Climbing Am I The Asshole (Hypothetical)

Since I have too much time on my hands and no way to climb at the moment, I want to get some feedback on a hypothetical situation I've been thinking over.

Not often, but occasionally a route I want to climb will have someone's rope threaded through as a top rope, with no one climbing on it, but the person who put the rope up insists that their partner is going to top rope at some point soon. This has happened to me a few (4-5) times, and every time the person says the same thing: "My partner wants to top rope that in a little while, but if you want to climb that now, you can just lead on my rope so there's still a top rope set up when you're done." Wanting to avoid confrontation, I've always begrudgingly obliged, climbing on their rope so I can do the climb I want while leaving the top rope set up for that person after I'm done.

But I don't like to climb on other people's ropes who I don't know. What if I want to climb on my own rope? Would it be an asshole move for me to refuse their request to climb on their rope so the top rope is still set up when I'm finished? I think that if you're not actively getting ready to climb a route, you shouldn't be able to "reserve" it, and I don't think saying "My partner wants to top rope this" is an acceptable excuse to leave your rope up on a route you aren't climbing. People seem to think offering to let you climb on their rope remedies the situation, but I don't want to climb on an unknown rope just to preserve the top rope for someone I don't know.

Again, every time I've been in this situation, I have agreed to climb on their rope, because I don't want to start a fight by pulling their rope and climbing on my own. But would I be the asshole if I did?

Leaving a rope hanging to "reserve" a route is rude. 

Agree with Frank.

They are the asshole , not you,

I think the other party’s offer is a reasonable one, in this situation. I have been in your shoes, too, and also always agreed to climb on their rope, if it meant I could climb the route. However, unlike you, I haven’t particularly resented the other party in this situation.

Do I prefer to climb in my rope? Yes. But not so much that I want to bother with trailing their rope.

Would I prefer to just pull their rope, climb, and let them deal with putting the rope back up? Yeah.
I bet they would prefer that I just go away, don’t climb on their rope, and don’t bother them.

But this is called compromise. I give a little bit. They give a little bit, and in the end we are all happier than we would be with any alternative. I want to climb this route. And I don’t  want to get in the fight. They want to have their toprope setup, but they are trying to be gracious and not “reserve” the route.  If you don’t want yo deal with it, go climbing where there are no crowds, and no easy route appealing to toproper.

climbing on other peoples ropes is cool

Didn’t read but I’m guessing you’re an asshole. 

Carlos Danger wrote: Didn’t read but I’m guessing you’re an asshole. 

I wasn’t going to be so blunt but I did chuckle...yeah...bro with too much time on your hands, just deal with it sucker!   IF this is a “dilemma ” for you, it seems like you are missing something...just frickin pull the tr to the side, lead it, and move the frick onto the next route!  Holy fricking first world drama.    I already climbed it while you were “attempting to critically reason your way through this major catastrophe!”    Jeez.  

For my part, I'm happy to beat someone else's rope up for a pitch. I think it's a reasonable compromise for all parties involved.

However, I also agree that leaving a rope hanging as a top rope to "reserve" a route is, generally speaking, bad style.

But also, some people just aren't comfortable leading, and there's no reason they should be deprived of their enjoyment of a particular route just because it doesn't fit in with my conception of "good style."

So again, I think it's a reasonable compromise.

I didn't read but agree you are the asshole.  Plus if you really live in Boulder: the statement I have no way climb right now doesn't make sense.  Your don't know of any obsecure crag or boulder?

And don't climb on other people's ropes.  If they are not climbing and just holding the route.   Pull the rope and tell them to fuck off

Also, to add: Many, many, MANY hard routes go down as top ropes before they're led. Top roping is fairly common practice these days whether it's noobs on a 5.6 or uberhumans on some 5.14 futuristic trad line.

They are willing (as they should be) to let you lead it. Use your rope and haul theirs up. Everybody wins. If you don't want to use haul two ropes go in straight  drop an end and haul it up. You could also tape it to yours then it will head go up as you lower off. You could also Lower off then tape it to the leaders end and haul it back through. Not sure why you are so worried about using their rope unless you are climbing now where Covid may or may not be a real fear. Make it work for everyone people. It isn't that hard. 

Old trick.   Fill whiskey bottle with iced tea ( or whiskey ).. Look at climb, swig, look cool, swig.. Ask fun questions like..
" so this is climbing ?
" mind if I join you ?"
" is this tied right?"
" want a swig ? "

You will have your climb in no time at all and you can lead on your precious...

Please don't turn MP into reddit

Is "Am I the Asshole" in Eldo or Boulder Canyon? What kind of route? Trad or Sport?? What's it rated??

More seriously, it isn't that hard. "Thanks, I'll use my rope and reset yours when we're done"

How about you just tell them what you want to do rather than be passive aggressive about it? Why does everyone bite their lips for fear of being an asshole?

Chris Cragsocks wrote: How about you just tell them what you want to do rather than be passive aggressive about it? Why does everyone bite their lips for fear of being an asshole?

Because most of us don't want confrontations. It's like in the latest dog thread where someone said most people act nice about it but really do resent the dog being there.

OP, I think if it's a sport route with safe falls or a trad route and you really trust your gear, you should take multiple whips on their rope, lol.

Any good climber would cut the rope. 

I am so glad I left Colorado!

If there isn't someone standing nearby getting a harness on to climb, tell them to go fuck themselves and yank their rope.  That is an utterly douche Colorfornia move to bogart routes like that.

But, brah, this is all the more reason to start buying cams and take up trad climbing!

Chris Cragsocks wrote: How about you just tell them what you want to do rather than be passive aggressive about it? Why does everyone bite their lips for fear of being an asshole?

For fear of being an asshole.

Another option: If you want to lead on our rope, but you don't want to haul up their rope then you can lead on your rope, and then tie their rope to the end of your rope, put their toprope back up, and then rappel or lower via their rope.