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CWP Interview 6-Mar-2011 At 10:55:58 AM crazyjohn

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On 5/03/2011 simey wrote:
>CJ... you are losing the plot! I don't have any problem with someone getting
>paid for climbing. In fact I'm all in favour of it. I simply don't like
>it when climbers whinge that they should be receiving money. Get real.
This makes no sense. Its ok to GET money, its just not ok to ASK for it?!?! What?

>And I don't believe that climbing standards will improve with increased
>sponsorship and I am still trying to figure out why growth and money and
>more 9a's are ultimately good for climbing.
Yeah, who knows what he meant by growth? Maybe the Olympics, maybe keeping young comp climbers in the game, maybe providing financial incentive to older comp climbers so they can tick hard outdoor routes... The point is: what the F difference does it make to me or you? NOTHING! So why bother analyzing it?

>As for your debate with ODH on the world of hard redpoints, well I lean
>towards ODH's thinking. I've seen a lot of climbers go backwards with their
>climbing when they have sieged the shit out of something for months on
>end. And from my perspective (including watching you flail on India for
>the best part of a year) I reckon that in the majority of cases the final
>ascent is small reward for the time, effort and misery involved.

As far as sieging routes like me on India. I learned alot on that route. I had heaps of fun! It was a new experience for me to work a route like that. And after all that work, I sent it. In between, I spent many days free-soloing with my girlfriend, scaring the shit out of myself on gear routes, blowing shit up in the fire, getting pissed, having sex. The usual. I would just have a rest day before trying India in between. Since then, when Ive tried stuff at my limit I use better strategy. Hard red pointing is just another part of climbing, just like sex and blowing stuff up. There are a couple climbers(like 2) I can think of who seem to be just absolutely focused on ticking only hard FAs or pushing the grade. That seems boring to me but big deal? Its the way they play the game. As long as they dont bring down everyone else by dodgy tactics on their precious FA, what difference does it make to me? In fact, I LOVE IT! Get psyched! Go climb hard! Kick ass!

The reality is that most of the climbers who "siege" routes and tick hard numbers also KICK ASS on big walls, long trad, scarry trad, you name it. Redpointing is just another part of the game.

One more nail in the coffin... A bit personal but since other climbers were called out by name... ODH is already making plans IN THIS SAME THREAD! about doing some sieging on Passport for an exchange belay on his/her "project". How Fing hypocritical can you get? So if you spend 2 shots on a route then give up, thats not lame... If you spend two days, thats not lame... If you have to go back three times? When does it become a mockery? Its so subjective. The fact is, that alot of guys who are sieging hard redpoints would onsite ODH's "project" as a warmup. Not meant as an insult, just reality.

The bottom line is; who gives a crap? The style in which people go about wasting their lives by climbing doesnt really effect me. I think guiding school kids at crags for money is WAAAAAY more controversial then heaping shit on wanky sport climbers sieging routes or trying to get BIG MILLION DOLLAR companies to give them some cash. Surely there is something else about climbing we could all agree to disagree on? :)