If first arrival does not have their rope off the route in a respectable amount of time, be prepared to move that rope or share that rope at DL. Respect, ask, share and get along.

Thanks, Michael.

We typically do *much* better than first-come first-serve. Mark really succinctly gets to the heart of how we actually have been making sharing work around here for the last 30-40 years.

Share and share alike...I say. Might get a little WET rapelling IN Devil's Lake.... ;)

Josh, I don't find that in the recent, 3rd edition. You'd have to tell me what page that's on, about leaders having right-of-way?

That was kind of the prevailing attitude among climbers in the 1970s, but I think it fell by the wayside in the 80s.

At Devils Lake it is pretty unrealistic to expect that 95% of climbers will always yield priority to the 5% who lead. If 5 people are waiting in line to TR "Brinton's", would you really expect to waltz up and make them all step aside while your buddy tries to do his first lead on it?

(On the other hand, if there is a rope but no one is actually climbing, I'm seldom shy about asking if I can pull their rope off to one side while I lead. "Respect, ask, share." There will be times when you make others feel rushed, and there will be times when you wait longer than you think necessary, but in general it works pretty well.)

I waited over an hour once in the Gunks, semi-patiently, as some noobs were setting up their first rap down a very popular route. They looked ready to descend any minute, but it stretched out for an hour as we stood beneath ready to get climbing on the route. Coaching sometimes helps to speed things along.

I just read my 3rd edition and under ethics' on pgs 14-16, there is only mention of not hogging routes. No leader preference listed. Without reading the rest of the entire book, I doubt if there is anything about this mentioned in some paragraph hidden in some chapter. Seems there is nothing designating that leaders still have the right-of-way on any route.