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Black Velvet Wall, Trials and Tribulations

Original Post
Dow Williams · · St. George, Utah; Canmore, AB · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 240

We ran up DOWT yesterday morning. We climbed and rapped the route in 4 hours, from 8am to noon and saw a multitude of what I would deem "fails". I would like to offer very easy fixes to these spring break issues.

To the (really nice) guys from San Fran who worked at the climbing gym and were climbing POD....with your external music speaker, not just at the base, but on the climb. I did not get the chance to talk to you (as I was doing all the leading) or I would have suggested it then.....but my partner spoke to you and you have mutual friends. You disclosed to her that two in your party were brand new to multi-pitch/wilderness climbing? In any regard I did hear you give some good advice to the folks you were so kind to teach, i.e. explaining how my double ropes worked, etc. Yet you forced your music upon everyone on the wall that day. I actually enjoyed it, good selection of tunes I thought....but can't say everyone likes the same music. If we all did what you did, I guess, the canyons of Red Rock would not be considered much of a wilderness anymore, would it? I am a professed libertarian, free love sort of guy. That means do whatever you want until it affects others that are not a part of your clan, that is when larger considerations than self come into play. Maybe set an example for your less experienced cohorts that bringing an external speaker to climb at a crag or gym, whatever......wilderness, maybe not so much.

To the father and son climbing Gobbler direct to DOWT. I feel something must have happened with your son to not want to continue. Thus you rapped the chimney. When you climbed that chimney, you noticed no less than 3 cut/stuck ropes yesterday, one of them brand new. Sir, that is why we do not rap that chimney. Once your son made that slab move to atop p4, the traverse to the left to POD rap line would have been easy peasy in comparison and well bolted. No matter the fear, being tired, whatever, I would think rapping POD vs losing your rope in the chimney and fighting to retrieve it for 2 hours (you were still fighting to get it out when we left) would have surly made more sense. That chimney must consume 20-30 ropes or partial rope per year. If it was a quiet cold winter day on the wall, a move like that could have been more serious no doubt.

To the young lady who left three cams 3/4ers of the way up p2 of DOWT because she nor her partner wanted to go further on that pitch and rapped. Not only would we have been glad to retrieve those cams for you as we were rapping, but so would have any of the many parties eventually coming down behind us. You left a bit disappointed and embarrassed, but also said if I saw somebody walking around with your cams, to know they were yours. Then you left to go climb Frog Land. Honestly, when you abandon stuff so easily, it is not yours anymore. I am sure you will post on Mp.com for someone to return them, but just make the little extra effort (embarrassment or not) when you are there to get them back if you really want them. Lets surely not accuse anyone of taking them nefariously when they find them.

Dude questioning (possibly the Mrs?) on why she set her belay short of the ledge on the 3rdP of the Gobbler...for the umpteenth time.....I have seen partnerships/marriages disintegrate over less!!! She fell. She had enough. She set what she said was a bomber belay albeit hanging. She did not sound so happy about the inquisition. If you want more trips together (or maybe even something more), learn to ease up buddy. Speaking from personal experience via a successful 20 year marriage regarding that one man. Most of us seem to learn that one the hard way I think.

4 hours on Black Velvet Wall on a Monday morning during Spring break. And yes, it was difficult for me to focus on the climbing much. Climb On.

FrankPS · · Atascadero, CA · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 276

Listen here, you curmudgeon...I agree about the music. :) Don't force it on everyone else. There's a thread on MP now about "crag babies." It's really about being considerate of others when it comes to music, babies and dogs.

Sadly, many people don't give a shit about others, and will do as they damn well please. Maybe these continual reminders will sink into a few heads.

Dow, get ready to do DOWT at least once more, soon.

Dow Williams · · St. George, Utah; Canmore, AB · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 240

Look forward to it Frank.

Trad Princess · · Not That Into Climbing · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 1,175

Vegas cracks me up. Something in the water?

FrankPS · · Atascadero, CA · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 276
Adam Burch wrote:Vegas cracks me up. Something in the water?
I think it's in the vodka, Adam.
Trad Princess · · Not That Into Climbing · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 1,175
FrankPS wrote: I think it's in the vodka, Adam.
Heard.

Didn't Alex downsolo DOWT? I think I heard that.

alpinist.com/doc/web10s/new…
Xtine · · Mammoth Lakes, CA · Joined May 2008 · Points: 1,921

This is funny Dow. Heard/saw one of those parties you speak of too when they passed Ixtlan on their hike back to the lot, I assume. I agree about the music. I've never had the experience of someone blasting music in the canyons like that. I wonder about the best way to address it? If someone could mention it in a respectful way? Or would that even be too confrontational? The other day my partner and I had issues with another party's inconsideration and mentioned it half jokingly and when that didn't work, we mentioned it again more seriously....and the person got defensive either way. But I read that they did not have much experience climbing or any outdoor ethics. Maybe basic outdoor ethics are good to teach new climbers at a gym along with their belay lessons?

Dow Williams · · St. George, Utah; Canmore, AB · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 240

Xtine, it was my understanding that at least the two more experienced of this group work at the largest climbing gym in the Bay area....it was one of these gentlemen who was using an external speaker. Of course I realize the hazards of ear buds when climbing, but at least that would not insult my libertarian ethics. I have zero issue with how safe someone does or does not want to be...that is between he/she and their partner. Death or injury from ones own actions is not a big deal to me, drug overdose, foolishness on the wall, whatever. I don't believe the gyms have any motive to teach much ethics regarding outdoor climbing nor am I into promoting any set ethics myself.

