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CWP Interview 9-Mar-2011 At 7:08:28 PM crazyjohn

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On 8/03/2011 Wendy wrote:

>I think everyone's aware I'm a devoted convert of the new skool trad better-than-sport-cl
>mbing wankfest. In the midst of the many different lines of thought running
>through this thread, I'm not saying seiging is bad per se. I'm saying
>I can't deal with doing too much off it - i get bored and frustrated -
>it's only fun to a certain point. But I do know from all my dogging that
>it's way easier to do something after all that work than it is to onsight
>it and I have a load more respect for hard, even if only moderately hard,
>onsights than hard redpoints.

Right Wendy. I guess I lumped a reply to ODH in with yours. I totally agree with you! Although I try to push myself harder these days and try to tick harder routes, trad and sport. I find myself sieging more and I enjoy it! There are some lines in Tas that if they go, they will be some of the best and hardest gear routes in Australia. Someone will climb them and I would like to try. Thats why people want to climb a 9A in OZ. Because its a challenge!

> Focussing on numbers has lead many people
> to forget all the other things which make climbs an amazing achievement.
> Like in this struggle to find a trad climber for the Rock award.

OK since we are calling people out, I vote for (Edit: Zac Vertrees for the trad award. He climbed the Freerider variant of Salathe with ONE slip! Thats 1000 metres of climbing and onsighted the 5.13 huber pitch. But this is just the entré... Then climbed Golden Gate which is 41 pitches 3 5.13s and 5 5.12s. But then the coup dé grace (Im french all the sudden)... ARCTURUS! 5.13c (22pitches: pitches 7-9 5.12, 1 5.12+/5.13-, 2 5.13) This route has had maybe 3 ascents and is freakin SCARRY and HARD! He lead all the business and basically crushed at Yosemite. Ok... Thats my vote.

As far as a struggle to find trad climbers... I dont know about Victoria but its all about cracks in Tas. As ODH for some reason seams to sarcastically mention over and over. But its true and its nothing to be ashamed of! Everyone down here loves trad. New routes of all grades go up constantly. There is good friendly competition and a fair amount of internationals making there way over here. Pretty good place to live!

>Does it affect the rest of climbing that people seige hard routes and
>get all chuffed up about it? Not particularly. Hence my wondering why
>all the kafuffle about the magical 9a. How's it going to improve climbing
>then?
Gets people psyched! Gets more internationals to visit to climb here... Thus more girls. Therefore good.

I think I've adequately demonstrated by complete ignorance of what
>going on at the foreground of international climbing. It's certainly not
>diminishing my international climbing experiences. Nor those of the vast
>majority of climbers who just want someone putting up sub 20 routes for
>them because that's what they climb. Who are never going to enter an open
>competition or desire sponsorship.

Well mediocrity has never been a good reason for anything. If you only climb sub 20 and are motivated to put up easy routes DO IT! Otherwise, dont complain that there are not any easy routes! Ive heard Simey say that about Tas, that its a bad thing there are not alot of easy routes. Well there are a few, but the rock doesnt really lend to easyness... But the real reason I think is that noone bothers. Which should be AWESOME for easy grade climbers. Get out and put up new routes!

>Unless you're dying to climb at Bushrangers, you're hardly going to have
>a problem with a cliff full of kids. What happened to this ethical argument
>about bringing chicks into climbing? Outdoor education programs bring
>girls into climbing. I've bumped into girls i first took out as year 9
>students at the mt years later, taught others as trainee instructors that
>I took on their first climbs as teenagers. I'm sure the numbers far outweigh
>the number of girls who took up climbing purely because of comps!

I was only baiting you about the guiding! I never worry about too many people at the crag! I think more people climbing is great. Kids too. I totally agree that taking kids to the gym and then watching them move to outdoors is awesome. I am in FAVOR of comps and gym climbing, guiding school groups and all that. Not just because it brings a new squad of young female climbers to the crag.... ;)

>I'm still looking forward to your Goatfest ad trying to get more girls
>into climbing.

Yeah, interesting. Im spending the winter in Tas this year. Look for a FEATURE length movie about Tassie climbing beginning of 2012 that will blow Arapiles the Musical right out of Hollywood! Or should I say Goatwood... Or is it Hollygoat?