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Valarc
Feb 16, 2009, 11:44 PM
Post #76 of 83
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Registered: Apr 20, 2007
Posts: 1473
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My fiance and I started climbing together after she moved in with me, and it had nothing to do with being drawn to the outdoors or the notion of climbing or adrenaline rushes or any such nonsense.
We had decided to go to the gym together for generic workouts. We got bored with all the typical gym shit, and decided to try out the crappy college climbin wall for a change. I got hooked immediately, and quickly made the transition to outdoors climbing, and haven't looked back.
Not a very exciting story, but if it wasn't for that awesome girl, I would never have tried climbing, and my forearms and fingertips wouldn't be burning while I type this. I would also probably be about 30 pounds heavier 
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camhead
Feb 16, 2009, 11:45 PM
Post #77 of 83
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Registered: Sep 10, 2001
Posts: 20939
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ok, I'll chime in with my version of the date climb that I took clausti on.
It was August in the desert, and I figured that, since we had never done a tower route together we should do one. Most people do Kor Ingles for their first route up Castleton (too hot in the sun) or the North Chimney (which only has one really good pitch and a bunch of forgettable choss).
So, I suggested that we check out this route called Sacred Ground; it is the first two pitches of the North Face, which I had done before, with an alternate 12b face climbing finish, which I had redpointed previously, but never put the entire climb together.
The first pitch, which is not that scary by desert tower standards kind of shook clausti up, it was big #3 camalots, so it was offwidth for her, it was getting hot (over 100 degrees that day), she knew that there was very hard climbing coming up, and the camelbak malfunction just sort of capped off the whole thing. We bailed. I still have not sent Sacred Ground from the ground up, unfortunately.
To this day, I do not think that we have done more than a two pitch climb together, although we have done well over a hundreds pitches and are each other's main partner. Someday we'll have to go back and finish it in better style, I suppose!
And for what it's worth, clausti is an excellent climbing partner, and that was the only "date climb" meltdown that we've had; she's followed me up plenty of stuff, has put up plenty of topropes for me, and both of us climb at about the same level.
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cracklover
Feb 17, 2009, 3:13 PM
Post #78 of 83
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Registered: Nov 14, 2002
Posts: 10162
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shockabuku wrote: cracklover wrote: fjclimbsrocks wrote: This thread made me think of Shockley's Ceiling at the Gunks. I have heard people call it Shockley's Divorcer due to the following female getting stuck in midair underneath the ceiling. Definitely not a "first date" climb. I practically made my girlfriend sign a waiver before we climbed it. No worries though, she hiked it  Shockley's is a good one, but nothing beats Bonnies Roof for total and complete Chernobyl style couples meltdowns. GO Not even Modern Times?
D'oh! Modern Times is what I meant to say. Thank you for knowing what I meant, not what I said!
Sheesh, I guess I've been away from the Gunks for too long.
GO
(edited typo)
(This post was edited by cracklover on Feb 17, 2009, 3:22 PM)
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ladyscarlett
Feb 17, 2009, 8:52 PM
Post #79 of 83
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Registered: Dec 17, 2008
Posts: 376
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angry wrote: I think you're reading what you want to. Not one of these stories has an "under the breath" whimper. Half these situations that went to hell are because she portrayed herself to be something more than she was. One of those situations that went to hell ended in fornication in the Merced. You're trying too hard to look at it from a "the guy ruined it" perspective. Seriously, happiness is a choice, it's not our fault that can't enjoy a little failure with your success.
sorry to keep this going, but I just had to respond.
I viewed as all the ones that ended badly involved differing expectations from both sides - male and female, actually wasn't looking at "the guy ruined it perspective" Plus, the Merced story (Awesome!! btw) showed me that this doesn't necessarily end badly! If only all similar situations ended so well!
And you're right, happiness can be a choice - just not everyone knows it yet....I'll work on not giving the guy the hard time - that's his role!
ls
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boadman
Feb 17, 2009, 10:10 PM
Post #80 of 83
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Registered: Oct 7, 2003
Posts: 726
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I got my first .75 and number one cams along with several nuts, and trad draws by following a meltdown on Bonnies.
