Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Mikemcee
Social climber
Mill Valley, CA
|
|
The "I thought for sure it was going to end up being a breakup climb" climb.
I took my (now) wife up Snake Dike a couple of years ago when her family didn't have enough permits for all of us to hike the cables. Keep in mind, she's super fit but had NEVER climbed before. First day warmup was the Grack, second day we went up Snake Dike.
After we parted ways with the rest of our crew, her commentary went something like this.
-This approach is not fun in running shoes.
-I'm not feeling great about this. (While sitting at the base looking up at the route)
-How the....what the....
-I thought you said this route was popular (never saw another party)
-There is no way UP is the easier way off this thing. No WAY!
-And then 6 pitches of the chorus..."get me the F*@K off this F*@KING rock now! Which at one point also included me downclimbing a full pitch to get her psyched enough to start moving again.
The first question I asked after we topped out was "Are you ok?" Answer: Yes.
Second question I asked was "Would you do it again?" Answer: Of course, that was kinda fun!
Pretty much sums up both climbing AND relationships and after all that, she still married me.
|
|
rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
|
|
Cosmic lead some vertical 5.6 in the gorge that had large holds....When it came time for me to follow , i started whimpering and doing some Elvis dance moves...I couldn't follow the pitch forcing Cosmic to rap and clean the route...I haven't seen him since and did i mention the zombie pictures that ensued...? RJ
|
|
k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
|
|
Dingus, sounds like you've a story to tell!
Josiah, I hate seeing 'strong' men give huge packs to their GSs in tow, makes me want to slap them around a bit (quite a bit).
I saw a couple of climbers on Central Pillar, and the second was climbing with the 2nd rope, in a rope bag, on his back. I'm like, hey, you might want to trail that thing up behind you... I just got a scowl.
Later I saw these blokes over on some 5.11.
Some folks will never learn.
|
|
weezy
climber
|
|
the "break-up climb" usually occurs in a tent cabin in curry. all's fair in love and war. you don't lose your girlfriend, you just lose your turn.
|
|
donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
|
|
If anyone is looking for one, try Generator Crack. Zero approach and a lot of breakup potential in a short distance.
|
|
Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
|
|
Yeah Jebus, apparently my first date with my ex wasn't a first date to her either. Climbing at Rocksport and then a beer at Bar of America. Seemed like a date to me. Years later, I learned that she just had wanted to go climbing. She stuck around for a good number of years though.
Glad I never put a ring on that one.
|
|
weezy
climber
|
|
"take me climbing!" ≠ "wanna go out?"
i still see my buddies fall for that line. they crater every time.
|
|
JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
|
|
As mentioned above, Cathedral Peak has to be a contender. I personally know of two different guys who dragged their girl up, which subsequently turned into a last date. In both cases he was have a fantastic day leading heroically to an impressive summit, and she was doing fine... just f*#king fine.
A funny story was that Galen Rowell nearly had a first/last date when he dragged Barbara up the backside/descent in what must have been around 1981. She insisted on roping up for the entire approach and he was gripped with fear that someone might witness the bizarre scene they were making. Somehow they survived, got married, and she loved to tell the story any time someone asked if she was a climber.
I'll have to show this one to my wife. The backside/descent was her first climb to a summit (she'd done some top-roping around Swan Slab the day before). We were engaged at the time. Unlike Barbara, though, my then-fiancee scampered up ropeless, except for the summit area, where we roped up. As I started belaying her, the rope stopped moving just when I could no longer see her, then I heard the whimpers, and had to coax her a few feet further to the cracks leading to the summit. She was in tears when she got there.
I thought I'd blown it for sure but, fortunately, she got a hold of herself, forgave me (probably because the scenery was so beautiful), got down without incident, and even has gone climbing again without drama.
They used to say that before they marry, a couple should do two things: Go camping, and play bridge. When they go camping, they'll see what each other is like when they're dirty, rather than all dolled up. When they play bridge, they'll see what each other is like when they're really mad. Unfortunately, this day and age that doesn't work. It's too hard to get a campground reservation, and no one under 60 knows how to play bridge. Climbing, though, is still a worthwhile pre-marital test.
John
|
|
nutjob
Sport climber
Almost to Hollywood, Baby!
|
|
It wasn't a climb that triggered my divorce... I do have to say to my ex's credit that she was pretty tough when she was gripped out of her mind and totally trusting me on some scrappy 3rd/4th class on the west face of Lembert Dome.
