California Climbers: Urgent Action Needed

Hi. I'm glad I got your attention.

I'm posting this because of a disturbing trend that is taking hold of our most precious urban climbing resources.

I'm talking about the gyms. And I'm talking about tape.

The problem: Dogpatch has stopped putting colored tape on problems' start holds. They're opting instead for standardized white cards with the grade on one hold, and a white tag saying "second hand start" on the other hold, where applicable. This makes it difficult to tell which holds are the start holds for which problem, especially when two problems with similarly colored holds are next to each other. Once covered with a few weeks of shoe rubber, a blue hold looks pretty much like a purple hold which looks like a black hold. And red, orange, and pink? Forget about it.

Now if it were just me, I might say, "I'm a big kid. I can stand there for a second and figure out which hold is which." And if it were just me, I'd be right. But this doesn't affect just me. No, when it's a crowded weeknight, efficient gym sessions rely on decisive action, lightning reflexes, and the ability to slice through traffic like Steph Curry to hop on the chosen problem. Any hesitation and the chance is gone. Any indecisiveness can mean precious laps lost to not only me, but all the people hovering hopefully behind me, waiting to pounce, but stewing impotently while I use an archaeologist's tool to scrape down the chalk gunk and black goo to see if the underlying hold is yellow or brown.

And the problem is magnified with new climbers. Already flummoxed by the concept of "grades" and barely comprehending the idea that it's easier to grasp the big, incut holds than the little, slopey ones, they spend a quarter of an hour trying to mix together problems with one hand pulling the wrong way on a V0 jug sidepull, while their other paws uselessly on a V10 sloper-pinch. No one needs to watch that. It's embarrassing.

Finally, spare a thought for the visually impaired. One of my good friends is colorblind. This doesn't hinder his climbing much (except for a complete inability to tell the difference between red and green camalots), but he needs every visual cue he can get when climbing in the gym, lest his sick sends be invalidated by an inadvertent dab on an off-route hold.

These are solvable problems. And maybe they wouldn't rise above the level of a quick note in the comment box and a conversation with someone at the front desk. But, people, I took those steps. And I found out something terrible.

Touchstone Climbing is considering getting rid of tape at all of their gyms.

They are considering becoming tapeless.

From LA to Sacramento, the reign of muddy-gray indistinguishable holds is upon us. And once Touchstone hops on this train, who's next? Planet Granite? The Pacific Edge? Countless garage woodies from Temecula to Tahoe?

We, the climbers of California, need to nip this in the bud. We can't sit idly while our colorful tape disappears. Speak out. Write a note for the comment box. Write your state senator. Only a massive, popular movement can stop this.

Protect Our Tape.

Thank you for reading.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is absolute gold

First they segregate your climbing holdzzzzzz....

I actually had a hard time discerning colors when they first started this and put a comment in their suggestion box asking them to revert to tape. Apparently, there aren't enough of us nay-sayers to count. I find it especially bad after the problems had been up for a while and every start hold starts to look sort of dingy dark white.

Also, they don't log the boulder problems into the mp database so I can record my 25 ascents on the V0 white people only problem.

Does anyone have the beta for the 5.6 with the letters?

aliebling wrote:I actually had a hard time discerning colors when they first started this and put a comment in their suggestion box asking them to revert to tape. Apparently, there aren't enough of us nay-sayers to count. I find it especially bad after the problems had been up for a while and every start hold starts to look sort of dingy dark white.

Thank you aliebling! You know what I'm talking about. Let us rise up together, fists in the air!

johnnyrig wrote:Instead of fighting this ill-fated trend, you should embrace it. Volunteer to dispose of all that lost and forlorn tape, and use it to identify and designate your best local outdoor routes. Everyone will applaud your efforts.

Are you saying to put tape on outdoor rock?

Paul Hutton wrote: Are you saying to put tape on outdoor rock?

Are you saying you don't?

How do you know which holds to use? Are the features on or off? Who set this rig?

Colonel Mustard wrote: Are you saying you don't? How do you know which holds to use? Are the features on or off? Who set this rig?

