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General Climbing Discussion

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themouseyponders.... 11-Nov-2004 At 5:23:06 PM Onsight

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I like when you pose interesting musing like MM – even it’s a tad hard to decipher.

One of the main differences that I see between the olden-golden days, and the new, is that in the past climbers tended to hang-out (live) at places like Le Pines (or La Gums) for months on end more, whereas these days that’s not quite so “necessary” anymore. I’m talking in very general terms here BTW. But in the past that’s what you did – particularly if you wanted to learn to climb hard/well (or simply just climb). These days there’s still the long-term resident/lifestyle option, but now we also have the more urbanised/climbing gym option whereby it’s even possible to live in the city, perhaps possible to hold down a full-time job, pay a mortgage, etc, and get strong and good at at least some facets of climbing via the regular use of climbing gyms etc.

I’m trying hard not to say any particular way is “better”. Obviously society has changed anyway. However it does partially account for the general trend towards sport-climbing these days. But perhaps more importantly — it does make me wonder if something is being lost from the overall experience? Something a bit more intangible perhaps? (As others have touched on).

Anyway, I don’t see it all quite so much as an adventure “thing”, or an apprenticeship “thing”, or a sport/trad “thing” – but more of a “lifestyle” thing that’s so often different today. Might be hard to quite know what I'm talking about till you've tried it.

Depends what you’re looking for — of course. And it has to be your choice — of course.

But like I said Mighty Mouse, I like your questions (and if you wanted my advice I’d say: “now clean up your room, pack ya bags, and get thyself to Mecca”).