Funny post about number-chasing from RC.com

[cracked]

using s as leverage/extortion is aid!!

[RuMR]

[quoteI'm going to attempt to use the kids as leverage/extortion!!

 

I've tried that with skiing and it seems I just spend more time skiing with the kids wondering when my wife will join us. I ain't holding my breath. It does have that tit for tat, I've got the kids today so I'm outta here tomorrow thing going for it, though.

 

Oh yeah it definitely does have that aspect of it!!

[matt_m]

I'm gonna have to side with this guy on a lot of what he says. Hear me out because I've already read all the people screaming murder that the guy's some 140 pound kid who's got no soul. Climbing means different things to different people - some like it for the peace and tranquility it provides them. (Earthy Group) To each their own but I come from this guys camp (It could have been stated a lot more eloquently but alas it was not) 18 years of competitive sports with numbers as the gauge of success (Track and Field) was what I lived for. If I could shave another tenth of a second off my time I'd accomplished a great feat. Same thing goes for climbing numbers - one more grade means I've pushed myself that much more. I've challenged myself and answered the call. I enjoy the long soulful easy climbs as well but numbers - numbers are great. All those who scream and posture and question and say "if he judges his life by numbers then he misses the point" miss the point as well. Somethings are meaningful to some and not others - for some reason - climbers like to rag on the numbers chasers and claim them selves "soulful climbers" Great. I don't rag on the prana/hug-the-rock types (much!) I respect their reasons for climbing - I don't always claim to understand it all- but I respect it.

You can rag on the number guys all you want but that's because you don't "get" us and probably never will

[Ryan]

I can understand his side, but that doesn't mean I'll agree with it. And I'll quote Alex Lowe all I want!

[drater]

I'm gonna have to side with this guy on a lot of what he says. Hear me out because I've already read all the people screaming murder that the guy's some 140 pound kid who's got no soul. Climbing means different things to different people - some like it for the peace and tranquility it provides them. (Earthy Group) To each their own but I come from this guys camp (It could have been stated a lot more eloquently but alas it was not) 18 years of competitive sports with numbers as the gauge of success (Track and Field) was what I lived for. If I could shave another tenth of a second off my time I'd accomplished a great feat. Same thing goes for climbing numbers - one more grade means I've pushed myself that much more. I've challenged myself and answered the call. I enjoy the long soulful easy climbs as well but numbers - numbers are great. All those who scream and posture and question and say "if he judges his life by numbers then he misses the point" miss the point as well. Somethings are meaningful to some and not others - for some reason - climbers like to rag on the numbers chasers and claim them selves "soulful climbers" Great. I don't rag on the prana/hug-the-rock types (much!) I respect their reasons for climbing - I don't always claim to understand it all- but I respect it.

You can rag on the number guys all you want but that's because you don't "get" us and probably never will

 

Points well made but you overlook the fact that climbing grades are totally subjective. Why strive to achieve a number that constantly changes. 5.7 in J-tree can be twice as hard as a 5.10 clipup at Vantage. Does that make 5.7's there 5.14? And does that mean that 5.10's there are actually 5.20. If so, I rock, all you sponsors had better show up and start licking my boots.

 

Enjoy climbing for what it is to you but if you're gonna chase numbers, chase the almighty dollar, at least it is fairly consistent.

[cman]

you can say that quote all you want but as i remember lowe was a bad ass who took on insanely hard challenges. it's not like he was just out cruising on 5.8 all the time.

 

there is nothing wrong with the desire to climb harder. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, so whatever it takes to motivate you. there is also nothing wrong with being competitive, some people are not into it(there the one's lying to themselves) and some are. if you are content to just cruise on stuff within your comfort range fine, but i want to do new lines. and the harder you climb the more great lines are open to you. i am tired of seeing all this incredible stuff and thinking oh that is too hard for me.

 

what climber does not have ambition?

[cstemley]

But I thought the hardest rating was Rockies 5.9 A-2? Mostly only veiwed by flies or spindrift?