Between that and our first climbing date at Castle Rocks, where I made her belay me with an (incorrectly constructed) biner brake because I forgot my shoes, harness, and belay device, she was destined to never be a climber. You live and you learn.
|
|
Crackslayer
Trad climber
Eldo
|
|
A cold belay in the dark this winter on the bastille almost did me in with my lady. I was pretty cold and took a BIG fall. She caught me but she got pretty banged up in the process. Hasn't belayed me since lol!
|
|
TrundleBum
Trad climber
Las Vegas
|
|
Even though we had sex on a ledge early on the route...
The wet, splooge at very top of Royal Arches:
All I said was 'Just be cautious, it's a long ride'.
She demanded we pull the rope back out and that she get an anchored belay until we were well into the woods.
|
|
Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
|
|
Dang, that pic of Wacky says it all.
Cat in the Hat did the trick once for me (she claimed to be a 5.8 multipitch climber..how was I supposed to know she couldn't follow 5.6 and would have full on metldown on a belay ledge the size of my driveway?)
|
|
ddriver
Trad climber
SLC, UT
|
|
that photo says "worked"
nice
|
|
GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 1, 2013 - 07:48pm PT
|
My ex would cry at least once per long route. Always loved it afterwards. Not once made me feel like it was my fault (because, you know, she AGREED to go...).
A bad ass female friend of mine said that her and her girl friend, when they climb, sometimes after a hard pitch just have a good cry. Then they finish the route. Sounds a lot cooler than the brooding, angst-filled warblers dudes are prone to.
|
|
snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
|
|
I think I was on Scimitar at the Leap in '07 when I watched a couple rage at each other on East Crack or East Face or something over to the right of me.
The boyfriend was leading, maybe 50 feet out and still climbing as they screamed and screamed until finally the girl says "F#ck you this is over!!" as she continued to feed rope. BF still climbing "F#ck me?! F#ckme??!! No! F#ck you!!"
So f#cking funny.
|
|
snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
|
|
My climbing partner and I have joked about recreating the scene elsewhere to make some people believe we were gay and breaking up. Jared was going to add "Oh yeah! I've been cheating on you!!"
|
|
Leggs
Sport climber
Home away from Home
|
|
The boyfriend was leading, maybe 50 feet out and still climbing as they screamed and screamed until finally the girl says "F#ck you this is over!!" as she continued to feed rope. BF still climbing "F#ck me?! F#ckme??!! No! F#ck you!!"
So f#cking funny.
^^ that's some funny sh#t right there ^^
when I feel a melt down coming, I'll generally say "I need some quiet time ... please "
|
|
aspendougy
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
|
|
Reminds me of a sweet story that I heard about Beverley Johnsen. She was climbing something with Loyd Price that was fairly hard, and, well, being a little bit old and past his prime, Loyd was having an awful time of it. She pretended to struggle and have trouble as well, so as to not make him feel so bad.
|
|
shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
|
|
lurking fear was the sight of probably our biggest wobbler. it was just so stressful, doing this big wall with my loved one. luckily there was nobody around to hear it. we got through it, and have since climbed el cap 21 more times together, but i wondered early on why i was stressing out our relationship with these big wall climbs. ss
|
|
MattF
Trad climber
Bend, Or
|
|
For me it was "The Owl" on The Dome up in Boulder Canyon, but it was actually post breakup. I had dumped this girl I had dated for 2 years in July, but that spring I had promised her I would teach her how to climb that summer, so a few weeks after the breakup, she called me and asked if I would still take her climbing. I felt bad about dumping her and hurting her feelings so I agreed.
Worst idea ever... I was belaying her from the top of the first pitch, and there's about a 20' section of splitter 5.6 hands maybe 3/4 up the first pitch after doing a bunch of blocky climbing. She gets to that point, and sees that I haven't placed any gear at all in this crack so it must have been really easy for me, but she can't get into it, and so she starts freaking out and traverses way over to the right onto a big ledge and proceeds to start yelling up at me and crying. Soon her wobbler is exacerbated by the fact that now she's not sure if she can reverse the moves off the big ledge back into the crack, and there's a wall just next to the crack that if she weights the rope and tries to swing over she's going to pendulum right into that wall.
I can tell you one thing - I was definitely not the right person to be up on that belay ledge 50' above her while she was freaking out...
Also, a few more routes I've seen couples epic on - First pitch of After Six, Bishop's Terrace, and then up here at Smith - Pioneer Route on the Monkey (hard/scary overhanging bolt ladder...), Zebra Zion, Gumby, Cruel Sister, and Full Nine Gallon Buckets.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!