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Posted

This is a funny poll/debate topic. It seems that, as with politics, we as climbers have subscribed to the narrow-minded notion that there are two and only two possible modes of climbing, with no middle ground, and to the even more outrageously silly idea that either of these areas can be defined in black and white.

 

To pretend that there is only Trad or Sport is as silly as pretending that there is only Conservative or Liberal. It restricts dialogue and debate to a lot of stilted cliche role-playing and assumptions based on stereotypes. It makes it all too easy to forget that there are a lot of gray areas, or that it's the movement, not the means, that most people enjoy.

 

How many people who usually place gear in the Gorge will, after toproping a four-star sport pitch, fail to find the climbing engaging and enjoyable just because they're not ten feet out from a #2 Stopper? How many dedicated bolt-clippers, after futzing their way to the top of Super Slab for the first time, don't dig on the fun ramp romping just because it didn't threaten to blow out their tendons? Take Texplorer for example. While he might find his ultimate satisfaction engaged in a naturally-protected battle of wits with an incipient seam, he sure seemed to be having a good time bouldering on the plastic blobs at the PRG the other night.

 

Many of the best climbers in the world excel in a number of areas, and most seem to fit comfortably into Alex Lowe's now famous designation for "best climber in the world", whether they stick to one area or slay in all areas. Lisa Rands is just a boulderer, who happens to enjoy stepping up to Gritstone headpoint horror shows. Alex Huber is a bolt-clipping sport monkey, who happens to free Yosemite big walls and free-solo 5.12 alpine routes. Dean Potter is known for engaging in some unprecedented ropeless sickness on the big stone, but really enjoys ... bouldering? Hell, even someone like Chris Sharma, who, for the most part, sticks to clipping bolts and pebble wrestling, clearly transcends categorization shearly on the merit of having the most fun.

 

Climbing shouldn't be fucked up like politics, where the end has been subordinated to nitpicking about the means, and where debate means proving that candidate X is a jerk because he's a Liberal or a Conservative, and ignoring all of his ideas because they've been framed in this false and limiting context. Climbing is an individual sport, and achievements and experiences should be looked at in the context of the individual, of growth, of enjoyment, and not through the stupid little blinders of arbitrary categories.

Posted
This is a funny poll/debate topic. It seems that, as with politics, we as climbers have subscribed to the narrow-minded notion that there are two and only two possible modes of climbing, with no middle ground, and to the even more outrageously silly idea that either of these areas can be defined in black and white.

 

To pretend that there is only Trad or Sport is as silly as pretending that there is only Conservative or Liberal. It restricts dialogue and debate to a lot of stilted cliche role-playing and assumptions based on stereotypes. It makes it all too easy to forget that there are a lot of gray areas, or that it's the movement, not the means, that most people enjoy.

 

How many people who usually place gear in the Gorge will, after toproping a four-star sport pitch, fail to find the climbing engaging and enjoyable just because they're not ten feet out from a #2 Stopper? How many dedicated bolt-clippers, after futzing their way to the top of Super Slab for the first time, don't dig on the fun ramp romping just because it didn't threaten to blow out their tendons? Take Texplorer for example. While he might find his ultimate satisfaction engaged in a naturally-protected battle of wits with an incipient seam, he sure seemed to be having a good time bouldering on the plastic blobs at the PRG the other night.

 

Many of the best climbers in the world excel in a number of areas, and most seem to fit comfortably into Alex Lowe's now famous designation for "best climber in the world", whether they stick to one area or slay in all areas. Lisa Rands is just a boulderer, who happens to enjoy stepping up to Gritstone headpoint horror shows. Alex Huber is a bolt-clipping sport monkey, who happens to free Yosemite big walls and free-solo 5.12 alpine routes. Dean Potter is known for engaging in some unprecedented ropeless sickness on the big stone, but really enjoys ... bouldering? Hell, even someone like Chris Sharma, who, for the most part, sticks to clipping bolts and pebble wrestling, clearly transcends categorization shearly on the merit of having the most fun.

