Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

When is an Onsight an Onsight 11-May-2005 At 2:05:09 PM Ronny

Message

This debate illustrates the impossibility of attempting to elevate the word "onsight" to mean more than it does. This is all about trying to classify ascents with one word descriptions (ie "flash", "onsight" or whatever).

Surely 'onsight' is a word which has no meaning other than the extent of beta known about the route. The three options pretty much being no knowledge ("onsight"), second hand knowledge ("flash") or first hand knowledge ("redpoint")

So if you want to qualify the ascent any further you need to add more words! like "onsight gear in hand" (good work) "onsight gear in place" (still pretty good - but not as good as the first) or even (shock horror) "onsight on a top rope" (pretty average really).

Or maybe even other words "onsight gear in hand in the rain with no shoes and not using thumbs or heal hooks"?!?!
how far do we take the elevtion of the word "onsight" to mean more than a single word can? its pointless to do this. "onsight" relates to beta - and only beta. if you want to know more, say more.
James