Can I get my booty back? Please? - Lovers leap

Heyy, hate to be lame; but my partner left a black #5 metolius mastercam at the top of the first pitch on sunday 7/8. Did anyone manage to get that thing out (those things can be a pain when they get maxed out)? And would that badass benevolent rockmaster be willing to send it back to me? If so PM me. Thanks!

Edit: The climb I was on was 'The Line' one east wall.

I wasn't up there and maybe i'm missing something, but i didn't see you mention what climb you were on

sound's like your partner owes you a #5 master cam.

Colin Brochard wrote:Heyy, hate to be lame

You don't seem to bothered.

You are lame for asking for it back. Your weak partner OWES you one. Meanwhile on the Eastside someones rack is a little bigger.

Yea, yea.. My somewhat inexperienced partner has indeed offered to buy me a new cam so I'm not losing sleep over it. But those things can be a bitch to get out if they walk in and its an expensive lesson for her.

I could have lowered off the top and crowded the party behind me at the tiny belay station to retrieve my jammed cam but I didn't want to be a dick and slow people down further on a classic trade route as the sun was rapidly approaching!

I hope you get your cam back, Colin. Sounds like you did the other climbers a favor that day. The whole booty thing is really lame to me, and I think it should be limited to gear that is left for at least a day. Not snagged by a party that's right behind you. And if I was certain I had someone else's gear I wouldn't think twice about getting it back to them. It's just plain decency. (If the party was doing something irresponsible with the gear or being a dick then maybe I'd go back up and get it stuck again.)

I miss climbing at the leap now. Lots of booty...

Hope you get your cam back, by the way did you take the time to show your partner how to take cams out correctly? If not I dont think she owes you a cam. Also unless you specifically told the unexperienced climber that would be the penalty I dont think they owe gear to the leader (I had a similar experience as you and asked my mentor who told me that is part of the deal when taking new climbers out, the chance gear becomes booty--for whatever reason lost, stuck, left). It is also not cool to destroy gear trying to get it out, someone with better skills will most likely get it. Climber magazine had some gear removal tips in a past issue it may be helpful to share that with your partner or just go over it in greater detail (i have to do this with my wife on a regular basis as she would rather leave a piece of gear than sit and work on it). I am sending you good vibes in hopes that some benevolent badass sends you your cam!!

BScallout wrote: You don't seem to bothered. You are lame for asking for it back. Your weak partner OWES you one. Meanwhile on the Eastside someones rack is a little bigger.

I don't feel it's lame to ask it back at all.

Zhengmu Wang wrote: I don't feel it's lame to ask it back at all.

I agree. And when I find gear I post about it. This isn't yosemite 1960. So what someone tries to get a cam back? If I find something that belongs to someone else I try to return it. I don't really get people's outlook on life, it's very self centered. Maybe this guy ate ramen noodles just to afford that cam.

It got stuck...not like the dude forfeited it.

Whats with all the booty threads.... I guess the interwebs allow you to ask for it back. I dont think its lame to ask, but they are not required to either. I have climbed for many years and only ever left one cam and a nut. I have bootied many many pieces and would certainly return it to the party above if I know its theirs. Otherwise... all is fair game.

It is your responsibility to make sure your second can remove it if you want to keep it.

Not trying to be a jerk...but has anyone considered the possibility that the leader is at fault? Just because it goes in doesn't mean it'll come out, especially with Master Cams. Overcamming is a common leader mistake. It's interesting that everyone instantly points the finger at the follower.

I don't really think its lame. I mean booty is great, but so is being a solid human being and returning it IF you know who it belongs to. Sure there's a learning curve with gear (both for leaders and followers), and there shouldn't be an expectation of getting your gear back if you place it poorly. However, paying for shipping costs and a six pack should be adequate compensation for the persons troubles.

I don't think there is anything wrong with asking for such gear back. If an owner can be located their gear should be returned if possible.

CJC wrote: solid human being = not leaving shit in the rock and not expecting to get it back if you do

That makes zero sense. How exactly does leaving gear negate one's status as a solid human being? I think you need to come up with a better argument, because that one tanked.

I'm confused. If you are doing a 2.5 pitch route and your partner can't get your piece out near to top of pitch 1, why not simply lower down to said piece and extract yourself? I've done this a few times with newer climbers. Especially if it is right below your belay station. Worse case you lower and reclimb the whole pitch. Seems it would have been easier than suffering the ridicule of the climbing minions. Knot my call tho.

IFK

Jake Jones wrote:I think it's somewhere between here: "being a solid human being and returning it IF you know who it belongs to" ...and here: "solid human being = not leaving shit in the rock and not expecting to get it back if you do" Imagine that. A fucking gray area.

I don't know Jake, if I have learned one thing from the enlightened zealots on MP, its that the world is black and white. Perhaps because interpreting grey area only works for those with adequate grey matter?

....Colin, I hope you get your gear back and I don't think your lame for asking.

Ima Fred Knot wrote:I'm confused. If you are doing a 2.5 pitch route and your partner can't get your piece out near to top of pitch 1, why not simply lower down to said piece and extract yourself? I've done this a few times with newer climbers. Especially if it is right below your belay station. Worse case you lower and reclimb the whole pitch. Seems it would have been easier than suffering the ridicule of the climbing minions. Knot my call tho. IFK

Makes sense in general, but unfortunately, the route that Colin was on is called "The Line" for more than one reason and lowering to get gear would likely cause a clusterf*ck with the weekend crowd. Colin was likely being considerate to others by not doing so.

JA- if it is the case that there is a line of parties below you chomping at the bit, then you could ask the party below you (or instruct your partner to ask) if they might be so kind as to clean the gear and wait a few minutes at the top of the route. If you are with a noob, likely they are riding your ass anyhow. I guess it is simply a matter how badly you want your stuff back. The likelihood of getting your gear back decreases exponentially over time.

IFK

He's not "expecting" to get it back; he's asking. He admits up front that others might see his request as "lame".

Once, I was heading up El Cap and someone in Camp 4 said they left a fixed piece of iron on a certain pitch and if we could retrieve it, they'd appreciate it. We cleaned the piece, hauled it in the bag for several days, humped it down and delivered it to their picnic table in Camp 4. It was no big deal. Glad to have done it in fact.

CJC wrote: if people think they can just pick up their abandoned gear later at their convenience they're less likely to try to retrieve it talk about self-centered...no regard for others having to clean up your trash just climb on up and try to beg it back later from the comfort of your home.

It's not a wag bag...it's a cam. I take it you've never lost anything or left something behind and then had the crazy notion that you'd like to have your item back.

Sure if it was me I'd work on that thing till I got it out. Heck I've even downclimbed to do it. Maybe this case isn't the "best" example, but IMHO I don't think that having to leave gear behind means that you've forfeited any rights to it including the right to go back and get it. There are plenty of posts of people going back the next day and it's gone, or the awesome post of the "old man" bootying it right behind them after they mentioned they were going back for it.

Hope someone who took out the cam will get it back to you. Don't listen to dickheads calling you lame. Nothing lame about it. Things happen.
Last year there was someone who bivied and requested a rescue from the ledge on Haystack. Asking for your gear is not as bad as that : )