So two partners and i went to climb the nw. books on lembert dome, we made the hike and and let 2 parties go before us, as we knew we would probably be slower.....

anyways, i started up the first pitch and this guy comes from the bottom and stands in FRONT of my belayer blocking her view and hitting her in the face with his rope....she stated to the guy that we were gonna be awhile and that he should wait.... so he waits for me to finish the pitch, and then follows my third up....

from here he states that he will pass and be quick and efficient without asking....not cool

i tell him i dont want him to pass because i already waited for 2 other parties and i dont want him jamming up the route AND i dont want the added dangers from MORE climbers above.

so then he starts in with this SHIT about" in this day and age....."
while trying to state he is not trying to be rude....only making my blood boil more!!!

Then he has the nerve to ask me if there are rap anchors where i am!!!

WTF??? you are trying to bully your way past people on a route you know nothing about??? WTF????

i dont usually have a prob with someone passing me, but no respect and not taking no for an answer when your in the wrong, will piss me off!!!

so after a few mins of arguing, (all the time trying not to tell this guy to fuck off) i tell him to GO!!! i was sick of hearing his bitch little mouth....

so my question is: what would you have done in my positon????

You have been dick-mouthed. I reccommend an equal ratio of mouthwash and peroxide to wash your gob out with. Floss regularly and avoid taxed-ass climbing areas.

thats some funny shit!!! god i miss eldo!!!! atleast people have respect there!!

i think that route just attracts those sorts of folks. when we climbed it i was leading the crux and placed a high piece. some red headed guy below yelled up "do you want me to set up a top rope for you?". when we got to the top of the route we waited for at least 2 hours so i could have a discussion with him. after 2 hours we left and hiked the LONG way back to the car. then, after another hour of eating lunch, the guy and his female partner shuffled by. he saw me, and then immediately looked away, pretending not see me. we just laughed. moral of the story, if you are going to talk a big game, please don't take several hours to do the pitch.

Get used to it if you want to climb popular moderates slow. He may have been in the "wrong", but only by wanting to pass on a jammed route. You weren't in the "right" either by bringing a slow party of 3 on a classic multipitch. There are no written rules and you don't own the rock.

Also - this kind of nonsense never happens between experienced climbers on harder routes.

Well, the dude sounds a bit lame. And I seem to remember this as a 2-pitch climb, which makes it even more ridiculous.

Here's what I have done in similar situations where it's fairly obvious that the party ahead is going to be slower:

1) Ask to pass at a convenient spot (e.g. the first belay). If the party ahead says "no," I don't try to pass.

2) Go do something else and come back later.

3) Wait on the ground until the leader finishes 2 or 3 pitches and then start. At least this way I get to wait on the ground in the shade (or sun).

4) If I'm the one going slow, I ALWAYS offer the faster team the chance to pass.

But you were there first, you had every right to tell him not to pass.

The only time where I've passed without asking is when I arrived at the base of a longer alpine route and there were a bunch of inexperienced parties standing around chatting, snacking, slowly stacking ropes, and doing everything except actually starting up the route. I tied in and started climbing and told my wife to tie in and climb when the rope went tight. We were 3 pitches up before the next party even started. I'm sure they thought I was an ass though.

In golf, in mtn biking, even in hiking everyone knows that if you're slow, you get the hell out of the way for the more competent party. Only in rock climbing and driving is this an issue, probably because it's harder to pass, and there is a perception that passing could somehow be dangerous.

So parties of three have no right to climb a popular moderate? BS. You were considerate and let others pass. When you get in these kinds of situations you just have to be firm. Let the entitled ass know you are not going to change your mind and he needs to wait his turn. Have a plan, maybe have the second belay up the third while you start up the next pitch. It is pretty challenging to pass a climber in a crack and you can always resort to the mule kick. Unfortunately sometimes you have to be an ass right back to keep people from stepping on you.

The thing is that most competent climbers are able to come up with back-up plans, pass on a variation or climb something else. It is usually a sign of incompetence when someone trails you then acts like a jerk. Too self-centered or afraid to change their plans and climb something else.

You get there first, you go up there first. Period. End of story.
I totally agree if you're the most competent, fastest party, you have a Plan B.
I was racking up for the Regular Route on Fairview a number of years back and a party came up and asked to go ahead. No way, I told them, how do you know you're faster than we are? I had done the route several times before and just because I'm female doesn't mean I'm slow. We left them in the dust.

Its too bad this won't become an episode of Curb your Enthusiasm. Some people are social assassins, you shouldn't let them get under your skin or they win. And if you knew you were going to take a long time why not just let the other guys go by quickly.

We need a "Butthurt" forum for those who can't deal with the real world. People could go there with their whiney ass complaints, their rules on how things should be - a place to tell us about all the douchebags in the world - all without the inconveniences of reality - such as rolling eyes, distant glazed stares, people walking away or falling into a medical coma, or possibly punching your face in.

