Most dangerous newbie situation you've seen

Andrew Child wrote:

What I meant is that he is a well experienced climber. In this case that wasn't a suitable replacement for sound judgment and the ability to follow manufactures instruction on the proper use of safety equipment.

So in other words they were a noob at belaying up a multi pitch climb.

ViperScale wrote:

So in other words they were a noob at belaying up a multi pitch climb.

"Noob" doesn't directly translate to "new". I've met some major "noobs" who had been climbing for a long time. Like the guy who had a guide atc but insisted on using a munter hitch for the top down belay. Wtf?

ViperScale wrote:

So in other words they were a noob at belaying up a multi pitch climb.

Or they just had a brain fart. n00b implies aggressive ignorance.

Not to be confused with newb (newbie) who just doesn't know enough.

Tradiban wrote:

"Noob" doesn't directly translate to "new". I've met some major "noobs" who had been climbing for a long time. Like the guy who had a guide atc but insisted on using a munter hitch for the top down belay. Wtf?

I resemble that remark!  I often use a MH in lieu of guide mode, esp. if the plan is to lower the climber the full length of the pitch. And my elbows appreciate it, believe me.

Some newbie up at a solid anchor, trying to do the go-in-direct, untie, thread-the-anchor, retie, and get lowered bit while "friends" on the ground were giving, overly long and complicated, easily misunderstood directions while there are all kinds of distractions on the ground, etc.  Really?  This is the time to learn by fire or death?

Tradiban wrote:

"Noob" doesn't directly translate to "new". I've met some major "noobs" who had been climbing for a long time. Like the guy who had a guide atc but insisted on using a munter hitch for the top down belay. Wtf?

No noob only means inexperienced in a certain activity... aka anyone who would do that must not know the dangers of doing it. Pretty sure whether they are new to multi pitch or not it is something that an inexperienced person would do so yea it fits perfectly into noob. I guess unless you think belaying someone in such a way that could get them killed is ok.

I once saw three climbers who were obviously new to it "working" a route at a popular sport crag. The first climber led up maybe to the fifth bolt, flailed around some, and the lowered back down, tge second climber tied in- into the other end of the rope, and proceeded to climb, cleaning the draws as though he was following. When he got to the second to last draw, I stepped in before he could clean the last remaining draw and thus be soloing 50 feet up. At first they were confused, but later grateful, and offered to buy me a beer later. 

Legs Magillicutty wrote:

When I was a brand new climber my partner and I decided to rap off a single, wobbly piton somewhere in 11 Mile.  We thought it looked sketchy so we had our partners on the ground stack up a couple crash pads at the base in case the piton blew. 

Don't do that, ok?

Which part? :) 

ViperScale wrote:

No noob only means inexperienced in a certain activity... aka anyone who would do that must not know the dangers of doing it. Pretty sure whether they are new to multi pitch or not it is something that an inexperienced person would do so yea it fits perfectly into noob. I guess unless you think belaying someone in such a way that could get them killed is ok.

Is this really worth arguing?

Marc801 C wrote:

The first time I climbed Dark Shadows, we were a party of three. A party of two showed up after us (we were on P3 at that point). Out of the 5 of us on the route, 4 are named Marc. The outlier was John in the other party. We quickly went to last names or nicknames.

Looks like this happens a lot.  My friend Grant and I were on The Thumb in LCC and the only other people on the wall doing the route next to us happened to be be named Grant and Brent.  We went with last names.  

So I was working at the local community center which has a climbing pinnacle.  It was a busy Saturday and I was rotating belays for about 8 different kids (parent's seem to confuse climbing wall with gym daycare) and this older gentleman and his I assume grandson come to climb.  I help the grandson get a harness, shoes etc and then get back to the rotation.  While I was belaying another kid up the two walked around to the side where I couldn't see them and having a weird feeling asked one of the regulars to go see what's going on.  He came back in a panic saying I need to go over there.  The old man had tied the child in with just several overhands to the belay loop and the kid was climbing while the older man just held the other end of the rope.  Luckily he wasn't very far off the ground and I was able to get him to down climb a few moves before I could reach him to pull him off the wall.  I promptly kicked them out and then gave up the babysitting belay job shortly after.  Best choice I've ever made.

Marcus wrote:

Is this really worth arguing?

Depends who you ask apparently. 

I spent a summer in Austin, TX a few years back and saw a lot of dangerous shit. The situation that took the cake was at a very popular crag called Seismic Wall. This crag has a less than 5 minute approach and is well bolted so it is frequently used by newer climbers as their first outdoor experience. On the day in question 2 dudes with new everything (shoes, harness, rope, draws) walk up to a 5.9 that is cruiser but has a couple moves sorta in your face. Leader dude, wearing a brand new bandana on his head, starts up the climb looking somewhat shakey. At this point I was also starting a route 10 or so feet away. Homeboy gets 3 bolts up and while going for the 4th seems to stall out at a bolt just out of reach. During this I had finished my route, rapped, and cleaned and was back on the ground to watch this situation unfold. The guy was still trying to clip the 4th bolt and was too scared to move to a more comfortable stance to easily clip it so he was trying to clip this thing in the most awkward, uncomfortable, and insecure way possible. The whole time he had been climbing his belayer had been losing interest and by now was looking at some other climber and had completley let go of the rope below his belay device. While this was happening the climber started to get more and more shakey trying to clip the bolt with a bunch of slack out, classic shakey Elvis leg situation. I walked up to the belayer and as quietly as possible (so to not freak the climber out) told him he needed to get his fucking hands on the rope because his climber that he wasn't watching was about to fall. He responded with a smart-ass comment, claiming he knew what he was doing, but luckily he grabbed back on to the rope. About 10 seconds later the climber finally falls with a bunch of rope still out. He catches a small ledge on the way down and shatters his ankle but is caught before he fully decks. The now frantic belayer lowers him to the ground while someone else called for an ambulance. Meanwhile I got the hell out of there, kinda freaked out that I almost watched someone die because of some noob shit.

Mike Mooney wrote:

Which part? :) 

I guess if we thought the crash pads would save us, we probably should have had our friends at the bottom pretend to spot us as well, just for that extra level of security. So many errors. :)

Tim Lutz wrote:

pretty much everyday in the gym:

children running around unsupervised, under boulderers, swinging on ropes, yelling....

you must go to my gym

Marcus wrote:

Is this really worth arguing?

The whiskey is saying yes atm.

Ska Ggs wrote:

you must go to my gym

We have a 5 year old girl who climbs V3 / V4 at my gym.

10 year old boy who does 5.13. (I like watching a kid dyno between like every move to holds I can barely hold on to moving static)

12 year old girl who climbs V8. (yes when I keep failing at a V6 and she walks up it I do get a little depressed but than she does weight probably half as much as me)

I always thought a noob was new. A Gumby, chuffer, or just plain dumbass can be experienced. 

This pertains to gym climb kids prob 50 ft up belay was more interested if he was being watched,  walked backwards 15ft till he could reach fountain and get a nice drink of water, very experienced climbers walked around him but had nothing to say?

annother awsome N0000b moment. Wanted to climb East face of Teewinot. Stopped at Dornans for the all you can eat chuckwaggon breakfast. took about 6 trips through the line and finally got started at 10:00am missed the pm boomers by sheer luck but did get to stumble down in the dark with no headlamps....