[mrjonathanr]

Interesting bit of discussion about the impact of online comments, from Mat Wright and Steven Dimmitt here. Relevant bit starts around 1h25

https://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/mat-wright

[Teaboy]

Stone’s unrelenting niceness on these threads is to his credit and is a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed the video as well but even I think people should conform to certain norms like actually climbing a route they’ve claimed, on video, to have climbed!

Edited because it sounded like I was admonishing Stone which was unintentional, not sure the edit is much better!

[petejh]

I think I quite like this guy in small controllable doses - i.e. at a distance, where I can stop him with the click of a laptop button.
I can imagine having a laugh at the crag if he was there with his crazy sayings and bonkers attitude towards dabbing, and as Slabs says he's a walking non-satirical satire. Harmless enough and full of energy. I wouldn't want to spend too long with him though as I'd probably tire of it quite quickly!
Soggy grit aside (which tbf he does kind of acknowledge, in his own way) he's just another of life's interesting characters doing no great harm and apparently psyched and enjoying what he's doing. So what if he dabbed and didn't top out and implied he'd done it, I find it hard to really GAF as it's obviously bogus and he isn't making much attempt to hide it.
I knee-jerked negatively against the 'free Palestine' slogan vest at the beginning and I think political slogans / airing beliefs around issues as inflammatory as Israel/Palestine are definitely better left out of climbing media. We climb to get away from complicated human problems not to be reminded of them. But I think on a second or third watch and a bit of reflection, and giving the benefit of the doubt about the slogan and what he says about it, it isn't too madly troubling. But not something I'd choose to wear or be happy to see on the increase when out climbing, the world's divided enough already. I do think you come across as mean-spirited to call him an arsehole Will.   

But yeah dab central.

[Will Hunt]

Unapologetically bouldering on soaking wet grit (Almscliffian grit too which is quite soft in places and battered enough already), when he almost certainly knows that he shouldn't. Filming it and pushing it out to his impressionable YouTube followers who will likely think nothing of following his example on their next trip to Burbage South. Claiming to have done stuff he hasn't (cheating) to make himself look better at climbing so that credulous punters might sign up to his personal training programme.

That's the behaviour of an arsehole in my book. If that opinion makes me mean-spirited then I guess I'm just a big ol' meanie.

[webbo]

I’ve just watched another of his videos. The Froggat one where he’s at the Roaches. I can’t believe it’s not a piss take as he never actually does anything despite claiming too. Plus his use of language I.e. using words in the wrong context which flash up on the screen.
Anybody watching who has been climbing a couple of times even if it’s inside can’t believe that’s how you boulder outside.

[petejh]

Unapologetically bouldering on soaking wet grit (Almscliffian grit too which is quite soft in places and battered enough already), when he almost certainly knows that he shouldn't. Filming it and pushing it out to his impressionable YouTube followers who will likely think nothing of following his example on their next trip to Burbage South. Claiming to have done stuff he hasn't (cheating) to make himself look better at climbing so that credulous punters might sign up to his personal training programme.

That's the behaviour of an arsehole in my book. If that opinion makes me mean-spirited then I guess I'm just a big ol' meanie.

I think I just put him in a mental bucket marked ‘bit of a clown, not worth taking seriously’. Maybe that makes me the arsehole? 

[Andy W]

I watched several of the vids, I enjoyed them, I assumed it was a piss take/wind up/satire.
Highlights or lowlights… wandering round and climbing in wet Fontainebleau, calling Tintagel, Tin tangle. Talking to his Fam. ( I’m in France thus I initially thought he was talking to his wife). Satire wise I assume this is the current pinnacle of the much derided ‘London climber’. But to be honest I was entertained, something that I can’t say about most contemporary vids.

[stone]

He has a full website for his Apefoo training. That would be a massive effort to go to if it were all just a parody.

My impression is that his videos are sincere and he simply was out of the loop regarding wet grit being fragile.

His website indicates that he is as much involved in martial arts, and general personal training etc as in climbing.

I know several people on here were incredulous at how I'd also remained ignorant about wet grit fragility for so long. I suspect there are many people who are as ignorant as me. I used to chat to daytime regulars at the Matrix (a now defunct very obscure cut price Sheffield wall) who apparently only ever climbed there at such times except for a handful of excursions a year outside bouldering. My guess is that they were totally out of any loop regarding climbing "common knowledge" despite being comfortable on 7Bs.

Regarding his "false claims of climbing stuff he hasn't" - it's not that clear to me whether he is simply saying that the line he is throwing himself at is the said problem rather than him "claiming an ascent". Anyway the videos seem to me far more just recounting the overall experience of the outing rather than being any sort of "documenting an ascent" record.

