Boy Scouts Gang Roping

A month ago, I led a trip to Indian Cove for a high risk youth group. The whole experience, climbing & location, proved to be well worth it. Climbing is a great tool in teaching positive life and social skills. Minority youth often have no opportunity to learn rock climbing and those that get a small taste often never pursue after the experience. What they learn can make a small difference in their otherwise shitty life & environment. In a way, learning to belay is more powerful. I'm sure you can respect that.

More often, the places I take youth can be challenging due to all the hard core climbers on routes 5.8 and under. The way I see it, locals at any area need to chill out when they see a group of youth. Chances are that will be their only time there. Climbing is about responsibility, appreciation, and fortitude. Why deny others?

yeego wrote:Why deny others?

Bingo.

When I was a child, it would have been a dream come true to get to rope up and climb. No one wants to see a crag overrun with new climbers or kids, but the reality is that these kids are probably coming for a once-in-a-lifetime, life-lesson-learning visit, or they are the future of climbing. If you're pissed because you can't tick that next classic 5.8 on your list today, consider the incredible impact it may be having on the life of the kid flopping around on it.

And if nobody's flopping around on it, well, tossing out a rant on the internet while wishing you'd been type-A enough to ask to jump on it doesn't help anybody.

I found the same setting at Sand Rock a couple months ago. Every route in the warmup area taken. My first trip outdoors in a long time and I found that...so I went to the guy belaying one of the routes when he had no one on rope. I asked for a ride, and he agreed with a smile.

I could have gotten all of the warmups I wanted, I'm sure. However, the guy dropped me free-fall for about the first 15' on the lower. I took pics of the area and headed back. Still a nice day.