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General Climbing Discussion

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Sport climbers - why don't you climb trad? 27-Jan-2013 At 2:49:08 PM sbm

Message

On 27/01/2013 Dr Nick wrote:
> basically because so much of
>the fun climbing in Sydney is badly or not protected on natural gear, and
>it seems silly to have 5 rings and 1 oddball piece of natural gear. Sport
>climbing makes sense in these conditions.

Another thing, in the last month or so I've met a few climbers who claim to flat out not trust trad gear. Or think falling on trad gear is suicide. Usually citing some gear-ripping groundfall accident a friend had as evidence that cams don't work.

My favourite was the guy who was going to lead Long Line Of Leanings at Barrenjoey without cams. "It's really scary up the top, the bolt's a really long way below!" "Uh, you know it's a mixed route? We have a rack, want to borrow it?" "Oh no, I don't trust cams!" So, you're just going to run it out instead. Huh. I'm sure these people are great climbers, but you need to research and learn some more skills!

This attitude is worrying. I've taken falls on gear. My friends have taken falls on gear Including at Barrenjoey and in the Blue Mountains. Hell, at the moment I have a grade 21+ project on Hawkesbury sandstone that's all gear that we've fallen on a bunch. We don't buy and carry around all this gear as f#$%ing lucky charms. If you place it properly, test it, aid and downclimb when necessary etc, it WORKS.