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monkeychild
May 3, 2008, 2:54 AM
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Hey people -
I'm just curious about how all you old people (older than me, I'm a kid) look upon us younger climbers.
I try to use good manners when climbing... I avoid hogging routes, I don't spew beta.... I don't cut in front of other climbers when I'm at the bouldering cave... I don't have an annoying dog, or a sterio.
But even so, lots of times I feel like the older climbers don't like me climbing by them just cause i'm a kid. I've gotten very strong signals that I'm not wanted in certain areas. Once, my friend and i walk in to an area and there were 4 guys bouldering... and they saw us and said "Look, it's kids. Lets get out of here."
They don't even give us a chance, and I think we belong on the rock just as much as any of you. It's not my fault that I haven't been alive for very long! I can't do anything about it. And I love the sport, and i'm eager to learn, and i know i have a lot to learn, but am I gonna have to wait till I look older to get treated like a fellow climber and not an inferior being??
OK, sorry, I needed to vent.
Really though, what do you think when you see kids at the crag? (teens more like...)
p.s. if anyone cares, I boulder, sport climb, i've done a little ice and I'm in the process of learning trad. And I lead about 5.12 sport. And I have a pet gerbil.
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palidon11
May 3, 2008, 4:08 AM
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i've been wondering the same thing. i have never really gotten "discriminated" against because of my age, but i know it effects how other climbers view me. to me it seems as though the guys who are in their 20's and early 30's have the most issues with younger guys. i seems to get alot more respect among the older, more experienced climbers who have been climbing for 20 years.
that said, anybody should respect the beginners and try to help them, not treat them like crap. whether its a good thing or a bad thing the noobs are the future of the sport.
another thing i've noticed, whats with a lack of younger climbers? in the gym i see guys my age, but why do i never see people my age at the crag? (minus the church groups or whatever) its all older more experienced guys, and even at the gym there isn't many younger people in their teens.
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epreuss
May 3, 2008, 4:10 AM
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what us older climbers dislike in the younger folks is their improper grammar and misspellings.
learn to spell and speak proper english, then you will be respected at the crags.
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climbingaggie03
May 3, 2008, 4:21 AM
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So I'm far from considering myself "older" but I'm 27 and I don't leave areas or climbs because "kids" show up but once I saw a couple teenagers (14-17) free soloing 5.9 in flip flops and I thought I would clear out cause I didn't feel like doing first aid on my day off.
I don't really hang out with teens much and I don't really sport climb so I don't see too many "kids" but when I do see "kids" that have solid skills, I'm stoked, but I can't really remember the last time I saw a teenager leading a gear route, probably mostly because it takes time to learn and money to afford gear. Both of these things are almost impossible before you are 18 and hard before you're 21.
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taydude
May 3, 2008, 4:58 AM
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hell I'm 19 and I've met plenty of people I would steer clear of. Also I think you may not notice how annoying you may be to others. I realize that I scream when I climb and that I cuss profusely. Me and my friends may not mind but others might. I've been trying to curb the swearing but can't really help the occasional scream :P
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timd
May 3, 2008, 5:09 AM
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I am 40 and if you ever call me old again I will cut the rope!
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kyleshea
May 3, 2008, 5:13 AM
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eef yoo cant reed righting like this then maybe yoo arrrrrr two owled to be hear. 1tz teh modern daze "if its too loud you're too old." face up to the fact that you are outdated. calling people out on spelling and grammar on the internet is about as assinine as it gets. its not a fucking graded term paper.
for the record, im 30 years old, and if people are cool (yes, a highly subjective term) i wont care how old you are. ive climbed with people much older than i am, and have climbed with people much younger than i am. its more about attitude than anything else. respect for others in an area is paramount. and if i were to hear people yelling and cursing, i would leave, there is no need, in my opinion, for that bullshit to reach my ears. im not sayin you shouldnt do it, well, maybe you shouldnt, but they are not my rocks so i dont make the rules. i'll just quietly walk away and find a quiet spot to hang out, thats often just as much what im looking for as the climbing.
