Texas

removed because i got the answers i needed. i feel so enlightened now, thanks!

CALL THE POLICE!

No seriously, if it bothers you then don't let them belay you. Problem solved.

Less problematic than belaying under the influence of stupidity.

Manky wrote:Less problematic than belaying under the influence of stupidity.

Word. There are some people that I trust to belay me drunk or stoned. There are others that I would never trust to belay me sober.

As for stepping in, saying something and intervening with someone you don't know, as the OP mentions, I would do so if I saw the belayer doing something stupid, whether or not the belayer is drunk/stoned.

I thought that this is why petzl made the gri gri 2, one hand for beer, one for spliff, and let the leader pull rope through the device as he/she climbs to the next beer (oops I mean belay) ledge.

Seriosly though if you dont like it the world is big with thousands of other places to go climbing, I suggest going elsewhere instead of worrying about other people's business. My two cents.

That was so my 70's life.........
Now we drink regularly in evenings while toproping on climbing wall in back yard. Our 'backup' is a grigri, and the 30" thick pole vault pit underneath us.

One of my mantra's is that belaying carries the same responsibilities as driving.

Along those lines, its irresponsible to BUI (Belay Under the Influence).

I would also challenge the previous poster's assertion that drunk/high belaying is a "norm" in the climbing world. It is not the norm, and it is not acceptable. Most climbers party but they don't mix the two.

You won't see me doing it, and you won't see my partners' doing it.

But, there is no place (and I would say its not your place) to report theis Its a personal responsibility issue.

The best you can do it take a "friends don't let friend belay drunk/high" stance amongst you climbing circle.

As far as people unwittingly jumping on the rope with an intoxicated belayer, I see it as a climber's responsibility to assess the competence of the belayer. I would not let some random Joe at a crag belay me until I have assurance that they are not going to drop me. Every belayer is presumed drunk, incompetent, stupid, and reckless until proven otherwise.

The one time I was dropped was at a gym by a another regular. I hadn't every paid attention to his belaying, but assumed he was OK because he was there often. Well, when I took at the top, he yanked back the grigri lever and let me fly. After the shock wore off, I realized he didn't know his head from his a$$ when it came to belaying. I view this as my own fault for letting him belay me without proper education.

Just my 2 cents,
Evan

I totally agree with Evan. I don't do it and I don't climb with people who do it. But for the people who do think it is okay, I let them be. Thats their desicion and their problem. Would I tell a drunk man that I am not letting him drive home tonight? I most definitely would. For the same reason I would tell one of my partners that they won't be holding that beer if they want to climb with me. But I wouldn't go to someone elses party to tell their drunk friends that they can't drive home tonight.

youtube.com/watch?v=C6cxNR9…

Darwin Award Winners to be

bkb0000 wrote:i dont particularly care for it either, but at least as far as i can tell, the VAST majority of climbers toke and drink while climbing.

Have to call BS on this. I have had a few partners that do weed but it isn't that common. And most only did it if there were others in the party that did as well. One on one most will abstain.

bkb0000 wrote:...as i can tell, the VAST majority of climbers toke and drink while climbing. if you have a problem with drinking and marijuana use, you either need to switch to knitting or stick to your own select group of teetotalers.

Remind me to avoid being anywhere near you and your crowd.
There are people who do, yes, but the VAST MAJORITY do not.

I've never seen it before and I don't think the VAST majority of people are somehow messed up while belaying. For some reason I also imagine that people used and climbed on crazier substances in the 60's/70's.

Manky wrote:Less problematic than belaying under the influence of stupidity.

No shit, I'd trust most of my climbing partners w/ a PBR in their hand over a lot of the "belaying" I see at the gym.

doesn't the"let people be if they're not belaying you, it's there choice" neglect to consider that any accident that occurs due to such situations suddenly involves the other climbers at the climb in the rescue and (hopefully not) body recovery? I mean, as long as you have a basic level of humanity and don't think, "screw them, i'm not helping someone that hurts themselves"

Pretty sure back in the 60's and 70's LSD and mushrooms were the also on the choice list espcially at places like Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Gunks, etc. In 17 yrs I've seen plenty and never seen a problem with it... no accidents, injuries, etc.

If someone is being unsafe say something otherwise mind ur own fuc*in bees!

Lisa - u better not start hangin out with boulders... I heard they are a real shady crew... you'll be surprised what happens on those 'pads'!!! And it even might be true that the some of the most badass hardest climbers/routes in the country send/are sent using da herb.

1Eric Rhicard wrote: Have to call BS on this. I have had a few partners that do weed but it isn't that common. And most only did it if there were others in the party that did as well. One on one most will abstain.

i love doing weed. Just did some weed. About to do more weed. In all actuality, has anyone witnessed anyone who is obviously way to wasted to be climbing?

Brent Apgar wrote: No shit, I'd trust most of my climbing partners w/ a PBR in their hand over a lot of the "belaying" I see at the gym.

Yeah, right? From my observations over the years, though, most reasonable people save the partying for after the last rap. Unless we're talking about multiple nights on a wall....

Morgan Patterson wrote: In 17 yrs I've seen plenty and never seen a problem with it... no accidents, injuries, etc.

Wish you'd been in Bocan in 1995. You would have seen that one time I ended up partnered with a stoner belayer, I didn't know he was one. Other friends of mine have similar stories about the same guy lighting up after they started up on lead. Anyway, if you'd have been there you might have been able to help me with my self-rescue, after I had been taken off belay and was dropped to a ledge when I took a lead fall.

Morgan Patterson wrote: Lisa - u better not start hangin out with boulders... I heard they are a real shady crew... you'll be surprised what happens on those 'pads'!!!

Yup. Know one guy who is about ready to start bouldering again after 3 years and multiple surgeries to put his feet and ankles back together... I wonder if he'll continue to to it stoned... the crash pad was a few feet away with someone sitting down toking on it.

I tried climbing stoned one day about 20 years ago- TR's only. IT was OK, but I couldn't figure out why someone would feel the need to climb that way unless they were that associated/dependent upon the drug for anxiety control. Anxiety is one of the side effects of withdrawl for some people. Anyway, it effects some people differently than others.

The good thing is that they usually only hurt each other. I avoid people in that condition.

In all actuality, has anyone witnessed anyone who is obviously way to wasted to be climbing?

Yes. They dropped a person. Fortunately it was the idiot belayer who ended up in a cast for 6 months.

What's the harm?!!?