finding more newbie climbers?

i came to a realization today. if i continue to climb exclusively with climbers who are above my level, i'm going to have a hard time growing as a climber. particularly in becoming a better lead climber.

i often get invited out by climbers who are pulling rock significantly above my level. while i'm not exactly sure why this happens, i suspect it may have something to do with my being a photographer. you'd be surprised what people will put up with for a good photo! but i'm no victim. i've also milked my photo expertise for some rope gunning as well.

so what would happen if i climbed regularly with folks who were at or below my level? most likely, i'd have no choice but to get scared and start leading early and often.

i need to find more newbie climbers.

the anthropology of climbing

self-flagellation? hmm.

i often wonder how present-day climbing cultural will be described by future writers and anthropologists. will they see us as exotic adventurers or just a bunch of risk-lovin' crazies?

there's a whole lot about crag life that will probably be seen as downright bizzare. the terminology, the painfully tight shoes, the taping of hands, the colorful cams, the dot/dash (-----xx) problem maps, the blood that's proudly left behind as offerings to the rock, etc.

it does sometimes feel like i'm a member of some colorful outdoor cult.

sidebar: led my first trad route on sunday. 5.8+ thought it was a 5.6! didn't make it to the top and took a nice fall. my first placement: 2.5 yellow wild country cam. after writing this lingo-filled sentence, today's main posting seems especially funny.

preserving our playgrounds

climbing isn't a right, it's a privilege. wait, no, that's what they say about driving.

up until very recently i never really appreciated the fact that a lot of cool climbing areas in this country are at some ongoing risk of closure.

a good example of this access issue is what's currently happening at arches national park in moab, ut. the basic story is this. dean potter (famous climber) decided to climb a "delicate" arch and then film it. authorities freaked out and are now considering limiting or regulating climbing access to the park. it's a pretty big controversy that has the potential to shape access to other national parks (yosemite, zion, etc.)

so why should you and i care about what's going on at arches? well, on a basic level, if we don't express our concerns and interests relative to how climbing areas get preserved we risk having to deal with the tyranny of the non-climbing majority. finding our voice and preserving our playgrounds is muy importante.

i know you're thinking, what can i do?

for a good warm up, consider offering some comments to the folks over at arches. the comment period ends may 9th. submit your thoughts online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov or by mail to: superintendent, arches national park, p.o. box 907, moab, ut, 84532.

and finally here are two organizations to check out and possibly get involved with: the american alpine club and the access fund.

don't just be a rock user. be a rock lover and get involved!

crackin' up indian creek

i ended up crack climbing at indian creek, utah over the long easter weekend. well, what i should say is pretending to crack climb. there's a lot to recall about the trip but i'm so pooped right now that i think it's best to postpone the narrative -- i'll probably type something regrettable or lame. more to come.

above is a photo of my newbie tape job. more photos of the trip can be seen here:

http://www.newclimber.com/gallery/indiancreek/index.html