Speed climbing is stupid and dangerous.

While I certainly think speed climbing is distinct from all other climbing disciplines, I actually think speed climbing is a lot of fun. To each their own.

That's an interesting idea, however you just quietly skipped without answering all the questions that expose the flaws in your thinking, to focus on the easy ones and/or what seems to be trolling...

Brad G wrote:

It's all rock climbing and I find it all fun for the most part. Although I guess the YDS has letters. Does that make "traditional" climbing less "yahoo"? Speed climbing is cool because it adds teamwork to the challenge and like I said before it's a good break from projecting hard grades. Also, usually after a quick climb you have plenty of time left in the day to do more climbing. It's all climbing, it all has numbers and it's all fun.

Speed climbing doesn't necessarily mean a team. In the Olympics it will be individual, on an artificial wall. https://www.climbing.com/news/climbing-officially-approved-for-2020-olympics/

I have no problem with speed climbing. I have a problem with speed climbing the same exact climb over and over again. If they want to put it in Olympics they should make it a new random route that requires the climber to figure out how to climb it fast in under 30mins from first seeing the route.

When you are climbing the same route for years it destroys everything that makes climbing the sport it is imo and becomes nothing more than memory game.

Sure you can say it is a memory game for speed climbing the nose but really it isn't the same because they aren't repeating the nose route 50 times a day every day.

If you don't like speed climbing, don't speed climb.

If you don't like soloing, don't solo.

If you don't like ____, don't do _____.

End of thread.

ViperScale wrote:

I have no problem with speed climbing. I have a problem with speed climbing the same exact climb over and over again. If they want to put it in Olympics they should make it a new random route that requires the climber to figure out how to climb it fast in under 30mins from first seeing the route.

It will be treated that way - just as with competitive sport climbing - no previewing, no practice. And there's no "If they want to put it in the Olympics....". Climbing - sport, bouldering, speed - is a medal event in the next summer Olympics.

When you are climbing the same route for years it destroys everything that makes climbing the sport it is imo and becomes nothing more than memory game.

Which is why speed climbing occupies its own special place in the continuum of rock climbing.

Abram Herman wrote:

If you don't like speed climbing, don't speed climb.

If you don't like soloing, don't solo.

If you don't like ____, don't do _____.

End of thread.

Hey now, this is MP. We don't like reasonable resolutions to unimportant and pointless debates. 

Marc801 C wrote:

Speed climbing doesn't necessarily mean a team. In the Olympics it will be individual, on an artificial wall. https://www.climbing.com/news/climbing-officially-approved-for-2020-olympics/

Marc, 

I think Brad G knows a thing or two about what he's talking about. He set the speed record on The Nose yesterday   https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item/71342/new_nose_speed_record_by_gobright_reynolds

DannyJ wrote:

Marc, 

I think Brad G knows a thing or two about what he's talking about. He set the speed record on The Nose yesterday   https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item/71342/new_nose_speed_record_by_gobright_reynolds

Fully aware! And my comment wasn't aimed at him as much as toward so many climbers that still don't know about it becoming an Olympic event.

Actually I'd love to hear more details about the logistics and techniques needed to do NIAFH (Nose in a few hours!) from someone who's actually done it. I've read some of Florine's writings but I'm hardly an expert - more like total noob - at that style of climbing, so full understanding still eludes. Hell, I've been away from walls and aid for so long I'd have to practice how to follow a pendulum again.

Marc801 C wrote:

Fully aware! And my comment wasn't aimed at him as much as toward so many climbers that still don't know about it becoming an Olympic event.

Actually I'd love to hear more details about the logistics and techniques needed to do NIAFH (Nose in a few hours!) from someone who's actually done it. I've read some of Florine's writings but I'm hardly an expert - more like total noob - at that style of climbing, so full understanding still eludes. Hell, I've been away from walls and aid for so long I'd have to practice how to follow a pendulum again.

My bad. Would definitely be interesting to know the nuances behind how Brad and Jim have been cutting their times down and what, if anything, they did differently from past teams. 

