Climbers are kuhl.

With all the climber bashing going on lately, I would like to shed some positive light on the community.

Twice in the last two months I have unknowingly lost a pair of climbing shoes at the base of a route; walked off without packing the shoes. Some kind person has brought it to my attention or my climbing partner after leaving the crag. Note: They came to me I did not go looking for the shoes because I didn't know they were lost.

One incident was at shelf road where I left the shoes at the base of metropolis...thank you.

The other incident was this weekend at the base of warpath on wigwam dome...thank guys.

There might be some douchbags out there, but the climbing community has a whole is a pretty cool group of people and are generally more thoughtfully and caring than society at large. I will be paying those generous acts forward.

I couldn't agree more. My own experience completely refutes all of that negativity on the other thread. Of course, in real life, as opposed to the internet, I keep my mouth shut and just climb. The words are the generally the problem, not the actions. :)

Vincent Morton wrote:Twice in the last two months I have unknowingly lost a pair of climbing shoes at the base of a route; walked off without packing the shoes.

Really bad foot fungus...you wouldn't want them.

From my personal experience, I feel that I am only going through the motions of living when I am trapped in the day to day existence of life during non-climbing times. My wife, as a non-climber, can't possible understand, nor can my non-climbing neighbors, coworkers, etc.
It is not that I am so mono-directional that I can't enjoy myself or feel at peace unless I am climbing, but I feel restless and can only truly feel at peace after a day of great and exhausting climbing. Sometimes other athletic endeavors offer a good substitute for pulling down at the crags, but they are never guaranteed to satisfy me as climbing does.
I have been told that this is symptomatic of being born with naturally low serotonin levels that must be stimulated to achieve the "optimal anxiety" that is needed for happiness, a condition that many climbers have to deal with.
When I am not climbing, I am thinking about climbing, which can be frustrating. Often climbers vent this sense of frustration and need for stimulus by being confrontational, as exhibited in so many argumentative on-line forums.
Put these same warring factions together at the crags and I'm certain that it would be the camaraderie, not the opposing points of view that stand out.
If a climber is typing a negative diatribe into a climbing website, they are obviously not out climbing and therein lay the recipe for negativity.
In real life, climbers are, in my opinion, a cut above.
I've always enjoyed the company of climbers, with rare exception.
It is only within the rants of the internet that I have observed rude behavior.
Just a thought.

I totally agree, I think for the most part climbers are good natured people and I try to smile and get along with everyone. I wish everyone would get rid of senceless attitudes and learn to love one another.

Too bad they can't spell.

Hi Michael,

Thanks yoo four poynting owt mi spelleng errers. Eye halve corected tham. Two beeg a hury eye thank.