Things climbing-related that annoy you

If a sport route can be made safer with the exact same number of bolts in a better spot, that means the route developer messed up. The route should be fixed whether or not the original developer thinks it should be.

The rare times I’m forced to climb on the weekend remind me how much that sucks. 

People who rely on helicopters when they go in over their heads, that is when their feet leave the ground

Loudmouth sprayers who drink too much coffee and hence actually never shut up

Anyone who places bolts on a route which did not have bolts on the first ascent--even if it is "safer"; we all  make decisions everyday, sometimes you just gotta realize you aint good enough

Climbers who are unable to climb a line and so decide to make their own holds by chipping away at nature

Crag dog haters

Kristian Solem wrote:

I got really annoyed when the nickname for the Adirondacks got changed from the "Ad's" to the "Dack's." Who thought that was an improvement?

When was it ever Ad’s? I’ve been recreating there for 20+ years and have even worked there and never heard of that one.

Kristian Solem wrote:

I got really annoyed when the nickname for the Adirondacks got changed from the "Ad's" to the "Dack's." Who thought that was an improvement?

I've been climbing there since the mid-'60s, and as best as I can remember both 'Ads' and 'Dacks' were both being used even then ( not that there were many 'downstaters' or, even more rare, 'out-of-staters' heading there to climb even well into the '70s). Actually, we most frequently just said we were going to ' Poko', as that was our typical destination when heading in that direction.

Pinche Gringo wrote:

People who clearly don’t know what ground up is yet have strong opinions about it, for or against, is beyond annoying.  I live in the SE where guys will top rope something into submission before bolting it on lead then call it ground up and slap an R rating on it… then all sorts of folks will use the words ground up as a catch all to explain ethics of a region they know little about.

But yeah, I invite you to go find some seriously overhung cliff and determine how you’re most efficiently going to bolt for a sport route… 

There hasn't been any criticism of ground up bolting here, just poorly done ground up bolting. 

Climbers that lock me out from my opportunity to get a Temu coupon.

Getting flooded with climbing "inventions and innovation" advertisements for products that are solving problems nobody knew existed on social media by people who have clearly never left the gym or the ground honestly. Products you could probably use that Temu coupon on. 

All these listed items are quite excellent contributions.  If I were younger I would find most of them annoying, but I don't have that kind of psychic energy anymore.

The only thing that really annoys me these days is the fact that almost every health/food/drug commercial on TV features a rock climbing snippet. It's like every ad agency in the US has been given a list saying "these things are currently cool - work them into the commercial". And rock climbing and gym climbing are at the top of the list.

My latest irritation is watching people secure themselves to the anchor with their PAS or equivalent to use mussy hooks. Just drop the rope in and say take

Jiggs and Alan,

I climbed up there a lot, summer/fall/winter 1977-80. Never heard anyone call the area anything but the Ad's. But that's just me...

We probably crossed paths at Poco. Love that place. Winter too.

Men who go shirtless when climbing or bouldering indoors. 

This odd trend of over inflating danger or risk to try and make an experience seem cooler or badass or whatever. Seeing a ton lately, pov videos talking about how everything is so sketchy and “if I fall here we all die!!” While climbing normal heavily trafficked trade routes. You don’t have to make things seem dangerous to be cool, to me that’s like going to the edge of the Grand Canyon and taking a selfie video saying “this is so sketch if I fall in I’m dead for sure!!” like yeah no shit. Also the term “romp” aka “this was so easy for me just so you know”

Pretty much as Tanner is describing, online content that is clearly targeted towards non climbers as their audience. It’s always over exaggerated click baity bullshit.

And cameras everywhere you look at the boulders. Always recording non consenting victims who just want to climb. Yet also yelling at people for getting in the way of their sick send footy. 

And just bouldering in general. (Just kidding, sort of). 

Negatively and incessant bitching about what other climbers do.  

Stephen L wrote:

Negatively and incessant bitching about what other climbers do.  

almostrad wrote:

While the crag lasers are embarassing, they sure save a lotta shouting. 

Crag lasers? Are you shittong me? Glad I haven’t seen that yet. I would probably actually laugh at anyone using such a thing. Although, that’s what I did the first time I saw a stick clip. Hmmph. Kids these days…

Charles Winstead wrote:

Crag lasers? Are you shittong me? Glad I haven’t seen that yet. I would probably actually laugh at anyone using such a thing. Although, that’s what I did the first time I saw a stick clip. Hmmph. Kids these days…

Climbers who would prefer the incessant barrage of incomprehensible beta spray between a belayer and a climber over a light pointing at holds that reduce the chaos and agony of listening to climbers endlessly vomit climbing jargon at the whole crag.

-> crusty curmudgeons who take themselves waaaaaaaayyy too seriously. 

Ricky Harline wrote:

Permanently modifying rock -especially on public land- is a serious thing to do.

Maybe don't modify it all? 

markus shainling wrote:

People who rely on helicopters when they go in over their heads, that is when their feet leave the ground

Loudmouth sprayers who drink too much coffee and hence actually never shut up

Anyone who places bolts on a route which did not have bolts on the first ascent--even if it is "safer"; we all  make decisions everyday, sometimes you just gotta realize you aint good enough

Climbers who are unable to climb a line and so decide to make their own holds by chipping away at nature

Crag dog haters

You had me completely until that line