Getting Shot at While Climbing! WTF!!!

It's a shame. I worked for the clear creek rafting company years back and we had the same problem at tunnel one. I had photographed groups of people shooting at trash over the river as boats where going underneath. The photos where sent to the sherif, but it doesn't seem like they've done anything. So disappointing.

retz wrote: The angle they had was almost parrell to the rock face, so the bullets were hitting the rock about 20 yds away. Hard to explain without drawing a diagram (the bullets were flying behind my head).

I'm having a hard time envisioning how you were in the line of fire given the aspect of the crag and the puported location of the shooter. Your first post stated the shooter was up canyon - west - and that the shots were hitting bushes near your belayer. (doesn't make sense unless he is using the same rounds that took out JFK). Now you state that the shots were allegedly coming behind you, parallel to the rock face, and hitting the rock 20 yds away.

Since Capitalist Crag is east facing, the shooter would have had to be across the river on the south side and a little further east from your location, which would mean he was shooting toward the road for the shots to have gone behind you. Either the shots were not actually coming behind you in a S to N trajectory, or the shooter was shooting at traffic, which is hard to believe (but not impossible) anyone is that stupid.

I'm sure it was quite the harrowing experience and I don't mean to take away from your legit sense of fear, but it is hard to envision that you were actually in the line of fire without being able to see the shooter's location. Regardless, shooting along the creek in CCC is bad form, even if legal.

Buff Johnson wrote:Maybe it was God. Because every time you clip a bolt, a puppy takes a dirt nap. It's gotta be stupidity. Glad you weren't hit. Maybe some signage, but you can't fix stupid. I got 50 cal'd in the Splatte right at a frictiony crux move, scared the ever-loving piss out of me. I still sent.

It was definately God! I did feel guilty about clipping the bolts, had this gut feeling like i was commiting some horrible act of animal cruelty! Haha! And I was planning on climbing SPlatte this weekend. What are the odds of getting shot at 2 weekends in a row!?

joeP:
There's a little forested area across the river (south east ish, if i'm not mistaken,and yes a little upstream) With all the twist and turns in the river I'm not 100% on the direction (upstream and south shore of the river would be the best description). Regardless the bullets were going towards traffic, yes the dip sh** is that stupid. And the sense of it i got was he was almost parralell to the face, rounds were hitting to climbers right, sorry to not be more clear about this. No worries on the comments, obviously when sh** got crazy i wasn't sticking around to analyze the situation.

• Note to self bring a sniper to lay down cover fire next time.

Thanks for the clarification, Retz. That's f'ed up. Glad you guys got out unscathed.

muttonface wrote:You need a machine gunner, not a sniper. Good snipers generally only fire once.

Are you volunteering?

I'm sorry to hear that you and your partner got shot at, and I'm glad you're alright! But, in this state it's not surprising. I mean any pissed off 18 year old kid can pack heat at fucking school in this state! It's just plan old fucked up and I'm a lifetime NRA member! My whole family happens to be Lifetime members going back to my grandpa. It's just not right what kind of mind set people have regarding guns in this state.

PS I've been shot at climbing in Utah, but as of yet never in CO.

Ben F wrote: You're post implies that it's legal for an 18 year-old to pack heat at school in this state, whether you intended it to do that or not. In case anyone is wondering, it's not. On a related note, the Colorado Supreme Court made a ruling this week, which protects the right to carry of people with concealed carry permits on... wait for it... public college campuses (don't pee your pants, CSU has been recognizing permits for at least a few years). The dishonest moron from the Brady Bunch was on the news this morning screaming about teenagers carrying on campus. See above.

"A permit applicant must be at least 21 years to obtain a permit. There is no maximum age limit. There is an exception for persons under 21 years of age who wish to receive an emergency permit due to imminent danger to that person."

well just cook up a reason....All the while thnking i'm going to show that teacher...just scare them or other student or whatever. hell what 21 / 18 it's fucking moronic to carry a gun.

edit: unless you're hunting or doing someihting other than being a scared little pencil d*ck who needs a little heat to feel like a ...

Nobody has discounted clipping bolts. Clipping Bolts kills puppies! If you clip bolts and you have a puppy, or your belayer looks like a puppy, just realize there are consequences. Good day, gentlemen!

Buff Johnson wrote:Nobody has discounted clipping bolts. Clipping Bolts kills puppies! If you clip bolts and you have a puppy, or your belayer looks like a puppy, just realize there are consequences. Good day, gentlemen!

Oh the irony! I had my dog with me, and my belayer def. looks like a Bassett Hound (don't ask, things will get weird). HAHA!

Mutton: sounds like some climbing/ The Most Dangerous game is in order.

A review from the posts here makes it very clear to me that enfatuation with and use of guns is inversely proportional to IQ. People should not be allowed to discharge firearms on public property for any reason.

