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General Climbing Discussion

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So what makes a good climber?


kerroxapithecus

22-Oct-2005
8:52:48 PM

brute strength? good eyesight? strength to weight ratio? Experience? No fear? Confidence? Hope? Prayers?

what?


LittleJames

22-Oct-2005
10:33:34 PM

Brute strength? I've beaten grade-30+ climbers at arm wrestles and pull-up comps. Eyesight? Iker Pou wears glasses and sent Action Directe. Strength to weight? John Dunne, nuff said. Experience? Adam Ondra. No fear? I've seen many good climbers get gripped out of their heads. Confidence? Maybe. Hope? Maybe. Prayers? Maybe.

I'm putting in my vote for the Right Stuff.


kerroxapithecus

22-Oct-2005
10:43:33 PM

On 22/10/2005 LittleJames wrote:

>I'm putting in my vote for the Right Stuff.

ok I get most of that but this Right Stuff ain't good enough. Please explain! There must be a definition of Right Stuff. I don't think it's in the dictionary on this website.


gremlin

23-Oct-2005
12:04:02 AM

Good problem solving skills, a calm personality under pressure, experiance and technique

Blah

23-Oct-2005
8:05:45 AM

Calm under pressure... hmm I think not. How many climbers do you know who are ever calm? Control might be a better word. Experience... I have 15 years of it and wouldn't consider myself to be a good climber. Some people have 'it', some don't,.. 'it' is rather nebulous, but that is why we all keep coming back. 'It' always seems just within reach...


kezza

23-Oct-2005
10:38:42 AM

Before you can answer, what makes a good climber?
How about, what IS a good climber? -climbing consistantly at a(ny) grade -can place bomber gear every time -climbing 30 plus.......

I'm sure every body would have a different variation of what they think a good climber is.


The Elk

23-Oct-2005
10:46:21 AM

The best climber is the one havng the most fun.......

Blah

23-Oct-2005
11:32:12 AM

The great late Alex Lowe, I believe... I concur absolutely.


Sabu

23-Oct-2005
1:31:40 PM

On 23/10/2005 The Elk wrote:
>The best climber is the one havng the most fun.......

oh yea thats the best definition by far!!


Climboholic

23-Oct-2005
1:53:00 PM

On 23/10/2005 gremlin wrote:
>...a calm personality under pressure...

I agree, calm under pressure. Not necessarily a calm personality. Many climbers have energetic personalities. A person who panics when they get scared aren't going to last long in climbing.

Also climbing requires the type of personality that can become completely focused on a goal. Almost to the point of obsession. The type of person who thinks about climbing whenever they're not doing it. Eg, at work. I think this is where to motivation and determination to climb that grade harder comes from.


Chalk Free

23-Oct-2005
5:23:10 PM

On 23/10/2005 The Elk wrote:
>The best climber is the one havng the most fun.......

Absolutely.

Numbers have nothing to do with it.


Paradise

23-Oct-2005
6:49:38 PM

Surely passion has a lot to do with it

simey

23-Oct-2005
9:04:55 PM

>The best climber is the one having the most fun.......

What a lame-arse answer. Would you call climbing the North Face of the Eiger fun? I don't think so, but I'm sure any climber who has done it would be proud of their achievement.

I would suggest that a good climber is someone who manages to get the most out of their physical capabilities in a wide variety of climbing situations.


Sabu

23-Oct-2005
10:15:11 PM

On 23/10/2005 simey wrote:
>>The best climber is the one having the most fun.......
>
>What a lame arse answer. Would you call climbing the North Face of the
>Eiger fun? I don't think so, but I'm sure any climber who has done it would
>be proud of their achievement.
>
>I would suggest that a good climber is someone who manages to get the
>most out of their physical capabilities in a wide variety of climbing situations.

hmm steady, the Eiger would be fun and exhilarating - to a degree: How much fun would it be scaling a mountain on a cold clear morning without wind and perfect ice? isn't that what people climb mountains for? there is a challenge/difficulty aspect to it for sure, that adds to it. BUT why does one start mountaineering? COS it's FUN!!!


nmonteith

23-Oct-2005
10:22:13 PM

Mountaineering = Retrospective fun.


Sabu

23-Oct-2005
10:29:06 PM

wheres a dictionary when u need one.....?


Sabu

23-Oct-2005
10:30:47 PM

On 23/10/2005 nmonteith wrote:
>Mountaineering = Retrospective fun.

ahhh yes i would aggree!!

(google can find anything!)


Paulie

23-Oct-2005
10:43:15 PM

On 23/10/2005 simey wrote:
>Would you call climbing the North Face of the
>Eiger fun?

On a good day it could be quite a lot of fun and it would depend on the climbers' mind set - many mountaineers have the time of the lives in the cold, dangerous and scary conditions found on such routes...my mate Dave is one of these people. I can be scared out of my brain and totally at my limit on some desperate (to me) route, yet he's actually really enjoying it - unlike me who's not happy until my axes are hilt deep in the neve over the cornice!

IMO Alex Huber summed it up perfectly...why else would we climb if not for fun - even if it's retrospective? (yeah I know; much literature on the topic).

Paulie


adski

24-Oct-2005
12:32:58 AM

I liked the Garth Miller interview in Rock a while back which talked about "controlled aggression"

Goodvibes

24-Oct-2005
7:50:53 AM

Motivation and consistancy are some other factors. Controlled agression is a great description of what the ideal mental state should be. If you are positive and agressive you are hardly going to suddenly stop and say take are you. It is all about giving your absolute all as often as possible, it can be surprising what you are actually capable of doing if you really try. Being able to really focus and eliminate any feelings of doubt is a huge asset. Climbing is so much easier when you move fluently and posivitely.

And lastly, just getting super strong, especially your fingers. Who needs technique when you can just campus through cruxes. lol

There are 37 messages in this topic.