Very Super Hot Take

This new era of climbing (post 2018) is the golden era of the sport and it's culture is the best it's ever been. I genuinely feel that the inclusivity of the sport in the present day surpasses the ego driven 70s-90s, and has and will leave the most positive impact on its history. 

Yes.

Yep. I never would have gotten into climbing if the only kind of climbing available was scary trad

If one thinks climbing is still not ego driven one is sadly mistaken. In fact, I would say that it is even more ego driven today than in the past. 

Ryan Moserwrote:

Yep. I never would have gotten into climbing if the only kind of climbing available was scary trad

Yeah but you would have never gotten to climb if there wasn't people who like "scary trad" to put up and clean your routes

... So make sure to say thanks! 😂🤣😂

Idk man, my golden age was like 2012-2016. Crags were way less crowded. Cams didn’t cost $100 a piece. Yosemite hadn’t been screwed by Aramark yet. Mountain Project still had Aleks Zebastian. 

Why 2018? 

post edit: May your golden age last you the rest of your life, my friend! I got a 40-year head start on you and at least for me, the gold never stopped.

By your profile you are 27 years old. You have no idea what climbing was like before 2018. There is no doubt that climbing in 2026 is still driven by ego, fame seeking, and brand recognition most assuredly now more than ever before. Surely there are many still climbing just for the love of it but social media has brought large crowds with  more than a few seeking recognition only.

edit: I will add Mathew that i am glad you feel the way you do. Positivity is always good. Don’t discount the past though just because you are happy now  There might be a connection between the two.

Argument can easily be made that "ego driven" is just as strong today as ever. 

The real difference between today versus 40-50-60 years ago is mainstream culture vs. counter culture.  

What actually constitutes greater "inclusivity"? A "community" where "misfits" are a significant member group, or a mainstream everyday community  with all of it's associated rules and group think. IDK? I don't really care either. 

What's true is that you can pick any decade you like, and the "community" is just what it is. It just morphs along with the rest of society,  for better or for worse, and always a mixture of the two.

True...wearing lycra proudly took huge ego. I miss Aleks.

Hi Matthew, I’ve been climbing since the mid ‘90s  and live at a destination for American and World climbing. I‘ve noticed all sorts of trends ebb and flow, and have noticed that marketing and hype drives the labeling of “golden age” or any other slogan attempting to delineate one era of climbing from another. 

I’ll echo what Norm alluded to  by adding that across all eras, climbers have been motivated by the full spectrum of reasons. Individually, I may at times view periods of my own experience as my personal “golden era”, but I quickly realize how that is simply my perception, and doesn’t encompass the totality of climbing.

I encourage you to pursue your climbing dreams and create your own golden era of experience. 

Matthew Jacksonwrote:

This new era of climbing (post 2018) is the golden era of the sport and it's culture is the best it's ever been. I genuinely feel that the inclusivity of the sport in the present day surpasses the ego driven 70s-90s, and has and will leave the most positive impact on its history. 

Seems like an ego driven statement! 🤣

Matthew, I've been around a while and will agree based on sheer numbers. 

BUT, I believe that applies to the bad: there's the same percentage of drunks, pedophiles, groomiers, racists and rapists, etc in the sport, but also same percentage of great folks so there are way more of those out and about. Let's just not lose sight of the filth that still needs to be guarded against.

Matthew Jacksonwrote:

This new era of climbing (post 2018) is the golden era of the sport and it's culture is the best it's ever been. I genuinely feel that the inclusivity of the sport in the present day surpasses the ego driven 70s-90s, and has and will leave the most positive impact on its history. 

I'm admittedly going off of your profile pic and screen name BUT...

I'm not really sure that a white guy gets to make declarations on the health of the culture and inclusivity. I'm a white guy too and have always felt like climbing was inclusive. It turns out that it hasn't been and my myopia was shaped by the fact that people fitting my description seem to have always been included. Plenty of people who don't look like me don't feel like climbing is very inclusive, even to this day.

Climbing is inherently exclusive and it's high time you all recognized that.

It is NOT for everyone.

Good day.

Terry Parkerwrote:

True...wearing lycra proudly took huge ego. I miss Aleks.

I hope he's eating fish heads somewhere and flashing peoples projects. 

Norm Larsonwrote:

By your profile you are 27 years old. You have no idea what climbing was like before 2018. There is no doubt that climbing in 2026 is still driven by ego, fame seeking, and brand recognition most assuredly now more than ever before. Surely there are many still climbing just for the love of it but social media has brought large crowds and more than a few seeking recognition only.

edit: I will add Mathew that i am glad you feel the way you do. Positivity is always good. Don’t discount the past because you are happy now though. There might be a connection.

I've been researching the history, especially in my local area and I've come to that conclusion! I got seriously into climbing in 2019 but I noticed a huge boom in popularity within my age group around 2015-2017. The opinion is way more subjective through my personal journey but after research, meeting people, hearing them explain the past, I've realized how great now is :)

I was recently ice climbing in Hyalite canyon and I noticed how much more inclusive the sport has become relative to when I started 35 years ago.

At G1, a popular rope rope area, there were as many women as men, and were crushing.  Gay and trans climbers, and climbers or color, were well represented, as were both white and blue collar professions.

Everyone was having a good time, swapping ropes, chatting. The vibes were good. It’s like the promise of the United Colors of Benetton ads have been realized within the climbing community. The rest of the US needs to catch up.

NateCwrote:

I'm not really sure that a white guy gets to make declarations on the health of the culture and inclusivity. I'm a white guy too and have always felt like climbing was inclusive. It turns out that it hasn't been and my myopia was shaped by the fact that people fitting my description seem to have always been included. Plenty of people who don't look like me don't feel like climbing is very inclusive, even to this day.

Climbing isn’t inclusive or exclusive, it’s literally just a movement like running or walking. And also like running or walking it is 100% accessible and available to literally every single free and able bodied human on this planet without exception. Anyone can go climb anything they want any time. If your justification is gear costs money and non “white guys” are poor or something, remember that the legends of the golden age literally ate cat food for entire seasons and lived off of a few dollars a week which is entirely possible today for those motivated to climb. Yes you still need to take the initiative to get off the couch and show up, but any kind person could show up to any crag any time with literally nothing but shoes and would have strangers willing to show you the ropes and share gear within 5 minutes, especially minorities because of how inclusive the community is.

 Not looking for any confrontation here I just hate the insinuation that there’s something wrong with the climbing community because it’s not perfectly represented by every single demographic at all times. What’s much more important is it is ACCESSIBLE for every single imaginable demographic always and the community is so significantly more welcoming to everyone than any other sport by such a large margin that we have more grants and programs to get marginalized groups into climbing than we do all other kinds combined. 

Matthew Jacksonwrote:

This new era of climbing (post 2018) is the golden era of the sport and it's culture is the best it's ever been. I genuinely feel that the inclusivity of the sport in the present day surpasses the ego driven 70s-90s, and has and will leave the most positive impact on its history. 

Not even close. But appreciate your optimism 

Daniel Patrick Smithwrote:

I was recently ice climbing in Hyalite canyon and I noticed how much more inclusive the sport has become relative to when I started 35 years ago.

At G1, a popular rope rope area, there were as many women as men, and were crushing.  Gay and trans climbers, and climbers or color, were well represented, as were both white and blue collar professions.

Everyone was having a good time, swapping ropes, chatting. The vibes were good. It’s like the promise of the United Colors of Benetton ads have been realized within the climbing community. The rest of the US needs to catch up.

Climbing isn't about socializing with a diverse crowd. It is about goals and self overcoming.  Be the ubermensch, not the social butterfly