In What Direction is the Climbing Community Going? Have We Lost Our Sense of Camaraderie?

In What Direction is the Climbing Community Going? Have We Lost Our Sense of Camaraderie?

by Anthony Lapomardo

 

The last couple nights have been filled with back and forth conversations…both good and bad. The topic, in what direction is the climbing community going. Not the heaviest philosophical conversation…although the word Hell was used…just not in the way I was hoping for.

Ignorance is bliss; three years ago I was concerned solely with bouldering at my local crag and shooting the shit with friends about how they punted on the top out. Young…dumb...and…   However, sitting at my lap top I had lost that “young” optimism, the kind that said we are all here for each other. Instead I typed to a buddy in Utah, “Where the Fuck are we going?” and by “we” I meant the climbing community. 

 

Let’s recap:

 

In the past week I watched as a community of climbers viciously attacked a quality athlete for mistakes he made when he was young. Both sides had their points in the argument, pissing and moaning, playing that he said she said crap that you did when you got in trouble at home. The Internet was over flowing with finger pointing and blindly spraying “anonymous” hateful messages because people had nothing better to do, they hated the person, or simply because that has been what they had been taught was the right thing to do in our community. 

An isolated incident is the term used when a variable does not fit the given set of data. Was this incident a blip, a moment of social ignorance? No, two days turned up another great example.

 

Surfing through the net…when I should be categorizing my inventory I ran through a list of ruthless comments geared towards…wait for it…an eight year old! Yes, the recent news that an eight year old pulled a V10 in Hueco was enough to inspire hoards of “adults” to parade online and attack the accuracy of her ascent. “She was lifted to the start, that’s not how that problem goes; she has small fingers, should she even be climbing?” Line after line was filled with technical jargon from would be experts issuing their bonafide opinions about whether or not this girl should even be pulling…let alone attempting a V10. It took me another 2 minutes to actually find “Good Job” and “Keep Pulling” and my favorite, “they are jealous cus they can’t pull.” All comments left anonymously because of the anonymity of the internet, and all overwhelmingly negative.

 

Finally, this morning I came in and ignoring my inventory once again I surfed upon a “disagreement” of ethics between two of our sport’s premier athletes. The conversation between both athletes was civil, balanced, and in the end a great example of the way in which our community should be moving. However, clicking on the comments tab of both articles I opened up to, “Jerk, Elitist, I can’t believe his crap, and even Go Climb Somewhere Else!” Granted none of these comments came from the athletes, but they certainly were highlights of our community. The argument had been going on for quite awhile and both athletes had obvious holes in their stories, where in allowances were made that simply negated the logic…when logic could be found. And reading the athletes responses did not improve my spirits, although balanced and civil both athletes ignored basic courtesies on a simple human level…forget the sport…but as people.

 

The talk lately is enough to make any beginner in our sport hang up their shoes or at the very least go climb in anonymity like a bum who rejects society and prefers to voyage through trash in the dumpster, out of sight out of mind so to speak. We need to progress to a level where we lift both our athletes and members of our community to a level that is human…or at least respectable. It is a sad condition that has been rearing its ugly head…especially in the last couple of months. But these times can also be used for growth and humility, if you need an example I suggest you look here www.joekindkid.com and read his response to the attacks he faced. Humility is something many people lack and may never find, but understanding is what we need and we will only reach by dialogue and not hateful spew messages, we need an open back and forth that looks to resolve an issue.

 

So the next time you log on to the net to discredit another boulder problem that is given the grade V16...pause…and shift back from your keyboard, consider the impact your comment can make…and better yet…what type of source are you? 

 

My conversations with my friend in Utah have not turned upward, they continue to beg the question why, and although my pessimism is running on an all time high, I believe the climbing community has the ability to prove me wrong.