texplorer Posted October 13, 2004 Posted October 13, 2004 In the past our sport has gone from getting to the top of things to free climbing them to freeing harder lines cleanly. Most recently difficult sport faces were bolted and the rating skyrocketed. As the rating game seems to be coming to a close the speed ascentionists picked up and have made grade 6's into single push climbs and grade 5's into hourly affairs. The big wall aid lines are going free all over the place too. My question is - where do we go from here. Last year Potter pushed the length of pitches with his ascent of the tombstone, The Hubers and Caldwell are freeing everything on the Cap, and Ogden is putting up multi-pitch sustained routes with D (drytool) pitches thrown into the mix. I guess I wonder where this current generation of climbers are making their mark and pushing the bounds. What is frivility and what is the next buzz spin-off. Personally I find the new super long pitches the most interesting. With newer ropes stretching over 230 feet there are many classic lines that could be extended into new extra long "super pitches." What are your thoughts? Quote
Dru Posted October 13, 2004 Posted October 13, 2004 Super duper higher than highball bouldering. Trango Tower with 500 crash pads. Quote
Crackbolter Posted October 13, 2004 Posted October 13, 2004 The options seem somewhat limiting considering there is a much larger spectrum in climbing. Consider The most recent acheivements and goals: Josh Wharton's F/A of the Ambruzzi Ridge (over 6500' of rock) Chad Kellog's record speed ascents of the two highest peaks in N.A. (once took weeks to go from basecamp to summit now is being climbed in a matter of hours) To ski from the summit of Mt Everest and/or to ski the 7 summits (Everest saw it's first feet on the summit less than 50 years ago) First descents of the highest or steepest peaks in the world. I think I would choose none of the above. I think the biggest trend is the lower fatality rate and or injury rate from a sport once considered very dangerous. A large amount of fixed anchors, lighter and lighter removable anchors and much more durable, dynamic & shock absorbing ropes can allow a climber to carry more gear, place more gear and have a much more reliable placement than in the past. Consider the fact that Fred Beckey used neckties back in the day for slings. We've come a long way in safety. Quote
Ireneo_Funes Posted October 13, 2004 Posted October 13, 2004 Climbing 5.19 on Mars. Seriously, I don't ever think about this kind of thing, 'cause it doesn't have much relevance to why I climb. Though all this stuff sounds cool and all. Quote
wayne Posted October 13, 2004 Posted October 13, 2004 What about Super-Traverses?. I think all 20+ sports within "climbing" will just morph a bit and increase in grade and difficuly. Dont make me whip out my chart. Quote
Crackbolter Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 Wayne, You should show the evolution of a climbing route in one of your charts. Something like aid/free F/A -> free -> free speed record -> free solo speed record -> nude free solo speed record -> hottest female nude free solo speed record Quote
catbirdseat Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 This line of inquiry is definitely part of "Wayne's World". Quote
griz Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 Climbing 5.19 on Mars. Wouldn't mind slogging that 90k peak they have on Mars too. That would be pretty cool. Really! I think it is the size of the state of AZ or something. I don't see any big changes from what is already happening...people slowly achieving what was once thought impossible through better knowledge,gear, training techniques ect. It's a slow process for sure but always going forward. Quote
EWolfe Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 What about Super-Traverses?. I think all 20+ sports within "climbing" will just morph a bit and increase in grade and difficuly. Dont make me whip out my chart. Whip it out, Baby. Quote
selkirk Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 Coolest thing I saw recently was freeing and old aid line that was still too difficult to do clean, so two guys freed most of the pitches and then mixed in drytooling with rock shoes on the one pitch deemed to thin to free anytime soon. (thought it was written up in Climbing or R&I a few months ago) Quote
Ireneo_Funes Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 Don't forget human-dog speed ascents! Or Poland. Especially don't forget human-dog speed ascents in Poland! Quote
