Teenagers that Aid?

Just curious if there are any other younger people who have gotten into some aid climbing. Are me and my bro the only ones?? Finessing micronuts into cracks seems more fun than pulling plastic on a rainy day, but not many people my age seem to agree. Anyone else that did some aid climbing at a young age? And if so, what's the story behind it?

Since you edited your post, I'll edit mine.

It is likely because most kids your age can't afford to drop hundreds of dollars on aid/trad gear. I grew up in a middle class family and there is no way that my parents would have ever supported me had I asked them to pay for aid climbing gear. Soccer? Football? Sure, but not thousands of dollars for me to go kill myself (how they view it). Climbing gyms are relatively cheap, provide easy access, and offer a social platform for many kids to interact.

I think perhaps there is also a distinct privilege in having permissive parents who are willing to LET you go and aid climb. When I have kids, I probably won't let them go mess around on any big walls for days at a time... It is objectively more dangerous than pulling plastic, particularly when you look at the tail end of the distribution (i.e. death) and teenagers aren't the best with risk assessment.

I think like anything these days, it boils down to the fact that there are way too many factors that play into it. The community in which you reside may be comprised of a certain wealth class, or just be lucky enough to have a ton of climbing access nearby. I think you're asking a good question, but I'm just not sure that it should be asked in a general forum given that your target audience will surely include people from all walks of life. I get what you're saying though. Just hard to give you a definite answer.

No one cares what you climb bro. Be happy for yourself and your ascents. If you want to spray get some bigger ascents under belt first. Most people find aid climbing monotonous, slow, scary, and boring all at the same time. Also aiding with that ghetto equip = Ur gonna die.

Anyways, it is pretty cool that you are aiding at 17. You could be destined for big things if you keep your head on and always check your knot. Set yourself up to climb all the way to 80

Quintessential aid rant:

youtube.com/watch?v=boQHYBh…

Hans Radish wrote:Just curious if there are any other younger people who have gotten into some aid climbing. Are me and my bro the only ones?? Finessing micronuts into cracks seems more fun than pulling plastic on a rainy day, but not many people my age seem to agree.

It's nice to hear that you enjoy getting on the rock in wet weather, even if it means aid climbing. Seems like a good attitude for a western Washington climber.

Until you asked your question, I hadn't thought much about the age distribution of aid climbers versus the strictly free-climbers. But it does seem like you are a rare case these days. As a teenager in the Seattle area, I did a little aid, but mostly decided that days with wet weather could be used instead to scope out new lines, explore, and clean new routes.

Climbing is cheap. It costs 1200$ for a surfboard and a wet suite. How many thousands and millions of kids surf?

"That's great that you and your brother have the privilege and ability to aid climb over "pull on plastic," but personally I think it's pretty lame to post about it. Mostly because money is the limiting factor and the large majority can't help that"

"The community in which you reside may be comprised of a certain wealth class, or just be lucky enough to have a ton of climbing access nearby. I think you're asking a good question, but I'm just not sure that it should be asked in a general forum given that your target audience will surely include people from all walks of life."

Hans- Don't listen to this rubbish. Your not subjecting any oppressed peoples with your fucking privilege! Your desire to aid climb and have a good time with it and maybe find some other folk your age that do it has nothing to do with your wealth class-

'yer gonna die of course, but not before you have a good time of it.

I think this is an awesome post. Good for the kid, and kudos for bringing it up. Why did this immediately go to privilege and class? Who cares and what does that have to do with this kid?

Aid climbing is a dying art. To have young climbers messing around with it, getting out of the gym, and being adventurous... I can't applaud this enough.

At a time when we honor Royal Robbins, this is a perfect sentiment!

You may not realize it Hans, but you are following in a tradition that goes back to the 70's when teenage climbers like Bill Price and Charlie Row were doing El Cap testpieces. Chris Mc Namara was doing El Cap routes as a teenager, I did a couple with him before he hit 20. In January of 2014 I did a push of Tangerine Trip, and that December, Lurking Fear IAD with Mickey Sensebach who was a Senior in High School. Keep at it, a lifetime of El Cap and other big wall ascents await!

