Do you consider this odd?

While sport climbing today at a local area, my girlfriend and her friends had led a climb that ends with chains for anchors. The last of their party top-roped up the climb to clean the draws and clean the anchor. As she was clipped into the anchor chains and feeding the rope through the chains to rappel down another climber began leading up the route. That just seems nutty to me as it did them. There was no queue for the route and no one else in the area had expressed interest in leading it. So what's the rush?

Obviously, this isn't a huge issue but I could see where it might freak out the person at the anchor cleaning the route and perhaps make anchor-cleaning climber feel pressured to clean faster which might lead to a mistake. I know this is situation is more-common practice on long alpine routes where expedient climbing can mean the difference between a long day and an epic but on an 9-bolt sport route? Is this common practice elsewhere?

Seems pretty rude to me.

Going up the same route while someone is still cleaning seems silly and rude.

Should've rapped/lowered her right into the dude. Maybe at last my long-lost dream of full-contact climbing is coming to fruition!

they must have been more hardcore than you. I would have dropped rope in their face . maybe they were gym climbers.

maybe the thought was that the rap fall-line was out of the way of the lead?? or just another poor decision.

I've had a couple of these incidents at JTree. The most memorable one was when I took my wife out there and actually got her to climb. I took her up Double Dip and while taking in the climb on top of the beginning flake another dude started up. Climbing fast (easy climb) he reached Maria at about the third bolt and actually unclipped and handed her the draw. He waited at or about that area and my wife finished up. Upon telling me this, incensed, I rapped down to meet this guy and proceeded to tell him that there are 2500 routes in JTree and get off of people's tails. He snapped some crack-head response, and I cocked my right arm back like I was going to smack him silly right there. He grabbed his draw with both hands and cowered down. I told him how fucking pissed I was, and if I ever saw him doing shit like that again, I'd be waiting for him at the base! He didn't say another word....Ah, to be young....
Anyway, I hope you spoke up and told those others to chill for a bit until you were done

Wait till he's just about to clip...then yell "rope!" and blast him with it. Let him take that whip!

Oops! My bad...didn't see you climbing right up under me....

I agree with Tea, wait until he is in a vulnerable spot, then let loose some sort of barrage on his stupid a*s!
At the very least, tell him what a rude sack he is!

Starting on a route that someone's still on is rude, stupid, and dangerous for all involved. If I'm on the ground, I usually try to stop the rude, stupid, and dangerous person with a firm but kind admonition. If I'm the the air and the RSD person starts climbing under me, I am firmer and not at all kind. Of the few RSDs who've tried this nonsense near me, none has continued to climb after I've either: (a) asked them firmly but kindly to not start climbing on a route my partner or someone else is on; or (b) bellowed at them from the route with colorful descriptions of their mental acuity, psychological makeup, likelihood of living to reproduce, funny looking clothes, probable family lineage, etc.

Anyone who knows me will know while I favor (a), I am quite capable of (b).

Peace out.
Jerome

Jason Halladay wrote:... I know this is situation is more-common practice on long alpine routes where expedient climbing can mean the difference between a long day and an epic ...

In view of a general climbing topic. Just wondered if there were thoughts on etiquette for climbing under a team on the longer routes. Granted not the most ideal situation, but it does happen.

The two situations I had I was at the upper anchor, leader down below inquired, I said: "go ahead & lead also clip my gear if you want" (so as to move faster) then plan to bring up our seconds after the leader made their anchor.

Sound good or bad to anyone? I don't seem to have a problem, though rockfall is an inherent danger. My thought is better to move the leader up and get to a safer position for all teams; if they're faster than us, I'd just assume let them "play through". The 2 situations I had, we were able to climb separate routes, once the bottleneck abated.

Dude I'da been like, "Rock.....Rock......Rock.......Rock.....Rock....Rock....ect..

Thanks for the replies, all! We were just wondering if our reaction (thinking "WTF is up with this guy?") was an overreaction. It doesn't sound like it. I wasn't there otherwise I would have kindly but firmly requested the guy just wait the additional two minutes so my girlfriend could finish cleaning and rap down.

To take this question even further, it seems the climber may have been European. So then the question is, is this behavior more common across the pond? Even still, it seems like a bad idea.

Jason Halladay wrote: To take this question even further, it seems the climber may have been European. So then the question is, is this behavior more common across the pond? Even still, it seems like a bad idea.

