My climbing partner?

How about letting him pick the next route? Its always easier to climb something you personally pick and are psyched about.

Stich wrote: I have no idea, it's just an image of a dude that is disappointed.

He doesn't look disappointed enough. Maybe that was the point...haha

Sorry for hijacking the thread but seriously do you think that talking trash on a public forum about someone who you would like to sack up and climb harder things with you is the right thing to do?

Caprinae monkey wrote:Ok, showboating is ok after a tough route, but leave the harem at home. We kept noticing guys setting up topropes on easy grades for girl groups (taking up several routes) and I would say these guys were wasting their time (not challenging themselves), if not risking their life like that 30-foot go-pro groundfall guy by having the cute clueless belayer (I finally understand why everyone was upset at him, for the bulk of the thread I was upset at her for dropping him) - the girls were ok, nothing I would risk my life for, but then again, I'm not into girls. And, many times this weekend a single guy would walk past with 3-4 girls in tow. One of my party asked why this was. I replied, because guys are intimidated by girls who actually do climb, these girls don't actually climb, in the non-climbing world they go round up these non-climbing girls saying they are a climber (I guess that sounds daring, outdoorsy, adventurous), and encourage the girls to come out... and the girls get impressed by whatever the guy leads even if the guy is a weak climber. He understood then, "Oh, I get it. The guy does a 5.9 lead and the girls are like 'oooohhh wowwww, you are sooo awesome...'" (Let me take you to my tent later) LOL I guess he sees the light.. and won't be climbing with me anymore! Next time I see him he'll probably have a group of non-climbing girls w/ him. I hope no one here is guilty of this :D or maybe i'm just jealous and catty???

yr just jealous and catty ;)

my favorite azn princess ... following up a 12a tips crack crux ...



newbie climbing gurl 2nd time out following up 11a undercling



its a proven fact that hawt gurls screaming encouragement INCREASES the send power =P

Those girls climb, no problem there.

its a proven fact that hawt gurls screaming encouragement INCREASES the send power =P

It doesn't work the other way. When I take non-climber guys I just end up emasculating them when they can't get up stuff, and saying stuff like "good job!" like they're 5 yrs old when they toprope a jug haul.

My own fault anyway, for going to the Red River Gorge. Don't have that problem when I go to trad / remote climbing areas.

Reminds me of the time I drove 12 HOURS to the Bugaboo Spires with a partner (who claimed to be good for ANY moderates) and big plans. The dude bails on our warm-up cruise, Pigeon Spire (5.4!!), b/c "his head is elsewhere". He insists that we don't tell anyone back at the Conrad Kain Hut that we (he) bailed. So I just defer all questions about what we climbed that day to him, as if I was his deaf and dumb partner! The next day we try again (with everyone at the hut wondering why we are going to repeat the route!#@#) and he biffs it stepping from the glacier to the rock, hands bloody and once again not into it! Trip over.

Moral of the story...have real, proven history with the partners that you embark on multi-pitch, long drive, long approach adventures.

The phrases "was a very strong, confident climber" and "many years ago" were clues to me. Nothing lasts forever, and climbing is so-o-o much a head game. This guy may just be done being a climber. Nothing wrong with that, but he needs to figure that out on his time, not his time with you.

You know what they say: there are old climbers, and bold climbers, but no old bold climbers. :)

flynn wrote: You know what they say: there are old climbers, and bold climbers, but no old bold climbers. :)

Really?

Sorry at 35 i do not call 51 or 55 old at all. Mid to late 60's ok now you are old if we are talking climbing.

I had this problem a couple times myself though. Just move on, if the person is as you say a old partner then maybe do not just move on and give them some time. Imop a good partner deserves patients if nothing else. If it goes on and on week in and week out or more times than not just move on in as nice a way you can figure.

Clearly you have to have a better place or people to talk about this about than via the internet. Maybe another climbing partner, could be weird if all your partners know this person so i kinda get it. Not saying the situation is not frustrating as balls but i consider it just part of being a climber tbh. Not only do we have to work to climb harder and better but we also have to work at finding the ideal partners and to find the time to make it all happen blah blah blah.

