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| Contemplating my food supply... |
There was an article nicely written by an influential climber in which he described each of the parts of climbing and described them as almost separate games. Tejada Flores was his name we need him back desperately at the moment.
People describe themselves as climbers nowadays when they are just people who play around on artificial plywood and resin constructs in purpose built commercial hangers next to motorways. And there is nothing wrong with that. But then these same people, or perhaps its alpinists (short for all penis, from the Latin) or Himalayan climbers argue and finally insult each other.
There is another subclass of climber, the editor, who is subject to no rules, or even morals, and he regards all the other games and Players as simply cash.
Games are just that, they have rules, and objectives and in the case of physical games, they require some effort and expertise. Climbing to some people is thought of as ‘a great game’ or perhaps ‘a greater game’ and they invest more passion and self in it, than say in Tidliwinks or Golf.
Now then for some weird reason Climbing games don’t have fixed rules except for Red-pointing rules adopted by Kurt Albert. Kurt was a German Logically minded and very good at all aspects of climbing. He invested much time with his buddies and promulgated these rules to define the value of ascents, very sensible. We have much to thank him for as I have said before and we need others to make rules or firm up the rules or conventions that others all ready obey. For many years now people who think they play the same game are actually playing by different rules and upsetting other players, or perhaps just making them chuckle.
The recent and now usual nonsense in Scotland where people don’t know what Dry-tooling or Mixed climbing means, is a gas. Brits just don’t want to accept that in most cases in Scotland, it is all Dry Tooling. And Dry-tooling in Scotland is a dirty phrase, were as Scottish Mixed is held sacred.
A similar instance is played out time and time again on boulders. People, even great champs, don’t know what a ‘sit down start’ is. Neither do they know what a ‘Flash‘ is or an ‘on-sight’. Its pretty dumb, because these terms have been around for a very long time. Obviously people fudge a bit, but too much fudging, and we all get dizzy, and start getting lost, and the Game is held in dispute. The Web Mags are so bad now that they steal mutterings or twitterings, or commercial press releases, with not the slightest perusal or communication. Web Mag editors who do a bit of climbing, or used to once upon a time talk about different games within games, that they have no personal knowledge of, or understanding. It would be like me commenting on brain surgery, and how easy I thought it was. And come on lets face it some of the climbers are now taking the piss. And maybe they have a right, they get paid nothing, while Web editors are on a wage!
Read this again, more plain…
Some of the best climbers in the world who have great skill and risk injury are paid zero to very little
Some climbing editors care nothing for climbing, and are paid well!
P.S. Ed idiots note; Innes repeated the mixed route Illuminata before the recent Scottish ascent. She is still incredible and was one of the talented stunt people in the film North Face-see previos post.
