All climbers should read and comment

[Rad]

Did you summit? Where do you sleep? How did the rope get up there? How do you go to the bathroom? We’ve all heard our share of mildly annoying questions posed by people who don’t understand the particulars of different kinds of climbing.

 

Certain threads encourage flippant or rude responses to these innocent inquiries.

 

If the sole purpose of your internet fantasy comebacks is to vent your frustration in a safe environment then click away.

 

If, however, you actually respond to the benign curiosity of the public with disdain, sarcasm, and snobbery then you are shitting in our bed.

 

The hikers, exuberant scramblers, and others you believe to be inferior to yourself are all out to enjoy the same glorious mountains and cliffs that you are. Is their passion and enthusiasm any less valid than your own?

 

Their image, and by extension that of the public at large, of climbing and climbers may well be formed by their impression of you.

 

You are, like it or not, a spokesman for the entire climbing community when you address those questions, whether on the trail, at school, at parties, or in conversations with your republican grandmother.

 

Those people you scorn probably vote. Their perception of the climbing community, shaped by your comments, is reflected in the popular press and ultimately in the officials elected to public office. Those public officials help determine the policies that govern the uses of the public lands that hold our beloved mountains and cliffs. Your actions may help determine how climbing is regulated, or even banned in certain areas.

 

What image of climbing would you like to propagate?

 

Will the public believe that climbers are belligerent risk-takers who degrade our natural resources and wrecklessly endanger themselves at the taxpayer’s expense?

 

Or will they believe that climbers are legitimate users of our parks and public places who help contribute to the proper stewardship of these treasured natural resources?

 

The choice is yours.

 

The next time non-climbers pepper you with mildly annoying questions don’t get annoyed. In fact, you’ve been given a small opportunity to help nudge public opinion in the right direction.

 

Just please don’t shit in our bed.

[iain]

I'm fairly certain that discussion was a joke, seeing how some of the participants are the nicest people you could meet.

[Dechristo]

I came, I read, I'll comment:

 

"The more respectable the man, the more he has to be ashamed of." - George Bernard Shaw

[mvs]

"A dirty bird shits in it's own nest"

--Best In Show Deleted Scenes

 

Good point Rad.

[dberdinka]

Will the public believe that climbers are belligerent risk-takers who degrade our natural resources and wrecklessly endanger themselves at the taxpayer’s expense?

 

Or will they believe that climbers are legitimate users of our parks and public places who help contribute to the proper stewardship of these treasured natural resources?

 

Unfortunately the former is probably every bit as accurate a description of climbers as the later.

 

Rad, PM your address I got something for you all.

[archenemy]

Your post is a good reminder of what most climbers already know, and I am sure it is appreciated.

 

However, I am curious if you really believe:

"Certain threads encourage flippant or rude responses to these innocent inquiries."

 

Seems to me, most folks here are independent thinkers who are not going to have their real-life personality significantly changed by something they read/post in a silly internet thread.

[Dru]

"Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer". This applies to everyone.

[faster_than_you]

Puke O Rama...

[Rad]

OK. Maybe I'm overreacting and it's all just playful banter from otherwise nice people.

 

I certainly wouldn't want to censor or sanitize this site as some of the most interesting parts come from the more colorful chacters. Flame on!

 

I just hope you realize that each of you can influence our public standing for good or bad.

 

Look at the how the Mtneers deftly managed the press regarding the Sharkfin accident. The post here on cc got more hits (>15,000) than any other post I've seen on cc. Perhaps a lot of those hits were from non-cc folks. I bet if the accident had not involved the Mtneers then it would have been painted in a different color by the press.

 

Lastly, hats off to Mike Gauthier whose NPR chat on Mt Rainier this morning was both educational and entertaining.

 

Seems to me, most folks here are independent thinkers who are not going to have their real-life personality significantly changed by something they read/post in a silly internet thread.

 

Let's hope you're right, but then why do they spend so much time here? Boredom at work?

[archenemy]

Well, I guess if you have changed your original position as a result of the postings here, I was the one who was wrong.