I've always found that the people I've known who have been the most interested and infatuated with guns are the ones that I've had the least confidence in their decision making skills. Why should users of public lands be put at mortal risk just by being there from other users who really should be at a firing range. I have also been annoyed as a climber why it's my responsibility to wear orange, "or else" in the fall. I've seen climbing areas closed for a perceived risk of dropping gear or rocks while nitwits are allowed to run around shooting guns in random directions wherever. I have also witnessed consistent violation of the no shooting order in the Rampart Range area every weekend during the summer. Nothing wrong with wasting ammo at a shooting range where the lead contamination will be cleaned up someday, or on private land.

I signed up to say - this thread horrifies me. I'm going to say this has probably never happened in Australia, and I hope it never will. The fact that so many people have stories of being shot at just compounds the casual horror of this thread; reading this for me is, I imagine, a bit like reading about a day in the life of a starving African child might be for any of us.

I'm going climbing. I can confidently say no one within many miles will be carrying a gun, for any purpose.

Tzilla Rapdrilla wrote:I've always found that the people I've known who have been the most interested and infatuated with guns are the ones that I've had the least confidence in their decision making skills. Why should users of public lands be put at mortal risk just by being there from other users who really should be at a firing range. I have also been annoyed as a climber why it's my responsibility to wear orange, "or else" in the fall. I've seen climbing areas closed for a perceived risk of dropping gear or rocks while nitwits are allowed to run around shooting guns in random directions wherever. I have also witnessed consistent violation of the no shooting order in the Rampart Range area every weekend during the summer. Nothing wrong with wasting ammo at a shooting range where the lead contamination will be cleaned up someday, or on private land.

Not sure what you mean by "most interested and infatuated."

But. . . I've found the opposite: gun owners being more knowledgeable (politics, and personal rights and responsibilities, social issues, etc), and educated, when compared to anti-gun advocates. In general, better read and informed.

Not sure why you want to call people hunting, "nitwits"?
To continue with that quote, it's very obvious that you aren't knowledgeable of hunting rules and regulations if you think it's okay to, "run around shooting guns in random directions wherever".

That would truly be asinine.

Umph! wrote: To continue with that quote, it's very obvious that you aren't knowledgeable of hunting rules and regulations if you think it's okay to, "run around shooting guns in random directions wherever". That would truly be asinine.

Go spend a weekend in the Rampart Range Area during a non hunting season and see how many "responsible" gun owners are complying with the recreational shooting closure.

You don't need a large caliber handgun. 2 to the body 1 to the head. And if they don't go down put one in the pelvic girdle.

And I've seen 2 schools as far as gun owners go. I have seen a lot more responsible gun owners (such as myself) than I have of the idiots. Unfortunately we only see and hear about the idiots like the ones who were shooting around retz.

Tzilla Rapdrilla wrote:I've always found that the people I've known who have been the most interested and infatuated with guns are the ones that I've had the least confidence in their decision making skills. Why should users of public lands be put at mortal risk just by being there from other users who really should be at a firing range. I have also been annoyed as a climber why it's my responsibility to wear orange, "or else" in the fall. I've seen climbing areas closed for a perceived risk of dropping gear or rocks while nitwits are allowed to run around shooting guns in random directions wherever. I have also witnessed consistent violation of the no shooting order in the Rampart Range area every weekend during the summer. Nothing wrong with wasting ammo at a shooting range where the lead contamination will be cleaned up someday, or on private land.

I actually have the exact opposite experience with people and guns...most of the people I've gone shooting with or taught to shoot have been very cautious and conscience of risk. Also in my experience, most people know how to use a backstop and minimize danger. I'm not saying that idiots are not out there, obviously the OP has shown that...very scary stuff. However, responding to the irresponsibility of a few people with sweeping generalizations is not going to do anything except inspire reactionary garbage.

Tzilla Rapdrilla wrote:A review from the posts here makes it very clear to me that enfatuation with and use of guns is inversely proportional to IQ. People should not be allowed to discharge firearms on public property for any reason.

Not really. The problem is that the only gun owners you notice are the dumbasses. The vast majority of gun owners exercise self control, intelligence and consideration for the life and safety of themselves and their fellow man. You'll never see or hear their bullets unless you draw on them first.

Umph! wrote: Not sure what you mean by "most interested and infatuated." .

Some seem to be genuinely fascinated with guns & the power that they represent. They seem to just be a tool or device to me, and shouldn't be any more interesting than lawn mowers, but they sure are to some.

Tzilla Rapdrilla wrote: Some seem to be genuinely fascinated with guns & the power that they represent. They seem to just be a tool or device to me, and shouldn't be any more interesting than lawn mowers, but they sure are to some.

Are you saying you find lawnmowers uninteristing? Also, when's the last time you heard of someone avoiding being killed because they owned a lawnmower?

Edit: I do suppose that owning a lawnmower could contribute to putting food on the table, as could owning a rifle, so they're similar in that respect.

Personally, I think I find guns about as interesting as I do cams (which I find to be more interesting than lawnmowers).

In summary:

cams = guns
cams > lawnmowers
brains > cams, guns, lawnmowers
just about everything > getting shot at
getting shot at > getting shot

had some cowboys ride up and watch us climb for a couple of minutes before blasting some caps about 100 yards away at Massacre rocks 10 years ago. we didnt complain too much.