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Climbing with strangers

K-Tanz · · Phoenix, AZ · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 211

OP: I used to let just about anyone belay me. I thought that if someone was confident enough to take my life into their hands then they MUST know what they're doing. Then at one point a 12 foot fall turned into a 30 foot fall...and then I was lowered off the end of a rope (admittedly at least half my fault)....and then I saw an inexperienced belayer simply drop someone off a sport route. The list goes on.

Maybe start in the gym with someone? If you're looking for people in your area hopefully they can make some time to hit the gym once before. If all else fails and their MP profile is incomplete just go off superficials. Dreadlocks, 4wd vans, trucks with camper shells, vaporizers that you can send text messages to, and worn out Sanuks are all solid indications of a solid and stoic belay-hand.

The Rope Gun · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 5
Colonel Mustard wrote:Wrong. I have an hour and some change at the gym. If I can spend almost all that time bouldering, traversing, and doing the auto belay, I got far more out of it than spending half my time belaying somebody who is concerned with the issue of possible auto belay assist.
I see what you are saying. You are referring to a lap session at the gym. I don't train in that manner maybe that's why I cannot relate to that. My "lap session" is long trad days outdoors ha! But anyway, I get it.
Colonel Mustard · · Sacramento, CA · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 1,241

Sure, lap session (sounds like it takes a lot of $1s?). It had been an irregular work schedule that had led me to it, but I honestly get more out of it than the typical you go, I go bull sesh at the gym. Failing a dedicated training partner, I find I do more constructive work at the gym than with pards.

Outdoors, it all depends. And to bring it back around, I've climbed with plenty of strangers. I guess it's a risk, but you more often than not run into good belayers/partners. We use protection, of course.

Fan Y · · Bishop · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 830
Johny Q wrote: Based on the fact you represent yourself as a 5.10 climber who loves to ice climb ....... I doubt it. I mean, what would you do at the crags that I frequent? The easiest warm up would be your hardest project and ice climbing is just a wet form of aid, and I don't aid climb.
wow easy there 7c tiger...why don't you leave your little circle of climbers that worship ur ability to project a 7c and come climb with some ladies here that'll warm up on your project? i can introduce you to a dozen that live within 30 minutes from me? they are nice and don't talk shit and will put up your draws for you without asking for a lame excuse to justify your hangdogging...
Tim Stich · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,520

I was at the gym the other day and got a belay from someone that knew who I was and I kind of recognized him from who knows where and it was fine. Then his usual partners showed up and I climbed with another friend with some autobelaying in between. I almost asked a stranger to belay me on an autobelay, but it never came down to that. Whew!

Actually, I have asked strangers before if they wanted a belay if they looked new. Just throwing them in with my group, usually. We are the Borg.

J Q · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 50
climbnplay wrote: come climb with some ladies here that'll warm up on your project? i can introduce you to a dozen that live within 30 minutes from me? they are nice and don't talk shit and will put up your draws for you without asking for a lame excuse to justify your hangdogging...
I know, anything under 5.13+ is weak as baby shit.

Most of us who have been climbing for 20 plus years already know this, it's not a revelation, except to whiny boobs like you. Women can climb hard, surprise!!!!

Put downs that use women as a basis only show that you are a misogynist who really does think of themselves as superior just cause they have a dong. Obviously you are new to this sport. Your idiocy reminds me of the time I told my partner to man up then looked over at Lynn Hill crushing 5.13 for a warm down.

The women I have been climbing with have been putting up my draws for the last ten years.

I actually prefer to ask women for a belay at the crag. Soft catch and a great view!!
Fan Y · · Bishop · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 830
J Q wrote: I know, anything under 5.13+ is weak as baby shit. Most of us who have been climbing for 20 plus years already know this, it's not a revelation, except to whiny boobs like you. Women can climb hard, surprise!!!! Put downs that use women as a basis only show that you are a misogynist who really does think of themselves as superior just cause they have a dong. Obviously you are new to this sport. Your idiocy reminds me of the time I told my partner to man up then looked over at Lynn Hill crushing 5.13 for a warm down. The women I have been climbing with have been putting up my draws for the last ten years. I actually prefer to ask women for a belay at the crag. Soft catch and a great view!!
did you actually read what Johnny Q wrote in its entirety or are you just into bashing everyone? i'll help your lazy ass out - it's on page 3.
The Rope Gun · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 5

