Climbing Partner Musings
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- nmjameswilson
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Re: Climbing Partner Musings
I have hiked with a handful of partners and I have been lucky to have had a great one every time.
Vetting a partner is the most important part I feel. Simple questions can eliminate a lot of the risk in making the choice to climb with someone.
These are the big things for me:
Experience - I want someone that has at least the same experience as me. If they have more that is even better as long as they are comfortable with my experience.
Commitment - Saying you will do something then don't. Example: "I will meet you at TH at 5am" then the night before say it is too far to drive. This one happened to me.
Pace - No one wants to wait for someone that takes breaks every half mile. Finding someone with similar pace is important. While some might be slower at certain portions of a climb the overall pace should be similar.
Attitude - Negative comments on the climb or someone complaining about their personnel life too much. On trails/approaches I do not mind getting to know someone more but when we get to the harder stuff lets talk the climb instead.
Lying - Saying you have done a lot of exposed climbing then being very timid on limited exposed routes
Situation Awareness - On areas that rocks can be knocked down on others I do not want someone that just flies up with no regard to others. Communication on route choice is important in these instances.
I am sure there are more but these are my main ones I try to root out with conversation with someone before a climb. It is OK to not be a good fit as there are plenty of other people for both of you to climb with.
Vetting a partner is the most important part I feel. Simple questions can eliminate a lot of the risk in making the choice to climb with someone.
These are the big things for me:
Experience - I want someone that has at least the same experience as me. If they have more that is even better as long as they are comfortable with my experience.
Commitment - Saying you will do something then don't. Example: "I will meet you at TH at 5am" then the night before say it is too far to drive. This one happened to me.
Pace - No one wants to wait for someone that takes breaks every half mile. Finding someone with similar pace is important. While some might be slower at certain portions of a climb the overall pace should be similar.
Attitude - Negative comments on the climb or someone complaining about their personnel life too much. On trails/approaches I do not mind getting to know someone more but when we get to the harder stuff lets talk the climb instead.
Lying - Saying you have done a lot of exposed climbing then being very timid on limited exposed routes
Situation Awareness - On areas that rocks can be knocked down on others I do not want someone that just flies up with no regard to others. Communication on route choice is important in these instances.
I am sure there are more but these are my main ones I try to root out with conversation with someone before a climb. It is OK to not be a good fit as there are plenty of other people for both of you to climb with.
- cedica
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Re: Climbing Partner Musings
Or "Jay and Silent Bob unite!", why not promote more diversity on the forum.HikesInGeologicTime wrote: ↑Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:08 pm Maybe we need an "Introverted Hikers Unite!" as well as a "Short Hikers Unite!" thread.
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Re: Climbing Partner Musings
hey, when are we going to find out who was/what happened to curly bill ("Tombstone") broscious?
- highpilgrim
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Re: Climbing Partner Musings
GGG
.
Call on God, but row away from the rocks.
Hunter S Thompson
Walk away from the droning and leave the hive behind.
Dick Derkase
Hunter S Thompson
Walk away from the droning and leave the hive behind.
Dick Derkase
- Tornadoman
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Re: Climbing Partner Musings
I had a similar thing happen 3x in a row to me with potential 13er partners, and it was the other person who initiated the thread! We would exchange a couple messages and have a good general plan but the afternoon before when it was time to finalize plans it was silence. Maybe my reputation is crappy, IDK. I basically stopped trying to connect with people that I don't know personally after that as the random folks on the forum just didn't seem to be working out.nmjameswilson wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 6:40 am Commitment - Saying you will do something then don't. Example: "I will meet you at TH at 5am" then the night before say it is too far to drive. This one happened to me.
Climb the mountain so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.
Re: Climbing Partner Musings
That's the Craigslist paradox.Tornadoman wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 10:17 amI had a similar thing happen 3x in a row to me with potential 13er partners, and it was the other person who initiated the thread! We would exchange a couple messages and have a good general plan but the afternoon before when it was time to finalize plans it was silence. Maybe my reputation is crappy, IDK. I basically stopped trying to connect with people that I don't know personally after that as the random folks on the forum just didn't seem to be working out.nmjameswilson wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 6:40 am Commitment - Saying you will do something then don't. Example: "I will meet you at TH at 5am" then the night before say it is too far to drive. This one happened to me.
- Tornadoman
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Re: Climbing Partner Musings
Haha... I have never used Craigslist, but I have friends who do and I have heard the horror stories!habaceeba wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 10:20 amThat's the Craigslist paradox.Tornadoman wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 10:17 amI had a similar thing happen 3x in a row to me with potential 13er partners, and it was the other person who initiated the thread! We would exchange a couple messages and have a good general plan but the afternoon before when it was time to finalize plans it was silence. Maybe my reputation is crappy, IDK. I basically stopped trying to connect with people that I don't know personally after that as the random folks on the forum just didn't seem to be working out.nmjameswilson wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 6:40 am Commitment - Saying you will do something then don't. Example: "I will meet you at TH at 5am" then the night before say it is too far to drive. This one happened to me.
Climb the mountain so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.
- 12ersRule
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Re: Climbing Partner Musings
Tornadoman wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 10:17 amI had a similar thing happen 3x in a row to me with potential 13er partners, and it was the other person who initiated the thread! We would exchange a couple messages and have a good general plan but the afternoon before when it was time to finalize plans it was silence. Maybe my reputation is crappy, IDK. I basically stopped trying to connect with people that I don't know personally after that as the random folks on the forum just didn't seem to be working out.nmjameswilson wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 6:40 am Commitment - Saying you will do something then don't. Example: "I will meet you at TH at 5am" then the night before say it is too far to drive. This one happened to me.
They probably just didn't know who you were when they set up the date, and then got super intimidated and cancelled at the 11th hour.
Re: Climbing Partner Musings
THIScottonmountaineering wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:04 pm a positive attitude i found to be most important, everything else can be fixed
Couldn't agree more.
- Salient
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Re: Climbing Partner Musings
Indeed, I’m sure everyone has experienced this at least once
Be the best you that you can be.
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