[edshakey]

My impression is that his videos are sincere and he simply was out of the loop regarding wet grit being fragile.

I've been pretty undecided about most of this, whether he's doing something wrong or just not my cup of tea, etc.

But in his Font roof video, at 2:15, he says

i'm gonna avoid any hold that is wet, to protect the rock

I respect the fact you're trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, and I have been trying too, but this seems to me like maybe he should have known better, with regards to the almscliff stuff.

[webbo]

Well if they are for real and it’s about followers and making money.
Then I’m with Will on this.

[Kingy]

Never gets old

[Scouse D]

https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,30944.0.html
You probably didn't know about this Kingy

[Fiend]

It's a fine tribute to be enshrined with in this thread with a classic, historical, no-nonsense, no hold barred dab 

[Kingy]

No, I hadn't heard, RIP

[fatneck]

Man! Apefoo's vids manage to be inspiring, funny and absolutely outrageously full of cheating all at the same time! Incredible!!!

[fatneck]

Has anyone contacted Apefoo (privately and courteously) to suggest, I don't know, wider camera angles, footage that doesn't blatantly zoom in to obscure obvious use of the floor and / or some up front honesty about problems climbed or not? I mean that Churnet video beggars belief!!!

I get that "we're" not the bouldering police but he seems to carry some authority, at least with the guys he climbs with, and it  also appears that he could be making money out of this which just seems fraudulent?

(I'll get back in my box now)

[User deactivated.]

Has anyone contacted Apefoo (privately and courteously) to suggest, I don't know, wider camera angles, footage that doesn't blatantly zoom in to obscure obvious use of the floor and / or some up front honesty about problems climbed or not? I mean that Churnet video beggars belief!!!

Noooo, I next want to see him climb Careless Torque whilst using a ladder almost out of frame and then claim 8B for it. We just need to manifest the existence of such supreme gains.

[fatneck]

  It is entertaining...

[Wellsy]

Truly this man is making delulu the solulu!

[Davo]

Man! Apefoo's vids manage to be inspiring, funny and absolutely outrageously full of cheating all at the same time! Incredible!!!

I’ve watched quite a few of his videos now and to be honest I really like them. He is pretty funny, quite self deprecating and yes he doesn’t really care about some outrageous dabs.

[Davo]

Unapologetically bouldering on soaking wet grit (Almscliffian grit too which is quite soft in places and battered enough already), when he almost certainly knows that he shouldn't. Filming it and pushing it out to his impressionable YouTube followers who will likely think nothing of following his example on their next trip to Burbage South. Claiming to have done stuff he hasn't (cheating) to make himself look better at climbing so that credulous punters might sign up to his personal training programme.

That's the behaviour of an arsehole in my book. If that opinion makes me mean-spirited then I guess I'm just a big ol' meanie.

Wow!! That is a pretty harsh opinion. I would also suggest this is a good example of a comment on the internet that there is no way you would actually say this to him (or anyone in fact) face to face. I really think if it bothers you that much you should send him a private message.

In another note: I am with Stone on the wet rock thing. I understand that bouldering on wet grit or sandstone is bad and should be avoided but when I first started climbing (over 30 years ago) I don’t remember anyone mentioning this to me or it being in any guidebooks.

Dave

[Kingy]

Ive heard it all now, apparently the latest trend is to use 'wet chalk' to increase friction as per Testpiece podcast episode 81. So rather than the rock being wet, the chalk is, presumably with some ethical considerations to boot... 

www.instagram.com/p/C2QCBcktCwd/

[fatneck]

Just in case anyone cares, I've been back and forth with Faz of Apefoo fame today.

I've approached the situation sensitively and he has responded positively. For me, above everything else, he has the potential to do some real good in our small and sometimes petty world, particularly in terms of normalising bouldering for people of colour and encouraging wider participation.

May even hook up with him at some point!

Shamefully, I have been guilty of the type of online bullying that has been documented on here in the past. There was a guy who was regularly posting videos on the gram containing blatant dabs and the approach I took at the time was just to comment "dab" on every post. Clearly this wasn't the best way to approach this. I did also PM him to point out what a dab wand hopefully no harm was done. I believe he is now a setter at a wall somewhere.

I suppose in some ways, (and I appreciate this carries the risk of making it all about me) this situation has given me the opportunity to seek redemption for previous wrongs.

[Goat]

This tickled me too much not to post

[rodma]

Ha.

For a good bit of that video I thought you had meant it was a hair or t-shirt dab.

We've bought one of those dense fold up yoga mats from Decathlon to protect those types of situations. There are a lot of dabby blocks below or beside probs in font and adding 4" of foam on top or along side certainly doesn't help

Anyway, back around