However, when it comes to music...whether you are in a cubicle, in a neighborhood or on a wall...if you are creating sound pollution that affects others....what is to stop everyone from doing the same? Chaos ensues no? Why do you escape Boulder, Salt Lake or San Fran? to travel all the way to a canyon in the middle of the desert? I am going to predict you are looking for some solitude and peace at least, but what the fuck do I know. Maybe Red Rock has become more of a social thing to do versus personal thing.

Dow Williams · · St. George, Utah; Canmore, AB · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 240

Was that you on Ixtlan yesterday by the way? That is my favorite off-width in Red Rock...Joanne has a great story about the FA with Spider Man Dan.

lucander · · Stone Ridge, NY · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 260

Dow,

It seems like you're gradually building enough crowd tolerance to handle the best that my beloved Gunks can offer. Maybe we'll see you on the east coast soon.

David

Trad Princess · · Not That Into Climbing · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 1,175

droppin' them names, all day e'er day!

Dow Williams · · St. George, Utah; Canmore, AB · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 240

David, Revis or not....you get me tickets to a home game, I am there this fall brother.

Colonel Mustard · · Sacramento, CA · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 1,241

Dow, in a digitized land catering to passive aggression you've resorted to the most passive aggressive of the internet standbys... the post climb (a.k.a. What I WOULD have said!) critique?!

Woe is you!

You really need to get back to your roots, man, and live up to what I said about you a while ago:

"His whole post history is like somebody gave his ballsack a bullhorn."

You did manage to spray about your ruthlessly wired moderate, so I'll give your ballsack that much. Is that Dow's ballsack spraying? TURN IT UP!

Dow Williams · · St. George, Utah; Canmore, AB · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 240

True. I would enjoy meeting some of you internet fuck ups in person and see how bold you are face to face. And you are right about my policy of telling it how it is in person. Unfortunately, the young lady at the bottom of POD/DOWT was the only one I had a chance to talk to directly....it took me a while to think about what she said about wanting her cams back as she left...I was sort of hoping she might find this post when she posted a lost and found for them. She did say she was too embarrassed to ask us to get them and I did advise her to stick around for the next folks. When she left me thinking she actually wanted them back after giving up on them so easy....I was a bit perplexed.

Trad Princess · · Not That Into Climbing · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 1,175
Colonel Mustard wrote:Dow, in a digitized land catering to passive aggression you've resorted to the most passive aggressive of the internet standbys... the post climb (a.k.a. What I WOULD have said!) critique?! Woe is you! You really need to get back to your roots, man, and live up to what I said about you a while ago: "His whole post history is like somebody gave his ballsack a bullhorn." You did manage to spray about your ruthlessly wired moderate, so I'll give your ballsack that much. Is that Dow's ballsack spraying? TURN IT UP!
Effin' LOL!
Colonel Mustard · · Sacramento, CA · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 1,241
Dow Williams wrote:True. I would enjoy meeting some of you internet fuck ups in person and see how bold you are face to face.
See? That wasn't so hard to give the lil guy the mic and let the macho posturing roll, now was it?

I really doubt I'd enjoy meeting the guy desperately trying to assert how much better he is than everybody else at the crag, I usually just ignore that guy. Yeah, people do annoying shit at Red Rock, nothing worth posting a post game bitch rant over.
FrankPS · · Atascadero, CA · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 276

Dow is a strong climber and a good guy. 'Nuff said. We're all someone different than you would imagine in person.

Carry on.

Colonel Mustard · · Sacramento, CA · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 1,241
FrankPS wrote:We're all someone different than you would imagine in person. Carry on.
Not me. I'm an ill-tempered pith helmet wearing imperialist.

You gotta admit, Dow's internet voice is a little... strident. I'm sure he's all good and we'd enjoy sharing a rope, I'm just adding a little spice to his bean pie.

I'm sure RR at spring break does require an outlet to express the horror... I have particular memories of being on DOWT myself and hearing some fucking New Englanders gobbling on with their mouth full of marbles accent at level 10 the entire way up Sour Mash and wishing they would shut the fuck up. No egregious climbing errors were made, so I failed to write it up for posterity until now.... Hey yiz Yankees! STFU!
Trad Princess · · Not That Into Climbing · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 1,175
Colonel Mustard wrote: Not me. I'm an ill-tempered pith helmet wearing imperialist. You gotta admit, Dow's internet voice is a little... strident. I'm sure he's all good and we'd enjoy sharing a rope, I'm just adding a little spice to his bean pie. I'm sure RR at spring break does require an outlet to express the horror... I have particular memories of being on DOWT myself and hearing some fucking New Englanders gobbling on with their mouth full of marbles accent at level 10 the entire way up Sour Mash and wishing they would shut the fuck up. No egregious climbing errors were made, so I failed to write it up for posterity until now.... Hey yiz Yankees! STFU!
Hopefully they're reading this
Rob Cooper · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 0

Loving this thread! All the entertaining shit-talk but more mutual respect among the posters.

Christian RodaoBack · · Tucson, AZ · Joined Jul 2005 · Points: 1,486

Ballsack Bullhorn..that deserves its own patent, or trademark, or short story or something.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Nevada
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