Sport or Trad

I really like to get a good pump and try send when toproping a solid sport climb. I think toproping trad is just someone with a big ego. Just chill out and let us be.

the ONLY true climbing is.............aid climbing?

I suppose one could consider the crux 5th pitch of L29 sport (but a cam was still recommended when we did it about 15 years ago). We used some trad gear on the lower pitches. Long hike in, very un sport climbing like.

I decked from 35 feet last year which resulted in an L1 vertebrae burst fracture . I'm still overcoming my fear of sport climbing from that accident. I mostly boulder now. Trad terrified me before my accident, though.

They are all great. I find trad the most memorable, but my climbing improves the most when I top rope, boulder and sport climb.

In many ways bouldering seems the most dangerous. Several of my friends have really screwed up their knees falling funny, as a result I find ZI push myself harder top roping.

`Sport' climbers argue that if you need to place one piece of gear, it is no longer a `sport' climb.

`Trad' climbers argue that if you don't climb it ground up, onsight, placing all gear, it is not a `trad' climb.

So, what about everything in between?

Mike R. wrote:I have noticed more and more that people seem to define themselves as either a sport climber or a trad climber.

Funny. I've been noticing that people are defining themselves this way less and less.

Jarek wrote: This is from Matt's profile: Likes to climb: Trad, Sport, TR climbs Trad: Leads 5.7 Follows 5.10b Sport: Leads 5.8 Follows 5.10b I don't understand the comment he made. Seems like an ego problem. Oh, well... And yes, I do climb trad, sport and ice...

It was a joke. (and one I didn't come up with, only repeated b/c I thought it was funny) edit: Now that I think about it, I apologize if I offended any gay people by grouping them with sport climbers.

My first lead was sport and all I led until I bought my own rack this spring. I'm happy to just climb. Bolts, gear, doesn't matter. If I liked to wear my beanie without a shirt on, I'm sure I'd be happy to boulder also.

Today I'm climbing trad so I guess I'm a trad climber. Tomorrow I may be climbing sport so I guess I'll be a sport climber. This weekend I may be back to trad again and then I'll throw some sport in next week. I'm definitely both. I just love to climb anything. Any style.

If I had to define myself as either one, even though due to convenience I may climb more sport, I consider myself more of a trad climber. When I first began climbing I cut my teeth on trad in Eldo and in the mountains. I suppose that is where I got the self label. That's where my heart is. I take more pleaseure plugging gear but clipping bolts certainly does make me smile.

I don't think it matters at all how a climber "defines" himself, or whether he prefers sport or trad. Or how hard he climbs (said by a 5.8 climber!)

Just have fun and stay safe.

Having fun is for wimps. Climbing should scare you shitless and be so painful you want to cry. Crying is also for wimps.

I like to sport climb, trad climb, and boulder.

My ideal is to strive for a very well-rounded form of climbing mediocrity regardless of the format.

If I can climb any 5.10 for the rest of my life I'll be happy. Right now that's hard as I just crushed my talus in a fall a few weeks back (trad climbing - i'm so gnar). So right now, I'm a boulderer who doesn't get off the pad.

Trad...I would say is more impressive. Most people that climb trad just don't red point so it is harder, maybe impossible, to get better.
You have to fall and/or fail to learn new moves. This is why Bouldererers climb V10, 5.12 sport, and 5.7 trad...not that they couldn't climb trad harder but they are not willing to push as hard on gear. I blame the understandably uptight rules of climbing gyms as well as "official" climbing courses for over emphasizing the "danger" of climbing. Gear is made to fall on and if your afraid to fall on it then you shouldn't bother placing it. Oh, the opening seen in Cliff Hanger is at fault too. One final note, sport gets you stronger for trad but trad won't make you better at clipping bolts. America!

richard magill wrote:I like to sport climb, trad climb, and boulder. My ideal is to strive for a very well-rounded form of climbing mediocrity regardless of the format.

I'm with you, V5, 5.12a sport, 5.11d trad.(all Red point)

Josh Cameron wrote:Recently Rock & Ice had a short article on what makes a sport climb sport vs trad. The author said trad is put in ground up while sport is put in top down. Following this definition, many bolted climbs can be considered trad. Thought it gave an interesting perspective of looking at the issue. So technically, the FA of Half Monolith's cables was a trad route. Does the Park Service put those things in ground up or do they climb Half Dome and then put them in on rappel?

I think this definition is out of date?

Mike C. Robinson wrote:Gear is made to fall on and if your afraid to fall on it then you shouldn't bother placing it. Oh, the opening seen in Cliff Hanger is at fault too.

Vertical Limit would illustrate this better!

The only thing that really matters is that climbing is a blast,who cares how it is done.

I like to TRAD top rope... sometime's i mix it up and SPORT top rope....

i always thought trad climbing meant you had enough money to buy cams,

but really isn't it all about enjoying whatever you like doing and not giving a damn about what the dude next to you does, or is everyone worried about what other think about how they look in their harnesses? i think mine makes me look fat.

It's hard to respond to this without sounding like an elitist prick, so I guess I'll sum it up by saying trad is rad, and style matters. Maybe not to everyone, but to me it does. Having fun is great and all, and a necessary part of climbing. But, some of my best days were down right scary days, which were not fun. Those are the days you talk about, those are the days that I feel like I accomplish most.