Why do so many climbers drift away from regular trad once they get to a certain level?
Available rock types may be implicated ...
I 've read the Pear occasionally and whilst I find your enthusiasm for the latest bunch of classic Peak trad E3's you've done refreshing, I also find myself wondering just how it was you have got to 2009 before doing such routes?For example, I first led Oliver in 1983 - 25 years ago - and I'm bloody sure I'm not that much older than you... Neil
Can someone explain why 'you get so much more done' sport climbing than tradding? I can 'get a lot more done' going to Millstone than Raven tor of a spring evening. Do you just mean hard moves, or because you can climber quicker and lower off, or 'cos you avoid that 'soak up the atmosphere' feeling that topping out on a great trad route provokes?
I think this also got compounded by the headpoint boom circa Hard Grit. All of a sudden many a climber of dubious ability could bag up a few heavily pre-practiced E7s. Making the hard fought E4/5 onsight looked even less impressive. The fact that the new minted E7 leader had never onsighted anything over E3 being an oft forgotten, seemly irrelevant detail.
If when I went sport climbing, it was to go to Raven Tor to fail on In Brine for the 15th day, then, like you, I would feel that I got a lot more done when I go to Millstone.
Quote from: Bonjoy on October 27, 2009, 01:01:09 pm I think this also got compounded by the headpoint boom circa Hard Grit. All of a sudden many a climber of dubious ability could bag up a few heavily pre-practiced E7s. Making the hard fought E4/5 onsight looked even less impressive. The fact that the new minted E7 leader had never onsighted anything over E3 being an oft forgotten, seemly irrelevant detail....except amongst those of us that always knew on sighting the majority of trad lime or grit E5's in the Peak was always more impressive than headpointing a heavily pre-practised gritstone E7!Neil
To be honest I don't mind if it stays that way as long as I can still find people to trad climb with!
Re headpointing, I think its got more to do with an obsession with grades than ethics as such. Was 'big grades by any means' such a feature of the seventies/ early eighties scene? Or did they just have a healthier scene due to a) lack of alternatives and b) plenty of unclimbed rock to keep things vibrant?
However we were inspired by Stone Monkey and the guides and mags of the time. I would have thought these days that they are inspired by Sharma campussing on monos, as such they are led off in a different direction.