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The Smells of Climbing

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dingus

Oct 1, 2008, 10:02 PM
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The Smells of Climbing Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

Do you like the smells of climbing? Or perhaps you find them offensive?

What do I mean...

the smell of a 3-year old rope (very distinctive). Do they have flavors depending upon where they were used? Does a Red Rocks rope smell different than a Cascade mountaineer's rope?

The smell of shoe rubber or stinky feet.

Benzoin (not so much anyore)

Bay leaves, in Yosemite Valley. Jeffery pine butterscotch. Junipers up higher.

The smell of sage and lalte season burnt grass. Your partner's bad breath in the morning. That funky old tent with that funky old smell. Or your underwear on day 4 El Cap.

Haul bags have their own smell, as does a gear rack.

I LOVE the smells of climbing, even the stouter ones.

You????

DMT

hafilax

Oct 1, 2008, 10:13 PM
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

Like cheese and durian I lovee them in the context they are meant to be appreciated in. Cheese in the fridge and all those gear smells confined to the gear room... not so much.

fancyclaps

Oct 1, 2008, 10:14 PM
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Registered: Nov 23, 2005
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

Might I also add the terribly strong smell that comes from the symbiotic relationship of climbing shoes and Chacos that are worn at all times that one is not in climbing shoes. Mine is fairly distinctive.

yodadave

Oct 1, 2008, 10:23 PM
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Re: [fancyclaps] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

sweat and chalk...... classic
oh and bouldering pad

shimanilami

Oct 1, 2008, 10:25 PM
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

Whenever I go climbing, it smells like weed. And I love it.

chossmonkey

Oct 1, 2008, 10:44 PM
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

I sure do.

eastvillage

Oct 1, 2008, 10:46 PM
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

I love the smell of the Rock.

OptumisClimb

Oct 1, 2008, 10:51 PM
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

This came to mind when I "got back into climbing." I stopped in 97 and restarted in summer of 06. Once I smelled the rope, dirt, rock, shoe stank, and orange peels I felt like I was at home so to speek. All the old memories came flooding back.

asiaclimber

Oct 1, 2008, 10:55 PM
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

this may sound weird but i like the way my girl smells after a long day of climbing more then the way she smells after getting a shower.

charley

Oct 1, 2008, 10:59 PM
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Re: [OptumisClimb] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

Love em all. The outdoors and fresh air, the rope, the gear, and even my van. I climb most weekends during the ten months that is decent around here. I throw sweaty clothes, shoes, and sometimes rope into my van and drive home. I have been told my van smells. My wife always wants to fabreeze it. It smells kinda like a locker room. I have cots in it and sleep in it too. AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH the climbing smells.

sungam

Oct 1, 2008, 11:06 PM
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Re: [hafilax] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

Yeah, I like them. Not because they are pleasant to the nose- most of them definitely are not- but because of what they represent.
My sleeping bag during a long trip- it smells like sleeping. The rack smells like climbing, and the sweat reminds you of the physical joy of climbing.

On a slightly different note, am I the only one here who swears they can smell snow? Maybe it's something to do with temps/humidity but when I wake up my nose always knows (heh) if it's been snowing.

hafilax wrote:

durian

Sorry, man, no.

abe_ascends

Oct 1, 2008, 11:34 PM
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

Dingus, I am of the younger generation, and I appreciate tincture of benzoin, as well as the accompanying sting.

Learned m'climbing from a guy who was in Yosemite before cams were in widespread use. Thems the good ol' days (so I'm told, anyhow).