Her - "sob sob sob, I just can't do it"
Him - "Try harder!"
Her - "Fine! unclip, unclip, unclip"
They weren't waiting at the top when I got there...
cracklover wrote: fjclimbsrocks wrote: This thread made me think of Shockley's Ceiling at the Gunks. I have heard people call it Shockley's Divorcer due to the following female getting stuck in midair underneath the ceiling. Definitely not a "first date" climb. I practically made my girlfriend sign a waiver before we climbed it. No worries though, she hiked it Shockley's is a good one, but nothing beats Bonnies Roof for total and complete Chernobyl style couples meltdowns. GO |
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shimanilami
Feb 17, 2009, 10:44 PM
Post #81 of 83
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Registered: Jul 24, 2006
Posts: 2043
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Worst: girlfriend flies to Peru to "retrieve" me from an extended climbing trip. "If you don't come home within the next 2 weeks, we're history," she said. "And 'no', I do not want climb Ranrapalca with you."
Best: a few months later, she marries me on Royal Arches route.
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boymeetsrock
Feb 18, 2009, 6:38 PM
Post #82 of 83
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Registered: Feb 11, 2005
Posts: 1709
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OK Here is my worst.
Chapel Pond Slab, NY. Nice easy (5.2-.3) slab climbing, beautiful views.
My girlfriend was (and still is) not a climber. Also, she hates to rappel. Hell she hates just sitting in the rope. She is a tough cookie though. So I suggested the route.
Se we show up, and she is cool. We start up the 600' slab and all goes well. The only hitch was a stuck nut that she refused to leave behind (bless her heart). The climbing is all very easy and there is only one very short vertical section. We make fine time and arrive at the top just in time to watch the sun set. Beautiful, and planned.
In my infinite wisdom, I ASSUMED there would be a walk off. This was wrong.
I tried to walk us down climbers left and found us quickly atop an 80' + slab astride a tine ledge of pine needles. So we reversed our track.
Back over the top we went to try a descent on the other side of the cliff. We then spent the next couple of hours negotiating small ledges and a steep drainage. Headlamps were failing fast (read dead). We had no idea how far we had to go. It was dark.
Alas, we started to see cars passing on the road below. A short time later we were back at the car.
It was epic, no doubt. But she didn't kill me for it, or even dump me. It was a true bonding experience. And now she knows better than to follow me into the woods. 
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jrathfon
Feb 18, 2009, 7:02 PM
Post #83 of 83
(494 views)
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Registered: Jun 5, 2006
Posts: 494
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cracklover wrote: shockabuku wrote: cracklover wrote: fjclimbsrocks wrote: This thread made me think of Shockley's Ceiling at the Gunks. I have heard people call it Shockley's Divorcer due to the following female getting stuck in midair underneath the ceiling. Definitely not a "first date" climb. I practically made my girlfriend sign a waiver before we climbed it. No worries though, she hiked it Shockley's is a good one, but nothing beats Bonnies Roof for total and complete Chernobyl style couples meltdowns. GO Not even Modern Times? D'oh! Modern Times is what I meant to say. Thank you for knowing what I meant, not what I said! Sheesh, I guess I've been away from the Gunks for too long. GO (edited typo)
Haha! Awesome! I've been there, my gf was too scared to pull the moves, so she decided to jump off the route, thinking it was the easier option...
I was trying to squeeze this one in at the end of the day. It was breezy, the sun went down 10 minutes after she jumped, she could hear me thankfully, but I could not hear her, even after escaping the belay! Strangely, this brought us closer however as she applauded me for keeping my cool, and without feedback from her, teaching her a) how to tie bachman's and b) how to ascend for the first time, if only she listened to c) don't ascend into the next piece of gear... It also got her used to exposure much quicker than the previous 20 pitches of multi-pitch we had done! We met our friends 2 hrs late at the Guilded Otter with a good story in tow.
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