[matt_m]

I'm gonna have to side with this guy on a lot of what he says. Hear me out because I've already read all the people screaming murder that the guy's some 140 pound kid who's got no soul. Climbing means different things to different people - some like it for the peace and tranquility it provides them. (Earthy Group) To each their own but I come from this guys camp (It could have been stated a lot more eloquently but alas it was not) 18 years of competitive sports with numbers as the gauge of success (Track and Field) was what I lived for. If I could shave another tenth of a second off my time I'd accomplished a great feat. Same thing goes for climbing numbers - one more grade means I've pushed myself that much more. I've challenged myself and answered the call. I enjoy the long soulful easy climbs as well but numbers - numbers are great. All those who scream and posture and question and say "if he judges his life by numbers then he misses the point" miss the point as well. Somethings are meaningful to some and not others - for some reason - climbers like to rag on the numbers chasers and claim them selves "soulful climbers" Great. I don't rag on the prana/hug-the-rock types (much!) I respect their reasons for climbing - I don't always claim to understand it all- but I respect it.

You can rag on the number guys all you want but that's because you don't "get" us and probably never will

 

Points well made but you overlook the fact that climbing grades are totally subjective. Why strive to achieve a number that constantly changes. 5.7 in J-tree can be twice as hard as a 5.10 clipup at Vantage. Does that make 5.7's there 5.14? And does that mean that 5.10's there are actually 5.20. If so, I rock, all you sponsors had better show up and start licking my boots.

 

Enjoy climbing for what it is to you but if you're gonna chase numbers, chase the almighty dollar, at least it is fairly consistent.

 

I don't treat them like gospel - I use them as a reference - Index is harder than Vantage so I adjust to some degree - what my "numbers" are. Like a wind aided time in running - sure I ran 14.5 but there was a 3m/s tailwind - The numbers may be subjective and change but people can be pretty smart on occasion and know about their subjectivity. Hence the reason I don't get all excited onsigting hard grades at Vantage but do grin when I do hard stuff at Index or the Gunks.

[Distel32]

I met Rob Mulligan yesterday and he was spraying to us about squamish grades......in squamish, to locals, lame

[willstrickland]

Did you sandbag him and burn him off? Or give him the hoser-down spray smack-down?

[Dru]

number chasers are the ones who would rather do a no-star, shit pile drilled out choss fest 13a rather than a world classic 5.10 at the same crag, or who can't remember the names of the routes they climbed just the numbers.

[Ryan]

I don't specifically care about numbers. I do care about the difficulty of the line that I am climbing, but I look for the perfect blend of difficulty and appearance of the line. Like Dru pointed out, I'd be the one to climb the quality route over the harder route. I'm just looking for the most aesthetic and challenging lines in one package.

[RuMR]

One man's garbage is another's treasure and vice-versa...

[Wallstein]

I hear what the guy is saying. I'll admit that I love climbing harder and harder and sometimes chasing numbers. But we are all chasing something. For me it takes pushing myslef harder to get into the moment that I totally forget about the grade and my surroundings and absorb it all. For me climbing at an easier grade just doesn't get me excited and I never get into the moment. Thats what I am chasing....the moment. I have to seek out harder grades and push myself to get there and that takes some number chasing. Don't get me wrong I can have as much fun on some cruiser 5.6 as the next climber but it just doesn't do it for me like battling through a really hard testpiece.

[RuMR]

WELL PUT!

[texplorer]

I climb:

for the numbers

AND

for the fun,

for the workout,

for the atmosphere,

for being with friends,

for spraying about climbing,

to seeing the "superstars" of climbing,

to get an adrenaline rush,

to meet new cool people,

to listen to sprayers,

to be up high,

for the views,

to be away from rangers,

to scare the shit out myself,

for the adventure,

for the tradition,

and most importantly . . . to give me fodder for this website

 

If you don't like the reasons I climb, I will be happy to discuss and possibly change my reasons after we drink a large pitcher of TG stout (which you provide or pay for).