Drinking while climbing

I have noticed on more than a few occasions, people drinking when belaying and climbing. I can understand that a nice cold adult soda is a nice addition to a day but can't it wait until you stop? I am trying to teach my kids good climbing practices and keep seeing examples of what to NEVER do. My 12 yo saw a guy with his hand off the rope laying down drinking a beer while belaying (he did have a Gri Gri but seriously?). Even he knew the dude was stupid and wanted to grab the brake side to make sure the climber didn't die. What would be proper, Saying something like wait till you are done climbing or let god empty the shallow end of the gene pool?

Natural Selection in progress.
Use occasions like this as teachable moments and stay clear of the fall zone.

Exactly what I did Dave. As for JohnL OK, two issues, both dangerous, do you say anything?

That was how I felt too. That was the reason for the post. Although when someone is drinking you never know if they are an "i love you" drunk or a "seething ball of barely contained rage" drunk.

M Lindfors wrote:Exactly what I did Dave. As for JohnL OK, two issues, both dangerous, do you say anything?

I think that John has a very salient point that the fact this person was drinking made you scrutinize his safety and you may have glibly associated the beer with bad belay practices. I think its also true, like John said that the grigri is a culprit more than the beer. Bad belayers are bad belayers, regardless-That's what he said.

I think that there is an aspect of you just being upset that your family experience wasn't fully g-rated.

Correcting belays is a touchy subject. I limit it to places I teach and work because its really none of my business anywhere else, and I don't want to be involved in a dangerous situation; I think personal responsibility is a great aspect of this sport. The only exception is when someone asks for advice or is obviously new and naive.

As far a drinking and climbing, I don't do it. I don't think its particularly wise. However, I see it as a personal choice, and, unless they are doing something extreme, think it should be tolerated. It's a teachable moment and sheltering you child from the reality that some people are irresponsible is not the way to instill safe practices; students need examples of both what is correct and what is incorrect. Also, I'm sure you are confident that your words will be more poignant to your child than the actions of a random stranger?

Don't worry about him seeing it, just teach that its not the acceptable thing to do.

Furthermore, I think that you are overstating the intensity of drinking that most climbers do while cragging.

Evan

Drink and climb? My immediate response is Oh yeah!! That's my perfect day. But agree that this is not a smart move in PUBLIC. Take it aside to some off the beaten path crag, at least so not to influence younger climbers, parents and kid groups, etc. And don't do it when belaying a lead climber. Just for relaxed topropes I think. Just hide it somewhat if you must be suckin' suds in a busy area.

johnL wrote:Well, watching a truly bad belay is paralyzing in a way. You want to say something but you can't. I watched a guy in Rifle give an epic lead belay. He stood there with both hands in his armpits and slack out on the GriGri. Once his climber got to the end of that slack, he'd throw out another 15 feet and his hands would go back into his armpits. My partner and I just kept giving each other uneasy and dumbfounded looks. We knew we should say something and we didn't. I don't know how I would have breached the subject to tell the truth. There is so much personal responsibility and self reliance in this sport. Maybe that's it, it's hard to tell people not to kill themselves in the manner they see most fitting. Now that I run a climbing wall, I'm getting pretty used to barking out orders. Everyone knows they're one move away from a lecture and a refresher course at my wall. I don't act the same way outdoors though.

Maybe his partner was practicing taking massive whippers?? LOL

I just don't understand why some people have such an issue with others having a cold one at the crag... It reminds me of the joke about the old man yelling at the kids to get off his lawn. People hate it when others are having more fun. Or perhaps they're jealous that they didn't think to save room for a 12er in their backpack...

So many "climbers" seem to be so wrapped up in doing everything the 'approved' way or something.... "you must wear this kind of fabric" you must wear this kind of shoe" "you must use a gri-gri" "you're crazy not to tape up for that route" "you're drinking while climbing? GASP!" Boo-hoo, get over it. Climbing is meant to be a fun adventure- not an exercise in reprimanding others to do it your way.

Honestly, if you're heading up to the rincon or over to the cactus on a sunny day, why wouldn't you want a 12 pack of cold tecates?? And if you don't, what's your issue that causes you to begrudge the guy next to you because he did?