Tbh i think learning to climb hard is much more easy than finding reliable evenly matched like minded partners. Partners are the real key to climbing i think. Don't waste time on the duds just like in life but give a friend the time needed to work his shit out.

First off I didn't post to talk trash about my friend because besides this he is one of my good friends. I am more just frustrated and needed to vent because my wife doesn't really get it(or care) and my other friends aren't climbers and don't get it or don't care. I have one really good partner but our schedules don't line up that often so i am constantly seeking other partners. And yes the plan was I was going to be leading all the pitches since I know he isn't comfortable on the sharp end even on a very easy route. I wasn;t expecting such a response on this tho.

i wouldnt totally ditch the guy. just know what you can and can't do with him. i guess at this point its single pitch trad in the middle of nowhere. at the same time i feel your pain. finding someone to climb with every time you want to get out can be tough. its an interesting conversation though. makes me think of all the people i hate climbing with but also makes me appreciate the solid partners i do have. if you ever venture to the adirondacks pm me. ill climb with ya.

Travis,

I like/respect that you're using this forum as a venting tool and that you stated you weren't here to trash talk. Good for you.

I am lucky and have one SOLID good friend as a partner and some others in our "crew" are definitly motivated and sometimes available to climb with me. With that said in the winter its hard if not impossible to motivate/get people to climb so I learned to lead solo and top rope solo. Not the fastest options but they are options just incase you do want to get out but don't have someone. If you're comfortable (to each his own, no right or wrong here) I reccomend you try free soloing. Why? Because if you're comfortable its fast (way faster than 2 people and gear) and of course you don't need to rely on others. I multi-pitch free solo with a rope (butterfly backpacked), harness and a slimmed down rack JUST in case I want to collect myself, bail or french free a section. I haven't had to plug gear yet butI feel that soloing with gear balances out some of the risk (still super risky of course, just safer, not so intense versus no bail/rapp gear)

Just mere suggestions/options. My wife could give two shits less when I talk climbing. Way to vent "healthily" (I may have made that word up but I'm sure you get it).

Enjoy!

The Stoned Master wrote:Travis, I learned to lead solo and top rope solo.

I have started doing top rope solo to get out on the rock for a few hours when I dont feel like bouldering but Its just not the same.

I have started doing top rope solo to get out on the rock for a few hours when I dont feel like bouldering but Its just not the same.

Aww... no it's not. I like the human interaction aspect in climbing. Even when my climbing partner and I act like bratty siblings to each other.

Why don't you tap the ppl of MP?

What about your wife? Can you convince her to go? Maybe you can rope solo while she stays on the ground, or have her belay and set up a pulley to get her up. You can tell your wife it's a really fun hiking / camping trip, and bring a hammock. I bought a hammock and used it for the first time this weekend, and it was spectacular!

I was thinking, I a pulley doesn't help if the primary reason against climbing is a fear of heights - maybe the heights got to your partner.

Your post made me appreciate having a regular climbing partner, even if we start to annoy each other.

I have started to get my wife out but the problem with that is finding someone to watch the 2 boys all day. And I have met up with a few people off MP with mixed results and no consistant partner.

One thing about partners is that you can even get into a rut with your favorite ones, only climbing sport routes because that lets him or her lead or mostly going to their favorite crags that you honestly aren't that motivated to climb at. I used to climb in Eldo all of the time and only went a few times last year. Now that I lost my main climbing partner, I have led harder in Eldo than ever before. It's bittersweet for sure, but all change is.

On the bright side, I have a new partner moving to town that I hope works out really well. Trad is going to be on the menu again, lead swapping, road trips to Red Rocks, you name it. I'm pretty happy about that. :-)

What happens when you climb w/ someone who is more experienced or climbs harder than you? When I climb w/ someone more experienced in trad or harder in sport, I defer to them to lead because they are faster.

Especially in trad, after I belay someone for like 30 minutes, with the winding line (unlike the straight sport line) it doesn't makes sense for them to rappel and traverse/zig-zag cleaning it, and just makes more sense for me to follow them and clean their gear.

But then, I feel stupid leading something I just cleaned.