ShortTimer wrote:Generally I invite them to Joshua Tree for a Thanksgiving weekend. Once there I encourage them to drink way too much around the campfire. When they can't get up the next morning I go an climb whatever I wanted to climb before coming back to camp to make fun of them.

I still climb like a n00b, but I learned pretty quickly not to drink like one

woodsxc wrote:Looking for someone to teach me rock and/or ice. Any Chicago-area SPers wanna drag my sorry n00b butt up some climbs?

I'm not qualified to teach and I can't drag you up anything, but if you have a pair of rock shoes and some money for gas, I'm usually game for new cragging partners, especially if you can occasionally be free on Fridays. Shoot me a PM.

ksolem wrote:Man, if you listen to Shortimer you would think he is the first one out of camp every morning or something...

On topic, there are two kinds of nubies. The ones that get it, and are as much fun as anyone, and the ones who don't... I choose my nubies with care.

What?! Get up early to do the same route for the 45th time... Sleep is highly under-rated...

ShortTimer wrote:

ksolem wrote:Man, if you listen to Shortimer you would think he is the first one out of camp every morning or something...

On topic, there are two kinds of nubies. The ones that get it, and are as much fun as anyone, and the ones who don't... I choose my nubies with care.

What?! Get up early to do the same route for the 45th time... Sleep is highly under-rated...

Thanksgiving '06 in JTree .. good times

I don't really train people either -- they have to know how to buckle their harness, belay, etc. This kind of knowledge isn't exactly hard to come by these days though

When I get to the top of a pitch and put my partner on belay, sometimes the rope goes tight. OK, time to have a snack while they figure it out (autolocking belay device) .. I might yell down some of my useless climbing tips if needed -

"Try smearing with your right foot !"

"Try jamming there !"

"I put my left side in !"

And occasionally "What ? No, I'm not going to lower you ! Just hang there and shake out the pump !"

If all else fails - "I can't hear yooou ! Too windy !"

Rob, it's tradition to take n00bs climbing. That's how this sport usta grow in number.

You have a duty to pass on the important stuff about this sport, mostly the Ethics of it.

How to Spray about yourself.

And how to Slander others.

Pass the torch.

MikeTX wrote:smearing...i still need to work on smearing

Well, if you're trying to smear with your kneecaps, you have the right idea

You need to keep your weight over your feet, butt out, heels down, as much rubber in contact with the rock as possible. When I first learned how to slab climb, the person who led the route yelled up "Pretend you're mooning us !"

Guyzo wrote:Rob, it's tradition to take n00bs climbing. That's how this sport usta grow in number.

You have a duty to pass on the important stuff about this sport, mostly the Ethics of it.

How to Spray about yourself.

And how to Slander others.

Pass the torch.

Don't forget the very important "How to sandbag your rivals."

To prove my mastery of the "How to spray about yourself" ethic, allow me to demonstrate proper technique for slab climbing...



Pass the torch.

Gary Schenk wrote:It was in my second year of technical climbing that I became paralyzed with fear. It took awhile to get beyond that.

Isn't that a funny one? Same here. In college (my climbing heyday), I'd try anything, properly prepared/geared or not. As I got older, I got more cautious. Now that I'm in my later 30s, a lot more stuff scares me. Scares? Is that the right word? Maybe it's better to say that I much more clearly understand the consequences of my actions and my subconcious mind has much firmer words for my concious mind.

So yeah, not scared so much as truly appreciating risk.

ksolem wrote:You have a duty to pass on the important stuff about this sport, mostly the Ethics of it.

How to Spray about yourself.

How to Slander others.

And how to wear the latest fashion of spanky red tights!

Spanky...?

Guyzo wrote:You have a duty to pass on the important stuff about this sport, mostly the Ethics of it.

How to Spray about yourself.

And how to Slander others.

Pass the torch.

Gonna have to send 'em to you dudes for those lessons