VOCALIZATION: Shouting and Screaming in Contemporary Climbing

John Shultzwrote:

Old man rant....  (sorry) 

When you scream through your crux, I think something terrible has happened, and that you are in trouble    

Perhaps, vocalization is technically effective, but what about the wilderness and other climbers' nerves??? 

I hear it everywhere now. Can we put this genie back in the bottle? 

Cheers from Osaka,

John 

The real question is did you end up finding a partner for the Zodiac last summer? 

Functioning bodies make a lot of weird noises. No-one wants to listen to sounds others make when they sh*t, piss, fart, f*ck or climb.

Yelling is only acceptable in aid climbing.

Mark Westfallwrote:

The real question is did you end up finding a partner for the Zodiac last summer? 

Hey Mark! Sadly no. But I will be back for Mescalito on May 23rd. Will you be around? 

I will try and keep my suffering screams to a minimum   

Should be attenuated out with the sound of all the drones flying around getting those sick TR shots and the crag dogs fighting. 

----

Used to be a recurring joke at Summit Grapevine that you had to yell your own name through the crux for a power boost. 

If I recall correctly, that one started organically, thanks to our buddy named Scott. 

His natural try hard noises on a thin crimp ladder route sounded like grunting him his own name for like 5 moves in a row. 

Someone shouts "Scott are you screaming your own name?!" Scott peels off the wall laughing. We all collapse into giggles. 

Cue all of us finding the most ridiculous way to grunt our own names while cruxing on our next route.

V fun. Def recommend.

apogeewrote:

Functioning bodies make a lot of weird noises. No-one wants to listen to sounds others make when they sh*t, piss, fart, f*ck or climb.

Oh, hot doody, we’re going to discuss lead farts now?!

Colonel Mustardwrote:

Oh, hot doody, we’re going to discuss lead farts now?!

The ol’ victory trumpet, a fan favorite! Gotta give the people what they want!

I always observed it as a cry for attention.  Society created a bunch of latch key type kids I guess.

John Shultzwrote:

When you scream through your crux, I think something terrible has happened, and that you are in trouble

For me there's a line between vocalizing when pushing through a crux section and the huge, embarrassing screaming fits people uncork when they don't send. I feel like I can usually identify the former for what it is, the latter really sounds like someone who needs a rescue. I hate hearing people throw wobblers for this reason, I'm usually pausing what I'm doing to try and hear follow-up calls for help, etc. 

What about screaming when you're scared?  I find I make more noise when I am climbing hard moves above a piece of gear that I don't trust.  

apogeewrote:

Functioning bodies make a lot of weird noises. No-one wants to listen to sounds others make when they sh*t, piss, fart, f*ck or climb.

Especially when several of these are happening simultaneously. In the gym.

Dow Williamswrote:

I always observed it as a cry for attention.  Society created a bunch of latch key type kids I guess.

What’s a latch key type kid? Asking for myself.

Latchkey Kid

A latchkey kid, or latchkey child, is a child who returns to an empty home after school (or other activities) or a child who is often left at home with no supervision because their parents are away at work. Such a child can be any age, alone or with siblings who are also under the age of maturity for their community.[1]

The term latchkey kid became commonplace in the 1970s and 1980s to describe members of Generation X who, according to a 2004 marketing study, "went through its all-important, formative years as one of the least-parented, least-nurtured generations in U.S. history." Latchkey kids were prevalent during this time, a result of increased divorce rates and increased maternal participation in the workforce at a time before childcare options outside the home were widely available.[6][7][8][9] These latchkey children, referred to as "day orphans" in the 1984 documentary, To Save Our Children to Save Our Schools, mainly came from middle or upper-class homes. The higher the educational attainment of the parents, the higher the odds the children of this time would be latchkey kids

Thanks. I know (and lived) the term already, I just don’t get how it forms a cogent point in why some people scream more on routes.

Colonel Mustardwrote:

Thanks. I know (and lived) the term already, I just don’t get how it forms a cogent point in why some people scream more on routes.

Yeah, it doesn't. It's a reach of an attempt at finding a reason to trash talk generations of folks younger than the commenter who said it. 

apogeewrote:

Functioning bodies make a lot of weird noises. No-one wants to listen to sounds others make when they sh*t, piss, fart, f*ck or climb.

I am roughly 80% in agreement.

It’s fine. OP is a punter anyways

apogeewrote:

Functioning bodies make a lot of weird noises. No-one wants to listen to sounds others make when they sh*t, piss, fart, f*ck or climb.

I think avenue q has a song about one of those being very wrong. The medium you are on loves one of those, sometimes featuring one or all of the other 4

Colonel Mustardwrote:

Thanks. I know (and lived) the term already, I just don’t get how it forms a cogent point in why some people scream more on routes.

It's a term to denigrate people I don't like obvi. Just like the word commie, fascist, liberal, etc. 

In the wise words of Will Ferrel in blades of glory: it doesn't need to make sense, it's provocative.