Real rock versus indoor walls. I shared a belay ledge with a young man at Seneca this last weekend. It was his first trad route and he was following his dad up a 5.5. He was maybe 13 years old and excited like only a kid that age can be to be climbing outdoors for the first time. He told me he had just sent his first 5.12 at his gym but that this route was really hard here at Seneca the holds are all hidden and weird and stuff . He was telling me how his dad had made him learn all this dumb stuff like a munter hitch and carabiner brake and something called a prusik knot and how to use them all. He was telling me how it didnt really seem so dumb now this place is really scary you could get killed out here . It reminded me yet again how different learning to climb is since the advent of climbing gyms compared to 30 years ago when I started. And no this isnt a story about the good old days its just different, not a good or bad different, just plain old different with no judgment involved. The kids that are learning in the gym are learning the gymnastic skills before the technical ones - backwards of what used to have to happen. But it did bring home the dumb stuff that we old timers need to help this generation learn and our responsibility to make sure that in between these kids embarrassing us at the gym, we need to act as this kids dad had done and make sure they have the skills to be safe out there in the world. Nothing new to anyone here I know but a reminder to help others is all. Be safe out there.
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