What % of people drop climbing because of time consumption

What % of people that you know that started out climbing just gave it up because it takes too damn long to get to a crag, or because it's it's too expensive and requires hauling gear around, or some combination of all the above?

Climbing is great but damn if it isn't a huge time commitment, money commitment, occupier of space (bouldering pads, quickdraws, etc), and just requires a lot of... not actually climbing... between belaying or spotting during bouldering

If someone isn't willing to spend the time and money to climb, it isn't for them. That applies to other pursuits, but I suppose climbing is often an all-day or overnight endeavor. It just depends on how much they like it. If they like it enough, they will make it a priority.

No one can give it an accurate percentage. Some quit because it's just too scary.

My two cents.

I would bet most people drop due to time, then at some point or another the climbing bug bites them again and the start once again and they cycle in and out based on available time and frustration

jamesldavis1 wrote:What % of people that you know that started out climbing just gave it up because it takes too damn long to get to a crag, or because it's it's too expensive and requires hauling gear around, or some combination of all the above? Climbing is great but damn if it isn't a huge time commitment, money commitment, occupier of space (bouldering pads, quickdraws, etc), and just requires a lot of... not actually climbing... between belaying or spotting during bouldering

Could you frame this with some sort of context

Interesting topic: I used to climb 3-4 days a week very consistently. Now with a girlfriend, kid/serious job and a house my gym sessions are usually an hour at most and if i get out twice a month then I'm stoked.

Hard to balance it all and my girlfriend wants me to get out because she knows it feeds my soul, but i'll tell you I wish i was as passionate about trail running or yard work as I was about climbing because it does take a shit load of time to get a proper day at the crag in. Weekend trips are few and far between.

I suspect that may improve as the little one gets a little bigger.

jamesldavis1 wrote:...takes too damn long.

I read this as you live in an urban area rather than an out of doors friendly environ.

jamesldavis1 wrote:...it's too expensive and

Climbing requires an initial entry level investment that is pretty low compared to say cycling. Though it is considerably more expensive than running. I'd say climbing falls in the middle range for cost not the high end.

jamesldavis1 wrote:...requires hauling gear around

Very subjective. Depends on the type of climbing game being played.

jamesldavis1 wrote:...occupier of space

If a full backpack, a rope and crash pad are killing your available space for storage I am going to get back to the first item. you live in an urban environ that is not condusive to climbing.

jamesldavis1 wrote:belaying or spotting

Of all the excuses youhave listed for quiting this is the only one I find completly petty. Any one that told me they didn't want to climb because of belay time would quickly get deleted from my contacts.

Now that Iv'e beaten that up I will say that there have been times in my life when other priorities did prevent me from climbing for years at a time. Since then I examined what was important to me and quit my very time demanding job and found a job that allows me time to climb. I and my spouse decided we were not having more children. I began fostering relationships with climbers that have similar goals as myslef. I relocated to a geographic area with a high concentration of local crags that is equidistant from multiple world class climbing areas. In short I made it a priority.

Climbing is really cheap compared to alot of hobbies out there, if you sport climb 500$ and you are set for years (maybe additional 100$ a year in shoes or something). Heck I think climbing over a year is alot cheaper than people who go to bars at least once a week and drink.

I guess it is alot more time consuming than playing video games but it isn't that much less time than alot of hobbies.

100% of climbers will drop climbing after their time is consumed. Until that sad but inevitable day, all the climbers will be climbing.

ViperScale wrote:Heck I think climbing over a year is alot cheaper than people who go to bars at least once a week and drink.

+1

I have plenty of friends that don't really seem to have any specific hobbies, they just go to bars, restaurants, and movies. They probably spend way more on those activities than I do on climbing gear, gym membership, and gas for driving to the crag.

The amount of time spent on climbing is directly related to your proximity to your climbing destination. Travel is the biggest factor. When I lived in Michigan, travel would eat up nearly one day of a long weekend trip. Now that I live in Albuquerque, travel is but a mere blink.

Climbing regularly to gain strength and push your climbing-career limits takes a lot of time. That's when it's important to know what your limits are even when you're not regularly climbing. A person doesn't need to stop climbing altogether and sell off the gear when they aren't climbing as regularly as they'd prefer. Just tone your goals down. Climbing is fun at all levels.

I suppose I'm thinking of cost just for young people getting into the sport, who might otherwise be into running, playing ultimate frisbee, basketball, skateboarding, tennis, etc.

It may be of your opinion that you don't want anything to do with someone who wouldn't be into belaying and spotting, but I think to dismiss that it isn't a valid factor that half the time at the crag is guaranteed to not be climbing, would be inconsiderate to other people's criteria.

For instance, if you live in downtown LA, and want to climb outdoors, and you're looking at Malibu, newport beach or chatsworth, they're all guna take .75-1.5 hrs on a Saturday, each way. Then you're talking about waiting for the route to open up, climbing, belaying your partner, waiting another long while for a route to open up, repeat. It's just timely is all. Which for some is great. For some, less than ideal. I guess that's why the gym can be so ideal, albeit obviously not as fun as climbing outside.