 

Climbing shouldn't be fucked up like politics, where the end has been subordinated to nitpicking about the means, and where debate means proving that candidate X is a jerk because he's a Liberal or a Conservative, and ignoring all of his ideas because they've been framed in this false and limiting context. Climbing is an individual sport, and achievements and experiences should be looked at in the context of the individual, of growth, of enjoyment, and not through the stupid little blinders of arbitrary categories.

yer no fun! yellaf.gifyellaf.gifyellaf.gif

Posted
yer no fun! yellaf.gifyellaf.gifyellaf.gif

 

Oh, oops.

 

*scanning the script for next line*

 

*AHEM!*

 

All trad climbers are suck and only climb 5.8 because they are stupid and wear painter's pants! Go hump a hex, you Big Ditch-wet-dreaming rejects!

 

tongue.gif

Posted
yer no fun! yellaf.gifyellaf.gifyellaf.gif

 

Oh, oops.

 

*scanning the script for next line*

 

*AHEM!*

 

All trad climbers are suck and only climb 5.8 because they are stupid and wear painter's pants! Go hump a hex, you Big Ditch-wet-dreaming rejects!

 

tongue.gif

THANK YOU!!! fruit.gifevils3d.gifconfused.gif

Posted

Whatever, you stick-clipper, pocket-chipper, big-number-induced-drool-dripper, never-took-a-whipper-and-had-your-gear-zipper, only-wear-slippers, name-dropping-ego-tripper, worried-about-whose-Prana-pants-are-hipper, excessive-chalk-bag-dipper, mono-pulling-tendon-ripper, PowerBar-fueled-Gatorade-sipper, running-it-out-is-being-a-three-feet-apart-bolt-skipper, sport pansy wussface weenie.

Posted
Whatever, you stick-clipper, pocket-chipper, big-number-induced-drool-dripper, never-took-a-whipper-and-had-your-gear-zipper, only-wear-slippers, name-dropping-ego-tripper, worried-about-whose-Prana-pants-are-hipper, excessive-chalk-bag-dipper, mono-pulling-tendon-ripper, PowerBar-fueled-Gatorade-sipper, running-it-out-is-being-a-three-feet-apart-bolt-skipper, sport pansy wussface weenie.

 

yellaf.gifyellaf.gifyellaf.gifyellaf.gifyellaf.gif

 

me, me, make fun of the boulderer

Posted

yellaf.gif Back in fine form! thumbs_up.gif

 

According to those polled here, Alan Watt's FFA of the East Face Crack (of The Monkey) was a First Free sport climb Ascent because he pre-placed gear! shocked.gifshocked.gif

 

It just recently had its First Free Trad Ascent by Sonny Trotter!

 

 

 

boxing_smiley.gif

Posted

yellaf.gifyellaf.gifyellaf.gifyellaf.gifyellaf.gif

 

me, me, make fun of the boulderer

 

Piss off, you pebble-groping, Dave-Graham-beta-scoping, date-with-Lisa-Rands-hoping, all-holds-must-be-fully-sloping, highball-toproping, failed-to-send-and-sat-on-your-crash-pad-moping, "Dude-this-is-so-dope"-ing, pad-humping Verm wannabe.

Posted
yer no fun! yellaf.gifyellaf.gifyellaf.gif

 

Oh, oops.

 

*scanning the script for next line*

 

*AHEM!*

 

All trad climbers are suck and only climb 5.8 because they are stupid and wear painter's pants! Go hump a hex, you Big Ditch-wet-dreaming rejects!

 

tongue.gif

 

i climb 5.9 thank you very much

Geek_em8.gif

Posted
Whatever, you stick-clipper, pocket-chipper, big-number-induced-drool-dripper, never-took-a-whipper-and-had-your-gear-zipper, only-wear-slippers, name-dropping-ego-tripper, worried-about-whose-Prana-pants-are-hipper, excessive-chalk-bag-dipper, mono-pulling-tendon-ripper, PowerBar-fueled-Gatorade-sipper, running-it-out-is-being-a-three-feet-apart-bolt-skipper, sport pansy wussface weenie.

 

Classic!! I'm printing this out and puttin' it on my wall!!!! yellaf.gif

Posted

All trad climbers are suck and only climb 5.8 because they are stupid and wear painter's pants! Go hump a hex, you Big Ditch-wet-dreaming rejects!

 

tongue.gif

 

Good thing I have a #11 hex. btw, I'll donate any of my small hexes to you sportos if you're feeling lonely. yelrotflmao.gifsmileysex5.gif

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