hey that's cute, guessing how I'd surf. It's also pretty funny, since the first guys to tow in to mavericks were also some of the early maverick's paddle in guys.

Probably a good guess though. While I've toyed with the idea of surfing on and off again, I can state without hesitation I'd never tow into a wave the that could be paddled - it's a pretty simple idea with no shortage of parallels in climbing.

There are quite a few people climbing trad these days. They are less common than sporties and boulderers of course, because those two varieties don't require anything much beyond fitness and knowing how a carabiner works.

Climbing as an activity overall is growing quickly, but trad is slower to follow because it's a type of climbing that presents many more ways to injure or kill yourself. Plus, it's quite a bit scarier at times for a multitude of reasons. I'll give you an example of my buddy and I topping out a climb about a week back:

Me: "Got a good anchor up there?"
Partner: "I suppose it'll work. You're on belay, climb when ready."
Me: "You *suppose* it'll work?"
Partner: "I've looked around up here quite a bit. It's not gonna get any better. Try not to fall."
Me: "....climbing."


Sometimes, that's just how it goes.

There's also the cost-to-entry barrier. The people really swelling the ranks in bouldering and sport tend to be teens and college students with a lot of free time and little free money. The idea of ponying up 12-1800 for a trad rack seems implausible when a couple hundred bucks lets them explore the sport crag with the convenient parking.

no i don't think so. I think trad climbing will be around for quite a while. I mean who wants to bolt a climb with a predominant crack? Also, there could be a resurgence as newer and (perceived-as-safer/safer) equipment reaches the market.

This has been my argument for via ferrata. I've always wanted to do some big walls, but it seems like there is a large learning curve, plus a high cost to boot. It seems like a wall like el cap, or maybe something in zion, could get one via ferrata route on it without being in the way of any classics.

This may not be surfing related, but I think Evidence that trad is certainly not on the decline is the prominent gear development.

There are more trad climbers today than ever before. However, the percentage of climbers who trad climb is down from say 10 years ago. So, trad had decreased in popularity among more and more climbers.

HTH.

Jay

i think trad will come back up with a vengance when people realize what sonny trotter realized "Their was something missing from sport climbing, adventure."

When's punctuation gonna come back up with a vengeance?

Gear is queer, sport it where it's at.

The waves I can't ride, I can't ride because I'm not good enough.

The best thing about surfing is it's simplicity, you and a board.

That's basically my point all along with the analogy - that there is nothing you can 'do' to a wave to make it easier to ride.


And this is how I feel about trad climbing - you, your rack and the rock as I found it. I'm either good enough to climb it as is or I'm not.

But I'm glad to hear you get the idea regardless of the activity it hails from. If more folks had that fundamental concept in some form or another climbing would be better off.

Sport calling trad ghey - now that would be a juxtaposition of reality worthy of Rove himself.

Yeah, but I disagree because a bolt does not make moves easier to do. You can either pull them or you can't.

If you can't use the right word, at least use a big one.

Jay

If you can't use the right word, at least use a big one.

Compared to protecting and doing them it's fundamentally far easier - that's why folks are always complaining here about leading trad three levels below their sport grade.

If you can't use the right word, at least use a big one.

Jay

Compared to protecting and doing them it's fundamentally far easier - that's why folks are always complaining here about leading trad three levels below their sport grade.