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obsessed_newbie
Nov 14, 2004, 8:59 PM
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Its just a question that has been on my mind and i am sure differs amongst climbers. Until recently, i didnt have enough guts to honor myself with the title of being a climber. I started to question what makes one a climbing bum when someone (as an insult....ha!) called me one. I admit that i wake up thinking about climbing, i changed my work-out routine for climbing training, and i have lost many friends and some boyfriends because climbing comes above them. I still dont consider myself one because i have not (yet?) changed my career to climb more and i live in Illinois! Its hardly possible to be called a climbing bum living here. So until my 2 climbs a week becomes more, i only strive to be a climbing bum. So are you a climbing bum? What makes you one OR y dont you consider yourself one? I am interested to hear the various definations :D
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pancaketom
Nov 14, 2004, 9:14 PM
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I think to be a true climbing bum, one has to have their income degraded due to their climbing lifestyle (like not having a job, or choosing a McJob or working in a gym or as a guide or similar that allows greater climbing time).
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chalked4dyno
Nov 14, 2004, 9:22 PM
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If the number of climbs you've done exceeds the number of showers you've taken in the past year... you're a climbing bum.
I only hope to someday be a climbing bum.
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maculated
Nov 14, 2004, 11:06 PM
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You love that photo. :)
The day I started seeing homeless people outside stores begging, and I realized that they were just climbers who didn't climb, that was when I realized what a climbing bum is.
If you've dumpster dived, you might be a climbing bum.
If your bed is your crash pad, you might be a climbing bum.
If your house has wheels, you might be a climbng bum.
If you have four items of clothing, you might be a climbing bum.
If you're single, you might be a climbing bum.
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areyoumydude
Nov 15, 2004, 12:09 AM
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In reply to: You love that photo. :) The day I started seeing homeless people outside stores begging, and I realized that they were just climbers who didn't climb, that was when I realized what a climbing bum is. If you've dumpster dived, you might be a climbing bum. If your bed is your crash pad, you might be a climbing bum. If your house has wheels, you might be a climbng bum. If you have four items of clothing, you might be a climbing bum. If you're single, you might be a climbing bum.
4 out of 5 ain't bad. Although my girlfrind is 4 out of five too.
Oh yea, Me, pitches>showers. She's not happy about that one.
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slavetogravity
Nov 15, 2004, 12:19 AM
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In reply to: If you're single, you might be a climbing bum.
Aint' that the truth.
I was single for six years and during that time I climbed like a maniac. Most of everything I did revolved around climbing. My social life, my job, my school. But now I find my self in the second year of long term relationship. Does my climbing suffer? Hell ya'! Can I go dit bagging it like I used to? Hell no!
But I'll never forget the words of grandmother as she lay their on her death bed.
"Well Aaron, you can't bloody well go marry the rock now can you?!"
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amber
Nov 15, 2004, 12:25 AM
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newbie, chin up. these people likely werent climbers so their opinion doesnt really count anyways. first, they probably would have called you a dirtbag instead of a bum and second, it wouldnt have been an insult.
my mom frequently introduces me as her climbing bum daughter. after several attempts of explaining that i have a house and a car (that are two separate entities) and enough money to actually buy food. i make a meager salary according to CorpAm, but it's really WAY too much money to be considered a bum by any stretch of the imagination. oh well.
oh well. really, my point is that these people who made this ludricious accusation ... their opinions dont really matter. tell them "STFU n00b" or "whatever, chuffer".
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pancaketom
Nov 15, 2004, 12:32 AM
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spending nearly 6 weeks in Tuolumne with < 1 shower per week sure put my pitch to shower ratio over the top.
Having more than 4 items of clothing is hard to avoid if you do alpine though. How about less than 4 items you paid for? or at the least paid full price for.
If you've spent more days climbing than working, you might be a climbing bum.
If you get a cell call while you are climbing and say you are at the office, you might be a climbing bum.
If parents tell their kids to stay away from you on rest days, you might be a climbing bum.
If you consider any food requiring more than one pot to be gourmet, you might be a climbing bum.
If you think weekends aren't as good for climbing because they are too crowded, you might be a climbing bum.
If it rains on a climbing trip, and you are glad you finally get a chance to rest, you might be a climbing bum.
If you evaluate vehicles based on how living in them would be, you might be a climbing bum.
If you have ever asked someone to pick you up some food - and meant from the dumpster, you might be a climbing bum.
