Check out this climbing column

Salt Lake City Climbing Gear Column

If you have any climbing topics, gear, climbs, etc. that you'd like to see written about, please let me know. Thanks!

Newest article on Prophesy Wall with pics

examiner.com/x-35952-Salt-L…

Sparkle and Fade and Caesar's Corner at Crawdad Canyon

examiner.com/examiner/x-359…

examiner.com/examiner/x-359…

Latest article

Erica Jessop wrote: examiner.com/examiner/x-359… Latest article

"Lead climbing can be a little intimidating because of the fact you are free climbing until you clip into that first bolt."

"Free climbing" isn't the same as "free soloing".

Of course, the "media" always gets this mixed up, and, you're the media...so... Ha ha.

"You definitely want to have a lead belayer that you can truly rely on and trust that they will give you their full attention."

Saying "lead belayer" when you're referring to a belayer who's belaying a lead climber is kind of redundant.

"It has big edges and there are six bolts that lead to a sport anchor at the top. It is 55 feet up to the sport anchors and is rated at a 5.7."

How many anchors? One set or more?

"What seemed like a simple climb while doing top rope may seem a bit more daunting when you’re leading."

While "doing top rope"?

Maybe better to say, "while toproping".

Cheers.

This is the kindest, gentlest response possible. Bush applauds you, Slime's spinning in his grave (or the coffin he sleeps in on the Brac, whichever).

kind and gentle yes, and no cursing(at the Mormons) either. I'm going to go do a top rope now off of some sport anchors.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloss…

Thanks Bobby! This will be extremely useful for my future articles ;)

Erica Jessop wrote:Any constructive criticism is welcome. I just use terms that I've heard around the climbing gyms by the members there. I know there may be some misuse or better words, so don't hesitate to put down your suggestions. Thanks!

That is your responsibility as a writer/reporter Erica. If you are going to publish route beta and the like, put a bit of elbow grease into it before you publish it....versus the "blind leading the blind". That is what separates good writers from bad ones. Obviously applying what you learn from gym rats to outdoor climbing might not be the wisest choice. Just my advice since you asked for it.

Erica, idea for future article -- why women climbers can repeatedly kick a man's ...

Or yet -- instead of trying to delineate between a "lead" or "top rope" belayer, why not talk about better belaying & partner safety? In a round about way, you kinda infer it's okay to be less safe as a belayer when someone's not leading where a belayer really needs to always be attentive when someone is on-belay, regardless. Anyway, maybe a future topic, not a bad one, either.

Thanks for the suggestions and comments. Live and learn. If anything, I just want people to enjoy the articles, ask questions if they'd like, etc.

Mark, I'll definitely take your suggestions for a column and put them into use :)

Wow. Just so, so bad. Why are you writing a climbing column?

Challenge Buttress: Hollow Man and Chambered Nautilus with pics

Chambered Nautilus and Hollow Man

Erica Jessop wrote:I just use terms that I've heard around the climbing gyms by the members there...

i mean this in the nicest possible way but someone whose climbing knowledge is based primarily (perhaps, soley) on what they've heard around the climbing gyms should not be writing articles to offer guidance to beginning climbers.

I'm not claiming to be perfect in the writing arena nor in the climbing arena. I have things to continue to learn and things I'm still experiencing. Let me rephrase everything I've said. I write as I climb and experience the different climbs and techniques I learn. I'm not an instructor and I don't pretend to know everything about climbing, because I know I don't.

I'm not offering guidance or trying to teach anyone. I'm making suggestions to different climbs that might be good for a lead climb or just a climb in general. In other articles I've written I've suggested people to take a climbing course to become a better climber. My knowledge is not based primarily or solely on what I've heard around the climbing gyms.

I ask for your comments, ideas, and suggestions to continue on improving my column. If you don't like the column, that's perfectly fine. I don't expect that everyone will get something out of it. If you want to see something improved or something written, you can let me know, and your ideas will be recognized in the article. I was asked to do this column because I love to climb not because I'm an expert in the sport.

i think there's something else you should consider...you're using the community forum on this site to direct people to another site for information they could get here.

you're using the forum of a site that is supported by advertising sponsors in an attempt to drive people to another online website that, i would assume, is receiving money from its advertisers based on the number of views a page receives.

the business ethics are at least questionable...

Examiner pays on the order of $10 per 1000 pages views. These articles are a money-making opportunity for Erica, so view them or not with that in mind.

Tico wrote:Examiner pays on the order of $10 per 1000 pages views. These articles are a money-making opportunity for Erica, so view them or not with that in mind.

That explains a lot. So Erica is just writing trip reports on some obscure web site? (other than MP, SP or RC)...she is not a journalist writing published "articles" which she led on just a bit? Makes a lot more sense. In that case, write on till your hearts content.

Tico thanks for clarifying some things for me. Although it's not much of a money-maker for me, more of a freelance side job. I enjoy writing, so I do it.

Dow, I'm definitely not a journalist writing for a published magazine or Web site. If that were the case, trust me, I wouldn't have agreed to writing for it. It would've been taken in a completely different approach.

This is more of a "review" or just mainly suggestions of places to go. I guess I should've clarified that from the very beginning.

Crag Dweller wrote: the business ethics are at least questionable...

In the bold old world of tomorrow, mindshare is the new black.