This is my first spring as a parent. I have somewhat decided that the first year or two are dedicated to our little girl and I will take up activities that we can easily do together.

Having said that, my wife and I set up a TR rope solo last weekend, each taking turns climbing while the other walked the baby and did the parenting thing. It worked out really well.

If you don't know how to rope solo safely, this might be a fantastic opportunity and incentive to learn.

Just so there's no misinterpretation, I'll rephrase: If you have to be a complete dick to those around you and bring a baby to the crag, bring a third person so the kid can be managed. And duct tape it's little pie hole shut.

I'm firmly in the camp that feels babies have absolutely no place at the crag*. It's not a fucking gym and it's not family hour. Leave the babies and dogs at home or somewhere else.

What's funny here is that everyone seems to think babies have to loud and yelling. I've seen babies at the crags in several countries. I've never seen one that inconvenienced me in any way.

Some crags are dangerous, some are not. Taking a baby to the a safe climbing area is no more dangerous than taking the same baby hiking, and problem safer than taking the same baby to the beach.

Go climb in Germany or France, and chance are you see a baby at the cliff most weekends. Of course, European families actually spend time together. I also notice that European climbers tend to climb harder then American climbers, could be all that exposure at an early age.

To all the people who said "leave the baby at home" - whats the point in having a baby if you leave him at home? You're a family now, the idea is you enjoy doing things, including climbing outside, together.

To all the people who said "leave the baby at home" - whats the point in having a baby if you leave him at home? You're a family now, the idea is you enjoy doing things, including climbing outside, together.

...as long as you're not negatively affecting the enjoyment of said outdoors of others. For those who do not particularly like babies or small children, just the act of bringing them to a crag is doing just that - affecting the experience and enjoyment of others. It's not necessarily noise, either. Just the presence of all the paraphernalia and the creation of a baby base camp is a major annoyance. Hence the suggestions to either leave the baby at home or go someplace wildly secluded or put aside climbing for 10 years or so.

It's your pet kid - I don't have to like it or anything about it one iota and my opinion that it doesn't belong at a crag is just as valid as your misguided belief that it does.

If you're serious, I think you're wound a bit tight. Even seeing a well-behaved kid negatively impacts you? A blanket about the size of a crash pad with books, toys, and snacks on it is a major annoyance, even if it's out of the way and contained? Perhaps it's not families with kids who should find somewhere wildly secluded. I still don't grasp why you're more entitled to be in an area for public use.

I don't always like the behavior of others at the crag. That applies to those who are primarily interested in spraying, shouting beta, or being generally disruptive; people who strew stuff all over the crag, including trails; and large groups that rope more than they can climb at once and try to exclude others. I appreciate that these folks have equal right to be there, and I deal with it. I can't say a small family out for the day has ever been an issue for me. When I'm out with the family, it's my goal to not make an issue for anyone else.

Your last statement is fine, but what you fail to grasp is that not everyone likes or easily tolerates babies/children or their associated crap. I'm not any more entitled than you to use public lands, but you need to realize that not everyone feels the same about kids and the family scene, and that your mere presence with said scene can be just as annoying as any of the other objectionable behaviors you enumerated. Again, we're supposedly just talking about bringing babies to the crag in this thread. Bringing in the other annoyances is just obfuscating noise.

Face it. You procreated. Humans have done that billions of times over thousands of years. Big deal. It's nothing special. Neither is your kid to anyone else. Get over it.

I plan on using my baby as a crash pad. Just think of all that squishy padding, you'll not roll an ankle on that chubby sucker!

Well, by that logic, neither are you. It's a two way street, bucko.

Yep. Never claimed otherwise.
But it's something a *lot* of n00b parents forget.

Sorry Clee, we've gone and ruined your thread. All we need now is Enigma and USnavy and we'll have a real shit show.

Ewww- the two of them are into that?!

I'd rather have cute kids running around than some asshole sport wanker cussing at a move he can't stick, or telling the whole crag how 'rad' his home turf is. Don't go all Camden.

Do you ever make a post that doesn't unnecessarily reference your foreign travel?