Just a question, no need for some people to get defensive. Glad for the people who do find the time, and who enjoy that climbing, rock on!

I suppose I like climbing is to promote egos and the most important is I like standing at the top of the mountain .

I am a lawyer and work 50 hours per week. I have a 15 month old daughter and am married.

I climb outdoors most weekends and climb indoor or outdoor another two times a week.

Proximity is a definite reason why I can pull this off. I live within 30 minutes of 500+ routes. There is also a nice lead wall in my town and a nicer bouldering wall in the "city" of Fredericton 15 minutes away.

If you like it enough, you make it work.

One of the things I like about climbing is that it is a "day waster." I hike into an area with all sorts of thoughts swirling through my brain and 10 or 12 hours later, hike out listening to my footsteps, looking at the sunset, not a care in the world. It really is the most amazing thing.

I fail to see how it "takes up time" when it is the activity I choose to partake in when I have no other responsibilities (e.g. work, family time, etc). EVERYTHING you do uses your time. I just prefer to spend mine outside, hopefully climbing.
Can you see my confusion here?

One hundred percent, minus Fred B.

Dom wrote:I am a lawyer and work 50 hours per week. I have a 15 month old daughter and am married. I climb outdoors most weekends and climb indoor or outdoor another two times a week. Proximity is a definite reason why I can pull this off. I live within 30 minutes of 500+ routes. There is also a nice lead wall in my town and a nicer bouldering wall in the "city" of Fredericton 15 minutes away. If you like it enough, you make it work.

Your wife must be a saint. You being able to get out that much has everything to do with her willing to sacrifice her time so that you can have your fun. My wife would simply laugh at me if I asked if I could climb 3 times a week. I am lucky to get out once a week and usually cannot manage that frequency. My ability to get out and climb all but stopped once I became a father. It had nothing to do with a lack of ambition on my part or because I live too far from rocks. Everyone's situation is different... not everyone can make it work just because they like it enough. Your post clearly struck a cord and I am totally jealous, so I apologize for the tone. But seriously, you are lucky as hell if you can get out that often.

gabeschwartz wrote: not everyone can make it work just because they like it enough. But seriously, you are lucky as hell if you can get out that often.

If they cant make it work, 90% of the time it's because of choices they made that put themselves in that situation in the first time. Getting out has absolutely nothing to do with luck, it has to do with making the correct choices in life.

I find that by far the number one consumer of time, and a sure way to kill your after-work life permanently, is to have kids. Kids are a full time commitment unless you have a stay-at-home wife, in which your full time commitment is working 24.7 to support her. Another way to kill it is to get a job that requires tons of overtime. A third way to kill it is to marry someone who does not climb or does not highly support climbing.

Those three choices alone can easily (and almost always does) make the difference between a weekend warrior that climbs 5.9 and gets out 2x a month, and someone who cranks .12+ because he hits it 4x a week.

So dont have kids, get a fun wife, and say no to being overworked. Hell, I would do all three of those even if I dident climb.

"Climbing is great but damn if it isn't a huge time commitment, money commitment, occupier of space (bouldering pads, quickdraws, etc), and just requires a lot of... not actually climbing... "

Probably goes without saying that adventure multi-pitch is not on your list. :-)

20 kN wrote: If they cant make it work, 90% of the time it's because of choices they made that put themselves in that situation in the first time. Getting out has absolutely nothing to do with luck, it has to do with making the correct choices in life. I find that by far the number one consumer of time, and a sure way to kill your after-work life permanently, is to have kids. Kids are a full time commitment unless you have a stay-at-home wife, in which your full time commitment is working 24.7 to support her. Another way to kill it is to get a job that requires tons of overtime. A third way to kill it is to marry someone who does not climb or does not highly support climbing. Those three choices alone can easily (and almost always does) make the difference between a weekend warrior that climbs 5.9 and gets out 2x a month, and someone who cranks .12+ because he hits it 4x a week. So dont have kids, get a fun wife, and say no to being overworked. Hell, I would do all three of those even if I dident climb.

I full heartedly agree. Decisions I have made in my life make it so that I cannot climb as often as I really want to. I was just surprised to see another father... one who works 50 hours a week no less... say that if you want it bad enough you will make it happen. There are only so many hours in a week, and if I spent 20 of them climbing instead of helping my wife raise our son, I wouldn't have a wife for too much longer.

...you don't want anything to do with someone who wouldn't be into belaying and spotting, but I think to dismiss that it isn't a valid factor ...quote>

I as a leader address this by being efficient and having a plan/system. If your partener takes so long to set up a belay that you are bored/tired then I would try to train him up on adopting a system and sticking with it. I am not being defensive I am stating that if you were an antsy belayer I would do one of the following. Get faster. Replace you.