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jfailing
Trad climber
PDX, North Slope, The Open Road
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if anything, it shows how important this chalk art really is to climbers. maybe that was his intention.
James may just have well photoshopped the entire thing. The result would have been the same (at least initially) - the point being that the bolt is still there. I know that it stings so much for people because someone personally erased it, but why so much anger? Was the bolt he erased not just an copy of the long-gone original?
Many of the responses from folks have been sort of disgusting - is there really so much hatred in the climbing community?
I say let's hear from some of the previous erasers for their two cents...
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slobmonster
Trad climber
OAK (nee NH)
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It seems that I am with James on this one.
As the "Bolt" in question is a piece of artwork, or a graffito, or a talisman, or a memorial marque, or simply just too much chalk, it is regardless an ephemeral symbol. Its (brief) "removal" seems to be a thought experiment for y'all and us all to consider what matters, and why.
We bitch and bitch and fight internet hardman style over many silly things. This might take the silly cake. Save your energies for expanding camping options in Yosemite and the NPS system in general, access to climbing sites that are threatened, and the solace you might find in the Wild.
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orle
climber
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Its (brief) "removal" seems to be a thought experiment for y'all and us all to consider what matters, and why.
Then wouldn't it seem from 'thought experiment' that such a symbol DOES indeed matter for many folk, for many different reasons? Wouldn't that be the result from the experiment, y'know, from the data he gathered from his subjects?
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James
climber
My twin brother's laundry room
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Topic Author's Reply - May 9, 2013 - 08:09pm PT
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Orle-
I never refused to be quoted by Chris Parker, who wrote the Rock & Ice article.
"You can quote me if I can see the essay before it's published. " I emailed Parker. I was worried about being lambasted by the peanut gallery. Unfortunately, that's impossible to escape.
Parker responded, "Okay. You can see the essay when it's published on Tuesday.... Sorry but that's a no go."
Brendan Leonard quoted me in his article on Adventure Journal
Anyway, it's hailing in Yosemite at the moment.
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labrat
Trad climber
Auburn, CA
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"Peanut gallery"
From Wikipedia
A peanut gallery was, in the days of vaudeville, a nickname for the cheapest (and ostensibly rowdiest) seats in the theater, the occupants of which were all too willing (in the view of the performer) to heckle.
Hang in there James! Maybe I'll climb with you again some day. Don't get too fat from all the peanuts (or pies).
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nateflink
Trad climber
St Paul
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May 10, 2013 - 11:26pm PT
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I'll probably never send Midnight Lightning, (or even get close to it.) It still holds my imagination, inexplicably. Perhaps it is because routes are more than random formations of rock. Perhaps it is because climbing routes are the aftermath of some worthy souls' artistic expression, and everything that surrounds it.
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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May 11, 2013 - 12:34am PT
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So James literary masturbation is now called "a thought experiment", while everyone else is just bitching.
The "experiment" was an epic fail.
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Fletcher
Trad climber
The great state of advaita
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May 11, 2013 - 01:51am PT
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We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are. — Anaïs Nin
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MisterE
Social climber
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May 11, 2013 - 02:08am PT
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From a purely "marked climbs" perspective, I can maybe see a way through this - for consistency's sake. There are climbing areas in the world that have the climbs marked: in stone, in paint, with obscure denotations only decipherable by the locals, etc.
Yosemite has almost no physical denotation of routes or boulder problems to identify them as such. Midnight Lightning is the glaring exception - nay, the outstanding icon in a clean sweep of the base of any of the many climbs and boulder problems in the valley. Name another clearly-marked human-created sign, and chances are: it is not nearly as well-known as the lightning bolt.
So. yeah - an equalization of the norm, if you will. But Ron Kauk or Kurt Smith are the stronger candidates for the job, if it is to be done.
It's out of your pay-grade, James.
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splitter
Trad climber
SoCal Hodad, surfing the galactic plane
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May 11, 2013 - 02:19am PT
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Crazy world. People get shot just about every day for crossing out somebody else graffiti here in Amurica. James seems to be still kicking, so I guess that wasn't the case with him. At least somebody didn't come along with a stone masons saw and cut it out and sell it on the black market, or whatever. Like they did over on the eastside to the 3,000+ year old petroglyphs. That/those d00ds should be shot.
I ain't gonna say anything about it one way or another. Already got enough peeps on this site that wanna kick my ass or worse. And I suspect at least half of the international climbing community probably wanna do likewise. But at least I got the Sherpa on my side (i think). I usually side with the underdog, but in this case, it all boils down to respect. Kinda like the Sherpa thread, in a way. Mo'Nature decides to rub it out, well, nobody can argue with her. But, I was around back in the day. I had plenty of opportunity to go hang on the lower holds, or whatever, but, never did. Not sure why I didn't, maybe it was just respect!
edit: Matt - Dunno, but me thinks that even Mo'Nature is purdy pissed about this, bro! It was pretty much her prerogative, if it stays or if it goes, until James came along! ...ya just don't f*#k wit Mo'Nature! ;)
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Matt
Trad climber
it's all turtles, all the way dooowwwwwnn!!!!!
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May 11, 2013 - 04:18am PT
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honestly, the only thing i could less of a sh#t about than lucas removing some chalk from some rock is what everyone else thinks about lucas removing some chalk from some rock.
obviously the chalk can go right back up.
obviously lucas knew the chalk could go right back up.
you guys are like the nancy grace of the climbing world.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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May 11, 2013 - 11:09am PT
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Erased the lightning bolt?
James is going to have to spend a couple of years giving free blow jobs at bus stops in order to get back some of his self esteem.
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Bullwinkle
Boulder climber
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May 11, 2013 - 11:12am PT
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Is that how you got yours back? Or are you still cruising those bus stops?
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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May 11, 2013 - 11:33am PT
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I try to be a pretty environmentally-conscious person (hit and miss...good intentions), and deplore graffiti and litter. This somehow feels different to me (can't really logically say why), and I'm still confused as to why you decided--unilaterally--what the bolt does and doesn't mean on behalf of the climbing community. Personally, I'm sad that you did what you did.
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Heyzeus
climber
Hollywood,Ca
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May 11, 2013 - 01:48pm PT
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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May 11, 2013 - 02:04pm PT
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Is that how you got yours back?
How did you know? Did I service you??
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patrick compton
Trad climber
van
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May 11, 2013 - 03:33pm PT
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James,
You trolled the entire climbing community by erasing some chalk. So much butthurt.
You sir, are the king of trolls.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
the tip of god's middle finger
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May 12, 2013 - 04:35pm PT
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james.
brilliance is just down that inviting channel.
you are poking pretty agressively at it's hymen,
though you seem to lack the intellectual rigidity
to penetrate beyond.
your struggle is real, and common across pen's
everywhere.
you cheaply harvested the sharp and chalky
icon down and right of midnight's exit move.
now you are stabbing at reality's tight membrane
with your newly wielded sword, attempting to
fake your way into the domain of a hero's gestation.
keep trying, boy.
these cowardly shortcuts will always lead you down
the wrong hall.
and until you rip the condom off of
your limp mind,
your aspirations will never produce offspring.
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