Free Soloing Ethics?
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Recently, my friend and I were gearing up for a classic 5.7 at Lumpy Ridge in Estes Park, this is early in the season which means that all other areas are closed to climbing due to raptor chicks still nesting, and on a weekend. There are limited routes at this time, and this one is a well trafficked moderate classic. |
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Not one single person, living or dead, cares about YOUR process when you solo. |
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I would say it's pretty fucked up to even mention falling to somebody about to attempt a free solo. I would be pissed off too!!! |
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I'm sure she was long gone before you finished getting ready. If you can't say something nice.... |
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I've been passed on many routes at Lumpy and in the Park by soloists. It ain't a big deal. |
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i think it is very rude and selfish to solo around other climbing parties. |
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Seth Hogan wrote: Essentially, I was trying to ask questions with, hopefully obvious answers, like "Have you climbed this before?", "Do you do this often?" etc...Merely trying to gauge her as a climber.If you weren't satisfied with her answers, what did you plan to do? Call the Crag Police? |
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I have solo'ed a few routes. But if a party was at the base I have asked if I could start up. As such, if the climber in question failed to even acknowledge the other party and assumed they would just go they deserved a comment. Not sure I would say what the OP said but saying something was in order. |
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caughtinside wrote: Pretty ignorant. I've scraped up a couple trad climbers who have decked and helped them best I could.am i the one being ignorant, or are you??? you don't think your actions affect other peoples lives, or you just plain don't care? I never said anything about not soloing, do what you want, but saving people from watching a gruesome death seems like a pretty basic human concept. there are plenty of routes, crags, and times of day where you can go and not see other people. That's why it is SOLO right, meaning just you, by yourself... |
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just for the record, |
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John Tex wrote: If you aren't comfortable seeing a soloist then once again, climbing might not be for you.There are very rare times when I'm not comfortable around another climbing party, whether it's a soloist or folks partnered up. In that case, I go sonmewhere else. I don't need to see any tragedies. After 45 years of it, I'm kind of sure that climbing is for me. |
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I never liked soloing around or past other climbers. Whenever I did it I felt like a pretentious show off that left me feeling a bit gross afterwards. I'd rather just wait until they're gone or go find something else to climb. |
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Joe A wrote:I never liked soloing around or past other climbers. Whenever I did it I felt like a pretentious show off that left me feeling a bit gross afterwards. I'd rather just wait until they're gone or go find something else to climb.thank you Joe, much respect |
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This is me soloing m.facebook.com/story.php?st… |
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i mean fuuucck. |
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I don't like soloing around others (kinda takes away from the 'solo' part), but it doesn't stop me. The proximity of other climbers/observers may stop me from soloing something that I haven't soled before or something that is 'hard' for what I solo. But on routes I have dialed or on grades that I'm super comfortable on, I often times solo in from of many people. |
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If you are endangering someone by potentially falling ON THEM (or knocking choss on them), I think it is a very different issue than if you are endangering their mental health by falling in front of them. |
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christoph benells wrote: but saving people from watching a gruesome death seems like a pretty basic human concept.So why don't lead the way and NEVER climb in the presence of non-climbers? For that matter, ice climbing is sketchy as shit, so you know, why not stop using it as your profile photo? That said, there was this one time I thought a soloist was pretty inconsiderate: soloing a route with fresh flowers at the base left by family of a deceased climber (decked off the route a few weeks prior), and then proceed to deck in the presence of the said family. That was pretty fucked up... |
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Soloing and ethics are an odd pairing, maybe soloing etiquette would be closer to the mark. |
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Allen Sanderson wrote: But if a party was at the base I have asked if I could start up. As such, if the climber in question failed to even acknowledge the other party and assumed they would just go they deserved a comment. Not sure I would say what the OP said but saying something was in order.+1 It might have been better for the OP to say something like 'have you climbed this route before'. However, the soloist could have controlled the tone of the conversation by broaching the subject. If someone assumed they could budge in front of the line because they have no rope, I'd might say something stupid too. |
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"You've just gotta promise not to fall on us, okay?"
You're an asshole. I've been accused (and rightly so) of saying some pretty insensitive shit to people, but christ man ... If she was going to move faster than your party (and she was), the appropriate comment would have been, "Why don't you go on ahead of us?" Her response seems perfectly justified, even benign considering your transgression. What made you think your comment was appropriate? Bruised chauvinist ego? |