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curt
May 3, 2008, 5:16 AM
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monkeychild wrote: Hey people - I'm just curious about how all you old people (older than me, I'm a kid) look upon us younger climbers. I try to use good manners when climbing... I avoid hogging routes, I don't spew beta.... I don't cut in front of other climbers when I'm at the bouldering cave... I don't have an annoying dog, or a sterio. But even so, lots of times I feel like the older climbers don't like me climbing by them just cause i'm a kid. I've gotten very strong signals that I'm not wanted in certain areas. Once, my friend and i walk in to an area and there were 4 guys bouldering... and they saw us and said "Look, it's kids. Lets get out of here." They don't even give us a chance, and I think we belong on the rock just as much as any of you. It's not my fault that I haven't been alive for very long! I can't do anything about it. And I love the sport, and i'm eager to learn, and i know i have a lot to learn, but am I gonna have to wait till I look older to get treated like a fellow climber and not an inferior being?? OK, sorry, I needed to vent. Really though, what do you think when you see kids at the crag? (teens more like...) p.s. if anyone cares, I boulder, sport climb, i've done a little ice and I'm in the process of learning trad. And I lead about 5.12 sport. And I have a pet gerbil.
Where do you climb? Hopefully, your experience is not the norm. I was mentored into this sport by John Gill, John Stannard, Steve Wunsch and a number of other climbers who were a bit older than I.
Similarly, I have tried very hard to offer any advice or mentoring to younger climbers that I have come into contact with over the years. I suspect you may have just been unfortunate enough to run into a few non-representative assholes in our sport. I would further suspect that these "older" people you have had bad interactions with are basically nobodies in the greater context.
Curt
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southswell
May 3, 2008, 5:44 AM
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As a father of two little monkeys myself, I am always stoked to see kids at the crags. I think the guys who are offended at your presence are more likely afraid that some young punk thats been climbing for a 100th of a time is gonna show them up onsighting thier 2 year project.
I personaly have never been anything more than a less than extrordinary climber so I am very used to being upstagedat the crag by the younger (and older) gen.
I have also learned that climbing doesnt always attract the cream of the crop as far as "good peoples" go. Maybe, if these guys dont want to climb with younger folks around, its for the better.
Have fun.
Be safe.
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southswell
May 3, 2008, 5:46 AM
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epreuss wrote: what us older climbers dislike in the younger folks is their improper grammar and misspellings. learn to spell and speak proper english, then you will be respected at the crags.
this is what im talking about
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shivaBD
May 3, 2008, 6:11 AM
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It's interesting to go alpine climbing as a teen. people instantly assume I am danger to myself and people around me. for example I was hiking up to muir and some self righteous mountaineers (the club) whispered "someones going to get killed".keep in mind these people are wearing brand new crampons and have probably never bivied or climbed a serious alpine route.
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dingus
May 3, 2008, 6:21 AM
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So long as you put the rope up there for me and help tote my Brutus of Wyde autographed chrome walker over the 3rd clasas bits you'll gety no beef from me. I can't chew it anymore anyway.
DMT
(This post was edited by dingus on May 3, 2008, 6:21 AM)
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skibum14
May 3, 2008, 6:44 AM
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epreuss wrote: what us older climbers dislike in the younger folks is their improper grammar and misspellings. learn to spell and speak proper english, then you will be respected at the crags.
But I do agree with you that kids my age (19) know nothing about proper grammar.
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CrimpinAintEasy
May 3, 2008, 7:08 AM
Post #14 of 60
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skibum14 wrote: epreuss wrote: what us older climbers dislike in the younger folks is their improper grammar and misspellings. learn to spell and speak proper english, then you will be respected at the crags. It's fairly ironic that you criticized grammar in a post like that. The first word of every sentence should be capitalized. "What us dislike" is really bad grammar - it should read "what we older climbers dislike". But I do agree with you that kids my age (19) know nothing about proper grammar.
OH SNAP!!!!
I just want to say that I'm pretty much in the middle on the age spectrum (26). Most of the kids I climb with are younger than me and much stronger climbers than I. It's a give and take with us, they help me out on my climbing and I give them life advice (what little I know) We've got a few people in their 30s that climb with us too; so to me age is completely relative. As long as you are respectful (no matter how old you are) to those around you, there's no reason for people to have a problem with you. If you hear someone say they are leaving because you're a kid, politely ask them why they have a problem with the younger generation carrying on the sport.
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rtwilli4
May 3, 2008, 10:00 AM
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i am a climbing guide in thailand at the moment, and i WISH OH DO I WISH that i had the opportunity to teach more kids (13-17 i would say). I'm 24, and i remember my first time climbing. I was 14, and my mom booked us a guide at the New one summer. Our guide soloed this 5.fun climb to put up a top rope for us, then taught us both how to belay. the next day he took me deep water soloing. i was hooked for life, and climbed with him again the next summer and the one after. he also taught me about etiquette and safety and how to climb for fun and not for numbers.
if everyone took time out of their day to teach kids about how fun climbing can be and that it can be a lifetime sport if you do it right, then the next generation of climbers would probably be pretty fucking cool. thats right, i said the F WORD, its ok 'kids,' its ok to use language like that as long as its not directed at someone.
on the other hand if we all act like a bunch of pricks and stay away from the kids because they are kids, then they are going to develop bad habits and continue doing all of the things you don't want them doing, for the rest of their lives.
i'm also still a pretty big fan of 16 year old girls so i always welcome the youngsters at my climbing area
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tomcat
May 3, 2008, 11:36 AM
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I started climbing at 19 and was jazzed right off the bat.Just about everyone I partnered with was older,often by ten years or so and it seemed like more of a way to bridge the gap than create one.
