[polarbear-]

How many people out there are climbers? How long did it take you to acquire your climbing skills?

[pappy-]

polarbear, polarbear....polarbear, I thought it was well established that there are no REAL climbers on this board. We are weak knee'd whimpy ed hikers. But I did learn some basic technique with an organazation. Followed some very skilled and some very unskilled climbers up some basic stuff. Met a few people and did a few harder things. But nowdays, I just like getting out. How long it takes to develope skill depends on the individual and what they are willing to put into it. IMO.

[Erik the Nav]

you gotta stand in the cold shower with the lights off practicing your knots 'til you can tie 'em in the dark with cold wet numb hands. Hungover or maybe still drunk might help, too, judging from the 'climbing culture' I've been exposed to .. ahem. More seriously, like anything, how much you put in defines how much you get out, modified by whatever you bring to it. And then there's keeping up on it.. it was four years ago I took a basic climbing course, and I haven't done much at all with the skills since that year, which means I really should take another class if I'm going to do anything technical. Psycho-motor skills take repetition and maintenance, and I haven't. And, uh, if you're gonna go for really hardcore stuff, the practice in the shower tip is for real, but that's probably in the "advanced student" category. Th' ol' crawl-walk-run thing, makes sense to have the knot down with a dry rope in the light before you try it in the dark rain.. Heh: you might get a more specific response with a more specific question. How long to get what skills? You might look at course outlines / curricula / syllabi, see if they specify what you'll be able to do at the end of the course and what taking the course entails. Some endeavor you have in mind?

[Clem R.]

Approximately 17.6 of us are climbers. Some have been irresponcible and not taken courses from acknowledge experts. It took a few trips to learn the ropes, or you can take a course from one of the local clubs and learn in about 5-10 sessions. Or you can leave the ropes at home and just learn by doing on the egg-gad scrambled routes.

[smileybear-]

Actually, I usually do one major climb a day unless I'm not feeling well. Sometimes it is a 5.1 and sometimes it is a 5.5 or 5.7...for the exact same climb, go figure. Morning conditions can vary dramatically and make it so. I always eat after I do that climb, never before. I know of no other way to do it. Even though I know the ropes I still have trouble doing it. Often by the time I've completed the climb, many others in the area have also done it and they look at me like why did it take you so long??? I believe my technique is as good as other fellow climbers , but perhaps I savor the climb more and so it takes me longer but I always hate the start of it. Yes, climbing out of bed...it's tough.

[Stefan]

I am a climber. I started out backpacking when I was about 10. Didn't really go climbing till I was 18....did some in college......then after college I got a job and walla, I had some money. So then I bought some equipment and then went climbing. I am never turning back. Now I am 34 and very sexy.

[slappy]

[Karen]

I've done some climbing but don't consider myself a climber. I "spook" easily or so I've been told and I really don't like glaciers at all. I fell in a crevasse once and I've never trusted snow since. I love rock scrambling and if I had to choose between rotten rock and snow, I'll take the rock anytime. Now even my rock scrambling is in some jeopardy -- I've got problems with the right shoulder and can't grab onto things very well with my right hand/arm because of that. It even hurts to fasten my seat belt. I signed up to lead some Mountaineer scrambles this year with the Mountaineers and fortunately, none of them require any true scrambling skills. Navajo Peak, Vesper, and Pilchuck via Pinnacle Lake. I can do those without having to haul myself up with my right arm/shoulder. It's been a while since I've done anything climbing-wise with the Mountaineers other than scrambling but when I took the climbing course you had to practice crevasse rescue. I had no problem being in the crevasse -- the part I had trouble with was fussing with all the gear. I'm not good with knots and tying in and I hate harnesses. I took a refresher course on the crevasse rescue but felt in my bones I wouldn't be safe to climb with because I didn't feel my rescue techniques would ever be as good as they should be. I think there are a lot of other people like me who should probably reconsider climbing as well -- unless you are absolutely 100 percent of your ability to aid in a rescue (crevasses, etc.) you've got no business being out there where the lives of others depend on you. I was never able to master the boot-axe belay -- I'm not even sure they teach anymore. I also hate wearing helmets -- I guess I just don't like "gear" in general. I don't even use trekking poles when I hike but that's another subject. There are a lot of strong people in the mountains but it takes more than strength to be a climber. You can be strong but still be an inconsiderate klutz and knock rocks down on people below you. A lot of climbers spend more time worrying about how fast they can go rather than practicing safety and watching out for things like rockfall, etc. Just my opinion. In any event, I leave the climbing to others. I'm happy where I am and what I'm doing now. I enjoy hiking and scrambling and exploring old trails more than anything else. This has been an interesting thread, though, and I hope more people respond. Karen

[catwoman]

I do some rock climbing.

[Clandestine clanger]

Hey Polarbear-, How many out there are clambers? How many clammy? How many clamor for clamps when camping? Which clan, clad in clerical clinky cloaks, study the climes of closed countours? How many clothed clods in the climbing club have a clue? Methinks you should clarify the climbing question, and classify the clestion, Mr. Polarbare-dash-minus-hyphen. How irresponcible.

[polarbear-]

Clandestine clanger, your noisy nosiness knocks me nearly nauseous. 1. I goeduck your first question. 2. 100% as this is the great pnw 3. Countless clueless cliplesslites 4. Clan of the Cloistered Cartographers 5. If clothed clods have a clue then they are one step closer to solving that mystery