Distel32 Posted January 28, 2006 Posted January 28, 2006 people climbing hard yeah, so..........rriiggghhhttt Quote
knotzen Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 Serious question: Why do people boulder rather than do roped climbing? Is it because it feels freer not to deal with ropes? Because you can boulder without trying to wrastle up a partner (unless you need a spotter)? Shorter approaches? A cultural thing (snowboarders vs. skiers, etc.)? Quote
Distel32 Posted January 31, 2006 Author Posted January 31, 2006 haha, there is an old thread in the climbers board called bouldering is goofy, dig it up and read, or else take it to spray. But not in this forum Quote
knotzen Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 I'm not spraying, I'm asking seriously. Seems like a reasonable question for the Rock Climbing forum. But, hey, whatever. Cheers, man. Boulder on, yo. Quote
Distel32 Posted January 31, 2006 Author Posted January 31, 2006 I think some people would ask the same question about sport/trad/mountaineering/hill walking/ice climbing/climbing in general....no? it's fun, who cares? I tie in, I boulder, I even used to hill climb, such famous and arduous climbs like mt. baker, mt. persus in winter (at least grade VI, 5.16d, snow walking grade 9) and barring peak. WHAT WHAT! troll Quote
layton Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 I'm gonna spray on this thread whether you like it or not. Bouldering on underly large dirty earth rocks is not good Surely uncool cats kan suck Quote
Stella Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 I don't think there's anything wrong with alpine climbing and longer roped climbs generally. I think the logical climbing progression is to start bouldering and sport climbing, and as you get older and weaker, start more alpine stuff. The lack of required power and skill is offset by other things that make it exciting, like, I guess, reaaaaallly long bushwhacks, or falling snow or crumbly rock or something. I for one fully plan on being a "V 5.9 A2" climber when I can't pull hard moves anymore. Quote
Dru Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 The average gym climber wants to sport climb outside. On sport climbing, they find that it's sometimes a long way between cruxes so they take up bouldering which is all crux and no filler. But the bouldering is better the longer it is so they start highballing. it's only a short step from highballs to trad climbing - runout trad climbing is really just a series of highballs above gear instead of mats - and trad climbing leads to alpine climbing. There you have it. Gym climbing is the lowest rung on the ladder and alpinism the highest. Quote
Stella Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 I guess that's the problem with ladders. You say something is the top rung, then somebody comes along, flips it upside down, and now that same rung is the bottom. Your tortured metaphor just died a painful death... Quote
Dru Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 You can call down up but that doesn't make it so. Quote
DirtyHarry Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 You folks are making shit way too complicated. Bouldering is for those that want to call themselves "climbers," when they are really just gymnasts with funny shoes. Boulderers like to represent that they belong to some perceived desirable climbing lifestyle without actually putting forth much effort or sacrifice for it. It is very similar to ski bunnies you might find at a ski area who hang out in the lodge on powder days sipping foofoo drinks, just so they can wear ski outfits and go to skier parties, etc. Quote
Dru Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 Boulderers like to represent that they belong to some perceived desirable climbing lifestyle without actually putting forth much effort or sacrifice for it. Those king size mats can be pretty heavy for some girl with skinny legs to carry around! Quote
Stella Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 Tell me about it. Those pads are heavy. I guess that's true about boulderers. Definitely the lowest common denominator in climbing. I think the most important skill in climbing (and in that sense, this site is full of skilled climbers) is finding out what part of the sport you are bad at, then saying that part is for poseurs and wannabes. It's a great way to save your ego and make you feel better about your desk job. I know it works for me. It's weird, though: I've never met an actually GOOD climber who criticizes other parts of the sport. Huh. Quote
DirtyHarry Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 Funny how you just criticized us for being one-dimensional climbers who dislike bouldering simply because we are not good at it. However, ALL you do is boulder. I know Dru boulders and I do too. I'm not great at it, but then again, I usually only do it in the winter as training. I don't think bouldering is silly or a waste of time, but pursuing it as an ends in itself, just isn't really climbing. Quote
Stella Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 Yeah. It would be a hell of a lot funnier and more ironic if it were true. But it's cute of you to make that assumption - you say that because of my name? I started my climbing career mountaineering, then got into trad climbing and into big walls. As I got better at the actual physical aspects of climbing, I got into bouldering and sport climbing more. My personal ideal of the coolest climbing is long free routes on granite and sandstone, and in the global scale of climbing ability, I am a much better trad climber than a sport climber or boulderer. That's how I know they are more exacting disciplines. Quote
Dru Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 I'm better at bouldering than at knitting, so I guess by the same logic knitting must be a pretty exacting discipline. Quote
Stella Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 Maybe. But probably it just means that if you put in as much effort to knitting as you do to bouldering and still weren't good at it you are retarded. Peace. I'm outta here. Quote
Off_White Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 Stella's right, getting all jumped up to slam some aspect of the sport as invalid is weakass bullshit. I'm no more a boulderer than Dru and "Harry" but that doesn't mean I have no respect for folks who focus on that portion of the mosaic that makes up "climbing" these days. And hey, I know some kickass world class knitters, but I don't want to be a name dropper. Quote
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