As a young climber I got plenty strong but always marveled at the cool heads the older guys had under fire.
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trillium
May 3, 2008, 1:06 PM
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I am a 50 something old person. I have no problem climbing around or with kids except when they show-off for attention. I also have no problem telling them that they are acting like idiots, and I refuse to move if they are. Usually they are the ones who move away from me.
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drunkenhighball
May 3, 2008, 1:55 PM
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If you're not old enough to have a beer after a successful day of climbing then you're not old enough to climb .
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monkeychild
May 3, 2008, 3:21 PM
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In reply to: i've been wondering the same thing. i have never really gotten "discriminated" against because of my age, but i know it effects how other climbers view me. to me it seems as though the guys who are in their 20's and early 30's have the most issues with younger guys. i seems to get alot more respect among the older, more experienced climbers who have been climbing for 20 years. that said, anybody should respect the beginners and try to help them, not treat them like crap. whether its a good thing or a bad thing the noobs are the future of the sport. another thing i've noticed, whats with a lack of younger climbers? in the gym i see guys my age, but why do i never see people my age at the crag? (minus the church groups or whatever) its all older more experienced guys, and even at the gym there isn't many younger people in their teens.
I agree wholeheartedly with what you are saying. Younger climbers usually want to learn everything they can from the more experienced guys. Either way, it sounds like you and I are experiencing somewhat different things. Thanks for replying to my question and not my grammar.
In reply to: what us older climbers dislike in the younger folks is their improper grammar and misspellings. learn to spell and speak proper english, then you will be respected at the crags.
Dingus, I'm sorry for calling you old. In my book, being older is a good thing because it means you know everything about climbing (or you seem to). I was using the word "old" to mean "older than me".
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dingus
May 3, 2008, 3:22 PM
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trillium wrote: I am a 50 something old person. I have no problem climbing around or with kids except when they show-off for attention..
Kids are SUPPOSED to show off for attention. Their parents and teachers require it of them. Stop being a curmudgeon and learn to respect kids for what they are.
DMT
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palidon11
May 3, 2008, 3:22 PM
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drunkenhighball wrote: If you're not old enough to have a beer after a successful day of climbing then you're not old enough to climb .
does underage count?
:P
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dingus
May 3, 2008, 3:25 PM
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monkeychild wrote: .Dingus, I'm sorry for calling you old. In my book, being older is a good thing because it means you know everything about climbing (or you seem to). I was using the word "old" to mean "older than me".
You called me old? I must have missed that. Trust me, I AM old and took no offence. I probably have underwear older than you. Course its just a tired-gray Fruit of the Loom elastic thong by now, but damnit it, I wear clothes till they fall off my baggy ass and disintegrate into the dust from whence they came.
Its fun being old - I don't have to try so hard anymore... cept getting up in the mornings and the refusal of the body to heal.
Cheers 'son'
DMT
(This post was edited by dingus on May 3, 2008, 3:26 PM)
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tomcat
May 3, 2008, 3:26 PM
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since underage drinking is illegal,you are tasked with bringing the other illegal substance....
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dingus
May 3, 2008, 3:29 PM
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Oh and btw, I'm just a long lived punter, I know next to nothing about climbing. If you really want to know something from an old CLIMBER, ask Curt.
DMT
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monkeychild
May 3, 2008, 3:35 PM
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In reply to: You called me old? I must have missed that. Trust me, I AM old and took no offence. I probably have underwear older than you. Course its just a tired-gray Fruit of the Loom elastic thong by now, but damnit it, I wear clothes till they fall off my baggy ass and disintegrate into the dust from whence they came. Its fun being old - I don't have to try so hard anymore... cept getting up in the mornings and the refusal of the body to heal. Cheers 'son' DMT
Right. I won't comment on the underwear thing, but there is something else that I've noticed; nearly everybody in this thread thought I was a guy. When reading my post, did people imagine a teenage-gymrat-punk-swearing-annoying-ego-inflated-male kid?
Just curious....
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