There is something special about "wham bam thank you mam" climbing with random strangers. Especially if it's a hot chick that can crank hard!;)

Tim Stich · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,520
The Rope Gun wrote:There is something special about "wham bam thank you mam" climbing with random strangers. Especially if it's a hot chick that can crank hard!;)
There's also a tinge of sadness for those one night stands where the young woman's sublime smile barely registers in memory anymore and the name is long forgotten. But you remember where you climbed and how you didn't want to go past that old pin on Keyhole Rock and how she was interviewing at Intel before they closed down their huge plant on Garden of the Gods Road.
Mark Paulson · · Raleigh, NC · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 141

I've spent many years as a touring musician, and have employed RC.com (before I switched over to MP) several times to meet people to climb with on days off in random cities, in gyms and outdoors. I've always had a great time. It's really not that hard to judge someone on an internet forum. It's part of the reason I used to keep my tick list up to date on RC.com (plus I liked the charts). When people respond to your partner request, you look at their tick list and post history, and subsequently ignore anyone who seems particularly bellicose, has horrible grammar, or who started climbing 6 months ago.

Freddy Brewster · · Humboldt, Ca · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 40

Holy shit this thread is almost 2 years old!!!! Has anyone died yet?

Excuse me it is 2 years old!!!

Tim Stich · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,520
shreddy wrote:Holy shit this thread is almost 2 years old!!!! Has anyone died yet?
Worldwide? Yes.
J Q · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 50
climbnplay wrote: did you actually read what Johnny Q wrote .
Are you really that stupid?

I guess so.
rob.calm · · Loveland, CO · Joined May 2002 · Points: 630

The “Epic Mike” post upthread reminded me of an experience I had in June 1994 at Devils Tower. This was before cell-phones and before the “voluntary” June closure. I had planned to climb with 3 friends from Tennessee for four days. I arrived a day late because of a work issue. When I got to Devils Tower, I found a note saying that since they didn’t care for the climbing there and since I had not arrived, they had left for Oregon to go canoeing. Disappointed I was walking around the parking lot when I saw three guys getting their gear out. One looked in his 50s and the other two in their late 20s. I introduced myself and explained my situation and inquired if there was a chance I could climb with them. Let’s call them Tom, Dick and Harry. Tom was the father and Dick and Harry were his sons. Tom asked if I could lead The Durrance Route (classic 5.6—easiest route at the Tower). I said yes and that I had climbed it a couple of years earlier. He said that I should lead him on one rope and his sons would follow as another rope of 2. He continued that he had wanted to climb the Tower for decades and that he had a terminal illness and that God had brought me to Devils Tower as an answer to his prayers to climb the route before he died. This gave me an unpleasant sense of responsibility. But OK this was better than not climbing.

At that time, I was in my 60s and my younger partners were faster on approaches, and often would slow up to point out some rock feature to make me think they were not slowing up for me but rather to examine some aspect of the environment. As we scrambled to the climb, I found that I was doing just that with Dick and Harry because they were slow. I wondered why these young guys were slower than me. Explanation came when we got to the base of the climb. Dick and Harry were chain smokers. For those younger readers who don’t know what it means, it’s this. You smoke a cigarette down to a small butt, take it out of your mouth, put it a new cigarette and light it using the burning end of the old cigarette. Oh, well. When we got to the base, there were 2 guys climbing the route. Waiting ahead of us was a party consisting of a guide and 2 clients. By then it was late morning but we could probably do the route as it didn’t get dark until 9 PM or so. Tom said I should point out anything that would help him learn more about climbing and asked what I thought of the 2 guys on the route. The first guy looked near his limit, was climbing carefully and placed a lot of gear. However, it was weird that on this basically straight crack, the gear was placed so that it created a lot of drag. I don’t think he used a single draw. I pointed this out to Tom who immediately understood the issue. The lead climber got to the first belay stance and decided to run out the route combining the first two pitches. I told Tom I didn’t think this was prudent given the drag and that he was climbing near his limit. He disappeared into the leaning chimney above and then a few minutes later reappeared as he fell. He had seriously injured an arm ( a fractured bone in the forearm). I looked at the belayer. He had not tied into the rope and there was about 5 feet left before it would zip through his belay device. I jumped over and put a knot in the end. The guide then turned to me and told me to tie into the rope and hold it while he jumared up to the injured climber on the very rope that was holding the injured climber. I told him that wasn’t a good idea since we didn’t how good the top piece was. He pulled rank and said that since he was a guide, and I should do as told. OK, I belayed but carefully positioned myself so if they fell, it wouldn’t be on me. He had gotten up about 15 feet when two people arrived on the scene. I recognized one (let’s call him X), who was a well-known climber, and also a guide. He looked at the scene and was appalled. I told X that I thought what we were doing was dangerous but had been ordered to do so by the guide. X ordered the guide to stop climbing and not move. As his partner belayed him X climbed to the fallen climber in a few minutes, assessed the situation, did some emergency first aid and set gear. SAR soon arrived with a Stokes litter. X and the climber were carefully lowered using a rope set by X. SAR proceeded to move the victim down the Tower to a waiting ambulance. The guide and his clients decided not to climb. I was ready to call it a day (it was about 3 PM), but Tom was more sure than ever that God had brought me to the Tower that day after I tied the knot in the rope holding the fallen climber and said we just had to continue. One of the rangers who was still there asked if we could collect the gear that was on the route and report to him the next day. Turns out that it was a #3 Friend holding the fallen climber and that the next piece was about 8 feet below it.

