rhyang wrote:I took another trad newbie on a climb in Yosemite last weekend -- a young strong buck and a good guy, one of these Sierra Challenge dudes. Like a lot of these folks who follow in the footsteps of Bob Burd, he said he was not as much interested in rock climbing as he was in summiting peaks.


Also, I think as we age our interests often change over time. Have yours ?

Rob...... tell your friend that Bob Burd does indeed Rock Climb. I have seen his and Matthew's entries on peaks with no walk up. Unless you count 5.6 as "walking"

I really like it when a "peak" is protected by "steepness".

When a "Rock Climb" is the only way to the top I like that best.

As I get older I am looking for the same thing as I did when I was 20....

My personal best on stone.

Guyzo wrote:Rob...... tell your friend that Bob Burd does indeed Rock Climb. I have seen his and Matthew's entries on peaks with no walk up. Unless you count 5.6 as "walking"

There's no question about that -- I've read their trip reports. I've climbed with Matthew over the years .. we started practicing slab climbing locally, climbed in the gym together .. I went with him on his first multipitch lead in Yosemite Valley years ago. We did Cathedral and a good bit of Matthes Crest this year.

We had plans to do the Swiss Arete, BCS N Arete, and other stuff .. but, that's another thread (in Technique & Training).

I've yet to actually meet Bob, so I won't say why he rock climbs. My point is that some people don't really enjoy climbing unless there is a mountain summit involved. They are up-front and honest about that. That's neither good nor bad -- it's just what they like to do.

For me, I like quality climbing. I like a good scramble too. Or even a nice hike But as Kris would say (I think), it doesn't matter to me whether it ends on the top of a mountain or the top of a route.

Yes, sometimes I go hiking just for the sake of hiking.

Freedom of the hills

One of the best ways to combine the 2 (climbing & summits) that I've found is 50 Classic Climbs of North America- a lifetime's worth of adventure in that book! Prop's out to Roper & Steck for creating this masterpiece. Every climb I've done in that compilation has been a great adventure.

I think rock climbing would be a lot more fun if there wasn't so much sitting around. Maybe there's so much sitting around because I suck at it? Probably. I've always enjoyed the aspect of moving in the mountains, not so much the chilling out part. I like the changing scenery, working up a sweat, feeling the aches in the ol' legs. It's what makes me feel alive. I can't even say I do it for the summit views because I don't hang out up top for more than five minutes unless someone makes me. That's just me - different strokes and all that.

Occasionally I climb stuff that has little to do with a summit, but it seems fun or looks cool - like Royal Arches, Church Dome, Gunsight, Echo Peak #9. A few weeks ago Matthew and I climbed Hoffmanns Thumb, not the highpoint, but an interesting pinnacle off to the side that we had viewed up close some four years earlier. The approach was barely more than an hour. The biggest laugh I got that day was when Matthew remarked,

"You know, this is dangerously close to cragging."

I think I like the endurance challenge of long mountain hikes/scrambles. Gives my ever working brain a break. Sort of like a natural drug.

I walk up easy hills 'cuz I can't climb worth a shit.

Luciano136 wrote: Sort of like a natural drug.

Endorphins! The body's opioids.

MoapaPk wrote:

Luciano136 wrote: Sort of like a natural drug.

Endorphins! The body's opioids.

I love it! There's only 3 things that give me that release; it's strenuous exercise, alcohol or a drug. The great part about the first choice is that it's healthy and you actually feel great afterwards . Finding the mountains truly improved the quality of my life!

Bob Burd wrote:A few weeks ago Matthew and I climbed Hoffmanns Thumb, not the highpoint, but an interesting pinnacle off to the side that we had viewed up close some four years earlier. The approach was barely more than an hour. The biggest laugh I got that day was when Matthew remarked,

"You know, this is dangerously close to cragging."

That trip report was an entertaining read

knoback wrote:The route is the thing; without the route, the summit means nothing. With the route, the summit is a cherry on top. It is a nice treat, but I can leave it on the side of the plate without any qualms.

I like this answer. Of the three most prominent peaks I've been fortunate to stand atop, two were completely socked in, but it was the quality of the climbing that defined the experience, not the lack of a view.

Also, due to a chronic shortage of summits in the midwest, you have to learn to make do with cliffs and the occasional detached tower or boulder...

cp0915 wrote:

MikeTX wrote:

butitsadryheat wrote:

Catamount wrote:I don't visit the mountains so that I can feel some sense of superiority over others ... I do it because I dig nature. Being badass is meaningless.

Well said.

yup.

Dig it.

Put it in the SP Quotations Hall of Fame.

One of the strongest dudes I've ever climbed with is a gay man. While I took my neurosurgeon's mandated year off of climbing, he got interested in surfing and moved to Hawaii though.

rhyang wrote:One of the strongest dudes I've ever climbed with is a gay man. While I took my neurosurgeon's mandated year off of climbing, he got interested in surfing and moved to Hawaii though.

How sexual orientation got brought up in terms of climbing prowess without attm around....well I won't even ask.

Who ?

The experience and views on the summit are something I enjoy immensely, and I always think it's something that has to be savored and enjoyed. I summitted Spearhead in RMNP a few months ago while it was about to rain and started descending after a very quick summit shot, and somehow feel like I missed out on something.

On the other hand, I have to echo the sentiment that it's the climbing route that's the most important. I've summited Rainier and the Grand Teton before, but there's a multitude of classic routes on those two peaks that I will surely want to go back to try in the future...