[Mike Highbury]

It's like these guys are playing the media to maximise exposure and promotion rather than just doing it for our immediate benefit.

I feel a strong need for Adam L's insider info on how much North Face will pay Shawn R for them.

[AMorris]

there's a lot of irony complaining about that on this site when the Significant Repeats thread often has the news before any instablam post or 8a.spew report because someone heard from a mate and wanted to share...

To be fair, Duma pointing out that them overtly dropping in that Shawn climbed a new 9A in what I imagine they hope to be a fairly widely consumed podcast, when Shawn has thus far avoided mentioning it himself, was "a bit odd", hardly constitutes a complaint, even in the UK.

I noticed it too. From what I had heard and read, I already knew there was a new 9A he had done, but had no idea where or what it was. Shawn being silent about it for so long intrigued me, but I just put it down to some kind of artsy 40 minute vid largely consisting of grainy black and white close ups and shots of strategically placed mellow merch (deeply cynical, I know) being in the pipeline. Aiden and Sam clearly thought that there was no issue with releasing the news semi-publicly (nor do I, to be very clear), but that appears to be counter to the behaviour, and implied wishes of the FA, and that is noteworthy imo.

We are left with an interesting philosophical paradox. We all know that to be a cool climber nowdays, you must not publicise your ascents, and rather let them spread in whispers over pints, leaked memoires, and vague allusions on flikr (the "dark-horse"). As such, to not publicise your ascents makes you cool. However, to not publicise your ascents in order to attain the kind of publicity and clandestine admiration only afforded to the dark horse makes you uncool (which I will term the "grey-donkey": not quite dark, not quite a horse). Are, therefore, the climbers who are happy to share ascents without caring what their contemporaries think the coolest of all? Precisely how many hashtags make you uncool? I try to operate in a post-equid state, whereby to even engage with the idea that anyone might care about anything I do flatters me into a state of discomfort. My personal feeling of superiority in this immediately makes me uncool. So, I suspect, does the fact that I am well shit.

Something to think about.

[SA Chris]

Something to think about.

Or not thinking about as thinking about implies caring about, which is automatically uncool.

I think. Damn!

[User deactivated.]

5 x 8C+ boulders and possibly 2 x 9A boulders! That could make Shawn the best boulderer in the world on paper!

[36chambers]

Shawn needs to be careful here in case he has to make the world's first 9A retro claim, if some uninformed person suddenly climbs it. We don't want another Lawrencefield 6B FA debacle kicking off. 

[Bradders]

Shawn needs to be careful here in case he has to make the world's first 9A retro claim, if some uninformed person suddenly climbs it. We don't want another Lawrencefield 6B FA debacle kicking off.

Now that is a debacle I would like to see.

[turnipturned]

Retro claimers are at large these days. I blame Flickr

[Doylo]

You can’t fuckin win. You’re either a spray monkey gimp or viewed as trying to be too cool. Might aswell shut up shop.

[SA Chris]

As the wise philosopher Bartholomew Simpson once said "Damned if you do, damned if you don't"

[AMorris]

You can’t fuckin win. You’re either a spray monkey gimp or viewed as trying to be too cool. Might aswell shut up shop.

You can only lose if you care. The real winners here are the ones who ostensibly care but actually don't, the wankers.

[IanP]

You can’t fuckin win. You’re either a spray monkey gimp or viewed as trying to be too cool. Might aswell shut up shop.

Not sure about that, while it seems a bit trendy these days to moan about green tick spraying does anyone real think this about top level ascents - if someone climbs something internationally (or nationally) significant I'm really interested in hearing about it and instagram etc is the way this seems to be communicated these days.

This hints and whispers approach seems to impact bouldering much more than sport climbing, maybe that is related to whole 'cool surfer type' vibe that the likes of Mellow seem to want to project?

[Wellsy]

When I do the hotly anticipated first ascent of my secret 9A project (current working name "Umbral Game") UKB can get the exclusive scoop, no worries

[dave k]

I already heard rumours about this new 9A, but Aiden's and Sam's podcast is news to me! Any good?

[Bradders]

It's a nice little podcast yeah, if you have any interest in Aidan's climbing etc. then it's well worth a listen.

[cheque]

It’s called Careless Talk isn’t it? A bit like calling a podcast about heavy metal Deaf Leopard  .

[remus]

My switzerland knowledge is pretty shit but I think this https://www.instagram.com/p/CaK1F9atWSr/ might be on the same bloc as alphane moon? in which case it might be the line in question.

[teestub]

I thought potentially a direct start into this, but fun to speculate!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbis5GYPwQj/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

[BrutusTheBear]

There are of course a number of other reasons that someone might want to withhold the reporting of an FA.  Here's a few I have witnessed.

There's potential to extend the problem further so I don't want anyone sniffing around until I've done it.

I have a number of projects in the immediate vicinity so I don't want anyone sniffing around until I've done them.

Access is sensitive so I am reluctant to promote.

I genuinely have poor executive function and whilst I intend to report stuff, I never quite get round to it or just forget.

Personally, I find it distasteful that folk are playing the media game for maximum impact or too 'cool' to report things.  I guess we'll find out in due course what Shawn is upto.

[Andy F]

It's a bit strange that Shawn is being sheepish about the whole thing. He's really pulling the wool over everyone's eyes...

[shark]

Shawn the Sheepish

[duncan]

Aiden's and Sam's podcast is news to me! Any good?

I enjoyed it, but I’m biased as I know Sam. It’s two mates chatting about Aiden’s climbing up to now (interesting to hear what his dad does). He’s a thoughtful person and worth a listen.

[Bradders]

It does seem a little like everyone and their dog has a climbing podcast these days, although they're free so I'm certainly not complaining! Hard to see how you can really differentiate it to draw people in but best of luck to them.

[SA Chris]

or just forget.

Ra ta ta ta tata ta

I was going to post on IG.....

[36chambers]

Rumour has it that Shawn's done the Megatron proj as well as the Swizz one

https://www.8a.nu/news/shawns-9as-rumours-qpmk1

[Don Jebus]

I wonder if the answer to this is in the name of his new 8C+ recently reported. Seems to tell you his thoughts on the matter if you ask me