What do you hate most about rock gyms?

I get lost with all the similar colored tape. It seems like they could put a light green tape and a darker green tape route farther apart. When I was younger, I was a tape MASTER! Now I'm not.

P.S.- Busted my middle knuckle(it's sorta purple and fat) last night. Oh yeah, I got big timed by Tony Bubb at the gym last night as well. Payback is a bitch.....hehheh..

TP in SLC wrote:Momentum here in SLC rules! All the same colored holds for each route. It makes for good climbing if you got a short attention span.

I agree, Tyler. Except for when two similar colors are set side by side.

I love Momentum, but have one major complaint: they really need to clean the cracks. I know several people who have gotten infections after climbing the cracks there, one was hospitalized last year.

I find them lacking in that outdoors aspect.

Gym Rats, epsecially those have take there shirts off.
some people who work at gyms and think because they do they know everything there is to know about climbing. Also those that only climb in gyms and think they are god's gift to climbing cause they can climb "5.12" in a gym!
tape. I trad climb so I will put my hands and feet whatever feels comfortable.

• **I used to work in a gym.. and had people whom I only taught how to tie in and belay show up at the Gunks the following weekend with brand new gear asking if they could climb with or near me!! HELL NO!!!!

Waiting for a rope when there are people top-roping and their lead rope is lying on the ground next to them for half an hour.

Also waiting for a rope when there are ropes lying on the ground with no one using them. Movement seems especially bad about this. Last night we waited half an hour for the staff to determine that "Jared" wasn't going to grab his rope when they called his name 3 times.

• Beta givers. It's one thing to tell me it's a good climb, it's another to tell me how to do all the moves.
• Routes with tapes under foot holds instead of above them. I just don't get it, do the setter never looked down to see if the tape is visible?
• Monthly membership is expensive. Price of convenience I guess.
• Inconsistent grades. Setters need to have other people to check the routes before giving grades.
• Kids without or bad parental supervision.

NO BEER!!! what's bouldering if you can't enjoy an nice "athletic" beverage such as Coor's banquet, Ham's Premium, or PBR (the good old pabst smear). I also can't get over the grimyness of all the holds. but as an added benefit the climbing wall on campus shares a room with the cardio machines, Mmm Mmm Mmm stanky indoor climbing with spectators!!! whats not to like? Oh yea, unsolicited beta!

1) Breathing in chalk dust.
2) Germs all over the holds.
3) Cost to climb.

movement doesn't have NEARLY enough lead ropes. even when the place is fairly deserted, you end up waiting for a couple hours to get one. if you get one at all.

tight hands gym cracks that are only a few inches deep. nothing like bottoming your fingers out before you can even get your knuckles into it.

at the BRC i hated that all of the route setters are midgets. also, that they couldn't fathom that putting an enormous basketball hold on the lead slab wasn't the smartest idea...

Hank Caylor wrote:What do you hate most about rock gyms?

They breed a modernized yuppie version of the crusty old trad climber that whines incessantly about gyms, yet climbs in them.

I really despise people who judge me for taking my shirt off, cursing, shouting out confusing beta, and setting kids on boulder problems directly below them.

Ryan Kelly wrote: They breed a modernized yuppie version of the crusty old trad climber that whines incessantly about gyms, yet climbs in them.

Chill out Ryan, I climb circles around you. No crust here dude.

Kid Parties

Ryan Kelly wrote: They breed a modernized yuppie version of the crusty old trad climber that whines incessantly about gyms, yet climbs in them.

Hey, most of us were modernized before gyms came along. And we don't whine about gyms, we whine about all the tools from gyms who go outdoors and treat it like the gym.

My gym peeves:

Way too easy to overtrain and get injured.
Those shallow, flared things they call "cracks".

Jackasses

When I'm at the rock gym I hate that I'm not at a real crag, with real rock.

Actually I really have tons of fun at rock gyms, but I would rather be climbing real rock any day.

sums it up:

youtube.com/watch?v=fz6qh3X…

i hate when i run into mp users. i like that my gym is shared by lots of college girls on treadmills. I, like matt, also hate jackasses. And kids. And no beer or weed. Man why do i climb in the gym?

p.s. before everyone jumps down my shirt i was just kidding about mp users. i think all of you are super duper awesome

Bobby Hanson wrote: I love Momentum, but have one major complaint: they really need to clean the cracks. I know several people who have gotten infections after climbing the cracks there, one was hospitalized last year.

I've suggested that they put up a sign that just says tape is required. Gobie mixing is gross.

Don't hate anything about gyms, so difficult to rank.

They are what they are - great for cold/wet weather and easily getting laps in. Having kids around is great - love to see youngsters getting into the sport (they do need to be supervised though).

Some people - staff and customers - can be a bit off sometimes, but then you get that anywhere. On the whole, other climbers are considerate and friendly. I have been climbing in gyms for training since the 80's - and have NEVER had a truly unpleasant experience.

\Edited to add: In the mid-90's a friend and I produced & marketed a product called 'Route Finders' that was intended to replace messy colored tape. It was used in the old BRC on Baseline for a while soon after it was built. We never did crack the issues with effective marking of routes - maybe someone should set about coming up with a new design?

A lot of things...but the two that bother me the most are inconsiderate folks and the people that climb barefoot. I don't want to touch your toe cheese...