learned from marriage;-).

 

[catbirdseat]

Don't let the bastards wear you down. Write your trip report the way you like and if they don't like it they can go take a long walk on a short pier. The ones doing the complaining probably can't write. They were ones throwing spit wads in English class.

[gapertimmy]

freeclimb9 said:

It's virtually impossible to please everybody all the time.

This I learned from marriage;-).

 

i re-learn this lesson every day by running this website. just like Steve Sanders says, tell 'em to Squash It and it will all be cool

 

[jon]

Hey Mike,

 

For every person who bitches there are probably 100 or more who enjoyed your trip report and were glad you posted it for everyone. The ones with the complaints are the most vocal and try to make themselves sound like the majority, but they aren't. And you never see them writing trip reports.

[allthumbs]

I like reading the TR's and epics, unless they're way too long, which doesn't happen often. I still like TG's Rainier solo TR the best.

[sk]

Personaly I realy like ALOT of the trip reports. it gives me a chance to read about things that I think I might like to do some day maybe. I especialy like the ones with pictures of cute boys in the snow

 

don't let others dictate your behavior. Do what you feel good about. If you enjoy writng TR's then do it

[catbirdseat]

trask said:

I like reading the TR's and epics, unless they're way too long, which doesn't happen often. I still like TG's Rainier solo TR the best.

I looked at that. Yes, it was good. It would have flowed a little better with the judicious use of paragraph breaks.

[ScottP]

Damn the chestbeating moniker!

More TR's.

[texplorer]

I personally flame TR's under another ava. . .

. . . I mean I love TR's. I have been hesitant to post TR's because In am inherently a chestbeater so I have to watch myself. I actuality I like reading them and learn a great deal not only about the routes but about the people behind the TR. Few of us are as eloquent as TG but I wish eveyone would post more of em. Whether you encounter cougars or snaffles some of us really want to hear about your epics at exit 38.

Edited March 3, 2003 by texplorer

[AlpineK]

Michael,

 

I thought your trip report was alright, however I would have formated the photos differently.

 

I think Crazyjz was mostly slamming TR's like the "Second ascent of Spindrift Couloir." The climb Mattp and daylord(?) did was an impresive one. However when CJZ ask me to reread the trip report, I found it impossible.

 

I started reading the report and after 2/3s of a paragraph I decided I would try and skim the report. After making it 1/2 way through the report I gave up. Try reading it yourself; the report is mostly bs despite the fact it was a climb I found interesting.

[To_The_Top]

I like reading trip reports, and liked reading this one because of hearing on the news it is really good to hear what was really happening.

Trip reports are what make this site fun, and as for others calling it chestbeating, that is mostly b.s.

I was wondering what really happened after all hubhub on the news and glad you wrote it.

Yes a trip report on a route everyone is on is boring or if it is long, I skip it.

It becomes chestbeating if others are out doing the same route and the poster is saying they did it better than everyone else.

TTT

 

[daler]

thats the nature of the beast! Now that the TRs are virtual you have to expect spray. Its not the good old days when you just shared the info with a few friends over a guiness. Or is it? Why do you write it on the web? Why say anything?

 

I liked your TR, but that doesn't mean i can't ask questions! Don't hesitate to write but keep in mind everthing is relative. when you say that you were on route for 8 hours and consider that fast I would consider that very slow. I thought we were doing good with 4 hours on route but sean and andreas beat that by a solid hour. Does it matter as long as you have fun? No!

 

peace,

 

dale

[catbirdseat]

AlpineK said:

Michael,

 

I thought your trip report was alright, however I would have formated the photos differently.

 

I think Crazyjz was mostly slamming TR's like the "Second ascent of Spindrift Couloir." The climb Mattp and daylord(?) did was an impresive one. However when CJZ ask me to reread the trip report, I found it impossible.

 

I started reading the report and after 2/3s of a paragraph I decided I would try and skim the report. After making it 1/2 way through the report I gave up. Try reading it yourself; the report is mostly bs despite the fact it was a climb I found interesting.

The guy must have had a photographic memory. He just smothers you with minute detail. I think that the good TRs distill out the the superfluous details and still give others the feel of the climb.

[jon]

The first edition of the book "MLA guide to writing trip reports" will be on our online store shortly for those of you have problems writing up your TRs.

[Dru]

its always possible to write a tr without thumping oneself on the pectorals.....learning how to do so is a skill. are you writing to describe what happened, to provide info for others attempting the climb, or are you writing to inflate your climbing resume? tell tale signs of the latter are inflated grades, time car to car reported to nearest second, and photos with the camera tilted....

 

by far the best TR i read on this site was the Yocum Ridge attempt from last summer.

 

mike layton's report on big-4 was pretty good!

[layton]

Fuck! 3 or 4 hours is fast. We did that same route??? Obviously you guys didn't belay or tunnel? Obviously if you make something public, you're gonna get feedback.

 

I bet I can tie my shoes faster that you, Sean, or Andreas which kinda leaves you guys looking like idiots in that respect.

[mattp]

Don't let somebody's critque of your TR discourage you. As noted, there are fifty appreciative readers for every one who takes offense at your misstating the difficulty of a particular pitch or who criticizes the entire effort as a cheastbeat. Internet TR's are going to meet the same kind of response as telling your story in any other medium: beauty is in the eye of the beholder and every different reader is going to come away with their own impression of the report -- based as much in their own experience and attitude as in the experience and attitude reflected in the trip report itself. Some climbers view it as cheastbeating to report anything about what you have climbed, whereas others believe it is selfish and conceited not to do so. And still others like to bitch and call each other names no matter what the topic of discussion.

 

I'm glad that trip reports on this board take lots of different forms, and I value the tale of an M7 grade VI epic on the south face of The Tooth just as much as a brief note of current conditions on the White Salmon Glacier.

 

[fleblebleb]

Hey, the reports are fun, the arguing is fun, the only thing that isn't fun is if people are rubbed the wrong way and then stop all that good fun...

 

I don't remember if I said this already but reading about Layton and Matt's Big Four trip was really cool - up there with Colin and Marko's Johannesburg extravaganza because of the cornice tunneling methinks.