Nut stolen while we were still on the route

Last week end I was climbing with my teenage daughter up at Greyrock on a multi pitch climb. The first moves are tough, using a crack to pull around a roof to gain the face above. From the belay above I told her not to worry too much about the piece of protection at the lip, since she was struggling with the moves and we could get it once we got back to the base. There was a party that was already on the upper part of the route when we started, and they got back to the base of the rock while we were still climbing that last pitches. By the time we finished and walked off back to our packs at the base, I found that the previous party had taken the nut she had left. This struck me as a pretty slimy practice, but curious what others think. This was my first piece so it was easy to boulder up and get it, which is what my plan was. It seems like they should have figured as much, but it is sad that I have to be satisfied that they didn't steel more like our packs... 

You're not alone.

I dropped a biner from part way up a route and watched it fall a few (6?) feet away from my pack at the base.  When I got back down, the packs (including stuff like extra alpines draped over the top) were untouched but the biner was gone.

It is annoying if they knew it was yours.  But just letting it go is probably your best option, including dropping words like theft. You’ll likely collect much more booty in your climbing career.

It certainly would have been nicest of them to clean it and leave it on your packs for you, but I don't think you can really fault them for taking it. I don't imagine they expected you to be planning to boulder up to retrieve it, as that isn't standard practice. It was just booty.

This reminds me of a song by bubba sparxx....

They must have known it was yours if they had just climbed the route.  Slimy/theft in my book.

It's only theft if they knew you intended to go back and get it.

Otherwise, it's completely plausible that they believed you got it stuck and gave up on it.

Personally, I would have tried calling up to you to find out if you meant to retrieve it, or in your position I would have called down my intentions if possible, but I still wouldn't call this theft based on what you've shared.

Also, whenever my second can't retrieve a piece, I rap back down to it unless there's another party below, in which case I'd tell the party to feel free to clip it but please not take it.

It wasn't theft, but F$%* that "booty rules" BS. If you find real booty, good for you. If, youre not sure if it's real booty, it's not. I've been climbing 35 years and I've never used the "booty rules" BS to keep something that I had a good idea who the owner was or thought they might be coming back. You are welcome to your own rules, but I don't have to respect them.

That's wack, I don't know if I'm rele going through any extra effort for a  ..nut ? 

Was it atleast a blue offset?
Those things are gold

Surprised no one pointed out that he shouldn’t have been out climbing.... HA. 

Walt Heenan wrote: It wasn't theft, but F$%* that "booty rules" BS. If you find real booty, good for you. If, youre not sure if it's real booty, it's not. I've been climbing 35 years and I've never used the "booty rules" BS to keep something that I had a good idea who the owner was or thought they might be coming back. You are welcome to your own rules, but I don't have to respect them.

Oh yeah?  Well I’ve been climbing for 42 years and I’ll take your gear every chance I get.  Even if I have to rummage through your pack to get it.

If you two were on Greatest Route, I'm pretty sure I'm the girl who helped your daughter get off the ground through those couple tough moves. As she climbed past I pushed the sling on that nut up so she could reach it and she yanked it out and took it with her. Not sure what she did with it after that, but she definitely cleaned it. Maybe check your pack? Nobody stole it...

You abandoned gear because it wasn’t worth your time to deal with it in the moment. They took the time and effort to get it out. It’s theirs

Dave K wrote: Not something I would do, but it wasn't theft. They retrieved abandoned gear. OP is in the wrong for calling them thieves.

(I'll ignore the fact that you were climbing on a route that had just been touched by strangers.)

Claiming abandonment exempts one from property law and  claiming one should obey social distancing.  Do you pick and choose your way through all laws?  Park in handicap spots and pay your taxes.  

frank minunni wrote:

Oh yeah?  Well I’ve been climbing for 42 years and I’ll take your gear every chance I get.  Even if I have to rummage through your pack to get it.

LMAO

They may not have been paying enough attention to you to realize it was yours.  Fortunately a cheap piece to replace

Just have to relate my most f-ed up nut theft story- Climbing trip 5 hours from home.  A new pair of shoes had arrived mail order.  Sizing was labeled incorrectly and the shoes were WAY too small.  1,st pitch of a trad climb I’m howling in pain- pull off my shoe at he first belay and I’m looking at a dislocated toe.  No way I’m going further.  

frank minunni wrote:

Oh yeah?  Well I’ve been climbing for 42 years and I’ll take your gear every chance I get.  Even if I have to rummage through your pack to get it.

Frank, you've seen my gear. You know nobody, even you, wants it ;-)

Hope you're staying sane in this craziness.

Lilly Dethier wrote: If you two were on Greatest Route, I'm pretty sure I'm the girl who helped your daughter get off the ground through those couple tough moves. As she climbed past I pushed the sling on that nut up so she could reach it and she yanked it out and took it with her. Not sure what she did with it after that, but she definitely cleaned it. Maybe check your pack? Nobody stole it...

I don't know how everyone seems to have missed this.

The daughter clearly realized the easiest way to build out her own rack was to booty from ol' dad.

Walt Heenan wrote:

Frank, you've seen my gear. You know nobody, even you, wants it ;-)

Hope you're staying sane in this craziness.

Sane would be a stretch under any circumstances.  But I’m doing well and hope you are as well.  

I have to say that there is a much bigger conversation here that this post sparked. It is amazing to see the range of ethics. I may regret taking the time to post this response, because there are people that will chime in because they find it sport to upset people, rather than engage in trying to build a better community. The range of morals here was really surprising, especially after hearing some of the other stories of gear taken and help not offered. I'm in my early fifties and I started climbing in the mid 80s, so yeah I have seen a lot and have some opinions about climbing ethics. There is a pretty slippery slope from some of the responses.

• At the end of the day, you are  someone who helps other people in need (like Lilly did) or you are someone who other people have to worry about turning their back to.  
• If you are doing a climb and you find gear in it, when NO owner is clearly linkable to that gear, that IS fair "booty". Ex. There was a very stuck nut in the route, that three parties had used and left since it wasn't easily retrievable, whoever finally gets this out, THAT is booty. 
• If you know who the owner is but you take the gear anyway, you're the worst kind of dirtbag.  Ex. someone is walking down the trail in front of you and they drop a piece of gear or a jacket and don't realize it, that is NOT booty if you pick it up and keep it.
• Apparently if some of these people were whitewater boaters, they would considers someone else swimming a rapid a chance to get "booty" if they could collect the gear before the owner could... 
• I am very afraid this wasn't worth posting due to some of the anticipated responses; I'll soon find out. For everyone out there who has someone else's back and can be counted on to help others, the world is better because of you!  

JaredG wrote: They must have known it was yours if they had just climbed the route.  Slimy/theft in my book.

Absolutely! No excuses about "booty" here!