Oh, and I'll second the durian. Yum. For kicks I brought durian flavored candy back from Hong Kong and gave them to my friends. Never had I ever seen so many contorted faces while I enjoyed the deliciousness of durian. Don't mind the smell either.

kennoyce

Oct 1, 2008, 11:35 PM
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Re: [sungam] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

yeah, I know the smell you're talking about. snow does have a smell. I also enjoy the smells of climbing because of all of the great memories that they bring.

getsomeethics

Oct 1, 2008, 11:52 PM
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Registered: May 2, 2002
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

I love the smell of a newbies burning flesh when you ask them to hold your belay device after a 60m free hanging rappell. good times.

rogue10186

Oct 2, 2008, 2:09 AM
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

I love the smell of my rope after a nice climbing trip... it's just great. Also loves the smell of the fresh air of the crags out there... it's such a nice change from the city and the gym.

Hennessey

Oct 2, 2008, 2:23 AM
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Registered: Dec 3, 2007
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

The smells of climbing make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside Smile

Senate156

Oct 2, 2008, 3:01 AM
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Registered: Jul 11, 2008
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Re: [shimanilami] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

hahaha yeahh me too, strange isn't it. Well i smell that and chalk.

dan2see

Oct 2, 2008, 3:56 AM
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Registered: Mar 29, 2006
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

Lichens and rock dust.
Juniper and pine gum.
And sweat.

uni_jim

Oct 2, 2008, 4:01 AM
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Registered: Mar 27, 2008
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

mmm! smellz like ham sammichez!

irregularpanda

Oct 2, 2008, 6:13 AM
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

dingus wrote:

I LOVE the smells of climbing, even the stouter ones.

You????

DMT

Oh the stouter ones....

I was on Prusik Peak, and the third or fourth pitch has this long 5.8 chimney. That climb had some GOOD ROCK on it by the way. This cimney looked a little ugly from below, but like all the pitches the granite was impeccable.
Anyway, at the top of this pitch is a monster chockstone, like 2 refrigerators worth of rock. So you have to squeeze behind this hole in the back that's just barely the rigt size for an average climber to fit through it. I was folowing, my partner bringing me o the top. I reach the slot bit. I look at it as the wind updrafts through the small hole. I scrunch in, and squeeze. Then naturally, my swamp ass of an asshole squeezes. It squeezes out this raunchy mother fucker, smells like pure death dipped in acetone and vomit.

Dead hampster farts, is what I'm driving at.
Goes straight into my partners nostrils.

All I could do was point and laugh.

moe-ssena

Oct 2, 2008, 6:40 AM
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Registered: Oct 2, 2008
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

You just can't be that sweet smell of your shoes after wearing them on an all day climb and taking them off and throwing them in your bag and then when you go for another climb later in the week and take them out. MMMM Sweet smell!

moe-ssena

Oct 2, 2008, 6:44 AM
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Re: [irregularpanda] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

I can really say that I like the different smells you seem to have when you go from one point to the other. The different odors of the rocks, the plants. I dont think it gets any better than being out and making that impossible reach, then kicking back at the summit and taking a look at what you accomplished.

bertrand

Oct 2, 2008, 8:17 AM
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Registered: Jun 14, 2008
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Re: [dingus] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

My backpack and all my gear have smelled like aspirin for two years. After a bouldering fall screwed up my back for a a couple months I would only climb if I was popping aspirings at the rate of 1-2 an hour. I just kept them loose in my pockets and then somehow they all got crushed up in the gearpack. Now I have a VERY distinctive gear smell and I love it. when I open the medicine cabinet I get the pavlovian sweaty palms for climbing!

granite_grrl

Oct 2, 2008, 11:18 AM
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Registered: Oct 25, 2002
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Re: [asiaclimber] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

asiaclimber wrote:

this may sound weird but i like the way my girl smells after a long day of climbing more then the way she smells after getting a shower.

Not really, I like how my husband smells when he's a little bit stinky.

Ah, waking up next to your stinky spouse on a road trip....the smells of climbing. :)

jrnj5k

Oct 2, 2008, 1:40 PM
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Registered: Sep 9, 2008
Posts: 86

Re: [granite_grrl] The Smells of Climbing [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)	Can't Post

Ihave a vinegar and foot combo but if I take the contents of my bag out I cant find anything alone that smells like vinegar.....weird

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