Other climbers hogging routes? What to do???

This past weekend at Taylor's Falls and there was a group climbing on the MN strip that had left their 3 top-ropes hanging while they sat and chatted for maybe 30mins. They were not climbing at all, but their ropes were taking up 3 routes on a very crowded and desirable piece of rock.

I am new to MN, and am wondering what the Minnesotan way to take care of this situation is? In my previous area if something like this happened you could ask to hang your rope from their anchor and they people not climbing would either say yes, or allow you to climb using their rope as well. Would this work at Taylor's? or is there a different preferred way to request access to a route that an un-used top-rope is taking up? Also, what to do if they say no; since I don't want to cause a scene, but feel that people who occupy a route just to reserve it for easy access later are yuppie jerks. Any advice appreciated.

PS; In case you were wondering, yes I always hiked up to check someone else's anchor before hanging my rope on it; I do not have a death wish.

ask them if you can climb on their ropes or ask them to pull them down. pretty simple. If they say no ask why and tell them to move to colorado.

icsteveoh wrote:ask them if you can climb on their ropes or ask them to pull them down. pretty simple. If they say no ask why and tell them to move to colorado.

Oh now thats original.
You must be a laramie transplant in salt lake shitty.

Ask them if you can climb the route. Either lead it or TR it but Set up your own anchor and what not. I would avoid using anyone elses gear at all cost. Just weird and a bit of toe stepping. Make it a quick on and off. They should be cool enough to let you get a lap in if they plan on squatting all day.
If they jsut straight up refuse and act like A holes well.
Maybe its steveoh from SLC.

SAL wrote: Oh now thats original. You must be a laramie transplant in salt lake shitty. Ask them if you can climb the route. Either lead it or TR it but Set up your own anchor and what not. I would avoid using anyone elses gear at all cost. Just weird and a bit of toe stepping. Make it a quick on and off. They should be cool enough to let you get a lap in if they plan on squatting all day. If they jsut straight up refuse and act like A holes well. Maybe its steveoh from SLC.

in case any of the less astute readers of the thread missed it, we now know a great way to piss off SAL.

Jon Ruland wrote: in case any of the less astute readers of the thread missed it, we now know a great way to piss off SAL.

yeah,
Tie up a cliff with top ropes while eating your PBnJ.

Jamie H wrote:This past weekend at Taylor's Falls and there was a group climbing on the MN strip that had left their 3 top-ropes hanging while they sat and chatted for maybe 30mins. They were not climbing at all, but their ropes were taking up 3 routes on a very crowded and desirable piece of rock. I am new to MN, and am wondering what the Minnesotan way to take care of this situation is? In my previous area if something like this happened you could ask to hang your rope from their anchor and they people not climbing would either say yes, or allow you to climb using their rope as well. Would this work at Taylor's? or is there a different preferred way to request access to a route that an un-used top-rope is taking up? Also, what to do if they say no; since I don't want to cause a scene, but feel that people who occupy a route just to reserve it for easy access later are yuppie jerks. Any advice appreciated. PS; In case you were wondering, yes I always hiked up to check someone else's anchor before hanging my rope on it; I do not have a death wish.

Some might say that what you did was the Minnesota way--say nothing, afraid you might cause a scene, then call them yuppie jerks behind their backs. (Humor--the joke's on Minnesota, not on you.)

Seriously, folks here are pretty mellow. If you ask about it--"How long are you planning on using those routes?"--they'll probably offer you a ride on their top rope and a bite of their Pierson's Nut Roll. If they don't take the hint, tell them what you just said: it's a busy day on a popular crag, and they shouldn't leave ropes hanging that aren't being used. No one's gonna shoot you.

--Steve

P.S. I had a group on Tourist Rock that day, the first (significant) crag on the right after you leave the lot.

Here's how we learned to climb at Taylor's Falls (~1968):

Taylor's Falls aid climbing
Minnesotans are friendly, just ask.

Greg Hand wrote:Here's how we learned to climb at Taylor's Falls (~1968): Minnesotans are friendly, just ask.

Looks like Slicksides.

Last time a friend and I got out mid week, I thought for sure we would have some if not most of the area to ourselves. No, some guided group all the way from Florida was out with topropes all over the place. I was pretty disappointed, as I had avoided the place for that very reason on weekends. I griped to my friend and we went to another cliff, with much harder lines. We got a warmup in and then hit one of the hardest, but highest quality lines on the cliff. It was a massive effort, with French freeing out the wazoo, but we had a blast and got pumped out of our gourds.

Would we have chosen that line if the other stuff had not been taken? Probably not, so it worked out for us as an incentive to climb harder and get on stuff others weren't even up to setting up for a toprope. And that seems to be a great way to handle this sort of situation. Use it as in invitation to do the lines you avoid.

Later, we met the group leaders and grabbed a toprope from them. They were cool guys and frankly, it would have been nice to hang with them longer.

Learned to climb at TF in '76. Later when I did a lot of climbing there the climbing club would show up and hang ropes all over. We just asked if we could take a ride on their rope if it was vacant and they never said no. I did it all the time and usually got the rope owners to belay me as I was there by myself a lot.

Just ask and you will usually receive. If they say no tell them the screaming knot story. Since we used the hand rails as anchors a lot we used to joke about the little kid who would ask his mom why those knots in the pretty colored webbing would scream every time he untied one. Then later go be a little kid as long as you are sure no one is on the route. It can be very entertaining. Just be sure you have a good escape route.

Did everybody learn at TF?
I was with the Minnesota Rovers from 68-71.
Here I am leading out of my Camaro on the road before you get to the park entrance.

Solid belay anchor
The State Patrol showed up and did not like it.
Look at those cool Bell helmets and goldline!
I still have some of those slings over my shoulder.
They are 40 years old!