I led the first pitch. Dick started leading after I had brought Tom up (who climbed just fine). Dick needed me to drop him a rope end as he couldn’t do the pitch on lead. So the decision: we would climb as one party of four using 2 ropes and I would do all the leading. Things went along slowly but OK from that point with boys getting in at least 4 cigarettes at each belay. We arrived at the top about 8:30 PM. Tom again said that God had brought me to this point. I know I shouldn’t have done it, but I couldn’t resist. I told him there was a special Hebrew prayer for being kept in life to achieve a desired goal.
I chanted it. He was blown away and convinced that God had indeed brought me to Devils Tower as answer to his prayers.

It was now dusk. As we were getting ready to rappel, Tom said he had some kind of night blindness, namely, even at dusk he could see nothing. I’ve climbed with a blind partner, but since she lived with blindness all her life had skills to help cope with it. Tom didn’t. But with care and caution we rappelled and managed the scramble back to the trail. I said goodbye to many grateful thank yous from all three.

By time I got to the campground, it was raining as I set up my tent. I was so glad that the rain had not occurred while we were climbing or descending. The next day I brought the gear to the ranger and we talked about the foolishness of trying to jumar on a rope held by a single, unseen Friend.

As I walked around Devils Tower, I met 2 older woman, i.e., about my age. They belonged to a club whose members go around the country doing interesting hikes. They asked if I wanted to join them. I did and had a nice relaxing day. The following day, I met a young couple in the parking lot who were climbing some of the few sport type climbs at the Tower. I was quite content to top rope routes they led. The following day, I met a young guy who posted that he was looking for a partner. We had a good day as we switched leads on two classic 5.9 routes.

The three guys and I said we’d stay in touch, but it hasn’t happened. However, I often think of them.

Rob.calm

P.S. I refer to the good guide as X since when I first told this story 20 years ago, as it got repeated his name became associated with the incompetence of the other guide.

Tony B · · Around Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 24,665
David Sahalie wrote:82% of statistics are made up
LIAR!
I read it was 94!
rob.calm · · Loveland, CO · Joined May 2002 · Points: 630

Ben Bekerich:

Sheh-hekheeawnu. Blessed art Thou O'Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has given us life and sustenance, and preserved us to this season (occasion). Amen

Alex McIntyre · · Tucson, AZ · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 546

Spent a month on the road solo last summer and I had no issues climbing with people I had just met. The time I spent in Rifle left me with many new friends and future partners, and zero bad belays, as did my time in Salt Lake.

iceman777 · · Colorado Springs · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 60

Great thing about climbing with strangers is after the first climb there not strangers anymore .some were good partners some were bad meh . Just didn't climb with the bad ones after the first.

Let's see , if I had never climbed with strangers then .....

I wouldn't have done 49 routes on el cap .
Never really found my passion for ice climbing and stuck with it.
Never given trad climbing more than a occasional spin .
Never would have climbed with some of the great legends , notoriety aside .

I'm not a big fan of pot but one of the best partners I ever had used to have a joint, pipe or bong lit from the moment he woke up until he went to bed . Of corse I had a camel straight lit about the same amount of time so tit for tat.

I'm no expert at any climbing discipline but I can pretty much suss out the people ill trust to hold my rope, the rest I figure I'm soloing so I had better tone it down a bit .

Now fast forward 20+ years , I still climb with strangers And I'm still here So ?.......

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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