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Posted
He's right that in general sport should equal trad. I think where it might not sport should be > than trad because of limited placement opportunities.

 

 

wherever i've climbed, i've noticed no great difference between sport and trad "difficulty" at any given rating. in fact, at index, i can name a number of sport climbs that seem to me to be a bit harder than some trad lines at the same rating.

 

maybe it's different where this donini fellow climbs? or maybe it's just the old skool meme about "sportos" being weak and not nearly as strong and as manly as yester-year's gangsters?

 

and someone mentioned not caring about grades: in my twenty+ on and off years of climbing, i've never met someone who was really into climbing who didn't care about grades at all, at some point in their lives. but i certainly have met climbers who denied caring!

Posted

yeah...uhhhh...that would be me mentioning the grade thing...and uhhh, the hot pink blue thing is sooo not what they called it...those vicious sandbagging punks... :rolleyes:

 

My point, mr. kimmo, was that honestly, if there is a difference between the two, its one to two letter grades, tops...and i'll get into arguments with people over a single route and its rating...its so subjective that the difference is irrelevant...

 

if ratings were 5.X-, 5.X, or 5.X+ the discussion wouldn't even occur.

 

And, further, people in my twenty + on and off years of climbing, really only cared about grades as a measurement stick...sheesh...

Posted
hence my referencing Ben...keep up with the conversation, porter.... :rolleyes::lmao:

 

there was another in this thread who could also qualify for my comment.

yeah...tim and now, kimmo...peter wasn't too shabby either...

Posted

...and of course Mr. Cilley...but he didn't actually say anything...

 

oh yeah, and dwayner, supposin' he actually wins that longstanding bet/dare might be able to say sumpin'...

Posted
I find myself at this point where I don't really care about grades or even names of climbs - just lines unadorned by all our adjectives.

 

Now you're talking. Give me a trail map and I'll figure out the rest.

Posted
then there are the "sloe" people who find both too difficult.

 

And there are other people who find trad too frightening or too tedious and others who find sport boring as snott.

Posted

"the past year or so I find myself at this point where I don't really care about grades or even names of climbs"

 

this is what happens as one grows older, joseph. you start forgetting things, little things at first, and pretty soon...

Posted
So blow jobs are the downfall of climbing. Interesting theory.

 

Huh? I have no prob with BJ's. (Get me drunk enough and I might let you "speak into the microphone"). In fact, I think rock climbers should get BJ's, I just think they should get them the old-fashioned way. They should earn them.

Posted
i wasn't saying that you, (but poop and joseph were) were griping about ratings...I was just saying that at most, maybe its a letter grade off one way or the other...

 

i honestly think its more what ben said...ie, you will find what you do more of easier...

 

My apologies. I didn't intend to complain about anything, only to offer an accurate history of the how and why behind soft sport grades. You're old enough to know I'm right. Do I have a problem with soft sport grades? Not really. When one needs an ego stroke, he knows where to go. The only potential/theoretical problem is when a sport climber decides to borrow a rack. Perhaps he wouldn't expect to have to climb a full grade lower, but he'll figure it out quickly and probably won't get hurt.

 

I've dabbled in sport climbing, just a couple of trips to Smith Rock when it was raining everywhere else. I used to think sport climbing was better than no climbing. Now when the rain falls I'd prefer to ride my mountain bike or hike/scramble. Smith Rock is a long drive....and for what?

 

What I've noticed about sport climbing is that out-of-doors, it's pretty easy. Off the couch and with a beer gut, I climbed 5.11 all day in North Bend. Similar results at Smith. In fact, one year at Smith I got an 11d first try, tied in with a bowline on a coil. With a big-boobied belayer who left six feet of slack in the dirt at all times. The same year I would routinely get shut down on 5.10+ gear climbs.

 

Out doors, sport climbing is easy. All that is required is 2.5 seconds of staying power to make the clips. Natural rock offers purchases for your feet that your typical sport climber fails to see quickly. At the gym, I find the lead climbs incredibly hard. I used to train Sunday mornings with Scotty Hopkins down at the VC and later the VW. I'd be blasted after a couple of 5.10/5.11- leads. The climbs seemed extra physical. You couldn't employ precise foot work to minimize the pump. Out of doors, these grades seemed easy enough to climb all day, sport or gear.

Posted
maybe it's different where this donini fellow climbs? or maybe it's just the old skool meme about "sportos" being weak and not nearly as strong and as manly as yester-year's gangsters? ....in my twenty+ on and off years of climbing....

 

You pegged yourself as a "noob" with the comment about "this donini fellow". Maybe your climbing has been more "off" than "on".

"This Donini fellow" be the man twenty + years ago and then some, and he still is. Do some research. Check it out for yourself. [Try "Google" for starters.]

f_6.jpg

 

 

And there are other people...who find sport boring as snott.

 

guilty.gif

 

To measure your ego!

 

The Kevbone [predicatable and meaningless] Mantra!

Yawn.gif

Posted
i bet you can belay up to 5.X++ (sport) though.

I dunno about RumR but I belay 13a off the couch. It's great. When my buddy trains I've been known to catch 13c. I'm pretty impressed with myself.

Posted
"the past year or so I find myself at this point where I don't really care about grades or even names of climbs"

this is what happens as one grows older, joseph. you start forgetting things, little things at first, and pretty soon...

 

Already being quite old, the little things went long, long ago. And given I'm operating with reduced mental capacities there's not much point in attempting to clutter things up with details I'm not going to remember anyway. Besides, this way I'm only as good as the day I'm climbing and that keeps me motivated.

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