Northeastern Climbing Ethics

Thank you

No enough answers available for your survey. many of the questions are not black and white and Depends would be a better answer that agree or dissagree.

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What is the point of the survey? I hate these things. The way most of them are written, you are likely to get answers from people who are dull enough to not be bothered by lack of precision, have no sense of subtleties or drunk and bored and like to randomly check boxes.

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Climbing Ethics Survey
1. How many years have you been climbing?
a. 0-3 yearsb. 4-7 yearsc. 7-15 yearsd. 16-20 yearse. 21+ years

2. How frequently do you trad climb?
1. Very Frequently2. Frequently3. Occasionally4. Rarely5. Very Rarely6. Never

3. How frequently do you sport climb?
1. Very Frequently2. Frequently3. Occasionally4. Rarely5. Very Rarely6. Never

4. How do you feel about the use of fixed protection on routes?

1. Strongly Agree2. Agree3. Undecided4. Disagree5. Strongly Disagree
I feel if used they should be done well. Once you make the decision to fix gear than make it reasonably safe, "reasonable" being up to the first ascensionist unless everybody else strongly disagrees. It is a personal expression, but most likely using public land so some balance needs to be made IMO. How does that answer fit into the ones offered?

5. Potentially dangerous run-outs should be protected with bolts with or without the permission from the first ascensionist.
1. Strongly Agree2. Agree3. Undecided4. Disagree5. Strongly Disagree
Up to the the FA unless the community strongly disagrees.

6. How do you feel about the use of fixed anchors on trade routes? 1. Strongly Agree2. Agree3. Undecided4. Disagree5. Strongly Disagree - "Trade" or "trad"?

7. Bolts ruin the aesthetics of rock.
1. Strongly Agree2. Agree3. Undecided4. Disagree5. Strongly Disagree
Depends. Sometimes I strongly agree, other time strongly disagree.

8. Bolted routes that can be easily protected naturally should be chopped.
1. Strongly Agree2. Agree3. Undecided4. Disagree5. Strongly Disagree
Depends

9. How do you feel about the use of chalk while climbing?
1. Strongly Agree2. Agree3. Undecided4. Disagree5. Strongly Disagree
Define "use"; giant tick marks left all over or 'reasonable' amount?
10. When climbing, you follow local ethics and tradition rather than your own.
1. Strongly Agree2. Agree3. Undecided4. Disagree5. Strongly Disagree
Depends, generally follow the developed local ethic unless it is completely nonsensical, the consensus is debatable and I think it is worth the fight.

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M Sprague wrote: How do you feel about the use of chalk while climbing? 1. Strongly Agree2. Agree3. Undecided4. Disagree5. Strongly Disagree

I agree with Nick, I would give "depends" as my answer to at least 3 questions. No, I did not take the survey. I've been climbing 21+ years.

how do you feel about the use of chalk?

i strongly agree with the use of chalk.

i agree with the use of chalk

i am undecided regarding the use of chalk

i disagree with the use of chalk

i strongly disagree with the use of chalk

D.) it depends.

S. Neoh wrote:I agree with Nick, I would give "depends" as my answer to at least 3 questions. No, I did not take the survey. I've been climbing 21+ years.

None of the above.

By protection, you mean "pads"?

Can I take this survey even if I've never climbed in the northeast?

rogerk wrote:By protection, you mean "pads"?

Patrick, this survey is next to useless unless you make some major changes to the content of the questions you are asking by further refining it. There's nothing wrong with a quantitative survey, you just have to make it specific enough to get relevant information.

I voted undecided on most of these because there was no depends option.

What is your research question or questions?

Are you trying to get info on a specific ethic or topic? Chopped or retro bolted routes? Bolting a tough line that could go on gear? Putting up a new sport line? Installing rap anchors on a single pitch trad climb to save a dying tree? What are you trying to prove or disprove or gather information about? Arguing for the natural look of the rock?

2. How frequently do you trad climb?
1. Very Frequently2. Frequently3. Occasionally4. Rarely5. Very Rarely6. Never
Define frequency: Is very frequent every day? every weekend? Three times a year?

3. How frequently do you sport climb?
1. Very Frequently2. Frequently3. Occasionally4. Rarely5. Very Rarely6. Never
Define Frequency: Same as above

4. How do you feel about the use of fixed protection on routes?
Be more specific. Sport? Mixed? Anchors on Trad routes? What routes and what fixed pro are you talking about?

6. How do you feel about the use of fixed anchors on trade routes? 1. Strongly Agree2.
We're talking about top anchors right? Multi-pitch? Single pitch?

Also the question about "how do you feel?" is vague. A more specific agree/disagree statement would be:

I believe the use of fixed top anchor stations on single pitch trad routes is appropriate if it helps to mitigate the impact of climbing on the vegetation at the top of the climb.
1 agree-5 disagree

I agree with M Sprague that there should be much more detail or many, many more choices than agree-disagree.

If this is for some high school intro to research class homework then fine, but if you are actually want some useful results or actually want to learn something it's back to the drawing board.

I like the answers that Mark filled in. i had the feeling that the author was Phishing for a pre determined result the way some of the questions are worded. Sounded just like one of the political polls where they try to get the answers that they want.

so the first step in creating a good quantitative is to do a qualitative one first. When someone is trying to give you feed back like "it depends" it is an opportunity to further investigate the source of the question and actually get meaningful data.

For example, look at #4 " How do you feel about the use of fixed protection on routes?" Person A could consider this question and thinks "yes, i like fixed protection because I am scared of cams and think everything should be bolted." They check ‘strongly agree’ and finishes drilling bolt for supercrack at the creek.

Person B sees the same question and thinks “ I really liked that clipping fixed knifeblade after that 30 foot run out in eldo” He checks ‘strongly agrees’ and goes on his way counting hexes.

In this example, two conflicting points of view are being represented in the same way. ( mostly because you put no limitation of your dependent variable).
That means your question is shit. The wording of your question is actually prohibiting you from getting the quantitative information you desire. It’s kind of impressive to have a build in type one error in your question.

Question 5 was a lot better about this creating limitations of your dependent variable and making it clear have it relates to your independent variable. Maybe try this with some of your other questions...

Patrick,
I write surveys for a living. You can't be too specific. The feedback you've received here is valuable and valid...no one in the sample should have to think. Try to line out all the exceptions as questions, otherwise the suggested escape hatch, "it depends", will turn into a rabbit hole.

Participant would rather answer more questions that require little thought ( e.g. a gut reaction) than a fewer questions that make them think. If you tighten up the questions and add some additional ones to cover all your assumptions, I think you'll have some fantastic data to mine.

That being said, this is a great test group, there's no lack of passion, and everyone is a subject matter expert.

Unfortunately, I can't participate...I live on Colorado.

Keep going!

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