No one does. I don't even have to say that. Strategically placed and taped holds inside climbing gyms simulate the challenging natural features of outdoor rock. It sure beats practicing on a jug ladder, then trying to send that outdoor route that's overhanging with crimps and dynos. Some people are shorter than others, so the way a tall person climbed something is impossible for a shorter person to climb. Climbing is improvisation and creativity. There are no outdoor crag police. Climb your climb, challenge yourself, have fun. There is debate about bolts going into rock. To jump to putting colored tape on rock would cause heads to spin. Do you even climb, bro? Wait, wait! You were just kidding, right?

Happy to see that with all of the crazy shite going on in the world (ISIL in Syria, Boko Haram selling peoples kids into slavery, melting glaciers, Ukraine, blah, blah, blah) that you are standing up for something as important as um..err..colored tape?

Paul Hutton wrote: No one does. I don't even have to say that. Strategically placed and taped holds inside climbing gyms simulate the challenging natural features of outdoor rock. It sure beats practicing on a jug ladder, then trying to send that outdoor route that's overhanging with crimps and dynos. Some people are shorter than others, so the way a tall person climbed something is impossible for a shorter person to climb. Climbing is improvisation and creativity. There are no outdoor crag police. Climb your climb, challenge yourself, have fun. There is debate about bolts going into rock. To jump to putting colored tape on rock would cause heads to spin. Do you even climb, bro? Wait, wait! You were just kidding, right?

You just use everything on the wall? It's okay if you're a beginner to rainbow it, of course, but one day you have to develop as a climber. We take it off afterwards, don't worry, everybody should be able to set their own routes to keep it traditional. Unless they have a designated route setter, of course.

Colonel Mustard wrote: You just use everything on the wall? It's okay if you're a beginner to rainbow it, of course, but one day you have to develop as a climber. We take it off afterwards, don't worry, everybody should be able to set their own routes. Unless they have a designated route setter, of course.

LOL dude, I was asking someone else if they're suggesting we should put colored tape on OUTDOOR rock walls. I'm lead certified in more gyms than I can count on one hand. Sorry to have confused you, though I don't know what you read that made you think I was scratching my head at the fact that gyms put colored tape next to holds in indoor climbing gyms.

Paul Hutton wrote: LOL dude, I was asking someone else if they're suggesting we should put colored tape on OUTDOOR rock walls. I'm lead certified in more gyms than I can count on one hand. Sorry to have confused you, though I don't know what you read that made you think I was scratching my head at the fact that gyms put colored tape next to holds in indoor climbing gyms.

Yeah, for the outdoor style rock climbs we use tape. It is not that uncommon around here. Only what we call the "old crusties" don't like it too much though, LOL! They get so mad!

In I-taly, we don'ta havea tha sar-cas-m!

Colonel Mustard wrote: Yeah, for the outdoor style rock climbs we use tape. It is not that uncommon around here. Only what we call the "old crusties" don't like it too much though, LOL! They get so mad!

I can't even comprehend why anyone would wanna do that. So, there's a hold there and if the tape blew off or got washed away by the rain, it's off route? I guess if you really wanna have a gym wherever you want, and have it outside--YEA! Let's put colored tape on a wall in the desert! The old crusties don't like it because their old, traditional way of climbing has been taken over by some younger hooligans that have no regard for the natural beauty of nature. Rock should look like rock, not like the place that people go to to pay to train so they can be fit enough to climb that natural rock.

Jonathan Cunha wrote:Happy to see that with all of the crazy shite going on in the world (ISIL in Syria, Boko Haram selling peoples kids into slavery, melting glaciers, Ukraine, blah, blah, blah) that you are standing up for something as important as um..err..colored tape?

Sometimes, you don't choose your battles but the battle comes to you.

Whoa! You sound like those crusties, Paul! You must be joking, LOL! Good one bro!

Hillis Coward wrote:In I-taly, we don'ta havea tha sar-cas-m!

Oh, so people are just trolling on here. I see.

Colonel Mustard wrote:Whoa! You sound like those crusties, Paul! You must be joking, LOL! Good one bro!

I could've won some money by betting you'd say that. Well, next time I see tape on outdoor rock walls in NV, I'll know whom the route setter probably is. Thanks for contributing to the largest gym that has no memberbship fee.