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LOST: my patience

Original Post
Ryan Williams · · London (sort of) · Joined May 2009 · Points: 1,245

The top five posts on the homepage are "FOUND" posts. I think it's great that people are nice enough to post up on MP when they find booty - I'd just take it home and give it to my friends.

But c'mon people, what happened to the days when our gear was among the most important of our possessions? A few years ago, I thought my rack had been stolen. A total of 5 minutes went by before I realised that the gear had not been stolen, and in those 5 minutes I think I threw up once and bashed my head against the wall twice. That bag had my life in it.

Before I leave the crag, I count my gear, search the ground, count my gear again, ask my partner to search the ground, break out my metal detector to make sure there is nothing being left behind. It's a matter of principal really - it's mine, I worked hard to get it, and it's worth more to me than the money it cost. It's my climbing gear.

Are other people not so obsessed? It seems that everyone here is ridiculously obsessed with the act of climbing, so why not give the same attention to the gear we use to climb? It must be, in part, because we live in this society that seems to promote the constant buying of new things instead of cherishing the old things.

Jeremy Hand · · Northern VA · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 100

Get a job where you can lose your gear and just buy more, MP solution #1

Benjamin Chapman · · Small Town, USA · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 18,818

I feel your pain, Ryan, but we now live in a society of consumers and people don't place the some value on gear that you and I do. Don't let it drive you crazy.

Snoopy · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 10

I'm obsessed. Booty booty booty booty rockin everywhere. Good karma sent to anyone who leaves booty for me. Ill drink a 6 pack of good beer for ya.

Benjamin Chapman · · Small Town, USA · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 18,818

Austin, I'll drink to that! "It's my duty to please that booty "........can't get enough of it.
C'mon people now, smile on your brother.....and post up when you find some booty.

Snoopy · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 10

Right on!! whatever happened to pack out what you pack in?? People wonder why there is litter everywhere. if someone accidentally leaves expensive ass gear without realizing it you bet your ass they will leave some sort of trash without realizing it.

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

I am 100% on board with this thread!

It's like, "WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH YOU FUCKING IDIOTS! DON'T LEAVE YOUR GEAR BEHIND! BEFORE YOU ARE ABOUT TO LEAVE, CHECK TO SEE IF YOU ARE ABOUT TO LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND"

DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously...

WHAT THE FUCK?

Ben Brotelho · · Albany, NY · Joined May 2011 · Points: 520

Amen guys. How do people leave their fricken SHOES at a crag when they're done climbing? My generation has become extremely complacent when it comes to personal belongings. The "next best thing" is always around the corner, so there is no incentive for many people to have strong personal attachment to their gear.

I think it's sad. It's a rushed-consumerism mentality that will only get worse as time goes on. BUYBUYBUY

willeslinger · · Golden, Colorado · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 25
Locker wrote:I am 100% on board with this thread! It's like, "WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH YOU FUCKING IDIOTS! DON'T LEAVE YOUR GEAR BEHIND! BEFORE YOU ARE ABOUT TO LEAVE, CHECK TO SEE IF YOU ARE ABOUT TO LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND" DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously... WHAT THE FUCK?
Chill out bro, it's not that big of a deal
Ryan N · · Bellingham, WA · Joined May 2009 · Points: 195

Yea it's ridiculous. FYI, if I find your hat, Oakleys, or a fuckin biner or cam I'm declaring it bootie. If I should one day stumble across a whole rack, or maybe a rope, I will think about returning it.

It's almost like the guys who find these mundane possessions are spraying about how honest they are. This is no place for spraying about your first 5.7 onsight trad climb, and also not place for your "honesty" spraying.

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349
"Chill out bro, it's not that big of a deal".

I take it you read the thread title where it say's, "LOST: my patience"?

Well, I've LOST mine as well!

Once more...

Fucking, DUH!

LOL!
Ben Brotelho · · Albany, NY · Joined May 2011 · Points: 520

Maybe we can tweak our views on the situation. As more and more ass hats leave their expensive gear behind, us scavengers can swoop in and obtain some bewwwty.

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

From a dude that TOTALLY get's it.

"Yea it's ridiculous. FYI, if I find your hat, Oakleys, or a fuckin biner or cam I'm declaring it bootie".

"Lost: one paperclip. If anyone finds it, please return and I will buy you a beer"

^^^

That's just about how some of the dumb shit plays out...

LMAO!

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

Exactly!

Mark E Dixon · · Possunt, nec posse videntur · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 974
Locker wrote: "Lost: one paperclip. If anyone finds it, please return and I will buy you a beer"
You should only use titanium paper clips
Derrick W · · Golden, CO · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 868

I wholeheartedly agree. All the threads offering beer in exchange for the cam you were unable to retrieve piss me off too. The moment you left that cam where it was, you made an implicit decision. By leaving the cam, you made the judgement call that it was worth $70 dollars to get off the climb sooner, rather than get your cam back. Maybe darkness or a storm was approaching, but regardless of your reasons for leaving the gear, you have no right to expect it back.

Also, saying that you tried your best for over an hour and couldn't get it out is no excuse either. If you have the money to spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on climbing gear, then maybe you ought to develop the competence to use the gear properly. That INCLUDES learning how to remove overcammed/stuck pieces.

I take the prospect of leaving gear (even a single nut or carabiner) very seriously. To me, leaving a stuck cam is equivalent to leaving $70 in cash at the crag because I'm going to go home and replace it. I have gone to great lengths to retrieve gear that many people would have left, and I have only ever left 2 pieces of gear. The first was a nut, that my second fell 15 feet onto (the pitch was traversing). We rapped by it, but I stupidly forgot to bring a rock with me to bang on the nut tool. I made the decision that it was not worth $8 to ascend the rope ~75 ft back to the ledge in order to get a rock.

The second piece of gear I left was a blue TCU placed in an ice filled horizontal crack on the Grand Teton. That cam saved my life and arrested the nastiest fall I've ever taken. After I fell, even though I was hurt, my instinct was to send my partner up to retrieve the cam. He suggested we leave it, and I agreed. It was a sacrifice to the climbing gods, who allowed us to make it off the mountain alive and without further injury. To even ask for that cam back would be bad karma. The climbing gods would not look kindly on it.

David Appelhans · · Broomfield, CO · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 410

I return prescription sunglasses. Your stuck cam is gone though.

Buff Johnson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2005 · Points: 1,145

I pride myself on piracy

Leave yer gear, and I'll take ye booty

and your shit-hot belay bitch

Peter Blank · · Grand Junction, Colorado · Joined May 2008 · Points: 720

Thanks Mom.

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

To be totally honest. If I find your weed, it's MINE!

and if you see me smoking it, don't even fucking think of asking me for a hit!

Just keep walking...

Ben Brotelho · · Albany, NY · Joined May 2011 · Points: 520
Locker wrote:To be totally honest. If I find your weed, it's MINE! and if you see me smoking it, don't even fucking think of asking me for a hit! Just keep walking...
'Das cooooooooold Locker. Real cold.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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