While we only have one side of the story here (as usual, but just wait...), what I've seen is that if you are so slow your actions (or lack of) threaten to warp the space-time continuum - you're pretty much going to get stepped on and passed - this on a route 10 mins from the road - a five star classic - in Yosemite - in the high season. No Shit, dude. Oh, and it's So Wrong. Whatever. So sorry your little fantasy of a slow, leisurely and unfettered stroll up this route didn't pan out.

Anybody has the right to climb whatever they want to. with as many people as they want to .whenever they want to. when they are first inline on a climb. At what ever grade they want to. And take as much time as they want to. If i roll up to a climb . Here in the sierras and some one is practicing some sort of rescue techniques , top roping, aid climbing , or what the hell ever. I just go some were else. who cares their is plenty of rock on this planet. This sort of egotistic attitude comes a lot from people on their vacations from the city. pressed for time.. hurry . hurry. hurry. when I get up to climb at a certain area , I have a back up plan of something else to climb . just in case someones on it allready.

There are no hard and fast rules re: passing. Climbers are going to pass with and without permission. Climbing without permission does not always imply that it is done with total disregard.

There is a tacit understanding in many situations where the faster party has the right of way. e.g. those doing a route in a day versus those equipped and are planning to bivy on a wall. While there is no obligation to allow any party to pass on through, it's standard etiquette.

Now on a two pitch route? That was just poor form. Most climbers are decent and will pass safely and quickly. Things get hairy when you have two in a push parties that are running at similar paces. Shit happens. At best, all involved act civil and figure out what's optimal. At worst, everyone is miserable and angry.

We accept the risks of climbing underneath others. Passing parties also accept the responsibility of now having a party under them that willingly let them pass. I believe there's even legal precedent for this after a passing party dislodged a rock and killed a climber below them (not sure).

You were in the "at worst" scenario. But hey, at least it was a 2 pitch route. Some people suck. More often than not, all parties will deal with logistics in an amicable way.

And if you climb enough, sure, you will undoubtedly one day run into another arrogant climber that passes without thought, drops gear or rocks from above and sets an anchor right in the middle of your lead. So, you know, bring a knife.

George [and a few others] nailed it. Misery loves company and this guy probably lives in a world of frustration, hate, anxiety and resentment. Instead of treating him like the ass his was being, I suggest the compassionate route and just politely let them know what his options are:

1.) present a land deed showing ownership of stated land and subsequent route in question
2.) resort to his backup plan ("You DO have one, right?!")
3.) get up earlier
4.) go for a walk
5.) take a nap
6.) pack sand

Just remember to do so with a bright and cheery smile on your face. I honestly can't imagine someone getting that dorked out of shape over a 2p route. Thanks for reminding me just how fortunate I am.

JSH hit the nail on the head. Sorry to hear about the experience but you just need to expect this on popular routes like NW Books. I've been in both situations before (passing and being passed) and you just gotta be friendly. Spread Aloha. Even the unfriendly people will warm up to you if you give them the chance.

Ha. Another great and funny thread. I,too, have used the don't ask, just tell passing method. Just preface it with some niceties and concerns about the party in front. "What ya think of that pitch, dude?", "yeah, I thought it was a little run, too". "Where u guys from?", "cool, do you know my friend Gomez? He put up the Gomezmatron on the Buttsplinter wall.." Etc. All the while you are preparing to pass. Then when you say, "hey, we're gonna get out in front here and get going" your new pal is hardly gonna shut you down. I mean, you both know Gomez after all and that dude's the bomb! "We should all grab a beer in the parking lot!" U say as you leave the belay knowing full well you'll be knee deep in a bottle of bourbon back at yer pad long before they top out. Easy peezy. And if you do run into them again down the road, you can say "hey I met you guys on such and such"... as you help yourself to one of their beers.
As to the people have respect in Eldo comment. Hilarious. We could fill a 50 page thread with stories about Boulder climbers being annoying in Eldo and everywhere else, but let's not go there because I'm friends with a lot of them;)

+1 Kalous, that nails it spot on.

Kalous, you are my hero. too many bad vibes on this page and you make it so simple. this guy is going places.

Yeah, it sounds like dickhead behavior described by the OP. But you get a bunch of people on a route, or, well, anywhere, and you tend to get more of that.

You've got the designated leaders who started an hour before sunrise bringing anybody who just bought a harness and shoes to follow their overlong "hero" leads clogging up the classic moderates. There's the "serious climber" who wants to run up the conga line, passing all the new leaders just so they have an audience to their awesomeness as they comment on how soft this route really is. Then, you have the party who saw the conga line, found diversion elsewhere, and came back an hour or two before sunset to efficiently run up the line sans crowds.

I've noticed in myself the expectations that a firm tick list builds, the you versus them mentality it engenders between yourself and other parties. What you get on these routes it becomes a clash of the tick lists where people become inflexible to changes in their itinerary and communication becomes stifled, limited to "what route you getting on?". My advice is to build in a backup climb or two, maybe look for some cragging you can do while you wait for the route to clear out. If you are a slow party on a long climb, start really early and maybe preemptively offer to let much faster parties pass you. If you just like climbing up peoples' butts when you damn well know you have other options, have at it, but you don't look like a bad ass, you just look like a butt sniffer, a dog like nuisance.