It’s the weekend and you’re excited to climb – until you show up at your local crag only to discover a group of five other climbers mobbing the route you want to try and blaring loud music out of their portable speakers. Upon your arrival, they totally ignore you and crank the music up. Their three dogs bark nonstop. The obvious group leader gets on the climb and starts flailing. He starts yelling obscenities at himself, and then at his belayer.
What’s wrong with this picture? It’s the same old story that happens not just in climbing, but seemingly throughout much of our current culture. The self-centered individual puts his desires and interests first, ignoring the impact that his actions have on everyone else's enjoyment of climbing, not to mention the reputation of the climbing community as a whole. Help break this selfish cycle by not becoming a part of it. Start by moderating your noise levels. Here’s how.
Rock Climbing Tantrums
Almost everyone who sport climbs for long enough will at some point encounter a route that really gets them frustrated. Falling off at the same place repeatedly or not managing to break into a new onsighting level can knock the climber’s sense of inner balance off kilter.
Most climbers will probably cut you some slack if you yell a few obscenities when you fall off, as this is a generally accepted way of blowing off steam. It’s when you can’t let it go that the problems begin. The climber who falls off with a few well-placed expletives is normal, especially if she starts laughing at herself almost instantly, or even while cursing. The climber who carries on, kicking and screaming, and then lowers down and stomps off in a fury instantly casts a pall over everyone else at the cliff.
Even worse is the climber who rips into her belayer, blaming him for all of her failures and getting angry at him for no apparent reason. If the belayer or another climber offers a suggestion or says, “Nice try,” and the fallen climber snaps, “There wasn’t anything nice about it,” this sets a negative and awkward tone for everyone around. (Not that we all haven’t had our moments of weakness.)
Try to keep it in perspective. If failure on a particular route does start getting to you so that you can’t let it go and you’re not able to have fun anymore due to rising frustration levels, stop trying that route for awhile and climb something fun. It’s not fair to make other people weather your storm of anger with every climbing outing. Consider taking anger management courses if you can't help yourself.
Other Crag Noise Pollution
If you and your buddies are the only climbers present and you all want to listen to your music, go for it. However, the kindest action to take when others show up is to simply turn your portable speakers off. Even asking if it’s okay with them puts them on the spot of feeling like a joy-busting ogre if they prefer it quiet while they climb. If you want to listen to music while you climb, fine – just wear earphones.
Other potential crag noise problems include screaming babies, barking dogs and loud-mouthed beta-sprayers who can’t stop yelling unsolicited beta at anyone and everyone (though if beta is requested, the beta-giving is fine). Finally, the person who can’t help but jabber at your belayer while you are trying to climb is both a distraction and a safety hazard, as the belayer’s attention should always be on you, the climber.
Turning the Volume Down
Whenever you’re in the presence of other climbers, be considerate about how your actions, including your noise levels, impact the quality of their climbing experience. Don’t have tantrums or yell at your belayer or others when you’re frustrated. Keep your music personal. Turn your portable speakers off or wear earphones when other climbers show up. Leave fussy babies and unruly dogs at home. Don’t give unsolicited beta and don’t distract belayers by talking to them.
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