Climbing and Drugs

I used to climb with this guy (friend of a friend) and sober he could only climb 5.9, but as soon as he lit up a joint he could send 5.11's and an occasional 5.12.

Another guy at my gym, I swear he looks like a meth-head climbs 13's, not sure if he actually is, but he comes off that way.

Does anyone else know someone or use drugs to help in their climbing?

Know anyone who takes steroids to help them climb better?

DLFA = heavy drug use to climb back in late 70's at Devils Lake. Sending lots of hard stuff under the influence daily.
Drink to puke',, and then achieve cosmic purity.........

This link has come up on MP before. Nonetheless, a great article and worth reposting.... outsideonline.com/outdoor-a…

Marijuana can be very effective when doing any physical activity. It can help you run faster and farther, or climb longer and harder. It helps to ignore the fatigue that you are experiencing, and also can result in a rush of endorphins thru physical exertion. Not advocating it for everybody, but those are some reasons that you might be looking for. It's nice to be able to ignore the pump you're going thru to make the next move that results in the send.

I smoke marijuana daily and have for 10plus years....I can not climb .13's but can kick some pretty decent ass.

What's in my toothbrush holder? ;)

http://youtu.be/Y8l4lQmNMS0

I can't climb for shit when I'm high. That said if I want to spend 8 hours doing a 5 pitch 5.6 (not often) I'll bring the pipe along.

I can understand not using addictive drugs like pain killers and what not, but when it comes to the non addictive ones like weed or roids; can a pre-climb toke or cycling steroids really be worth the negatives? Are the positives really that great?

In competition do they ever do any sort of drug test?

I'm not pro or con drug use as long as my leader is sound of mind i don't care if he is using more steroids than a body builder, or more weed than bob marley, if he can get the job done who cares right?

In Samet's case, the drugs helped him be in the moment and keep it together. Could he have done that if he didn't take the Benzos or liquor, probably, but at the time it most definitely helped. In short run, drugs might help you, but in the long run, you don't want to be on them.

I've had a similar, yet highly less exciting story to Matt's, and part of that included climbing and being a nutcase doing it. After going off everything, I'm better for it, and finally have a decent lead head. Meditation works for me now.

Better climbing through chemistry will be standard if climbing is in the Olympics. Interesting factoid, during the Salt Lake City Olympics the gold medal winner in snowboarding tested positive for weed but since it wasn't on the list of banned substances yet they decided it was not performance enhancing (and most likely detrimental) so they let the boarder keep his medal.

So do you think climbing rates will go up or down in Olympics?

Nearly every record in the Olympics is set by someone who used some sort of performance enhancing drug. The trick is to stop using the drug long enough before you are tested.

I wonder how many of the big climbers out there are already using to improve their sends? Especially the ones we see climbing in other countries where drug laws are much more lax.

I so did not know that about the SLC incident.

Maybe some xtra Kudo's for beating everyone else while stoned!

Pretty sure that happened in Nagano, not SLC. The IOC stripped the guy of the gold, but then the decision was appealed and overturned. Marijuana has been added to the IOC anti-doping list and has been tested for ever since.

David Sahalie wrote:yet another climbing under the influence thread. seriously? next week it is music... then dogs, then beanies... its like groundhog day in here.

Can you remind me which Toyota pickup I should buy to dirtbag in?

If it's anything like playing drums you only think you're playing great when you're wasted.

That bath salts shit makes you climb like 5.14 im sure

Hey, they are hosting a discussion about this at CU this April 20th. You should show up and tell them you are not a student if you are against this type of thing...

I am sure everyone there will welcome you...

Chris Owen wrote:If it's anything like playing drums you only think you're playing great when you're wasted.

Words of wisdom.

"can't put a price on morale."

Russell89 wrote:That bath salts shit makes you climb like 5.14 im sure

I've also heard it makes your liver bleed and can cause seizures.

But whats a little internal bleeding compared to sending 5.14, right?

Ben B: nice name!