[olyclimber]

I propose we hold up archenemy as spokesmodel of the climbing world, and then we can all continue of with our depravity, and we can just refer to newbs and non-climbers (the whole debate as to what that really means is an extremely hott controvery) to her/him/it.

[Alpine_Tom]

I tend to reply politely when non-climbers ask me things. Several years ago I had a really fun conversation with a little girl, about five, and her dad, on Hood. But there are hot weekend afternoons when you're just trying to get through the crowds at Paradise back to the car and get your @(*#% boots off, and the twentieth person asks "did you go all the way to the top?" it can be pretty tough to be civil.

[Stefan]

not sure if this question pertains to that above....but,

 

is there a bulletin board on this site called called "Newbies"?

 

 

[nolanr]

I haven't climbed much this year, but I hike fairly regularly. On days when I'm only hiking, am I unworthy of talking to? How can you tell just by looking or if a person asks "Did you summit" if they are a climber or just a gumby/touron/etc? I try to be civil, people in general are friendlier in the mountains than they are in the city.

[Dru]

When I am out hiking with no climbing gear and I encounter other hikers I answer their questions no differently than if I am descending from a climb. Stuipid questions get stupid answers and even if the question is not stupid they might get an unexpected answer.

 

"How far is it to the summit?"

 

"It'll take 5 minutes if you run, and you better because the ice cream stand closes 10 minutes from now"

or

"Summit? What summit? Isn't this the West Coast Trail?!?!"

Edited June 12, 2006 by jon

[olyclimber]

What I hate is when I'm out for a climb, and I come across a innocent hiker and I ask them "how much longer till I'm there" and they're so condecending.... "I don't know wussy little climber guy, why don't you ask your mom".

[faster_than_you]

One problem I have with "did you summit" questions is that they reveal how much people (i.e. the inquiring bystander) only consider "the summit" and not the entirety of the trip.

 

If asked, "Where did you go? How was your weekend? How high did you get? (not a question for Ivan ) or What it's like up there? I tend to give away a lot more information about climbing.

 

I vote MattP as climbing spokes-person.

[faster_than_you]

Almost forgot... When asked "did you summit?" I also like to answer, "I'm on the summit now; can you you believe it!"

[Szyjakowski]

i am usually very nice to non-climbers or climbers when soliciting me for info or "did you summit" questions. Sometimes I am like any other human in a bad mood, and then I say off.

 

 

I do however, think the best and only spokesperson for the climbing world should be Fred Beckey. His resume fits the bill, anyone else is only second rate.

[Assless_Chaps]

I always glissade down, so no one has time to ask me this.

[Dru]

You know, if you carry a cell phone with you, you can just whip out the cell phone and talk to it as you hike along and then none of the tourons are going to interrupt your "important call" just to see if you went to the summit.

[olyclimber]

This thread is getting a little stale, but let me add my own additional asinine comments anyway.

 

If you've got Skinny Puppy cranked at full volume, and if you should actually see these hikers, you can just shout "What, I can't hear you!" at them if their mouths move, and then continue storm trooping down the trail. It really enhances the wilderness experience, and saves you from having to interact socially.

[Dru]

I would just like to add that I never see any hikers, even lost girls, when I am out putting up new Grade VII, M8+, 5.11c A4 routes on the Cascade Jewels and finding Neutrinos. So if these tourist questions bother you maybe you should just challenge yourself a little more and try some of my routes because none of the peaks I climb EVER have a walk-up descent. If you ever see me up there, though, if you ask nicely enough I'll give you my autograph and a special pamphlet I printed up listing my many sponsors and offering tips on how to choose a windshirt.

[Dave_Schuldt]

"Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer". This applies to everyone.

 

What seems stupid to you is not stupid to someone else. If your only exposure to climbing is movies or TV your going to have a very warped perception of climbing.

[Buckaroo]

I found one of your "special" pamphlets while walking down one of your routes the other day, however it was mistaken for TP and as that's the one thing forgotten on that outing it did come in handy.

 

If one was to get your autograph can it be sold on Ebay and how much should one charge?