Russ Keane wrote:I think this is an awesome post. Good for the kid, and kudos for bringing it up. Why did this immediately go to privilege and class? Who cares and what does that have to do with this kid? Aid climbing is a dying art. To have young climbers messing around with it, getting out of the gym, and being adventurous... I can't applaud this enough. At a time when we honor Royal Robbins, this is a perfect sentiment!

+1 JB

Daniel Evans wrote:That's great that you and your brother have the privilege and ability to aid climb over "pull on plastic," but personally I think it's pretty lame to post about it. Mostly because money is the limiting factor and the large majority can't help that.

In 2017, posting about a gear-intensive climbing pursuit is lame because of the privilege of owning gear.

The righteous may only boulder, without pads, of course.

I'm willing to bet all the people on here talking about privilege are pretty privileged themselves...

You all need to get over yourselves... You obviously have the privilege of a computer, internet access, and free time to sit here and bullshit on the internet about a pointless hobby, while people in Africa are starving. Go drown yourselves in liberal guilt over that.

"Being able to climb, I recognize that I am inherently privileged, but there are so many kids (that I know) who spend a lot more money flying to national competitions and trips to major sport climbing areas."

No, you're not "privileged!"...good God can we please stop with the PC talk! We could say people who can buy eggs and bread are privileged if we're considering Hati as well. As far as the specifics of someone choosing to spend cash on climbing gear or football, baseball, basketball stuff,...what's the difference between you climbing and someone spending the same cash on fights here and there and comps and sporting goods etc...nothing really.
And yes, there are a lot of parents spending crazy cash on sports comps etc. we know people who do this, its loony. Perhaps their "adventure" is not knowing if they'll have a 1,2,3 or 4 hour layover?...or how many parents will be sideline referees etc screaming at their kids and their kids coaches,..I dunno. HA!
I'd rather give my child the peace of being away from society in nature,... but society in general isn't seeking what they did 60-70 yrs ago, they're to enthralled with the newest gadget, smartphone, or facebook updates!

Just keep climbing, wash off the words and thoughts of others, focus on your happiness and realize every breath you take is a gift, a miracle, nothing less!
Be humble, be thankful to God that you have been blessed to be able to climb, to get outside, and do unto others as you'd want to be treated yourself by others! Squeeze every last drop out of each day, every last ray of light from the sun and look at every star in the sky as long as you can.
When you have the opportunity to pay it forward and do something good for another person, regardless of race, gender, clothes, where they're from, etc etc,.. if you can do it, do it, but don't do it out of guilt or feeling obligated, let it come from your heart, otherwise its BS, just an act a facade, and its hollow, useless.
Life is short, live it well!

first off, its awesome that you are into it at ur age. im 17 as well and have been climbing for about 5 years started in sport, but about 2.5 years ago fell in love with trad.... i do understand where these others are coming from, it has taken me all of 2.5 years to build up singles in everything with a few doubles... building up a rack the way i did required saving and working hard in order to obtain what i have, that's probably the reason you don't see many 16-17 year olds with rack. my parents have not helped me at all. so every piece of gear i have i can attribute to each job i have worked at.

OP, I'll flip your question right back at you. How many people your age (or any age, for that matter) pursue being outdoors and active?

At my age, 60, when I was a kid, "playing" was the norm, and it was generally invented from any resources available.

My dad, when he was your age, born in 1920, made a "sailboat" from a canoe, with his high school buddy, and proceeded to "sail" the Columbia River, which was completely untamed back then.

I know two FAs here in Boise. The first, older than I, traversed our Capitol building when he was 12, free solo, of course, went on to many, many, awesome accomplishments, including FA of a technical route up Mount Borah, and many FAs of our local cliffs. The second, in his twenties, knows our local cliffs so intimately, from climbing nonstop, he is now my go to for info. He rope soloes, and practiced his aiding also, to make the most of his hard earned Yosemite trip.

