SummitPost.org

If you haven't climbed El Cap.

You're not a real Rob until you've pulled a semi truck with your teeth.

. . . until you've been able to stay w-a-y beyond the 14 day camping limit in a national park/national monument that's a well-known rock climbing mecca without getting caught and kicked out. (me: 21 days in Joshua Tree Natl Monument back in 1992 ).

^^ Impressive.

...until you compete with your friends to see how many doors in your dorm you can drytool before you fall or tear the frame. My personal favorite, I hold the record in my hall at 8

Then again, I am the only one thats crazy enough to do such a thing.

...until you get sent to the principals office for talking about some local boulder problems.

It wasn't my fault the names would only be deemed 'appropriate' in someplace seedy...like Pn'P, fo' example....or a bathroom stall wall.

I guess I am not a real climber then....


Ah well, at least I boulder pretty well.

ShortTimer wrote:I guess I am not a real climber then....


Ah well, at least I boulder pretty well.

Don't feel bad...I'm not a "real" man, since I don't love jesus. That's what I read on a bumper sticker...so it must be true.

Come on Jan...lets go climb the BIG stone!!!

Rob wrote:Come on Jan...lets go climb the BIG stone!!!

What!

Jan hasn't done the Stone???

I say the Nose in a Day for that dude is in order.

Surely anyone that has the B/Y under their belt is more than capable of completing that route.

Rob wrote:If you haven't climbed El Cap.

and would that be free-climbing it?

The Chief wrote:Surely anyone that has the B/Y under their belt is more than capable of completing that route.

Agreed. I"ve done the Captain several times but Bachar-Yerian isn't in my near future.

I have been 4 pitches up the nose in the early 80s. All free. I have no interest in aid climbing anything, clean or otherwise, and french free is just not allowed in my world. So I guess I am never getting up the big stone. Kevin Thaw asked me to do the Nose free with him in the early 90s so that I could do the thin crack pitches (great roof) but my body quit working about then and it took me almost 10 years to figure out what was wrong and get back in shape. But at 59 I am not gonna free climb the nose now. So I guess I am never gonna be a REAL climber!

ShortTimer wrote:I have been 4 pitches up the nose in the early 80s. All free. I have no interest in aid climbing anything, clean or otherwise, and french free is just not allowed in my world. So I guess I am never getting up the big stone. Kevin Thaw asked me to do the Nose free with him in the early 90s so that I could do the thin crack pitches (great roof) but my body quit working about then and it took me almost 10 years to figure out what was wrong and get back in shape. But at 59 I am not gonna free climb the nose now. So I guess I am never gonna be a REAL climber!

Gruff bastard.
I wanna be a not-real climber when I grow up!

CClaude wrote:

Rob wrote:If you haven't climbed El Cap.

and would that be free-climbing it?

If you free climb El Cap...you are an uberclimber, and that is way beyond real. The E. Buttress doesn't count though...even a aid climbing wanker like me can free that one.

Not to piss on the EB though! It's a fine route, a nice little adventure...and only 5.10b.

Knowing Jan, I don't think he is dissing aid. Just not his gig.

Rob wrote:
If you free climb El Cap...you are an uberclimber, and that is way beyond real. The E. Buttress doesn't count though...even a aid climbing wanker like me can free that one.

Not to piss on the EB though! It's a fine route, a nice little adventure...and only 5.10b.

West Butt doesn't count either.....

And Jan, I can understand your sentiment. On a NIAD attempt years ago the whole french free thing left a taste in m y mouth like, sort of like kissing my mother. It may be fine for some people but not my gig.I can understand the hard aid thing (and respect it) but I'd rather do it free and clean or not at all.