What would you do?

[Fejas]

cj001f said:

 

Yeah. Some dickhead takes it every time too.

 

basters!!! I hate it when assholes take my shit that I leave at some crag where alot of people climb and they should know damnit, I'm comin back for that cam next week when I send that fucking crack...

[E-rock]

[iain]

you suck!

[iain]

or is this your new prime number biz

[E-rock]

What do you mean, did I get it? I can't tell, I'm at 29 posts per page.

[iain]

you were beat out by Fejas' "basters" reply

[carolyn]

Stefan,

Just to clarify the situation.

We were setting up where they were tearing down in a cragging area at a State Park.

THeir rope was in the way while we were setting up. Knowing the history of the guide, I didnt touch the rope (I thought that might be rude) nor did I want to talk with him

(because I knew he would be rude). I left it untouched until it was REALLy in our way, then I moved it out of the way and put it about 5 feet from where he was standing.

 

We lowered off the climb. When we returned, he was gone.

 

I coiled the rope and put it out of the way where people wouldnt step on it. I figured he would come back for it.

 

Four hours later, no one showed up for the rope.

 

The guide brought the group up for the DAY. He was returning back to the cities (a 4 hr drive) from the crag. At this point it was obvious he was NOT coming back for it. In fact he was probably clueless to the fact it was missing (which was proven in my conversation with him today).

 

I took the rope. If I hadnt its guaranteed another climber would have...not even knowing who it belonged to...and kept it.

 

It sounded fine and dandy to keep the rope until I thought about it more. Yes, I was "on the fence" with my decision. Ive never been confronted with a situation like this while climbing (the difference between booty and flat out stealing). I threw the question out to you all because I was curious what others would do.

 

Most of you confirmed what my consciensce was telling me.

 

I called the guy up and he didnt even realize he was missing it. Wouldnt even admit to it when it seemed like a slight possibility.

 

I dont think taking the rope was wrong. I think it wound up in better hands than had we left it at the crag. I dont think being on the fence with a decision is wrong either. Its good to be put in situations where you can test your integrity.

 

The End

 

 

[carolyn]

Funny story I heard today, along this subject.

 

A friend of mine was up climbing in the Needles.

 

He found a stopper on a route that a guided group had just been near.

 

When they met up he asked her, "did you leave this stopper behind?"

 

Guide looks thru her rack, takes it out of his hand and says, "no, but I could use another one of those" and walks away.

 

[Stefan]

Makes more sense carolyn since you knew the person was not coming back--you did not say that in your original post. I had to make some assumptions based on your original post. Hell I would have taken the rope too if I knew the person was not going to come back....I knew I would have returned it intentionally. But then again, I am splitting hairs and fucking bored.

[montanapup]

OH MY GAWD! THE GUY IS A MORON! give it back.....to his guide company and then tell them what a MoRon he is......

[Figger_Eight]

Article 3 - Climbing & Mountaineering Community

MAXIM

We owe every person we meet in the mountains or on the rocks an equal measure of respect. Even in isolated conditions and stressful situations, we should not forget to threat others as we want to be treated ourselves.

 

[cluck]

One insanely crowded day at Smith I found myself in a gear cluster-fu$% when some guy managed to wedge a parabiner through a toprope hanger that already had a chain and a draw through it. After 15 minutes of work, he proclaimed them "STUCK" and reimbursed me with one of his draws. I ended up traversing over to the next set of hangars to rap off and had to leave 2 draws behind for some guided team trad climbing next door to use on their descent.

 

Apparently the guide was able to unlock the puzzle of the locked biners cuz later the same day I bumped into him and he returned all 3 draws and the stuck locker. An hour later I bumped into the first guy who got everything stuck in the first place and gave him his locker and quickdraw back. Total strangers used each other's gear for an afternoon and everything managed to get back to it's rightful owner. Weird.

[seawolf]

MisterE said:

never climb on a rope you don't know the history of - period

 

MisterE makes an excellent point and one that I try to follow. Carolyn --- I think you did the right thing in trying to return it to the rightful owner even though the guy was a moron. If he refuses to claim it, then keep it for hauling up gear. But don't climb/lead on it.