Abram Herman wrote:

If you don't like speed climbing, don't speed climb.

If you don't like soloing, don't solo.

If you don't like ____, don't do _____.

End of thread.

But then moral busybodies would have no purpose in life....won't somebody please think of the perpetually outraged?

Abram Herman wrote:

If you don't like ____, don't do _____.

Looser's attitude.

There's a verb "ought to". When it comes to "ought to" nobody cares 'bout "to like".

Brad G wrote:

It's all rock climbing and I find it all fun for the most part. Although I guess the YDS has letters. Does that make "traditional" climbing less "yahoo"? Speed climbing is cool because it adds teamwork to the challenge and like I said before it's a good break from projecting hard grades. Also, usually after a quick climb you have plenty of time left in the day to do more climbing. It's all climbing, it all has numbers and it's all fun.

I'm not saying it isn't fun or that it isn't climbing. I'm saying that speed climbing reduces it all to simply a time. This is why I find marathon, triathlon, etc boring and for the Yahoos. What makes speed climbing (outside) exciting for the Yahoos is the possibility you will take a major winger, kinda like NASCAR on rock.

Climbing should occur at the " correct" speed which is the speed that the climber can remain "solid" or safe, however you want to define those terms. Basically to boil down my motivation it's a major bummer when people are seriously injured or killed especially in pursuit of the highest mark on a measuring stick.

Perhaps the speed climbing energy could be applied more positively?

Tradiban wrote:

I'm not saying it isn't fun or that it isn't climbing. I'm saying that speed climbing reduces it all to simply a time.

The same argument could be applied to barely anything.

E.g., free climbing. Why do bother about style? Do climb with the just right style. Or topping out. Why do bother about reaching the top? Do climb to reach the just right height. Etc, etc, etc.

Is there any value if there are no rules?

Pavel Burov wrote:

The same argument could be applied to barely anything.

E.g., free climbing. Why do bother about style? Do climb with the just right style. Or topping out. Why do bother about reaching the top? Do climb to reach the just right height. Etc, etc, etc.

Is there any value if there are no rules?

Nice selective quoting Pavel. Perhaps I need to reiterate for you. Climbing can be a fairly safe activity. When speed climbing one deliberately ignores that possibility. Speed climbing is stupid because it deliberately ignores risk that could be mitigated in pursuit of an arbitrary goal, time.

Couldn’t the same be said for free climbing a face instead of walking up the trail around the corner?  Only difference is the “arbitrary goal” is a particular climbing grade.

Tradiban wrote:

Well in the case of speed climbing there's a certain macho bullshit that has a negative effect on our sport and our crags. It's the broification of climbing, it offends me.

Sorry, but 'broification' as you put it has and will continue to infiltrate most outdoor activities.  It is followed, in almost all cases, by the Get Off My Lawn Syndrome that you are now exhibiting.  

Help is out there.

Tradiban wrote:

Nice selective quoting Pavel. Perhaps I need to reiterate for you. Climbing can be a fairly safe activity. When speed climbing one deliberately ignores that possibility. Speed climbing is stupid because it deliberately ignores risk that could be mitigated in pursuit of an arbitrary goal, time.

Nope. Speed climbing is nit necessarily about "deliberately ignore the risk". And it is not necessarily to pursuit the only goal. It is just another skill to improve, yet another tool to apply according to ones goals and task in hands.

Ted Pinson wrote:

Couldn’t the same be said for free climbing a face instead of walking up the trail around the corner?  Only difference is the “arbitrary goal” is a particular climbing grade.

Hiking and climbing are two different activities.

Pavel Burov wrote:

Nope. Speed climbing is nit necessarily about "deliberately ignore the risk". And it is not necessarily to pursuit the only goal. It is just another skill to improve, yet another tool to apply according to ones goals and task in hands.

Since everyone so concerned about that Community all the time perhaps you could tell me what we all gain from this speed climbing fad?

I actually have a good answer to this question but I'd like to see if anyone else smells what I'm cooking. Hint it has to do with NASCAR.