Does ANYBODY actually like to go climbing?

Logan Hugmeyer wrote:

Looks like my plan for tomorrow at owl slab isnt going to pan out. Have some car work that needs done before fun can happen. Ill pm soon about my experience and goals and we can go from there. Thanks for your time.

WOW DOES ANYBODY ACTUALLY LIKE TO GO CLIMBING? 

H Lue wrote:

WOW DOES ANYBODY ACTUALLY LIKE TO GO CLIMBING? 

Yep I'm pretty bummed about it too.

Roughly put people here have tried to tell me "Logan you come across as an asshole. You don't seem like a person people would like to spend time with. Try to go with the flow and relax. Other peoples lives are probably just as messy as your own. Try to meet more local people, join a club or take some classes in the skills that you're lacking in."

Im really trying to work on that don't be an asshole and relax part.  As well as ive looked into and joined a meetup group, found information on the Chemeketans, and looked into some classes with a guide service at smith rock. Ive also emailed a few people that have reached out to me. Thanks to all.

My experience starting climbing in the Portland Area has been quite the opposite.  (Not to rub it in).  I would recommend using the Portland Area Climbing Community page on FB to find partners.  This city is literally crawling with climbers of all calibers.  You can almost just show up at Ozone or Broughton and find a friendly face that may trade belays.  

Dan

Nolite te Bastardes Carborundorum!

Finding solid, reliable partners has always been a bit cruxy. The current age of Instagram and nanosecond attention spans have just exacerbated the challenge.

Keep asking, keep trying. You’ll find a good partner eventually. 

Dans advice above has it right, just show up to Broughton or ozone and be friendly and stoked and you'll find a belay. Snacks help too.

Also you seem pretty hardline about no Facebook. I don't follow ANYONE and use it solely to interact in local climbing and skiing groups. It's a tool. Use it. 

Going to smith rock on monday! Super early. Family & i need a belay buddy! Ill rope gun the leads!! Thanks! Hit me up! Who wants to climb? 6 5 0 5 0 4 6 0 7 3 chris

I ran into the same problem when I first started.  Just keep messaging people/asking and eventually someone will become a regular.  It gets easier every time but don’t give up! 

My favorite parts about climbing are racking up and touching the ground again

Russ B wrote: Most of us don't have this issue, and that leads me to believe the problem isn't with the community, it's with you.

Don't extend your experience to others. I (and others I know) have heaps of climbing friends, and it can still be a challenge to get a partner lined up for any particular thing. Just look at the partner forums on here, and you will see that some do go without any replies at all, or, replies from people who have entirely different dates/trips in mind, lol!

OP, third or fourth (lost count) that Facebook groups are at least a local pool to be querying. And, get on the partner forum for your area. REPLY to the offers you have been given on here. Down the road, be the kind person who REPLIES to stuff in your area. You don't have to be the local rope gun, just a solid belayer. I've met a lot of great people, including my best (ever) friend, by hosting out of town peeps whenever I can.

Best, Helen

So, what is it that you’re trying to achieve with climbing?

Russ B wrote: That's not my experience, it's the experience of the hundreds of climbers I know that this is a very friendly and welcoming community. If you wanna believe that this guy is having issues for over 4 years finding partners in the community for a reason outside of his control, you're welcome to that. I however, am going to choose to stay grounded in reality and call it like I see it, as it is doing this guy a great disservice to make him believe it's of no fault of his own. 

Our two posts aren't mutually exclusive. I totally agree our community is great, but, some days it does seem to need a staple gun and duct tape to pin people down. It is harder, as a new climber, to get established. It is also location dependant. Some places, there is simply a small pool to begin with. Single pitch, low commitment, local cragging, yeah, it shouldn't be horribly difficult, and OP can do more than just whine on here. But, as soon as it gets more complicated? Yeah, it can be difficult. In the four of five years i have been on  MP, I was often the only response to out of town peeps looking for a Boise belay for a day. Now, we have way more people, and that's no longer as much of an issue.

Best, Helen

Amy E. wrote: So, what is it that you’re trying to achieve with climbing?

Mostly alpine goals. The major Cascade volcanos, some north Cascade alpine rock like Mt. Goode, South Early Winter Spire, stuff like that. Some hight altitude stuff like Pico de Orizaba and Aconcagua. Maybe some harder stuff in Alaska 10 years out. A couple 8000ers before im 50. 

I have taken some of the advice I have recieved in this thread and applied it. I ended up finding a partner and going climbing on Saturday. Had a real fun time and learned a lot. Looks like we may be climbing again in the next few weeks.

My original post here was after sending about 6 emails that week and either recieving no response or getting "id love to, but..." I was frustrated. 

Alex Milton wrote:

Also you seem pretty hardline about no Facebook. I don't follow ANYONE and use it solely to interact in local climbing and skiing groups. It's a tool. Use it. 

Climbed today with a partner from the evil Facebook, probably our sixth outing in a few good months of climbing season. Its a tool for sure. Also found a great lawnmower for dirt cheap just a few miles from my house this weekend on FB. I might not piss on Zuckerburg if he was on fire though...

You have to find another person who is just as frustrated as you are. About ten years ago, I met this old French guy at a Meetup. I was with my girlfriend at the time and this guy's wife approached me. She said her husband really wanted a climbing partner. So we went climbing of course. We've been climbing ever since. Cool thing is, we bring new people into the rotation, too. Since he's retired, I climbed a lot with him mid week when I was funemployed. We used to do an alpine route each summer, but both of us are realizing we prefer just hitting obscure sport crags and developing new ones. The waking up at 3AM to drive to Estes Park got old.

Here's to your new partner! May he be long lasting and true.