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maculated
Nov 15, 2004, 12:36 AM
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In reply to: If you've spent more days climbing than working, you might be a climbing bum. If you get a cell call while you are climbing and say you are at the office, you might be a climbing bum. If you think weekends aren't as good for climbing because they are too crowded, you might be a climbing bum.
Aww, these ones are just yuppie. The best climbing bums I know don't have cell phones, jobs, or weekends.
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pancaketom
Nov 15, 2004, 12:52 AM
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ok, the cell phone one is yuppie, but if your climbing days >1 and your working days = 0...
also the weekend thing implies you are there at the climbing area all week, but weekends suck because it suddenly gets crowded.
As my friend used to say "every day is a Saturday" I would amend it to add "except Sunday, because the library is closed".
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asandh
Nov 15, 2004, 2:40 AM
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:D
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simplistic
Nov 15, 2004, 3:00 AM
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I view the question very simply. A "bum" is someone who spends most their time on theirs. They do not seek challenges nor growth, they just sit. Anybody, IMHO, who chooses to spend their time challenging themselves in pursuit of personal bests whether it be for dollars to support or a family or scaling the rock is not a bum because they are gettin something done. The bums are the ones that talk the talk but never walk the walk. The climber is just that, a climber. The bum is the one that pertends to be a climber but is really a bum. There must be lawyer bums, and doctor bums, and teacher bums, and so on. If a person climbs all the time and has little and is happy, he is not a bum, he/she may just be a human being with the courage to march to the beat of a different drum. I wish that the entire world, me included, could get over the entire dollar bill mentality, the only issue is: cams and ropes are not free! damn, I knew there was a proplem with this argument!
do what you want.
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greyicewater
Nov 15, 2004, 3:22 AM
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well, i would kind of consider myself a climbing bum (not proud of it), first of all because i somewhat work at a climbing gym, all i do is climb, and if my friends don't climb, well, they aren't really my friends, now are they? oh yeah, and my girlfriend climbs! see, everything revolves around climbing... now i have to actually start my life and get a full time job! yay!
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kachoong
Nov 15, 2004, 3:29 AM
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In reply to: As my friend used to say "every day is a Saturday" I would amend it to add "except Sunday, because the library is closed".
....and since the life of a bum lacks the concept of 'the day after the day I can't think about yet, because I just need to send this project'.... or in other words 'future' there is no 'day after tomorrow'.... so just relax.... the world will not come to an end.... to be a bum is to avoid the unthinkable.... at least there IS a tomorrow.... unless of course it's 'the other day'....
....oh yeah:
I climb..... regularly..... my full time job buys my gear and pays for my holidays..... my vehicle gets me from A to B, through crag C..... my girlfriend climbs.... I only beg for desert.... I cook with more than one pan..... my toilet seat is sometimes down.... grades don't really concern me..... unless I need a reason why I couldn't climb it.... I have three favorite pullovers....
I don't think I am a climbing bum.... yet
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crackmd
Nov 15, 2004, 3:53 AM
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In reply to: If the number of climbs you've done exceeds the number of showers you've taken in the past year... you're a climbing bum. I only hope to someday be a climbing bum.
I disagree. Spend some time at Camp 4 or Hidden Valley and you will see that amount of climbing has little to do with being a "climbing bum". The dintinction between "climbing bum" and serious climber is more often than not, very clear and unambiguous. Late nights, late starts, lots of beer and marijuana are a few obvious things that comprise this difference.
Never does this become more clear than being a motivated "weekend warrior" alone at a climbing venue trying to hook up with partners for some hard climbing. Don't hold your breath over climbing plans made by the campfire at midnight the night before. Go do some bouldering when you wake up and your planned partner will still likely be just getting out of bed and just maybe they remember the plans that were made.
This is generalization based on my experience in popular climbing spots, buy my point is that on need not be a "bum" to be a serious climber. In fact, the whole aura that comes along with being a "climbing bum" will likely hinder your climbing. Serious climbers are most always serious athletes and act as such whether they have other jobs or climb all the time.
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crackmd
Nov 15, 2004, 4:22 AM
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In reply to: I view the question very simply. A "bum" is someone who spends most their time on theirs. They do not seek challenges nor growth, they just sit. Anybody, IMHO, who chooses to spend their time challenging themselves in pursuit of personal bests whether it be for dollars to support or a family or scaling the rock is not a bum because they are gettin something done. The bums are the ones that talk the talk but never walk the walk. The climber is just that, a climber. The bum is the one that pertends to be a climber but is really a bum. There must be lawyer bums, and doctor bums, and teacher bums, and so on. If a person climbs all the time and has little and is happy, he is not a bum, he/she may just be a human being with the courage to march to the beat of a different drum. I wish that the entire world, me included, could get over the entire dollar bill mentality, the only issue is: cams and ropes are not free! damn, I knew there was a proplem with this argument! do what you want.
great post bro! you hit it right on!
