The Brotherhood Of the Traveling Stopper.

There are a subset of climbers who climb trad, and a subset of those who seek out adventures in obscurity. And we are the Brotherhood Of the Traveling Stopper.
There are many ways to create adventure. Some by difficulty, some by circumstance, some by new territory, or by whatever means of your making that would please you. In the most recent case for me, I was 2/3 through a timed scrambling run with some friends in the flatirons. Tour De Flatirons
We started at a trailhead, run up to the The Recency , down the back, up the Royal Arch, down the back, then cross country up to the Fifth Flatiron, up the South East Ridge and down the back and then back to our cars. That's a 3-4 miles of running and about 1500' of climbing in an hour, all give or take a little on distance and time

I was bringing up the rear in this race with a few other guys when a hanging sling at the edge of the rock, in no man’s land caught my eye. Bringing up the rear in a timed race isn’t something I take seriously, but booty is. If I can’t outrun my pals, I can at least out booty them! I traversed out over to the edge, panting, and started cleaning the gear. I retrieved a brand new 4’ sling, a few biners, a small stopper and a threaded loop of webbing, all in near-mint condition. It was clear that this was bail gear and probably due to weather, as its position was not logical for anything other than escaping a storm.

The stopper was an old-fashioned straight-sided stopper and I knew immediately that this would be the stopper to go on a journey into obscurity. I had been wondering for a week what piece of adventure gear I would launch into cyberspace, and as soon as I extracted this one, I knew.

The traveling stopper shall behave somewhat like the Travelling Biner, but with slightly different rules:

1) Don’t ask for it if you are not going to use it.
2) Each recipient, having requested the stopper, shall use it, post a story about how and where, preferably with a link or picture.
3) The route must be an obscure or adventure route… No classics, and nothing pedestrian. There has to be a story beyond ‘I climbed Calypso and I placed it.” What kind of fun is that? We are looking for adventure of some sort, not a tick-list.
4) The stopper will go from climber to climber, not in any preconceived order, but to the person next responding after the previous story has been posted.
5) The poster/user shall mail it to the next recipient after they claim the prize, and post to whom they sent it and when.
6) If you have not used it and posted within 4 weeks, expect to be harassed. This ain't the "Brotherhood Of the Sittin-In-The-Closet Stopper."

I already mailed it to the next guy, where the travels begin.

Make sure each time it is sent out that who it was sent to is posted so you can keep track.

I have a late 70s Chouinard Hexentric I'd be willing to donate to the cause

In new condition, I want it back beat up with some stories to tell

Remember everybody, pictures are great, video is better! I do enjoy watching a good adventure. What is the person with the stopper going to do when the season is up? Send it on to someone doing mixed climbing or keep it until warmer weather?

Silly Evan, climbing season never ends. You live in TN, you of all people should know this!

I hole up like a groundhog in the cold Ryan.

+ (n+1)!

These ideas are awesome! I hope it doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

This sounds awesome! Please sign me up!

I'm as in as...I can't think of a good analogy but I'm totally in.

Enough of the talk. I am going to climb this weekend and snap a video of my hex along with a biner in Blodgett.

I like the idea of when a video or picture is posted that the next comment after the post receives the the gear.

I am going to keep my yellow tape marker around the wire. Once you receive the gear either place your colored tape on the hex or the biner. Cover half of my tape.

Video will be up Sunday.

It's officially on

Great idea Tony!!!!
I will be requesting this when Canada thaws out next summer and I go back to the Valhallas.

Awesome, count me in.

Has this stopper seen any action yet, or is this train still sitting in the station? Get on wit it!

yeah Tony, whoever you sent the stopper to needs to put the bong down, do some climbing, photo/video it and puff puff PASS that stopper!!!

Pass it!

OK!

Who wants it next!

Dibs!!