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Are you a member of the climber culture?

Original Post
Petsfed 00 · · Snohomish, WA · Joined Mar 2002 · Points: 989

Or do you just climb?

I heard a story on my local NPR station this morning about a Scooter rally occurring in Eugene, OR, and the robust culture surrounding it. The culture had a distinct method of dressing, and a certain set of music to listen to, and probably had robust political, spiritual, and hygenic positions held by most of the members.

I've long held that there isn't a unified climber culture, nor has there been since the mid 70s. Still, I see a lot of "I always thought that climbers would do 'x' or thought 'y'" type posts and it made me wonder. Do you consider yourself part of huge community of climbers who all have similar interests, tastes in music, clothing styles, etc? Are you surprised when you encounter somebody who doesn't adhere to that community?

I have some thoughts about the subject, but I'd like to see what opinions exist here on mountainproject (which, experience shows, has its own sects, each with its attendant rituals, dogma, and taboos).

Andrew Maver · · Gardiner, NY · Joined Mar 2013 · Points: 0

I like to dress in synthetic clothing, listen to folky music, and have spent more money on shiny pieces of aluminum than anything else ever. Does that count?

sharkfin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2014 · Points: 10

I consider myself a Zen Hippie Yuppie Bohemian.

brenta · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 75
Brian Scoggins wrote:nor has there been since the mid 70s.
Which century?
colin tucker · · Monticello, UT · Joined May 2007 · Points: 35

Yes. Climbing culture is absolutely the most important thing in the world to me. I will kill outsiders who transgress our tribal boundaries.

mediocre · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2013 · Points: 0

A certain set of music to listen to and a way you have to dress? That sounds more like a cult.

sharkfin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2014 · Points: 10
mediocre wrote:A certain set of music to listen to and a way you have to dress? That sounds more like a cult.
Would "militant atheism" be the dogma then?
Petsfed 00 · · Snohomish, WA · Joined Mar 2002 · Points: 989
mediocre wrote:A certain set of music to listen to and a way you have to dress? That sounds more like a cult.
Well, apparently the "scooter scene" grew out of the new-wave ska movement, so there you go.

Music scenes are clearly that set, but I'm wondering if people's experience with a particular community of climbers, or a particular style of climbing also has that sort of clannishness to it.
RocknRone · · Idaho · Joined Apr 2013 · Points: 10

Not a unified climbing culture?

I guess taking off your shirt and wearing a beanie somehow helps to send hard boulder problems.

sharkfin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2014 · Points: 10

Yes definitely clanish. The sad thing is when college kids grow up and get jobs and families it's rare that they stay with the sport. What you see a lot is slim Au naturale professionals stressed at their jobs and cramming climbing days into their free time, or weekend warriors kid in tow "doing it all" juggling parenthood, jobs and fun. Then there are old timers. Sometimes amazingly strong retirees reliving their younger days. Of course there are dirt bags (real dirtbags) too, who quit their jobs escaping stress or never even went to college or worked, just making it day by day. It's a good mix of people from different walks of life.

Dance Party · · Seattle, Wa · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 105

in short, no. i don't think there's a unified climber culture.

Jacob Smith · · Seattle, WA · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 230

I think that just like climbing has fractured, the culture has fractured.
Boulderer/sport climbers and alpinists seem like they are the most internally consistent.
The former are basically hippies. They listen to bands I have not heard of. They slack line. They are very chill. Bro culture is rampant.
The latter have half-way decent jobs and they dress professionally. They have to because alpine climbing is expensive. They are really into training. They listen to the music the other group was listening to three years ago.
I think climbing culture has always been localized, Yosemite had a scene, Smith Rock had a scene, there's probably a scene somewhere now that I don't know about because I'm not in it.
Mostly we just imitate the people we see in videos on the internet.

Almost the only thing I have in common with the people I climb with is that I climb. We argue bitterly about everything else. A general environmentalist ethic predominates, but what that means varies greatly and we basically just want the wilderness to belong to us.

Jan Roestel · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2008 · Points: 52

Umm, I cannot compare the climbing lifestyle to Hipsters at scooter rally's inspired by Kenny G styled Reggae. :-)

Willie Wilson · · America · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 125
Brian Scoggins wrote: and probably had robust political, spiritual, and hygenic positions held by most of the members.
Overreach much?
Zac St Jules · · New Hampshire · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 1,188
Jacob Smith wrote:I think that just like climbing has fractured, the culture has fractured. Boulderer/sport climbers and alpinists seem like they are the most internally consistent. The former are basically hippies. They listen to bands I have not heard of. They slack line. They are very chill. Bro culture is rampant. The latter have half-way decent jobs and they dress professionally. They have to because alpine climbing is expensive. They are really into training. They listen to the music the other group was listening to three years ago. I think climbing culture has always been localized, Yosemite had a scene, Smith Rock had a scene, there's probably a scene somewhere now that I don't know about because I'm not in it. Mostly we just imitate the people we see in videos on the internet. Almost the only thing I have in common with the people I climb with is that I climb. We argue bitterly about everything else. A general environmentalist ethic predominates, but what that means varies greatly and we basically just want the wilderness to belong to us.
I like this post. :)
Petsfed 00 · · Snohomish, WA · Joined Mar 2002 · Points: 989
Willie Wilson wrote: Overreach much?
Maybe I'm just too familiar with other subcultures. Or maybe the jest was too subtle for you. For reference, look at the cultural expectations of the Jam-Band scene, or the people who go to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I'd argue that there are clear hygenic and political expectations of each, although they aren't necessarily a voting bloc.

That said, I've seen again and again on this forum the blanket expectation that true "trad" climbers are somehow more interested in preserving the environment for others for alternately political (e.g. environmental) or spiritual reasons (respect the rock, preserve the experience, etc.) than sport climbers. We're somehow expected to embrace and respect dreadlocked dirtbags who shower only as often as they can afford (as the ideal), and disdain the weekend-warrior who brings his courage in his rucksack.
Jacob Smith · · Seattle, WA · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 230
Brian Scoggins wrote: That said, I've seen again and again on this forum the blanket expectation that true "trad" climbers are somehow more interested in preserving the environment for others for alternately political (e.g. environmental) or spiritual reasons (respect the rock, preserve the experience, etc.) than sport climbers. We're somehow expected to embrace and respect dreadlocked dirtbags who shower only as often as they can afford (as the ideal), and disdain the weekend-warrior who brings his courage in his rucksack.
There's definitely a lot of contradictions in how we think about climber culture. like how trad climbers talking about leave-no-trace are sticking to the letter of the law while actually doing far more damage to cliff ecosystems than sport climbers.
It's interesting how regional the weekend-warrior vs dirtbag thing is. in warm climates maybe the hardest climbers are the dirtbaggers but in the pacific northwest all the most intense guys have houses and jobs. people who live out of cars in Washington are, in my experience, legitimately crazy.
sharkfin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2014 · Points: 10

Yo, that chick who owns Crux gym in SLO is rich and certifiably crazy! On the other hand most van or RV dwellers are quite sane, resourceful and interesting people.

Mark Dalen · · Albuquerque, NM · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 1,002

I would never belong to a club that would have me as a member ... that pretty much describes every climber I've ever known ... myself included....

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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