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Jerry Dodrill
climber
Bodega, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 1, 2006 - 03:11pm PT
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Some routes seem to have a propensity for ending relationships. Cathedral Peak has claimed a few that I know of. One ended on the climb and was followed by a rather quiet and tense drive home. Another ended shortly after returning home and was initiated by a lass who feigned having a good time all day. A third, which involved a lightning event, was almost a loss, but was somehow salvaged. Last week I climbed by a party who was heading toward the end of their term, and they were being guided!
It's classic: guy in his element, taking the gal out on an adventure (Could happen the other way as well). It's an easy but long and dramatic route. He's in his element, she's not, but says through clenched teeth and wide eyes, "Yes! I'm having fun!" At the chimney the communication gets bad and she's not talking. The end is near, even closer than the summit. Now add wind... "WHAT!?" "AM I ON BELAY?" ...and a thunderstorm... BOOM! It's over.
Luckily it's never happened to me personally and my wife passed the almost-an-epic test before we ever got serious.
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montgomery wick
Social climber
Baltoro Glacier, Pakistan
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not quite on point, but that reminds me of a time when we were doing a variation to the Nutcracker to avoid logjams, and had a good view of the action below. Some dude and his buddy take up one of the guys GF and she gets COMPLETELY paralyzed with fright once above the 5.8 first pitch...Look down and listen to her losing it on that ramp above the first pitch...she refuses to move and literally curls up in a fetal position, sobbing...Not sure how long they stayed there but it was over an hour...I am sure he got zero nookie for a good while, if not dumped...
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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Nothing specific, but I will bet the royal arches has claimed a few.
And Haystack kills the shorties fo sho.
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
Bodega, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 1, 2006 - 03:25pm PT
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Saw it on WFLT once also when stuck behind a slow party on the ledge above Evil Tree. Guy climbs up behind, clips our anchor, then his wife starts cleaning the pitch with apparently no clue how to do the lowerouts. Don't know how they got that far, but there was one scathing chick on a rope down there out of sight somewhere screaming the worst obscenties I'd ever heard a wife aim at her husband. He was silent. We just looked at each other blankly. "Is she like that in bed?" I asked. "Yeah" he said and stared at the rope going over a sharp edge. She came up quiet and seething. Nobody dared break the silence. But the writing was on the wall, so to speak.
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clustiere
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Oh yeah crying girls at belays. I mean frick the climbing is hard enough. I prefer well adjusted partners, but I am also teaching my girlfriend to climb. We will just keep it easy. UH yeah I have said that before.
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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Regular Route on Half Dome, long story short...I hauled ALL the gear to the base...partner said he forgot his approach shoes...Get to the base, I lead first 3 pitches, his turn to take the lead and he says he wants to go down, we go down and go our own ways...too bad.
Peace
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atchafalaya
Trad climber
California
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best I think I have seen was on "I cant believe its a girdle" in Josh. As the GF was unclipping the draws looking at these ugly pendis, she would start screaming "I F$#$%^ hate this route, and I F%$#^& hate you for taking me on it!!!!"
went on for hours, screaming, wailing. Talked with guy later and he joked that when she finally got to the belay she would cry on the intake breath and shake laughing on the exhale. The relationship ended later when she slept with one of his friends.
Always amazed at the couples who can pull it off...
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
one pass away from the big ditch
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I've had an ex hold, well hell, all my girlfriends that have climbed... I've had them hold a short TR fall to see if they have it.
Never dropped once.
Though a couple close calls.
Remember to tell them, you hold this thing back and to the right. you let go you will seriously injure me. If I'm not dead, it will be your turn next.
buahahahaha
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
St. Louis
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Not had a guy climbing partner of mine cry, but I've seen some pretty spectacular guy melt-downs. Crying would have been preferred.
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Trashman
Trad climber
SLC
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two of my personal favorites:
First pitch of fine jade. the fist section, skip the manky bolt, thinking of myself, back clean the wide piece on the leaning fist(for me) crack, and enjoy the rest of the pitch. appearantly leaning, rattly fists w/ a pende fall are no fun, good to remember.
2nd pitch of Merci Me, enjoying some spicy moderate slabs, great fun. neglected to notice that all the bolts are just before the insecure traverses. not so bad to lead, but . . .
Edit:^ both the same girl, still together, slowly learning the preferences. No runout traverses, no squeeze chimenies that tunnel through formations(middle parralell space), and no doing routes over 5 hrs w/ out water.
