Don't crowd me at the crag...

John Langston wrote:douchebaggery.

Good word, John, although you are confusing it for making light of a topic that deserves nothing more. Maybe you shouldn't take yourself, or topics like these, so seriously.

"douchebaggery" Great word.

John Langston wrote:Did you read my post or just turn all red and start pounding the keyboard violently in response when you read that not everyone here loves you?

Take a deep breath, John. All that angst isn't good for your blood pressure. It's not my fault that your mother yanked you off the nipple too soon. Learn to see the humor in things. Laughter is good for the soul, and it makes you climb harder.

Here are a few cute guidelines on personal space
for those interested.

As for myself growing up in inner city LA, and years of experience living with, and dealing with sociopaths, and felons in my teen, and early adult years, and my babysitting of felons, and the criminally insane, the distance varies by my sixth sense (I got sKiLLz!) ; ) Why can't I just be normal? Anyway, at least my intimate friends, and co-workers are usually entertained by my madness ...Whoa, enjoy at arm's length please. : )

I second the motion regarding the FullNelson's post.
I'm still chuckling.

That looks like a decent book on communication, Gigette...succinct & to the point. Funny, the local libraries don't have it...just the one on communicating with spirits! Thanks!

its national "shat on a nearby climber" day! this can be done with words as well as excrement!

next climber to make me laugh and/or piss me off gets his or her route chopped! serious attempts to do either of the aforementioned need not apply.

Mr. Nelson,

You owe me a new pair of underwear, um well not actually a new pair, but they are ruined all the same.

I think we should all follow his lead and launch into nonsensical rants whenever a thread gets too serious or weird....

Um, they are nonsensical rants aren't they Mark?

Who's going to be the first to name a new route "Douchebaggery"?

Mark: POST OF THE YEAR DUDE!!!!!

Of course, it's nonsense (except I have been known to hit the Jane hard, er oh, we got shalacked by Boston this year, that's wicked-haaad)

-- climbing is as much about the people you meet as it is the climbs; if you can't figure that out, then you missed the point of on-belay 101.

Well Well Well for such a stupid thread it sure has gotten alot of panties in a bunch. Good to see that folks are now starting to post their thoughts in a for or against type of way. Very constructive!!! So I do believe this horse has been flogged to a bloody mess, some funny posts here!! The best part, I couldn't help but think this morning on my way to work, like we were trolling for Douchbaggery!!!!! I shit you not so this thing has come full circle for me and thats good stuff!!! so looks like bigtime and I are the minority bout 70% for climbing within fart smelling distance, and 30% for like one or two climbs over that way. Looks like this discussion was a success!!! Don't hold back more folks can still grab a switch and beat on this Pony some more!!!

Ken Cangi wrote: Good word, John, although you are confusing it for making light of a topic that deserves nothing more. Maybe you shouldn't take yourself, or topics like these, so seriously. "douchebaggery" Great word. Take a deep breath, John. All that angst isn't good for your blood pressure. It's not my fault that your mother yanked you off the nipple too soon. Learn to see the humor in things. Laughter is good for the soul, and it makes you climb harder.

Ken weren't you one of the first posts that didn't take a deep breath?
that amateurs comment was hurtful to me.

Scott Miller wrote: Ken weren't you one of the first posts that didn't take a deep breath? that amateurs comment was hurtful to me.

If I haven't been able to take a deep breath, it's because I've been laughing too hard. This thread is like Theatre of the Absurd.

Oh, and about hurting your feelings, LMAO, I'd give you a big hug, but I don't won't to give Bob D. the impression that I go in for that stuff. Then he'll be squeezing the air out of my chest every time he sees me. I guess you'll just have to ride out the pain this time.

I'll live Ken, but thank you for you concern. Only time will heal cuts so deep.

the hell with this topic, suck it up or give up climbing. there are tons of climbers out there and to get a way from all of them you would have to climb in your butt hole.just enjoy being out in nature.have fun and screw everybody else.

mike your awesome please share more of your interesting stories!

Scott Miller wrote:Only time will heal cuts so deep.

Look at the bright side, Scott. By the time your wounds heal, you'll have become so tough from the experience that things like people climbing too close to you will seem trivial. Who knows? You might even welcome the challenge.

I guess you could say that I did you a favor.

