Dumb things other climbers have said

Three wrong knots are as good as one correct knot

[ from back in the day when we would secure bear hangs (hanging up our food) with half a dozen arbitrary knots ]

docsavage wrote:Frank - mind if I borrow 'scamper' as a supreme understatement ... ?

Have at it. Works for us.

Couple years back a freak storm hit the Tetons right as I was heading up to the upper saddle, and the climbing rangers were awesome enough to welcome us in to their hut, where we began a huge discussion on who really climbed the Grand first. All of us had read the usual books and had our theories, and we concluded that an early native probably got a wild hair at some point and bagged it.

Along came another climber who walked in on the end of the discussion, looked at the rangers, and blurts out "I, also, read Wikipedia."

I'm sure that chipmunks five miles away turned at that moment to gauge the stupidity of the comment. The silence was luckily drown out by the raging storm outside.

Bill Lawry wrote:Three wrong knots are as good as one correct knot

Is that along the lines of "Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.?"

frank minunni wrote: Is that along the lines of "Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.?"

If you can't tie a knot, tie a lot"

I work for a running company. Was chatting with a fella today about running for quite awhile. He asked me if i am a runner (I think he just wanted to know that the things I was saying were valid)... I responded with, "Yes I am but only to stay in shape for climbing." He says very excitedly, "oh you're a climber? I used to teach rappelling." ... I didn't know what to say... He proceeded to tell me about his extensive work with the rescue service in Colorado...

"I had to clean the route on self-rappel"

The classic "Are you gunna belay yourself down when you get to the top?"

john strand wrote:" Tri Cams are great"

"Ignorance is bliss" they say

john strand wrote:" Tri Cams are great"

And just to clarify, "they" = jong strand. I <3 Tricams!!!!!!!

Overheard at Rumney:

"Ugh, climbing is an uphill battle."

It didn't sound like this was being said ironically.

I’m belaying the leader. He gets to the top of the first pitch in windy weather and shouts, “I’m not off belay!”.

I finish a climb on Nuclear Reactor Rock in Joshua Tree reaching a ledge, which slants slightly downward and observe a guy belaying a 9 or 10 year old boy. The belayer is not tied in. When I tell him that he says, “It’s OK, the kid doesn’t weigh much.”

Rob.calm

Zac.St.Jules wrote:I work for a running company. Was chatting with a fella today about running for quite awhile. He asked me if i am a runner (I think he just wanted to know that the things I was saying were valid)... I responded with, "Yes I am but only to stay in shape for climbing." He says very excitedly, "oh you're a climber? I used to teach rappelling." ... I didn't know what to say... He proceeded to tell me about his extensive work with the rescue service in Colorado...

honestly sounds like you need to get over yourself. he was trying to relate, and his work with the rescue service is not something to scoff at.

David Barbour wrote: honestly sounds like you need to get over yourself. he was trying to relate, and his work with the rescue service is not something to scoff at.

Why do you feel that I need to "get over myself"? Is it arrogance or honesty to recognize that someone does not know what they're talking about? I was not rude to this man, and gave him total benefit of the doubt when talking to him. I didn't treat him as any less of a human being and actually enjoyed the conversation well enough.

Unfortunately to describe the situation in greater detail than I did, I would have had to take assumptive jabs at the guy and I really didn't want to do that. While I maintain the thought that he is/was a nice fella, there is a certain point where a person becomes much less affable when they continue talking about things they don't know about, no matter how much they want to relate.

The point of my original post was a personal example of how so many folks view rappelling as the exciting or difficult side of our sport.

he took a part of climbing he knows about (rappelling), and applied it to his own life experience to relate with you

you were offended because "uhh i'm not just a rappeller, i climb 5.11!"

actually a lot of posts in this thread are along a similar vein

rock climbing is just a thing you do. it doesn't really matter and no one outside of climbing knows the difference between you and a 5.5 sport rappeller.

your post was just extra funny because the guy was telling you about something he did that was actually meaningful (being on a rescue team), and all you could think of was how you are better than him because you rock climb.

I am a lion! Hear me roar!! Meow..

David Barbour wrote:he took a part of climbing he knows about (rappelling), and applied it to his own life experience to relate with you you were offended because "uhh i'm not just a rappeller, i climb 5.11!" actually a lot of posts in this thread are along a similar vein rock climbing is just a thing you do. it doesn't really matter and no one outside of climbing knows the difference between you and a 5.5 sport rappeller. your post was just extra funny because the guy was telling you about something he did that was actually meaningful (being on a rescue team), and you all you could think of was how you are better than him because you rock climb.

I see your point. Though I feel like if I really examine myself, my thoughts were not, "wow, i am so much than this guy." I recognized an actual lack of knowledge regarding what we were discussing. Without knowing for sure, which means yes I am making an assumption, (but I like to think I am a fairly rational fella) that he was not on a rescue team, but perhaps knew someone who was. And so in his desire to relate, he was not totally honest.

the post was never meant to ridicule the man or suggest that I am better than him in some way. Im sorry if it came off that way.

I do however, find these stories amusing.

Zac.St.Jules wrote: I see your point. Though I feel like if I really examine myself, my thoughts were not, "wow, i am so much than this guy." I recognized an actual lack of knowledge regarding what we were discussing. Without knowing for sure, which means yes I am making an assumption, (but I like to think I am a fairly rational fella) that he was not on a rescue team, but perhaps knew someone who was. And so in his desire to relate, he was not totally honest. the post was never meant to ridicule the man or suggest that I am better than him in some way. Im sorry if it came off that way. I do however, find these stories amusing.

sorry to be harsh, props for the self examination!

> If you have a bad cam placement, always use a locker so that it can hold more load.

^^^Si,

Which highlights the other dumb phenomenon...

Those who reach the anchors and proudly proclaim "Off Belay!" only to start asking to be put back on 3 minutes later. That's an accident waiting to happen.