 

Seawolf

[Billygoat]

Dru said:

i have gotten a couple of years of use out of some ropes with unknown history i found stuck on rappel and abandoned in red rocks

 

Damn straight , I agree. Most of you all are way too uptight about your ropes...

[browntoe98]

give it back. Of course. Is it your rope? No. Then who's rope is it? You know.

 

Give it back. And while you're at it, give me a break.

[billcoe]

Billygoat said:

Dru said:

i have gotten a couple of years of use out of some ropes with unknown history i found stuck on rappel and abandoned in red rocks

 

I've only had to carry 1 fella out who had a rope break while rappeling. Body weight only. Femur bone sticking out of his thigh, did the splint and rope stretcher thing and got him to the hospital. He survived and probably still has my favorite shirt as a suvivur today, 25 years later.

" Most of you all are way too uptight about your ropes...

"

 

Can't agree at all.

 

 

The motto is " when in doubt, throw it out"How can you be "too uptight" about a rope. Buy another one, lifes already way too f*en short IMO. That being said, I have climbed on a rope (someone elses) that had over 200 falls. But they were short ones-from working top of the heap new hard routes. They were not "falls" like the rope mfgs describe, fall factor 2 falls. That rope was under a 1 1/2 old and everything was documented and it still looked and felt good.

[ncascademtns]

Since you told the guy he lost the rope, he knows you have it. Good intentions of giving it back is all you need to make you feel better. Don't go out of your way to get it back to him. Let him come and get it. If he doesn't, your rope.

That's all.

Have a nice day.

[Dru]

bill why did his rope break? cat pee? cut over an edge? sharpie marking?

[thelawgoddess]

billcoe said:

The motto is " when in doubt, throw it out"

 

i thought it was "when in doubt, run it out"

[Dru]

"use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without"

[EWolfe]

I took a factor two fall on a new rope once, and it looked fine, but you wouldn't want to climb on it again

 

Someone stole it out of my van the next day

[chelle]

billcoe said:

That being said, I have climbed on a rope (someone elses) that had over 200 falls. But they were short ones-from working top of the heap new hard routes. They were not "falls" like the rope mfgs describe, fall factor 2 falls. That rope was under a 1 1/2 old and everything was documented and it still looked and felt good.

 

Documented? Did your friend have a spreadsheet and a chart or something? Weird.

[Scott_J]

Even I would give it back. Karma...your decision.

[kitten]

There is an old saying.

If Karma doesn't catch up to you - guilt will.

I don't know how you feel about either. If it were me and everytime I looked at the rope - I'd feel guilty.

[catbirdseat]

I was camping at the Feathers the other day. Being the first one up in the morning I headed for the privvies at the other camping area. There was a woman's purse lying right in the middle of the parking area. There was no one around.

 

So I think to myself, do I leave it there and hope the owner finds it? If I leave it, probably some dirtbag will take the credit cards or at least the money. If I pick it up, I have to deal with the hassle of returning it. I picked it up. It belonged to a 21 year old from Spokane.

 

After breakfast, I drove around asking anyone if they knew someone named Erica W----. No luck. So I left a note on the bulletin board with my cell number on it.

 

It wasn't until late in the afternoon at Sunshine Wall after we'd completed our last climb of the day, that my phone rang. When I got back to my pack, I picked up the message and it was Erica. She was at the Concert (The Gorge).

 

I called the number she left and she answered. She wanted me to drive up to the ampitheater with the purse! I told her we were tired and hungry and just wanted to go home to Seattle. If she wanted her purse she had better meet us in the parking lot where she lost it in 30 min. She finally said okay.

 

So we arrived at the car and I spoke with a couple of different car loads of people, neither of which were Erica. I spread out a tarp and began sorting my gear from my partner's. After about ten minutes the phone rings again. It's Erica. She's breaking up and I can hardly tell what she is saying. My partner says, "turn around". She's standing like 50 paces away. "How long have you been there?", I asked. "Oh, about 20 minutes", she said. "How come you didn't just walk up and ask us if we were the ones with your purse?", I asked, as we were the only climbers in the entire lot. "Oh, I don't know", was her reply. I guess she was shy.

 

I handed her her purse and she thanked me. She offered me some money, but I said no, and she was off to her concert, only a little late.

 

I was just glad I didn't have to deal with hassle of mailing the purse.