Route Naming

I am headed off this weekend to (hopefully) set some ground up Trad climbs. I was briefly thinking about route naming earlier and was wondering how everyone else names climbs?

Something you kick around while climbing that kind of sticks?

Or, as I'm sure some do, do they relate to inside jokes or awesome stories about developing the route?

I'm sure some of you guys have some epic and/or amusing stories that go along with working these routes. Let's hear them!!!

something that alludes to genital girth or weight.

frankstoneline wrote:something that alludes to genital girth or weight.

"Genital Girth". I think you have your next route name.

It just depends on what is happening at the time. Some of the routes I have named have been spur of the moment names. "Bit the Dust" for instance was because the cord holding the drill broke and it fell 30 feet to the ground bending the drill bit."Buddy's Grunt"...named for when my climbing partner Buddy grunted with strain at the crux.

I put up a route in 2011 and just couldn't find a name to fit the route. This was a couple of weeks before the Tsunami in Japan. After I heard on the news that the people of Japan were calling the workers who volunteered to work in the nuclear plant 'Atomic Samurais"...I had my route name. My friends followed up on that idea with "Sandstone Tsunami", "Fukushima", "Epicenter" and "The Shadowless" on the same wall. For some reason we like to do theme walls.

Others are names I have had in mind for years. I have a list of well of 100 names.

JB

Yeah, it's stuff that's happening at the time for me, unless the wall has an established theme.

Fresh Lemons was coined because my second was giving me a ton of crap that i had put fresh lemons in my water bottle that morning. certainly a nice name for a chossy, grass filled pile of crap 5.9+.

Lance S wrote: "Genital Girth". I think you have your next route name.

Now I'm going to be looking for a nice fat hand crack to name this! I guess it's what I deserve for asking the blogosphere about naming things... First response being along the lines of "penis!"

I like the anecdotes so far... keep 'em coming!

I like to give it a random set of acronyms and let people try to guess what it means.

J.C.I.D.C.
K.A.P.W.P.F.
S.M.D.
W.W.J.C.S.U.H.A.

Get it?

sweagan wrote: W.W.J.C.S.U.H.A.

this one.

You don't need to name a route, they name themselves.

Salamanizer wrote:You don't need to name a route, they name themselves.

+1

The easier the climb: something with the word "Dr. Death" (I believe that's a climb in NY somewhere...) or "Deck to the ground" or something else morbid.

The harder the climb: something with the word "Cloud walk" or "Staircase to the clouds" or something else super opposite of what it is.

It's like sandbagging but with names and more of a mental thing.

I think the name: "Dr. Death III" is available...

sweagan wrote:I like to give it a random set of acronyms and let people try to guess what it means. J.C.I.D.C. K.A.P.W.P.F. S.M.D. W.W.J.C.S.U.H.A. Get it?

nope. sorry.

but naming routes before you do them is a little like naming dogs/kids (yep...i just made the comparison) before you know them. it will come to you. hopefully will honor the area (if applicable), fit in with the other names (see rincon in eldo), and be inviting enough to get folks to want to give it a lap!

i have been waiting to climb 'jesus chrysler' for 20+ years... and i suspect now that i never will (until you find the route that fits!!!)

scott

I have a list of killer names.... but I can't share em...

But some Names just pop up and fit.

Have fun "setting Trad routes"