Harden the F@#k Up!

Can't believe no one's quoted guidebook author Gerry Roach. Don't know about 'crusty', but he's not a youngster anymore, so I guess he qualifies.

"5.7 is HARD climbing, 5.8 is where you are really worried about falling off, and 5.9 is where you ARE falling off."

"Never pass up a chance to pee."

"Never get separated from your lunch."

"Remember that geologic time includes 'now'."

Charlie Fowler, after free-soloing the route on The Diamond formerly known as Reveley-Ferguson (5.10a):

"It's casual."

And finally, from some unknown goombah, describing the crux of the infamous grovel-fest Grandmother's Challenge in Eldo:

"It's all there."

Early '90s: This climber walks into a bar (Whiskey Creek, Bishop), sees a well-weathered but familiar face, and says, "Aren't you Warren Harding?" The guy turns to him and, with a wistful, half-soused grin, replies, "I used to be."

"Ya gotta be tough when you're dumb"
~Roger Allen Wade (Whoever that is)

This has special sentiment for me when applied to my climbing career. I first heard it from a USMC Major during the Katrina cleanup but I've used it ever since for many things; most emphatically, climbing.

Olaf Mitchell wrote:
"Remember, it's always desperate in The Black" I don't know the origin, It was probably Kor


This quote is attributable to Jimmy Newberry - Postmaster, Cimmeron CO
Jimmy is the first ascentionist of several desparte routes in the Black, including the Hallucenogen Wall, and suvivor of a couple of near fatal epics there also.

"This belay might hold,just don't fall"-Harvey Carter

"Just 'cause you climb 5.10 don't make 5.7 5.4"

"That's not the way the girl in the picture was doing it." ...whilst sketching on hard 10 face...

You're not really gonna eat that are you?

when talking to jim shimberg about leading upper refuse at cathedral

jim-"if you get scared...just stand up"

Fellow Staff to me after I taught teens how to climb for a week emphasizing safety as I asked for a firemans' belay:
"Oh, I forgot, we're being safe on this trip."

Are there any others out there who share my approach to climbing, or am I the only one who views falling as the ultimate failure, the loss of control?


i agree with you....i am a noob in the climbing world....have been climbing for about 2 years so my opinion probably doesn't matter much to people.

You started climbing in a much different era than I. Although all disciplines of climbing (boulder, sport, trad, etc.) have their risks, climbing is more mainstream today which means it is safer in many aspects. If you are learning to climb with nuts and hexes you are forced to take on this different approach of no falling in regards to self preservation (this holds true for most people i think). But if in your 4th month of learning to rock climb you go to the Red River Gorge and clip bolts on 100ft 5.12 jug hauls with clean falls...the fear of falling is reduced. in fact taking a 25 foot whipper on a bolt into open space is a lot of fun eventhough you are failing.

I went from the gym, to top roping, to sport climbing, and now finally learning to place gear. Bouldering and sport seems to me to be more of a physical game (unless highball bouldering aka soloing). Whereas using gear is a complete mental game that requires an incredible amount of focus and where falling usually has far more serious consequences.

all in all...i dread falling on gear...havent yet...just taken on gear..which to you is the same thing but to me is a little diferent.

" Don't use that tree, can't you see its uprooted. If everyone uses it, it will eventually come out and we won't have it as an achor anymore"

"We're mountaineers we have no fears we sleep in caves and ditches, we wipe our ass with broken glass and laugh because it itches."
....Some ole crusty climber

"Will you come stand over here and pretend to belay me so my wife won't know that I am free soloing this route?" ~ John E.

Me: "My jacket is buzzing, we've got to get off this peak now!"
Jose M.: "Ok man, just let me finish my sandwich"
Me: "Jose, lets go! [me walking off]"
Jose: "I'll catch up man just give me a minute."
[lightning strike]
Jose: "[running to catch up] ok, I am ready to go now."

A young mountaineer named "McPott" tied an insecure butterfly knot...He screamed as he fell - a maniacal yell! - "My God I'll be hardly a spot!"

"No one likes a whiner"

"I hate climbing. It is scary and hard. I just do it to make the beer taste better!"

Climber from top of pitch: "there is nothing wrong, i just want to encourage you to do your best on this pitch..." Pull up to the belay and realize there are only two slopers slung.

"if your not falling on top rope, you should be on lead."

of course different varieties of the classic, "take," "no" previously mentioned

after taking a long whipper where my toes touched the ground..."bet that was the softest fall you ever had." (it was probably true)

"this crag needs some cleaning up, you carry the car jack and the extra drill batteries" and, at the end of the same day, "next time you need to bring a bigger pack so you can carry more."

"if there ain't cactus in your crack, your not having fun."

Climbing trad on mount lemmon: "if you don't scrape away the dirt around the crack, you won't see that the crack isn't attached."



At the summit: "you were draggin ass down there, maybe i put to many rocks in your pack."

"[SNIP] Technically, yes, I have fallen, since any time I have hung on gear I have considered it a fall. However, in thirty-seven years of climbing, I have never merely popped off in an uncontrolled fashion. I have never blown out a hold or accidentally slipped or missed a move. I have, on countless occasions, downclimbed to my last piece and hung (technically a fall in my book). I know that most climbers of today view my approach to the sport as self-limiting.

[SNIP]

This is fine for other people, but it has never carried any weight for me.

[SNIP]

Are there any others out there who share my approach to climbing, or am I the only one who views falling as the ultimate failure, the loss of control?"


That pretty much sums it up for me. Well everything but that part about climbing 5.12....

Well, I wish I was on the Eiger right now, I'll tell you.