No surprise there. Seems all to common from Euros. Sorry...gonna throw out a generalization here(flame away)...but a lot of Euro climbers I have run into over the years are LAME. Pulling this type of shit, clipping through your gear or anchor, blocking out multiple routes with un-manned ropes, flicking cig butts and tape and wrappers. Different (or lack of) ethics over there I guess. I had a bad day at the City of Rocks once, dealing with some very rude euros..and when I was marching out, ran (almost literally) into a posterior and quite personal view, of a euro woman grumping a mud falcon 10 feet off the path, with an outhouse in view! I flipped out on her. Once she left, I lobbed her turd on their windshield.

Tea wrote: ...... and when I was marching out, ran (almost literally) into a posterior and quite personal view, of a euro woman grumping a mud falcon 10 feet off the path, with an outhouse in view! I flipped out on her. Once she left, I lobbed her turd on their windshield.

Tea - if we had a MP hall of fame, that would be right up there at the top.

Tea wrote: a euro woman grumping a mud falcon.

Christ that's good! LaakmannProject kicks ass! On single pitch routes, unclipping your girlfriends draws(or whoevers), or in any way invading is VERY bad form. Multi pitch routes(especially long ones) let the follower beware. My thought anyways.

P.S.- did I mention I love the Bruce avatar Tea?
P.S.S.- "grumping a mud falcon", I really just shot some pee!

I actually did have this same thing happen to me while climbing out in Leadville last summer. The climber below me was a leader newbie and did not know any different. I am by no means saying that is a proper excuse. I continued my rap down until my feet were squarely on his shoulder which caused him to fall to his last clip. Of course, the young guy let out a mouth full of expletives until I gave him a mouth full of why exactly his actions are dangerous to not only himself but to me also. It is important to note that this is a 1 pitch sport area and he had full view of me, the anchor, and the climb.

What is interesting is that in the time he finished this lead, I lead the route next to him. When I was close to the bolts, and him, he actually asked me how to top out with a clean anchor and rap down. It was everything I could do to not lose my temper. I told him to clip his daisy into the anchor and wait for me. Before I walked him through, I chastised him because when climbers are irresponsible they put way too much on the other climbers in the area because we will be the folks who have to rescue their asses - if we actually choose too and some of us do have a duty to act (some of us don't). Believe it or not, this was not something he considered, and it is indicative of some of our climbing brethren. I suggested to him, and anyone else in this situation to no longer lead until he was competent enough to clean his own anchors, set his own anchors, escape his belay, and self-rescue if need be.

Larry Day and I were starting up the Naked Edge about 20 years ago when a couple of Euro's showed up to climb it. Right after I clipped the anchors at the top of the first pitch and, as Larry was lacing his shoes, Mr. euro-dog started up!

"WTF?!?! Larry said, You can't do that!"

"But we're famous French guides and in Europe we do theeeees all the time."

"Well, you're not in France now and you can't do it here." was LD's response.

"Sacre bleu! We will wait.", Euro-dog said, rolling a cigarette.

As LD followed each pitch the euro-dog was right on his heels. When LD picked up a foot, there was the euro-dog's hand. Larry kept waving them back telling them that if he fell he would certainly knock them off.

"Don't not worry, my American friend... euro-dog said, ...we do theeees all the time in France and we are very good climbers."

Whatever.

They were good climbers and placed only a few pieces on each pitch. As LD was following the 5th pitch, euro-dog was hot on his heels. He had clipped the fixed wire right off the belay and then led the ramp to the hand-crack with no other gear. Larry started up the crack, forgot to swing out for the pod and fell....right onto the top of the euro-dog who had just ducked under the flake. The blow knocked the guy into space and I'm sure he took at least a 50-footer because all I heard was LD swearing up a storm (You stupid euro-son-of-a-bitch! I told you...) and a blood-curdling scream.

Never did see those guys at the top. I hope they're okay.

Mal

Andy Laakmann wrote: Tea - if we had a MP hall of fame, that would be right up there at the top.

Brilliant! Hall of Fame for sure.

Tea wrote:Wait till he's just about to clip...then yell "rope!" and blast him with it. Let him take that whip! Oops! My bad...didn't see you climbing right up under me....

Good way to let 'em know why we wait that extra 2 minutes to start climbing.

She shoulda pissed on his route or hocked a loogie on the bolts.

He was probably from Jersey.

Seems to me this behavior would be considered pretty normal in a crowded indoor gym. Regretably, it's probably indoor ethics being used outdoors.