Repeat Ascents

[Dan_Petersen]

I just got back from a trip with a friend of mine who has a remarkable climbing resume. During the course of our trip I asked him if he ever had a desire to repeat any of his big ascents and his basic answer was “no”.

This makes me wonder about climbers generally. How many of us really want to go back and repeat serious routes (grade IV and higher, mostly)? He made an observation about the nature of big climbs that I agree with. He feels that what makes them so hard isn’t just the physically demanding nature of the effort itself, but also the various stress factors involved that are out of your control, like weather, or rockfall. These factors combine to make the overall activity far more difficult than a more strenuous physical challenge that holds no objective risk (like competitive distance cycling, for instance).

Once he has attained a difficult goal, he doesn’t feel any desire to repeat the route and undergo the stress and uncertainty another time. I can understand that. I also think that other climbers don’t have the same perception, and will tackle difficult routes multiple times after a first successful ascent, even if they have been in dire circumstances on the route (like getting injured).

Any thoughts on the attraction that difficult routes hold to repeat ascenders?

 

[panther]

Why are you burdening yourself with such weighty thoughts so early in your climbing career? Any ascent is new to the person who does it for the first time so it should be a "first" for the person climbing it.

[Mr._Blister]

You could also substitue the word "marriage" in lieu of "big ascents," "routes'" etc. The analysis might be the same for some people.

[forrest_m]

You're asking about a climber going back and climbing a hard route a second time, not making a repeat of a difficult route established by someone else, right?

I would say that the answer is yes and no... for routes that were at the time and still are at my limit, I have no desire to go back and climb them again. It's hard enough to become psychologically ready to do these things once, I'd rather save my stress for something new.

However, there is something to be said for going back to a route that challenged you in the past with the perspective of greater experience. (Assuming of course, that the route is good enough to be worth climbing again.) I did the full north ridge of stuart pretty early in my climbing career, my first grade IV alpine route, and my memory of it was always colored by the anxiety I felt at the time. I remember wondering if we would be able to do it at all. Not long ago, I climbed it in a day car to car. Tiring, but hardly the mini-epic I remembered.

An related question might be: how many times are you willing to go back up on a hard route that you have retreated from? It can be mentally harder to get back on the horse that threw you...

[Dan_Petersen]

Forrest, you are correct. I'm interested in repeat ascents of routes that an individual has done before. For me, the question of rationale for going back after a failed attempt is easier to relate to. The goal is still there to be attained.

I think you are right on about climbing at your limits. Everyone's limits are different, and limits change with experience. To some, a grade IV alpine route isn't at their limit, but might be just the sort of tune-up they would use to judge their current level of fitness. That makes it all the more impressive to me.

[Stefan]

I do not repeat. There is too much out there to repeat. Call me greedy but I would like to get in as many different experiences as I can in my lifetime.......

[haireball]

I do sometimes, repeat "big" routes. If the route was one I enjoyed immensely, I do not hesitate to repeat it, especially with a different partner. At this writing, I am preparing to repeat Liberty Crack for the third time - with a long-time friend who has wanted for most of his adult life to do it, and has made earlier unsuccessful attempts with other partners. After all, its all about good times with good friends, isn't it? If you know a climb is GREAT, why not repeat it with someone you care for?

[terrible_ted]

Besides, it's too damn difficult trying to stick two pins in the same spot on the wall map...

[Dru]

I agree with Stefan, too much to do to do the same route over and over. that said I have repeatedly climbed a few alpine routes. the easier it is to do - the more I repeat it. definitely like to repeat the SW buttress of the s. peak of the old settler because it is the best easy climb in the world and i'm totally psyched to do it with different people just to see the big happy smiles of someone doing it for the first time. ditto the n ridge of needle peak, a great first time out on alpine rock for someone thats only cragged before. i have done it with new partners to check them out before doing something more serious....

[This message has been edited by Dru (edited 08-08-2001).]