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crazygirl
Aug 14, 2006, 3:32 PM
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Registered: Aug 27, 2003
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Last weekend i went climbing at my local crag with someone who is new to climbing. So i decided to take him on a an easy classic.
When we got on the climb, we picked up a 'hitchhiker', a third, an experience climber, without a partner.
Now, keep in mind, that this is a classic, which means there is a line of people waiting to get on it. Consideringt that, i wanted to be as fast as possible, so I placed only one piece of gear on the route.
The stranger, trying to be helpfull, told me to place more gear. I was always taught that every person in the climbing party needs to be comfortable, so I placed 4 pieces on the second pitch.
After we got down, he made comments that I must be a sport climber, and that I need to place more gear.
Any thoughts on this? I've been climbing trad longer than sport, and it was a personal choice as far as how much gear I decide to place on the route. Is it common for strangers to assume that girls need unsolicited gear advice?
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wanderinfree
Aug 14, 2006, 6:31 PM
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I don't think it was a girl-specific thing. Ultimately, it's up to the leader to place as much gear as they feel they need to feel comfortable and protect themselves on the climb. (Barring the route meandering, traversing, or overhanging where you have to protect the second.) But you said "Gunks classic" so I'm assuming it was a pretty straightforward route.
I have on occassion given lip to my partner when he's not placing enough gear on lead. Not so much on easy stuff, but when I worry about the unexpected-- accidents, rock fall, "what if"... Basically, while the gear you place is meant for your protection while on lead, if something should happen, then it would be up to your second to initiate a rescue. So think of gear as a mental safety measure/insurance for your partner. But that is between you and your partner. I sure as hell don't tell strangers I see soloing that "they should really think about using gear."
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grampacharlie
Aug 14, 2006, 7:20 PM
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I would agree with wandernfree thatit proly wasn't girl-specific, but that this otehr climber either did not know you and your climbing comfort level well enough, or that he was nervous for you in regaurds to the amount of gear being placed.
I've often reminded partners who seem to be in the zone that they are carring gear for a reason, and placing some might be a good idea... But again, those are people I know.
On the other hand, I know that when I take an inexperienced person climbing, I have the mentality that I'm basically free-soloing until I'm at the belay. The gear I place on the way is mostly for direction control, and the second's peice of mind.
As for the comments about being a sport climber, the guy's proly just an old grouchy trad-elitest that has cultural bias against "young whipper snappers" :D
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caughtinside
Aug 15, 2006, 4:28 AM
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Hey crazygirl,
I'm sure you've got this route, but be sure to have a .75 ready to go right after that pocket section. It gets cruxy right there, and you can fire in the .75 fast if you spot the horizontal above the jug. After that, you can fire it no problem. Do you know where the rest stance is? It's right below that small roof, at the top of that right facing corner. Yeah. Perfect stemmed out, no hander to shake, and plug gear right there. I myself double up a couple nuts, because they're so bomber at the base of the roof, you can equalize them, and it's really thin and insecure right above that, especially if you're trying to onsight, and you don't know about the high left crimp, that's kind of around the corner and out of sight. But you've got it, no worries. Oh, and take doubles of red alien and #1. Yeah.
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crazygirl
Aug 15, 2006, 1:32 PM
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Registered: Aug 27, 2003
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:D
Thank you for the responses. I probably just read into this too much, where people are just trying to be helpful, and they basically just like to talk.
the route was straigtforward and easy, with no traverses to protect for the second. it was really all about my comfort. what really bothered me about it was the assumption that i need help.
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bad_lil_kitty
Aug 17, 2006, 2:48 AM
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Registered: Sep 1, 2004
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...just call her crazy girl....
blk
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lewisiarediviva
Aug 17, 2006, 8:58 PM
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Registered: Aug 1, 2004
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Some people just think out loud too. When we went out to the lake to practice prusicking (I have no idea how to spell that) up a rope (on a top rope at the cliff). One of the guys who had just as much experience as the guy that was currently going up was talking all about how to do it. I thought it would drive the guy on the rope crazy but he is more laid back then myself. I realized that I was the only one that needed to figure out that the guy talking was just going over things in his head, out loud, in order to accept that he was actually figuring this out.
I can see why you were offended but you don't have to climb with him again either. I'd like to think that if it was an issue with being a girl he wouldn't have climbed with you in the first place. I would assume your demeanor says "experienced." You don't say he didn't climb it as a result so I presume he trusted everything else.
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