You want peace and quiet, hike a little further, explore the many routes that are just out of the bumper belay reach. When we want to savor the moment you need to explore a bit out of the comfort zone of the outdoor gym , aka Shelf Road. I have great luck exploring the numerous hard climbs in the flatirons that are a bit of a bushwack/scramble (of course bowing to the raptor laws...). So be nice, have a good climb, enjoy the mass amounts of humans who have gravitated toward this sport, and understand that adventure starts a few miles beyond the parking lot!

The Climbing Community will be stuck with Big Time for a long time...I hope. And when Big Time is gone, there will be others that follow. Those who love climbing. Those who enjoy both the company of fellow climbers and the solitude of climbing alone. Contrary to many of the postings in this discussion, I really do enjoy the company of others. But there is a time and a place. I like to crap alone.

My suspicion is that many people start climbing on an indoor wall. This was not my experience, although I have spent some time on plastic holds. In the gym, climbing a route next to another climber is necessary. Outside, often times it is not. However, these climbers who only know the indoor etiquette might apply these practices to outdoor climbing. Hence, the guy with the boom box at the crag, or groups climbing routes directly next to other parties.

I do understand that there will be times that crags are crowded. Especially at a place like Shelf. On these occasions I advocate for people climbing everywhere in an effort to get everyone climbing. But, there are also times when spreading out is an option. I did not start this discussion because of an isolated experience. This has happened to us countless times. And it's not the end of the world. I think it would be ruder for me to say something, than to just deal with it, finish the climb we're on, and move elsewhere. That's what we do.

It's apparent from this discussion that other climbers also desire a little space. Every community has unspoken rules of conduct. Etiquette in the climbing community can be difficult to decipher. My intent with this discussion was to get people thinking about this fairly insignificant issue. I was not "trolling" or looking to get ridiculed. I actually didn't know what "trolling" was until now. And honestly, this was the first time I posted something to an internet forum...but probably not the last.

Acknowledgments: Saxfiend: Thanks for the legal advice; Richard Radcliffe: A 49 year old man calling my Mom a chump...; Ken: Nice Spandex!; SAL and LDM: floss with ass hair much? Bob D: Thanks for all the great routes you have put up; And just a heads up; I'm getting some "Bogardus/Jimbo '08" stickers made!

And lastly: for all the ladies checking out my butt when I'm climbing...I'm not a piece of meat.

Thanks for the laughs, bigtime. I for one am glad you're not going away - keep it coming.

Mark Nelson wrote:I had once this car which had a racing stripe. The thing would zoom around, but it needed a seat liner from Walmart. We got one for a pretty decent price, I guess. Probably made by a 6 year old in a diamond mine. So we used it to goto some ice climbing and found the ice notably fat to thin. But that didn't disuade Chuck from asking the pizza girl out when she made us a calzone by mistake. I had a coke which was flat, so that kinda sucked. But anyway, we made it to Buena and I had to fill up with gas, they only took prepay, so I took to them a 7 iron. Talk about some good pumpy action. Anyhow, we decided better to do some skiing so we double-backed and hit Breck, then toured over to the Jane. The wind was quite a howler and the weather was turning, well, basically turning to custard. So my homework would have to come first, but not until a few beers. I really enjoyed the porter from Knockers and we had some ice cream, too. Man, I'll tell you what, you get the chance, try that Jack Daniels ice cream in Idaho Springs, it's got a kicker -- but you didn't hear it from me.

but seriously BigTime: if you just post a pic of your mug, I'll make sure to give you ample space and respect your wishes.

SAL and LDM: floss with ass hair much? < Mr BIG TIME said.

Yes I do, but typically female asshair.

I thought about you saturday Big Time.
So there I was belaying my partner at Golden Cliffs enjoying the sun with parties surrounding but not too close :)
Then here comes the party of six. 3 dudes, 3 ladies,
The respectfully come and choose to do the route literally 2 ft from our gear and the route we were belaying on. With a big smile and oh such happy thoughts about your thread I in return respectfully moved my things to the side and let them saddle right up.
After my partner cleaned the route we pack our things and walked around the corner to the end of winterfest wall. Did not see another soul all day from that point on. WOW amazing stuff huh. Everyones happy, everyone climbs and no one had to start a cry baby thread over the lack of respect of personal space.
Strange how easy the world works when you think of other people instead of your own space bubble.
Hope to crowd you at the crag one day.
Cheers.