Last, not aiding, but life in general, my own son was cut loose from school after fifth grade. We homeschooled for a year, but after that, I let him be on his own. He knew he had to be trustworthy, and he was and is.

About your age, he joined Search and Rescue, and was out solo, backcountry, all the time, all weather. Soloed our highest peak, Mount Borah, at night, at 19.

My dads grandfather was one of the fourteen children of a woman who walked the Oregon trail. The youngest of those fourteen I met when I was a kid! One hike my son and I made when he was home schooling, may literally have been in that lady's footsteps. She is probably as responsible as anyone for my climbing career beginning at 57.

Point is, this is the norm. It's only in recent decades that "privilege" has allowed people to do nothing, and to chain up both themselves and their children in "safety".

Rant over. For all the times I'm told how awesome my kid is now, I was told many times what a bad parent I was then.

Have fun, BUT, be safe, be sensible, be trustworthy. Stupid is fun, sometimes, but you are very mortal. Don't ever forget it, so you don't ever break your mom's heart. We hide it as best we can, but we never, ever stop worrying about you!

Dad's too, and that bro of yours, I'm assuming. And, total strangers. Fancy that.

Best, Helen

We are out there...

Daniel Evans wrote:Since you edited your post, I'll edit mine. It is likely because most kids your age can't afford to drop hundreds of dollars on aid/trad gear. I grew up in a middle class family and there is no way that my parents would have ever supported me had I asked them to pay for aid climbing gear. Soccer? Football? Sure, but not thousands of dollars for me to go kill myself (how they view it). Climbing gyms are relatively cheap, provide easy access, and offer a social platform for many kids to interact. It's a pretty simple concept and business model--not rocket science. Not to sound like a dick or anything. That's great that you and your brother have the privilege and ability to aid climb over "pull on plastic," but personally I think it's pretty lame to post about it. Mostly because money is the limiting factor and the large majority can't help that. Case and point, my friend takes his 10-year-old girl climbing and she just became the youngest female to climb one of the ice routes up Mt. Kilimanjaro. Their ability to fund that trip and escort her up that route is a rarity and not very common among your average American household. My point being, that I don't think you will see them make a post about why other 10 y/o aren't following in suit.

First, there was nothing wrong with his original post. It read like an honest inquiry and he wasn't bragging. It's a correct observation that more teenagers prefer ripping tendons than learning to aid.

Second, privilege is relative. The fact that you grew up as a white male, middle class, US citizen means that you're the 1% of the 1%. Get over it, no need to give the kid shit for chasing his bliss.

Hans,

It's rad that you and your brother are getting after it so young. My mentor, Jeff Shapiro, lived out of his van, aiding in Index during his teenage years and is an all around incredible athlete. You and your bro need to Chris Mac El Cap soon!

Don't listen to the naysayers on MP. Climb on, brother!

I'm older than you, but still not old. I'd rather use the youth I have left to pursue physically hard climbing. Youth will run out.

mountainproject.com/v/aid-c…

I spent some time and listed out some reasons why Aid is the best way to learn how to climb.... just so you know how to do some things.

So Hans.... you are in a small minority, aid climbing when all of your peers are chasing tail in the gym, for sure, but look at it this way.... your ahead of the game.

At the Gym I go to two of the teenagers who worked at the gym got into aid....... by the time they were young twenties they had amassed a impressive list of El Cap climbs. Both of those young men have turned that skill into hi-paying rope work trades, traveled the world... working-- getting paid well.

Go do AID .... climb big stuff when your young, your strong and you can.

And whats with this white privilege stuff???? Daniel-- get a clue about the real world and how it works.....

My post had nothing to do with "white privilege" - I was simply presuming that the reason most teenagers the OP's age do not aid climb is due to financial ability. For the very same reason that most college students I know tend to sport climb over trad climb. I used the word "privilege" in a sentence by its root definition, not in an attempt to shame the OP for his whiteness.