Worst advice given or heard

rob.calm wrote: When Friends were first on the market, many decades ago, you could contact Ray Jardine (snail mail) if you had questions about them and most often would get a reply. Jardine was the inventor of Friends, the first effective camming device. After I had used my #2 Friend a number of times working on climbs, the surfaces of the cams had become worn down and had a smooth rather than a grooved texture. I wrote Jardine about it. He replied that they actually worked better that way and that the grooves had been added as a feature that made them appear better to the user even though they did not contribute to the holding power. I do not know enough about the physics involved to have an opinion as to whether grooved or smooth surfaces are more effective. Rob.calm

When in doubt, whip it out

You only need to tie in to the lower strap, not the lower strap and the waist belt. (speaking of a BD Bod harness.)

When I questioned this advice, I was told that the advice giver was a "certified rock climbing instructor" who certainly knew how to tie into a harness. (In spite of the fact that his students were all hanging upside down when they fell.)

Kai Larson wrote:You only need to tie in to the lower strap, not the lower strap and the waist belt. (speaking of a BD Bod harness.) When I questioned this advice, I was told that the advice giver was a "certified rock climbing instructor" who certainly knew how to tie into a harness. (In spite of the fact that his students were all hanging upside down when they fell.)

I'm not sure that any of this is advice but the worst things I've heard while climbing were:

That rap anchor wouldn't be there if it wasn't safe.

I took a fall on a screw yesterday. I not worried at all now. I have so much confidence that a screw will catch me now!

Vertical Addiction wrote:Me- Where do I go now Advice Giver- Go up

Nobody I climb with anchors down while lead belaying at the gym, for very good reasons, but that doesn't stop people from telling us we should all the time. The advice usually comes from somebody no-handing their gri-gri on the toprope beside us, too...

Derek Jf wrote:...ps don't down climb in the future if you can avoid it - it only allows for timid thoughts to take over, heightening the probability of minor accidents to occur. if you know you climb 5.8 well, keep moving and you'll find the next obvious comfy position to place your next piece

Buy the Trango ______

I'm not climbing, I'm just helping you pull me up!