I work in a store that sells climbing equipment and most of the people who buy it are buying it to do something other than climb. Including but not limited to: paint something high on their house, do roof work, make a tether for when they are out on their sailboat, hang their keys off of "real" biners...you get the idea. The all time worst was someone came in to learn how to climb. The first thing he asked was how "crabeneirs" worked. I proceeded to show him Don Mellor's instructional book on climbing, and Freedom of the Hills.

This limo pulls up in the Grand Wall parking lot and four middle-aged people get out. A woman comes over to me as I'm racking and says

"I know it's called rapelling when you come down, but what is it called when you go UP?"

While practicing some soloing skills at a nearby area, two middle-aged women happened to pass underneath, stop, and silently stare. From a quick glance, I could tell they were serious outdoor enthusists :roll: ...all the way from the fanny packs to the unscathed trekking poles held in each hand to help with the incredibly difficult terrain which had an elevation change (besides the rock) of what I think was about 10 feet. In fact, I was rather impressed that each of their wiener dogs managed to make it up the trail with them (which I might add, had matching doggy sweaters). After staring for quite a considerable amount of time, one of them decided to break the uncomfortable silence that they had let fall on themselves. I'm sure it was the more outspoken of the two of them...probably the one who considered her sense of humor to be God's gift to the world...

Woman: "So what exactly are you doing up there?"

Myself: "I'm rock climbing." *pause* "Nice dogs."

W: "Thanks, they're wiener dogs. Oh, I see..." (the second woman leaned over and whispered something...probably what to say next)

W: "So, is that a rope you're using?" (while she is staring at my rope that is threaded through numerous peices of pro...why is it that non-climbers only know about ropes?)

M: "Yep, it sure is."

W: "Are you worried it's going to break?"

M: At this point I wanted them to just leave, so I said somthing I probably shouldn't have - "Yes, all the time."

W: *gasp* "Well, then why the hell are you up there!?"

M: "Because I enjoy doing it."

W: "Are you sure?"

"What happens if you fall?"

"Does it hurt when you do that?"

Considering that you forgot to spit the rope out when you fell, you are hardly in a position to be suggeting that someone else is stupid.

-Jay

I disagree. Jumping into trad without any leading experience put me in a situation where something like that could happen. You're a sport climber and you've been doing it for years, it seems stupid to you that someone could fall and not think "Oh I still have the rope in my mouth, I'll relax my tense jaw"...

I just think it is funny that they assume if I'm lead climbing I'm bashing in pitons and bolts instead of following a crack with cams and nuts.

Considering that you forgot to spit the rope out when you fell, you are hardly in a position to be suggeting that someone else is stupid.

-Jay

I just think it is funny that they assume if I'm lead climbing I'm bashing in pitons and bolts instead of following a crack with cams and nuts.

Why do you guys keep so many key chains?

I am getting really sick of people projecting their political views onto everybody else because they like climbing, music, subarus, dogs, nikes... "ohhhh - we have this one thing in common... if I say something degrading and not even funny or original about george bush everyone will share an annoying liberal commie chuckle and think I am very clever and freethinking for being the first person ever to insult the president" I dyslexicly swear to dog that I never gave a rat's sphincter about politics of any sort but every time somebody makes one of those generalizing statements and expects me to share a conspiratory giggle I just want to duct tape that person to a humvee and force them to listen to conservative talk radio for all eternity while I skeet shoot peregrine falcons.

Oh - silly things nonclimbers say if I tell them I went climbing and they ask me if I had a good time "hiking". And I say "No - it sucked - all 5 teva-wearing minutes" Most of the time it's cool... but if I have PMS like some of the people on this site I might scream "WHY DON'T YOU LISTEN... did I ever say I went HIKING... we are not COMMUNICATING... I CAN't BELIEVE YOU WOULD ASK ABOUT HIKING WHEN I CLEARLY STATED THAT I WENT CLIMBING... DON'T YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT A THING I SAY!!!"