MisterMo Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 In the 1972 Ascent, closing a review of climbing periodicals, David Roberts penned the following paragraph. This thread caused me to recall it and dig it out. Besides making me feel suddenly very old, I think it's an interesting little comment to look back on: "Climbing, as we know it, no doubt, is in its last throes. In future histories of the 19th and 20th centuries it may occupy a few intriguing footnotes, perhaps a whole paragaph or two - classed with such period arcana as whaling and baseball. The wonder will be that so much youthful energy and brilliance were expended on a quixotically specialized wrinkle of the (already exhausted) pursuit of terrestrial exploration. Scholars, wading through the jargon of climbing articles, will be puzzled at the rhapsodies on A1 cracks and F9 slabs, the paeans to front-pointing, and hanging bivy tents. Alas-we could have told them that mountaineering, while it lasted, was life itself. But in the 21st century "we" will be doing something else: deep-sea spelunking, perhaps, or dust-storm sailing on Mars." Quote
sk Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 (edited) In the 1972 Ascent, closing a review of climbing periodicals, David Roberts penned the following paragraph. This thread caused me to recall it and dig it out. Besides making me feel suddenly very old, I think it's an interesting little comment to look back on: "Climbing, as we know it, no doubt, is in its last throes. In future histories of the 19th and 20th centuries it may occupy a few intriguing footnotes, perhaps a whole paragaph or two - classed with such period arcana as whaling and baseball. The wonder will be that so much youthful energy and brilliance were expended on a quixotically specialized wrinkle of the (already exhausted) pursuit of terrestrial exploration. Scholars, wading through the jargon of climbing articles, will be puzzled at the rhapsodies on A1 cracks and F9 slabs, the paeans to front-pointing, and hanging bivy tents. Alas-we could have told them that mountaineering, while it lasted, was life itself. But in the 21st century "we" will be doing something else: deep-sea spelunking, perhaps, or dust-storm sailing on Mars." thank you for posting that. i was born in 1972. i am glad that although climbung has changed, and the faces of climbers have changed, we are still out climbing. I am proud to be a climber in the 21st century. Edited October 14, 2004 by Muffy_The_Wanker_Sprayer Quote
skyclimb Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 BIG ALPINE Potter set the stage with his feat in Patagonia... New stuff is bing done in the Himalaya's at a high technical standard in single push efforts. It would be cool to see ultra difficult routes put up on the big mountains of the world....Crystal Snake Quote
scott_harpell Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 BIG ALPINE Potter set the stage with his feat in Patagonia... New stuff is bing done in the Himalaya's at a high technical standard in single push efforts. ...and there it is. Some amazing stuff. Truly mind blowing when you think what kinda things they are doing in the most burly ranges in the world. Quote
cj001f Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 To ski from the summit of Mt Everest That's been done - Davo Karnikar in 2000 (he used Oxygen, so an O2 less descent is still available). Of the 8000m peaks Shishapangma, Annapurna, Everest (and probably more) have been skiied complete Quote
Jedi Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 I think sport climbing will take us to the new level. Entire routes (maybe even a whole rope length), will contain a couple faux bolts attached to the rock with bubble gum. The risk will leave these route to only the most daring Really though, climbing has been a evolution with small leaps every once in a while but no real radical aspects of it have evolved. Yeah, I know, mixed climbing has changed a lot from the 30's but it is still the basic concept. The levels of difficulty have increased with the evolution of gear. Has the level of committment changed? Maybe not, considering the equiptment that climbers took into the mountains and up on walls back in the earlier days of climbing. So then, you have to ask yourself what evolution in gear will allow us to climb unclimbed terrain or climb existing routes faster and with more confidence. Just another aspect of the topic. Jedi Quote
Figger_Eight Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 Human-dog speed ascents on the blue route at Stone Gardens? Quote
swaterfall Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 My guess... All the stuff everyone has said plus some stuff that we don't even know about yet. Quote
Bill_Simpkins Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 There are still a ton of lines waiting to be sent in the Americas. The Cascades have many routes on them, but their is still alot of unclimbed lines. I predict super hard multipitch alpine in the cascades and lower BC. Like 5.13-5.14. Quote
Camilo Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 Climbing in vinyl hotpants is the future of the sport, you're right. Quote
Dru Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 ..and I have a pair of vinyl hotpants! I am the future of climbing! Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.