Hot Takes 2025

Toprope is the purest form of climbing.

Once you've replaced a single bolt on any existing climb anywhere, you're allowed to toprope through the mussies everywhere.

Black totems and 0.2s are the same.

George Mwrote:

Toprope is the purest form of climbing.

*Free snake, toprope is the purest form of climbing. 

Once you've introduced directionals you've tainted the experience 

George Mwrote:

Black totems and 0.2s are the same.

Idk I did several climbs that called for a 0.2 somewhere and the black totem is too big

I think black totems and blue TCU’s are the same

Garrett Hopkinswrote:

you might visit an area known for its steep juggy sandstone and find a bunch of “lode-bros” and college students taking themselves far too seriously and being entirely uninvested in the climbing area they frequent.
However, a bit further east, at an area known for slightly more runout sport climbing and slightly more old school ethics, you’ll find a lively group of locals who love their home crag 

Iykyk

Tradiban was the best part of the mountain project forums.  

Be the Tradiban you want to see in the world 

Cosmic Hotdogwrote:

I've got two after this past weekend:

1. Sport climbers in a party of 4 on a mega classic multi-pitch adjacent to a mega classic trad route figuring out how to rappel the only descent route while holding up 6 people behind them to the point where we have to go down in the dark is a terrible, terrible look. FFS, if you don't have rope management skills and you're not comfortable rappelling, that's not the place to learn. 
2. Rapping with an ATC will never be as fast to setup and get down as my AlpineUp, a smart alpine, or a megajul. 

It doesn’t matter what rappel device you use.  You’re either fast at rappelling or you’re not.

Dirtbag Betawrote:

The aspiring bigwall climber should be proficient at offwidth climbing up to 5.10+ as a means to an end. 

Offwidth climbing for its own sake is a disgusting practice for those whose self-loathing exceeds their athletic abilities. It should be banned and certainly never celebrated

People that trash talk OW just can’t get over the fact that they’re bad at it.

Calebwrote:

It doesn’t matter what rappel device you use.  You’re either fast at rappelling or you’re not.

Fair enough, not everyone that uses an ATC is slow at rappelling. But when I see someone who's slow at rappelling, 95% of the time they're using an ATC.

Chris Kalous, Andrew Bisharar, Ryan Devlin and the rest of the Taps  Last Rites episode panel, dying on the hill of "my lazy 90s Grigri belaying is fine actually - no, its the children who are wrong".

Is just the most bizarre thing.

And distasteful right after that comp climber got dropped by a coach.

So my dad was a driving and motorcycld riding instructor. We were driving one time and he noticed I was crossing my arms when turning the wheel, going hand-over-hand. He said "You know you should break that habit, if you crash while your hand is crossing over the wheel, the airbag will blow your forearm through your skull". So you know what, I tried to change the habit. Is it a really weird and rare safety failure that will probably never happen? Sure. But it's so mediocre just, not try.

The new TC Pros are way better than the old TC Pros

Cosmic Hotdogwrote:

Fair enough, not everyone that uses an ATC is slow at rappelling. But when I see someone who's slow at rappelling, 95% of the time they're using an ATC.

95% of the people rappelling in general are probably using ATCs. They're cheap and abundant and somehow multiply in the bottom of my gear box; I've probably given away six of them.

Calebwrote:

People that trash talk OW just can’t get over the fact that they’re bad at it.

Offwidth climbers bump gear because they are too afraid to take lead falls and lack the strength and technique required for real climbing 

Rappelling shouldn’t be done quickly.

Aaron Kwrote:

Be the Tradiban you want to see in the world 

WWTD? (What would tradiban do?)

Taps was so bad this year I couldn’t even finish it. Not everyone is made to talk unscripted for 2 hours and a member of that crew makes the episode genuinely unlistenable. I’ve talked to several people who share the sentiment. 

John Clarkwrote:

No, i have both a spray and a symmetric wall in my house and spray is more spiritual. Both are better than nothing though.

Sam Mwrote:

Chris Kalous, Andrew Bisharar, Ryan Devlin and the rest of the Taps  Last Rites episode panel, dying on the hill of "my lazy 90s Grigri belaying is fine actually - no, its the children who are wrong".

Is just the most bizarre thing.

And distasteful right after that comp climber got dropped by a coach.

So my dad was a driving and motorcycld riding instructor. We were driving one time and he noticed I was crossing my arms when turning the wheel, going hand-over-hand. He said "You know you should break that habit, if you crash while your hand is crossing over the wheel, the airbag will blow your forearm through your skull". So you know what, I tried to change the habit. Is it a really weird and rare safety failure that will probably never happen? Sure. But it's so mediocre just, not try.

Well they are unabashedly curmudgeons lmao

I totally agree that Ryan was in the wrong and also found it weird that he tried to conflate his mistake with other less than perfect belay techniques. He literally just let go of the brake strand while a climber was climbing. I think we can all agree that's unacceptable and should be pointed out so others don't follow suit.

I'm just not super surprised a climber of +20 years thinks "kids" these days are too careful, it's kinda their job haha