If it's that big an issue for you Lindfors, say something to them. Then they can chuckle at you, belch loudly, then crack open another; and you can pat yourself on your back for being such a good adult and extra-competent climber.

Just don't drink bottled beer belaying at the crags. We don't need no stinking broken glass. If you have a coozie, that's OK.

johnL wrote: I'd almost be willing to say that the grigri is causing this behavior, not the beer. Almost.

F'n gri-gri's. Great tool, I use mine quite often, but they seem to promote poor belay tchnique. So teach your kid the right way and quit worrying about how others choose to kill themselves.

Stich wrote:Just don't drink bottled beer belaying at the crags. We don't need no stinking broken glass. If you have a coozie, that's OK.

+10....pack it in, pack it out! Trash bothers me 1000x more than someone having a beer. And then you can put your cig butts in the can!

My only experience with real drinking (as in more than a beer or two) and climbing wasn't great. I was sort of lit and fell off the top of a fairly high boulder problem, tearing a bunch of ligaments in my ankle when I landed. 2 ways to look at it: perhaps the drinking gave me the false sense of confidence to attempt hard moves that far off the ground or hindered my balance/focus causing me to fall. Or perhaps if I hadn't been drinking the fall still would have happened but I would have been more tense when I landed and sustained worse injuries. Not sure which is true wisdom but I don't drink and climb anymore (or go bouldering for that matter!)

Sorry, didn't mean to be a bad example.

Lindfors, You must have been at JT and bumped into Tucker. He's an anomaly. The vast majority of climbers enjoy climbing not-dizzy.

I've always found that one beer with lunch makes for more relaxed slab climbing.

Dude, get over yourself....if I want a beer, I will have one. What is so wrong about kids seeing me drink a beer. I'm not getting hammered out there. You want to say something to me about it, go ahead, I will laugh in your face. I am sick of all the rule followers out there trying to turn this into some yuppy mainstream sport. It didnt start out that way, and I will not conform to your set of rules...people I climb with also smoke pot, solo, and generally fuck around and have fun...I even heard someone cuss the other day! oh the horror of it all, and on Sunday, the lords day too. Looks like I better get my ass in to church, Pray for me!

One or two barley pops does not equate to a good hammering, or even anything more just a mild relaxant. Its common to down a couple at break when skiing, isn't it? Far more dangerous imo, since speed and trees are involved. Personally, as almost every bad thing that happens to a climber be the result of an error in judgement, I'd just assume to keep my wits as dialed in as possible. I think that should be the message given to your kids. Its all about percentages and chance, and when you get baked or drink you are increasing the bad number and decreasing the good.
I personally prefer having my adult beverages chilling in a cooler full of ice back at the car, as opposed to hauling a few in where they can get nice and warm and shaken up. I'd also rather hydrate than dehydrate. And then there's the stinky dribbling out of the dead soldier into the pack. To each his own I guess.
I definitely think a snarky comment regarding the crap-ass belay would be in order.

Back in the day, I always stopped on the way to the crags and bought a box of animal crackers and a couple of bottles of Night Train Express. The combination seemed to make me climb better, and my belay technique did not suffer.

Of course those were different times; climbing was anything but mainstream then, drunkenness was a right, not a crime, and there were few if any kids at the crags. Nonetheless, what has not changed is that the belay is between the climber and belayer; if the climber approves of the belay he's getting, then the rest of us should just mind our own business. Personally, I would much rather my belayer have a bottle of beer or a joint in his hand than a cell phone.

P.S. Can we all agree that if drinking makes for bad belays, then having a hot member of the opposite sex in the vicinity is certain death?

When drinking and climbing it is standard practice to demote whoever is too drunk to climb to full time belay duty, where they can continue drinking undistracted.

How about you raise your kids on your own and leave the rest of us out of it?

An experienced and attentive belayer who's had a couple isn't necessarily a bad or scary thing. A sober newbie who doesn't yet have the inherent hand-on-the-rope mindset sometimes chaps me.

Sorry for the hijack, but I find I climb better if I have a hangover. Y'all?