Micro-Take culture in hard sport climbing

I think it's time to finally address hard sport climbings dirty little secret. I am sick of the rampant micro-take culture that is oh so common among the "Pros" who are "really pushing the limits". I fire up the 8a.nu website and 8 out of the top 10 best ticks recently are all guilty of this.

explain "micro-take"

It's all about that Macro-take

Seriously! With a short fifi on my belay loop, I get "no hands rests" around nearly every bolt.

Daniel Winder wrote:Seriously! With a short fifi on my belay loop, I get "no hands rests" around nearly every bolt.

Sport aid!

Micro-Aggression!

remember to take as well as give man, micro takes all add up in the end.

Its the responsibility of the belay to keep that shit in check!

First world problems.

Don't even need the Fifi. Just put your foot on the belay side of the rope while you're at the bolt and hang there. Nobody even sees you do it. Sport climbing is what it is. What? You didn't know this? Dangling in its many forms.

penalty slack!

When I took a half-day course in France last year on "How to Cheat" in sport climbing, my instructor said that
in France, it's easy to see the difference ...

People stuck in the 5.10s (French sport grade 6) are climbing their routes with good style.

People progressing in the 5.12s (French sport grade 8) are "cheating" whenever they feel it helps.

Ken

It's only cheating if you lie about it. Otherwise it's called climbing.

Naw, it's cheating. The worst kind of cheating. Lieing to yourself.

Ken, I'm curious, what are some of the cheating techniques? I do need to expand my repertoire. :-) I would like to point out that 5.12 is 7a+ to 7c, with 7a at 11d and 7c+ at 13a. Finally, it is important to note that in this day and age .12 sport is essentially just a warm-up to most climbers (not me :-/).

the schmuck wrote:I would like to point out that 5.12 is 7a+ to 7c, with 7a at 11d and 7c+ at 13a.

Yes you're right: French sport 8 is getting into the 5.13s.
Which now helps me further understand his point -- that any climbers still working thru the 5.12s must be confused about cheating strategy.

Specifics on How to Cheat sounds like better for another thread on another forum.

Ken

the schmuck wrote:. Finally, it is important to note that in this day and age .12 sport is essentially just a warm-up to most climbers (not me :-/).

I believe that MP did a stats trivia post at one point and (at least given what MP users are logging on their pages) the median grade that MP users climb was 10-.

I think that assuming most climbers actually warm up on 12s (as in a casual route to stretch out on and cruise) is a gross overestimation.
Or you happen to only climb w/ folks that are actually in the top 20% of the climbing population.

Brent Apgar wrote: I believe that MP did a stats trivia post at one point and (at least given what MP users are logging on their pages) the median grade that MP users climb was 10-. I think that assuming most climbers actually warm up on 12s (as in a casual route to stretch out on and cruise) is a gross overestimation. Or you happen to only climb w/ folks that are actually in the top 20% of the climbing population.

I don't think most sport climbers who cruise 5.12 bother with MP forums and surveys, chances are they spend more time climbing. To add, most MP users are Americans, in my experience abroad, most climbers who cruise 5.12 are not. You ever seen a fat french grandpa at the sport crag? 5.12 all day.
I watched a french woman in her mid 60s cruise 5.12C onsight repeatedly.

Stupid American trad climber question: Is this a real thing? Are people really sport climbing with fifis and standing on the rope? Or is this someone's attempt at satire on microagressions?

I thought fifi's were found in prison?

JoshBl wrote:I thought fifi's were found in prison?

different kind of fifi