What's the sketchiest thing you've seen while climbing?

Austin Shaverwrote:

I'm confused by your comment. It's taught as a required skill by the amga so it's definitely a thing, but only really relevant to instructing new belayers. Maybe useful in some rescue scenario where you need to take over so someone can get help?

Correct. this is a pretty standard rescue technique applied in educational settings with newer climbers and belayers. It's a skill taught in the AMGA Single Pitch Instructor curriculum. Ive also heard it being effectively used when a recreational party was climbing in Eldo and the belayer had a heart-attack mid-pitch. (everyone was ok)

FrankPSwrote:

I only do this on routes I am familiar with and ropes I know the length (of). I would do it on multi-pitch rappels if I had done it before and knew that an X-meter rope would work. Wouldn't do it on new rappels, unless my partner is going first and knew the rope length was adequate.

Most of my climbing is at the local crag and have done the routes dozens or hundreds of times.

Context for the experienced climbers

Dogma is for noobs.

Sockeye Scullywrote:

Ive seen a few, but recently I saw a guy in an undisclosed location in New York with renowned trad climbing who claimed to be a guide. He was rapping a multi pitch with no friction hitch or back up knots on the end of his rope. I asked him if he climbed at this undisclosed location much and he said “not really, I mostly like to do alpine and big wall climbing.” I wanted to tell him that he probably wasn’t a very good guide given the mentioned things and a few other sketch ball things he did, but I figured its best not to challenge a guide. He was pretty old so maybe he had accepted his life and place in the cosmos and decided that back ups were not necessary. However, the sketchiest part was, he was “guiding” someone who looked a little gripped. 

Im convinced this undisclosed location in New York with great trad climbing is like the Bermuda Triangle of sketchy climbing activities on the East Coast. The amount of gumbiness, relationship quarrels, and just overall bonkers antics I see every time Im there is unreal. Ive seen crag cats, couples gettinng engaged, couples fighting, panic attacks, didgeridoo music, babies born, babies being made, and the occasional ufo sighting over High E. No other place like it. 

We have had wildly different experiences at this undisclosed New York trad destination. I have climbed all over and arguably the place I have seen the least sketchiness is at said undisclosed location

J Lwrote:

It's stories like these that make me wonder how they passed their top rope belay test (which seems to be standard and mandatory in Canada/US)

Because belay tests are jokes and easy and truly don't really demonstrate that the belayer knows why theyre doing what theyre doing

Joe Cwrote:

We have had wildly different experiences at this undisclosed New York trad destination. I have climbed all over and arguably the place I have seen the least sketchiness is at said undisclosed location

I'll second this. I've never seen sketchy behavior at a trad crag, Gunks included, but I don't loiter by the Uberfall. However, I've seen it at almost every sport crag I've ever climbed at.

Thinking more about sketchy trad behavior, I guess the Dolomites standard of faster parties passing you mid-pitch by clipping their rope into your gear placements is pretty sketch, but I chalk that up to cultural differences.

MattHwrote:

I'll second this. I've never seen sketchy behavior at a trad crag, Gunks included, but I don't loiter by the Uberfall. However, I've seen it at almost every sport crag I've ever climbed at.

Thinking more about sketchy trad behavior, I guess the Dolomites standard of faster parties passing you mid-pitch by clipping their rope into your gear placements is pretty sketch, but I chalk that up to cultural differences.

I saw four people anchored  to a single bolt in the dolomites

I haven’t seen a ton of super sketchy things at this unnamed new york trad destination, but there have been a few. A little while ago, some kids (like 7 or 8 years old) are top roping apoplexy, and a guy walks up, puts climbing shoes on, and proceeds to shakily free solo apoplexy, passing this kid on the way, without saying a word to anyone.

june mwrote:

I saw four people anchored  to a single bolt in the dolomites

Was it one of those giant 6" long door-knocker ring pitons cemented into the cliff? Because, if so, guilty   . I'll usually try to back them up if there's an obvious placement nearby but they're about as bomber as gear gets out there. When in Cortina...

It wouldn't be a bad thread drift to discuss how to improve belay tests.

Bailey Nicholsonwrote:

It wouldn't be a bad thread drift to discuss how to improve belay tests.

Yes it would. That would be worse than thread drifting into dog land. Keep sketchy stories pure. 

Bailey Nicholsonwrote:

It wouldn't be a bad thread drift to discuss how to improve belay tests.

Not really possible to improve belay tests because they are intended to meet the goals of the gym, not the climber.

The belay test usually falls on the least experienced staff who are just following protocol. Personally I liked to do the lead tests myself because I could tell by looking at people if they would pass or not.

The TR tests are easy as it’s hard to kill your partner on gym TR. We gave 12 year olds a 5min Gri lesson (pre-tied carabiners for climber) and almost all got it down pat. A few sketchy moments over many years but nobody died.

At the gallery in the red a few years back I saw a group of people trying to make it up a fairly popular climb. The leader couldn’t finish so another member of the group took over. I look back a min later and all the quick draws except the one on the last bolt had been removed. The new leader cleaned them all on their way up and was now leading past trying to get to the chains but kept falling on the sole quick draw.   Before I could chime in another group pointed it out and convinced them to lower. 

I was in American Fork Canyon.  A group of two next to me showed up to climb.  The guy climbing touted his experience and that he could solo this 5.9.  He had a new person who had never belayed.  The guy was a mess, he kept dropping his hand.  I said is it okay if I back you up? The belayer was like sure I don't know what I am doing.  The climber reminds me he can solo this.

So I back him up,  the grigri is loaded backwards (first mistake).  The guy belaying was flustered. Awesome solo guy proceeds to take a huge whipper.  Luckily I had him on belay so he didn't die.

Geez People

I participated in a climbing comp this past weekend at a local crag. There was a couple climbing near us who we’d met the previous evening. I looked over in horror as I noticed the woman was belaying using a gri gri with one hand on the climber side of the rope and one hand holding back the gri gri lever. I calmly and promptly corrected her.

I was happy to see them both alive at the end of the day.