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areyoumydude
Nov 16, 2004, 3:45 AM
Post #18 of 33
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In reply to: In reply to: I view the question very simply. A "bum" is someone who spends most their time on theirs. They do not seek challenges nor growth, they just sit. Anybody, IMHO, who chooses to spend their time challenging themselves in pursuit of personal bests whether it be for dollars to support or a family or scaling the rock is not a bum because they are gettin something done. The bums are the ones that talk the talk but never walk the walk. The climber is just that, a climber. The bum is the one that pertends to be a climber but is really a bum. There must be lawyer bums, and doctor bums, and teacher bums, and so on. If a person climbs all the time and has little and is happy, he is not a bum, he/she may just be a human being with the courage to march to the beat of a different drum. I wish that the entire world, me included, could get over the entire dollar bill mentality, the only issue is: cams and ropes are not free! damn, I knew there was a proplem with this argument! do what you want. great post bro! you hit it right on!
No he didn't.
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coldclimb
Nov 16, 2004, 5:53 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: In reply to: I view the question very simply. A "bum" is someone who spends most their time on theirs. They do not seek challenges nor growth, they just sit. Anybody, IMHO, who chooses to spend their time challenging themselves in pursuit of personal bests whether it be for dollars to support or a family or scaling the rock is not a bum because they are gettin something done. The bums are the ones that talk the talk but never walk the walk. The climber is just that, a climber. The bum is the one that pertends to be a climber but is really a bum. There must be lawyer bums, and doctor bums, and teacher bums, and so on. If a person climbs all the time and has little and is happy, he is not a bum, he/she may just be a human being with the courage to march to the beat of a different drum. I wish that the entire world, me included, could get over the entire dollar bill mentality, the only issue is: cams and ropes are not free! damn, I knew there was a proplem with this argument! do what you want. great post bro! you hit it right on! No he didn't.
Word, Larry.
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adnix
Nov 16, 2004, 7:34 AM
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Take the test:
http://www.toprope.com/...tbagging/dirtbag.htm
11-15 points: Pathetic. Go back to the gym, pansy. Do you have your new sport picked out for when climbing isn't trendy anymore?
16-24 points: There's hope, but barely. Stop spending your money on Prana and Ropegun clothing and use it for a road trip.
25 points and more: Climb 'til yah die!
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scallywag
Nov 16, 2004, 7:41 AM
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I realised recently that i have just taken my first ever full time job. :shock:
i graduated from univeristy 3 years ago (applied science/outdoor ed degree)
I freelanced in the OE industry after that, have travelled to North America 3 times, around the world once and on my second round the world ticket now. with my main past time being climbing.
My full time job is in THe Rockies - Banff - i moved here to get a taste for ice climbing. It is working in a gear shop, i get cheap gear and exposure to all the right people.
everything i do, the reason behind it, is climbing.
but i still don't even call myself a climber most days. It is a bar that i keep putting higher, as i realise that for eveything i learn or accomplish, there is so much more to achieve.
i like it that way.
my greatest accomplishments have not happened yet. :D
I dont think you can qualify a climbing bum. it is really just someones perception of another. Because they don't get the drive behind why you do what you do. It is always a term used to describe another person, not a term used to describe oneself.
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goodwholesomeboy
Nov 16, 2004, 7:44 AM
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if all you have to worry about is where you are going to climb everyday, then you are a climbing bum.
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peroxide
Nov 16, 2004, 11:24 AM
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having access to the internet should be a disqualifier unless you had to wait 4 hours to get online at a public library.
peroxide
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boulderinemt
Nov 16, 2004, 2:46 PM
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i scored a 25...that scares me...hmmmmmm anybody got any beer?
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subtle
Nov 16, 2004, 2:56 PM
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The protoypical climbing bum was someone I met in Bishop. He wandered up to the fresh-from-the-gym crowd at the base of Iron Man Traverse (V4), put down his flute, chalked up with dirt, sent the problem in his sandals, drank some snowmelt off the top of the thing, jumped down, picked up his flute and wandered off into the desert...true story.
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