Climbing Bingo

I always observe pairs of old timers on the easier trad multis I frequent around NorCal, and after many encounters and much observation I've created a sort of bingo card of things this species of climber have and do which are highly likely: 

• Harness looks like it's from the 1980s and has those old school round gear loops
• No radios
• Belay from above with an ATC with a redirect on the anchor and the ATC on their harness. This is because they bought their ATC before the ATC Guide came out and their original one is still working fine from 35 years ago. 
• ATC isn't actually clipped to their belay loop, though, it's clipped to their rope tie in loop. 
• Trad gear on sling over shoulder
• Has single length slings over the other shoulder rather than have alpine draws
• Builds anchor with the rope
• Tricams and or hexes 
• Has an original grigri on them. Never uses it. 
• At least one single axle BD cam that they refuse to retire 
• Surprisingly modern, ultra light weight rope because old timers don't like hiking heavy ropes on long approaches 

I rarely get them all, but I usually get quite a lot of them! 

Y'all got any more items to add to old timer bingo? Any of y'all that can create one for another species of climber? Someone has to be able to knock out boulder bro bingo in short order surely. 

What I've seen, not multipitch exactly, but more broadly in the vintage climbers I've hung out with:

• Smoking. 
• A smoothness in climbing, and precise competence with gear, that doesn't fit with that "easier" grade they are on.
• Light colored, long sleeved, shirt, maybe even button up
• Long pants, or layers of pants/shorts (retired dress pants, more than once, ditto shirts!)
• Almost nothing said between uber long time partners. Totally dialed partnerships!
• Everyone knows everyone
• Very casual vaulting up easy terrain unroped....not considered solo, even if it's in 5 territory. 
• An astonishing knowledge base
• Fabulous story telling abilities
• Enormously understate any difficulties encountered ("that's a bit tricky, isn't it?")

Helen

Boulder bros?

1. Travel in herds
2. Cute
3. Seem to smile a lot, and it's a great smile (see #2)

H.

Gym to Crag bro.

Wears harness from car to crag 

Multiple gym tags hanging off harness (too easy)

Guide book with perceived offensive route names crossed off replaced with something that probably includes Yerba Mate in the name.

Go Pro on helmet, (helmet also worn from the car)

Alpine draws on harness even though when they use them they will extend them (why not just wear them over the shoulder and save a step?)

Plushy animal chalk bag

@Ricky - Guilty as charged, except for tricams and don't know how to use a grigri.

@Helen - Smoking is unhealthy, I chew.

The "I climb outside" gym bro

• Single quickdraw, hollow block, or other gear not used indoors attached to harness but never used (ATC in the case of grigri-only gyms)
• Constant spray about how "climbing outside" is different
• 6ft rope for clipping while on top rope

Kevin Mokracek wrote:

Wears harness from car to crag 

...(helmet also worn from the car)

Aw man, this is a habit I got into because it saves space in my bag and it's easier for ice crag approaches so that I don't end up having to put on my harness after I've put on my crampons.

I've made a list for climbing bingo for Rumney:

• New outdoor climber learning how to clean sport anchors while their friends shout instructions at them from the ground.
• New outdoor climber not realizing that they can't TR off of fixed gear.
• Couple clearly having relationship issues (extra points if it's mid-pitch).
• Someone learning how to lead belay for the very first time (extra points if it's someone in the couple above). 
• Shirtless bros absolutely lost looking for Waimea.
• Climbers from Quebec.
• Ambitious new parents who bring their newborn to the crag. 
• College group taking over an entire wall. 

Trad Gumby:

• Pristine and shiny rack
• Nylon slings
• Cow bells
• Climbs like they are free soloing
• Takes 5 minutes to place a cam
• Carries nuts but doesn't use them
• Multiple bad gear placements in a row
• Very optimistic/confident (before they start climbing)
• BD Halfdome helmet
• 30' 7mm or 8mm coordalette (bonus: setup as a quad with 4 huge lockers)

I got most of these from my past and friends, but a few are from things I've seen around. Anyone have any others to add?

Pay more attention to what you are doing and less to others.  As long as what other people do doesn't harm anyone I could care less about their gear etc.

powderfinger wrote:

Pay more attention to what you are doing and less to others.  As long as what other people do doesn't harm anyone I could care less about their gear etc.

I enjoy being a bit of a climbing anthropologist. I can't help it, I'm super curious in how things have changed over time, how they vary by location, and how they vary by sub culture or self selection. Humans are fascinating creatures, my dude. It's interesting (and sometimes amusing) how differently we do the same thing. It all works and it's all fine for the most part, but watching someone who does something totally different to the AMGA-inspired behavior that the kids engage in these days is both refreshing and just interesting. 

Old lady H wrote:

Boulder bros?

1. Travel in herds
2. Cute
3. Seem to smile a lot, and it's a great smile (see #2)

H.

I'm here for wholesome boulder bros! 

• Very supportive of one another 
• Will probably invite you to try their boulder if you start asking them about it
• Will be at maximum stoke and shouting encouragements and vengas and helping me with my awful technique despite me telling them this is three V grades harder than anything I've ever sent 
• Goes out of their way to make sure kids and younger climbers are being safe and will abandon their boulder and bring over their pads to spot the flailing kids 
• Will be exceptionally puzzled that any climber can be as weak as myself, but like, in the nicest way possible 
• Upon learning that I mostly do trad they will be super curious to ask questions to learn a little more about it, but will usually quickly become bewildered that anyone would choose to do it for fun. 

@Ricky Harline:  You can't convict me!  There is reasonable doubt involved since there are two or three items on your list I rarely do :)

No blackout Bingo for you!

Ricky Harline wrote:

• Belay from above with an ATC with a redirect on the anchor and the ATC on their harness. This is because they bought their ATC before the ATC Guide came out and their original one is still working fine from 35 years ago. 

• Belaying with standard ATC straight off belay loop, no redirect, anchor is a single sling girth hitched through the tie in points clipped to a single nut with a locker

Somehow I've ticked that one twice.

Having spent Saturday enchaining a load of low grade trad multipich in the UK Lake District with an old friend I'd like to add to the OP:

One climber struggling to lift their glasses up with helmet on so they can try to read the route discription because I, I mean because they won't admit defeat and get varifocals while the other climber can't read it at all as their reading glasses are in the tent.