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Pretty Much
climber
San Jose
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Took the wife on Central Pillar of Frenzy last weekend.
Crying ensued on at least 3 of 5 pitches.
Wife: "Is this the off-width section"
Me: "No, not yet"
15 mins later
Me: "you did great on that off-width [said w/ guilty smile]
Gu & chocolate dried up most tears.
-Jeff
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Phil_B
Social climber
Hercules, CA
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Not climbing, but did it paddling before.
The plan was to do an easy Class II paddle. I had her in an ducky (inflatable kayak). At the planned takeout, she said she felt great and that she was good to go. I took her at her word (my bad) and we proceeded to do the next 5 miles that had no easy takeout. About a mile into it, she said that she was tired and we could take out now.
Uh, we can't. We have to keep on going. She did fine through the first big rapid, then swam at the next. And kept on swimming for at least a half mile because there were no eddies to put her in.
Scared the crap out of her and she aspirated some water. Luckily, a raft picked her up and took her down to the takeout. Not much talking for the next day or so.
Learned an important lesson that day. Take out BEFORE they get tired.
It's hard to date outside of the tribe, isn't it?
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yo
climber
The Eye of the Snail
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haha, Dodrill, I think that couple's still climbing. Swear I saw them on the Trip!
We're already in our ledge low on the Zod, plenty of light left so intrepid BF decides to lead The Chopper, infamous P4 of the Trip. He does fine since it's cake to lead. Hauls. GF gets up the vertical part by dusk, looks at the downward slanting death crack. BF too is in a ledge at this point (that's not helping.) Headlamp comes on. Lot's of chatter back and forth erodes to yelling back and forth. We're in our sleeping bags at this point, and the things she is screaming about the BF...
haha
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
Bodega, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 1, 2006 - 05:04pm PT
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Was she screaming "I F*#KING HATE YOU. YOU'RE A WORTHLESS PIECE OF SH#T. I'M GONNA F*#KING KICK YOU IN F*#KING THE BALLS. DID YOU HAVE TO BACKCLEAN THE WHOLE F*#KING ROOF? I F*#KING HATE YOU..." or something like that??? She's blond and kinda hot when she's mad? It was them. Sounds like you saw the re-run.
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Trashman
Trad climber
SLC
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"DID YOU HAVE TO BACKCLEAN THE WHOLE F*#KING ROOF?"
laughing out loud on this one. i'm no quick study either, "off the top of my head survey" counts at least 3 routes i've had this yelled at me on.
in my defense, none were really big roofs, longest one was around 4'
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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From the guides perspective it can look quite different. I think most instructors have experienced the common couple of beginners out to share an experience, the dude pulls you aside to tell you to take it easy on his gal, then gal dances up the stone easily, the guy thrashes and scrapes, hangs and moans,
perhaps a useful change in the couples dynamic.
Teaching kids and teens these days it is obvious that girls do way better, cause they look for their footholds rather than yarding dumbly on the first thing they see.
Peter
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
Bodega, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 1, 2006 - 07:36pm PT
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You're a good man stitch.
Peter, it must be fascinating seeing the different dynamics in couples, how they communicate, deal with stress, etc. Guides should get paid more.
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10b4me
Trad climber
California
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Happened to me about eight years ago in Jtree. So I take her to Trashcan Rock and decide to put her on Tip Toe(5.7, crystal dike). I lead the thing, set a tr anchor, and rap down. She ties in and starts up the thing. She starts having a problem with it, and blames me. I lower her down, and she says why did you make me climb that, it's the stupidest climb I've ever done? Turns out she was real particular about her nails, and didn't want to scratch them up.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
one pass away from the big ditch
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hahaha, nails.
I love them, but they got to come off when it's time to climb.
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quietpartner
Trad climber
Moantannah
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My ex-girlfriend taught me to climb, and she was pretty good. But sometimes she stressed out on lead and started cussing and shouting and swearing in German and English (she was from Germany). Hell of a racket. It make those rides home quiet. After the climbing season, there wasn't much to talk about, so things slowly fell apart from there.
My present girlfriend is a sweetie, and on the first multi-pitch she ever climbed, she barely dragged herself to the top of the second pitch (a 200 footer) 5.7 and nearly collapsed. After a trip to the physical therapist, she's game again. The right stuff.
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