Rock Climbing Puzzle

theatlantic.com/past/docs/i…

This puzzle was published in the Atlantic Monthly in October 2001. Emily Cox, one of the creators, is a climber. I was very impressed with the way she worked climbing terms and concepts into the clues. Keep in mind that while the clues are thematically related to climbing, the answers do not have to be climbing-related.

Cryptic puzzles like this will seem weird and/or incomprehensible to many. There is a link to "a complete introduction to clue-solving" on the top of the second page for the perplexed.

Today's NYTime's crossword clued "The Nose" as "Storied El Capitan climbing route."

"piton" has been an answer 52 times since 1950, when it was first clued as the (slightly inaccurate) "Mountaineer's iron peg for attaching rope." More recently, it has been clued as "Mountaineering spike", "Mountaineer's tool", "Climber's spike", and "Climber's aid". There also a number of examples where Edmund Hillary was invoked: "Peg for Hillary", "Edmund Hillary gear", "One of Hillary's needs", "Spike for Hillary", and "Necessity for Hillary". That last one appeared in 1995, so possibly it was trying to be ambiguous as to which Hillary it referred to.

"iceax" and "iceaxe" have also been used a number of times, usually clued as climber/mountaineering/mountaineer's tool/equipment/aid. Topically, it was clued twice in 1954 as "Tenzing's implement". Once it was clued as "Producer of cold cuts" but that was in a variety puzzle, not a crossword.

I don't recall other climbing terms that have appeared.

NYT 11/11/06 - secured while rock climbing, 7 letters
NYT 1/15/94 - climber’s descent, 6 letters

Annie Ashenfelter wrote: NYT 11/11/06 - secured while rock climbing, 7 letters

handjam

NYT 1/15/94 - climber’s descent, 6 letters

dirtme    

Has anyone actually done that puzzle linked in the first post? I really enjoy crosswords and even do cryptics sometimes (I've got British parents), but the instructions to that thing were total nonsense to me.

I used to write the weekly puzzle for WIRED mag's GeekDad blog (GeekDad is now indie and I gave up the puzzle a few years ago). Most of my puzzles were kinda silly and this climbing maze is no exception: https://www.wired.com/2013/02/geekdad-puzzle-of-the-week-rock-climb-like-brooke-raboutou/ 

Annie Ashenfelter wrote: NYT 11/11/06 - secured while rock climbing, 7 letters
NYT 1/15/94 - climber’s descent, 6 letters

Nice--I'm surprised those haven't been used more.

Garth Sundem wrote:I used to write the weekly puzzle for WIRED mag's GeekDad blog (GeekDad is now indie and I gave up the puzzle a few years ago). Most of my puzzles were kinda silly and this climbing maze is no exception: wired.com/2013/02/geekdad-p…

I look forward to giving it a go.

Short Fall Sean wrote: Has anyone actually done that puzzle linked in the first post? I really enjoy crosswords and even do cryptics sometimes (I've got British parents), but the instructions to that thing were total nonsense to me.

I did it before I posted it.

The answers from a. to s. start in the lower left (i.e., the box with a 41 in it). Go across that first row (a. will use the first 7 boxes, b. the next 7 boxes). The answer to c. will use the last box in the first row (i.e., the box with a 46 in it), then go up one row and back to the left. Continue back and forth, moving up one row at the end. Because you know how long each answer is from the number in parentheses at the end of the clue, you can figure out where each answer begins by counting.

The clues from t. to y. are entered in numbered spaces. For example, the answer to t. is a nine letter word, entered in order in the numbered boxes indicated.

A. through E. zig-zag up from a starting circle in the bottom row, but you have to figure out at each step whether it goes up left or up right. I don't remember if they are in order or whether you have to figure out which circle starts each clue.

The top row is unclued--you have to figure that out from the instructions.