Who smokes cigarettes and how hard do you climb?

Just curious.

I'm sure smoking cigs isn't gonna get me any closer to 5.12. But I'm curious how many people smoke, and how much it has affected your climbing.

At my prime in 86/87 I was climbing 5.12D and perhaps a bit harder and was smoking a pack of Camel straights a day. That was a hard rating at the time so I guess it didn't affect me too much. But then again I was 22/23 years old.

Just smoke more weed and I promise harder sending. :D

Too bad there aren't more Euros on this forum... you'd certainly get a solid consensus then.

My dad smoked two packs of Marlboro Reds when I was growing up, and that turned me off to cigarettes forever.

That being said, he smoked and continues to do so to chill him out. I think that unless you are climbing at a 5.14+ level and want to improve, anything that will help you calm down and help you focus including alcohol, will benefit you. Many a pot and cig smoker will throw down and make my virgin, running and biking honed lungs look like they aren't worth shit, and kill a 13 or 14. I'm sure it doesn't help physically, but if you need to chill to climb hard, I am sure that will override the negative physical affects.

Not saying smoking ISN't bad for you, it is. & most likely you would climb harder after awhile if you quite, but i don't think it hinders you all that much. IF you train harder then perhaps you normally would. I smoke quite a lot & never started sending anything harder then 11c or so until i doubled my training. Now i am regularly sending 12a-d...but everyone's body reacts & acts differently to different things. I am much worse off (i feel) if i drink soda then when i smoke.

I do. It doesn't affect my crux sending ability, but the lower circulation seems to affect my recovery from pump. It is good however to force myself to take a break between send attempts.

If this is not reason enough to NOT smoke, you should reconsider your priorities.

cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statis…

I go to community college.. lots of middle aged people from out in 'the county' who look about 65 and smell like shit. I don't want that to be me. my 2c

No, anyone who THINKS smoking ISN'T bad for you is a different thing altogether...having an addiction or a different type of life then someone else isn't a moron...the true morons are the ones who call others morons because they feel entitled...guess what, you're not.

In your lungs, air sacks called Alveoli are lined with a SINGLE LAYER of cells (where gas/blood exchange occurs). The chemicals in cigarette smoke break down this delicate layer of cells and your body can not exchange these gasses as efficently. Regardless who you are, this limits your ability to uptake oxygen and relase co2 efficiently (not as much of an issue for boulders operating anaerobically but more of an issue for endurance type sport climbin (think REd River Gorge) and especially true for multi-pitch and alpine climbers).

People do things for different reasons...but i think it is moronic to call anyone a moron... i do believe that those who truly believe smoking isn't bad for you are well....let's just say they have something off with them... like those who sue tobacco companies when they get cancer...they deserve to get what they get... i deserve cancer if i contract it due to smoking...but have some empathy for people...if not empathy, at least an ounce of civility...

Woolymammoth wrote:No, anyone who THINKS smoking ISN'T bad for you is a different thing altogether...having an addiction or a different type of life then someone else isn't a moron...the true morons are the ones who call others morons because they feel entitled...guess what, you're not.

your right.. 'moron' is a bit harsh. i changed the post.

my parents generation of were smokers were uninformed. THis generation (with all the information and warnings out there) of smokers are at the very least short sighted and nieve and/or self-destructive.

Or they have an addiction. i recently quite another life threatening addiction. much worse then smoking & simply am not ready to give up another hard addiction yet. doesn't make me naive, self destructive or anything of the like. it simply is what it is for now...everything is subject to change.

the fact that you are trying to quit now is proof that you WERE short sighted and nieve when you started (if you were informed). nice job quitting your mystery addiction btw.

when i was in highschool, i smoked... because the frontal cortex was not fully developed probably (and i thought it was cool). If i could have afforded it, perhaps i'd the one with the addiction.

i hope my aggravating you online hasn't made you have a smoke!

:D
.. and i'm out.

I used to smoke in college as a social thing. i quit cold turkey one night after getting sick drinking ( I used to smoke a lot while drinking). Now I just smoke weed and have the occasional beer (1 or 2 a month maybe) and I am in the best shape of my life. I have no problem going on long runs and steep approaches with a pack are a piece of cake.

I don't really mind smokers at the crag and I try not to judge at all but if you do smoke, pick up yer butts!!

Kung Phu Panda wrote:Just curious. I'm sure smoking cigs isn't gonna get me any closer to 5.12. But I'm curious how many people smoke, and how much it has affected your climbing.

I do not smoak, but last summer I had two younger guys on the route next to us that lit up while getting geared up. The first guy sent the 5.12b clean, second guy fell once and got the crux on the second try. Lit up again after a couple minute after.

+1

shit, everyone needs & has a vice in life...too boring of a reality not to have one...

it is typical and naive for non-smokers to think that smokers are unaware or think that smoking isn't bad for their health.

+1

or that we are all real dirtbags that smell like shit, are evil, & have not a thread of morality in our being

"calling someone a moron is moronic"...all time classic. Someone actually wrote that, from prefrontal cortex to fingertips to the ether, what an amazing life it is.

Not nearly as amazing as yours, I'm sure.

Rollies and spliffs are popular with a lot of the best. Especially the Spanish mutants. I guess the weight benefits outweigh the circulatory restrictions.