Poll - Running It OUt

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Okay, so I was thinking about this the other day, and the bolt nazi post further piqued my interest. How often do you find yourself making dangerously runout moves close to your limit. As in there is a real chance of blowing this move and a real chance of breaking bones or worse. Sure, i've run it out on easy gear and easy friction (subjective obviously), but I don't know if I've ever made a genuinely hard move way out from good pro, or even above sketchy pro without good pro reasonably close below.

[catbirdseat]

If the chance of falling is high and the consequence of the fall is serious, I'll back off. The runout could be 10 ft or 100 ft, but what counts is whether you will hit something.

[TrogdortheBurninator]

So CBS, you would pull a 5.9-5.10 move 100 ft out with a clean fall?

[G-spotter]

If your only choice is pulling the move or downclimbing, and you'll fall off if you try to downclimb, you don't really have a chance do you. If it is that runout how are you going to back off? Inflate the helium balloons you'

re carrying and make like Pooh?

 

[kevbone]

but what counts is whether you will hit something.

 

Im going to agree. The real trick with run outs is; are you going to get hurt? And if you get hurt. Will you climb again? If you don’t climb, then you will be asking yourself in the hospital bed. Why did I run it out?

[G-spotter]

focussing on negative consequences is a good way to fail. if you get in a car accident today (and you COULD), would you ever post a dumbass remark to cc.com again? better stay home...

[catbirdseat]

So CBS, you would pull a 5.9-5.10 move 100 ft out with a clean fall?

You got me, there. No I wouldn't. There's the real part and there is the mental part and I probably couldn't handle that. The scariest lead I've done is The Kone, which isn't really very run out, especially compared to what it was formerly, so I am told. The longest run out I've done is Pigdogs on Parade, but the climbing was easy.

[kevbone]

would you ever post a dumbass remark to cc.com again?

 

Of course I would. I would be home terrorizing you from my computer.

[kevbone]

I have soloed the south east corner at Beacon about 100 times. its 600 feet, 5.7. is that run out enough for you.

[G-spotter]

The longest run out I've done is Pigdogs on Parade, but the climbing was easy.

 

Well you should have done QoB or BranFlakes then.

[catbirdseat]

I'm not familiar with those routes. Are they also on the Apron?

[G-spotter]

just left of PDoP

[miladugga]

I don't know, if I look down and my last piece is sliding down the rope, does that count as running it out? Of course, if you climb at x38 as often as i do, everything starts to seem runout...

[gmknight]

If you are climbing at your limit after watching your pro slide down the rope, then I would guess you qualify.

 

I have only pushed my limits in a runout a few times, and then it is because I am scared of downclimbing and scared of being a wuss.

[JosephH]

As I said in the bolt nazi thread, it really depends on the situation. At my limit I've probably backed off as many as I've runout over the time I've been climbing. It's again hard for me imagine a personal "I don't do runouts" policy in the same way many people say "I don't free solo".

 

Regardless of the potential for hitting something - going or not for me is always an on-the-spot decision based on a running risk analysis. Some days I'm up for it, some days I shrivel. Last week I did a hard roof with a definite ledge fall over a #00 cam after realizing the hold I used to establish good pro higher up was no longer there. I hemmed and hawed, but finally decided retreat wasn't a very attractive option either and so managed the moves - just barely.

 

I didn't have complete confidence I could stay established above the roof, but felt I could at least aim a fall, that even if the cam blew it would slow me down, and I had a good idea of where I was likely to end up even if it might be rough. Would I do the same thing tomorrow? I don't know, but I'll be finding out as I'll be heading back up to check out some nearby lines. It was right on the edge and it will really depend on how I feel when I'm under it again. Hopefully having recently survived it I'll be able to just move through it this time with a minimum of angst.

 

And that brings up the issue of familiar versus onsight runouts. Given a choice, I really prefer them onsight as I find there is nothing worse than trying to "remember" your way through one; better to approach it fresh.

[colt45]

I never run it out on dangerous terrain where there is a pretty good chance of me falling.

 

My reasoning is simple--I like to go climbing as often as possible, so if I do put myself in dangerous runout situations where there is a good risk of falling, plus a good risk of injury in the event of a fall, then obviously I will eventually fall in this situation and be seriously injured.

 

It seems to me that anyone who routinely runs it out near their limit, either (1) isn't really climbing near their limit because if they were they would have fallen by now or (2) isn't really on dangerous 'runout' terrain because if they were they would have been injured in the inevitable falls??

 

Not to say I only do climbs with pro every two feet; rather if I do run it out I try to ensure sure that I am "solid" on the moves and comfortable with any potential consequences.

 

If your only choice is pulling the move or downclimbing, and you'll fall off if you try to downclimb,

you don't really have a chance do you.

 

You do have a choice--don't climb that far on irreversible, unprotected climbing in the first place! Also it can be extremely valuable to pratice downclimbing.

 

Last year I met someone who onsight free-solos 5.10. I didn't know how he did it (didn't seem like a risk-taker)...until I ran into him at Nevermind and saw him casually climb three consecutive laps, up and down, on a 5.12. Then I understood!

 

At a slideshow a couple years ago, Peter Croft also mentioned that he pratices downclimbing all the time and that he thinks it isn't that much harder than climbing up but that most people aren't good at it because they don't practice.

[kevinoregon]

One of the things I love about climbing is the feeling I get when I am climbing above my gear. Once out there, every move requires risk analysis and sometimes falling is not an option. One of the scariest was not a long runout, but my feet were 8 ft above a small stopper that I did not feel real good about and the moves were through the 11a crux on a blank section of wall. I finally got back into crack below a roof, but was too tired to hang and put something in. Even though the runout was not great, the ground would be next if the stopper blew. It is in those moments where you find out where your head is at. I think we all know what will happen if panic sets in. I did the only thing I could. I made another move through the roof and found a good stance.

 

This year I took about a 30 ft fall on a bomber stopper. It was the first time I have fallen that far in about 10 years or more. I pulled the crux move the second time. I had to cause I knew there would not be enough for a third try. When I am feeling good and my head is in the right place, crux moves above my gear can be exciting.

 

So yeah, I will run it out on hard moves. Not 100 ft out. Risking a 20 or 30 ft fall is plenty run out for me and I will try to stay away from the 'falling is not an option' situations, but if you find yourself in one of those situation being able to keep a cool head will likely get you through it.

[Maestro]

Being basically lazy, I will run it out if I am more comfortable with the climbing than I am fiddling around trying to get gear in while hanging on a crimper. I would try to avoid having that happen close to my limit though. I don't like to get into the falling is not an option situation either, but occasionally it happens.