Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Hardest route repeat 7-Jun-2005 At 11:34:49 PM SteveH

Message

It is funny how this community of climbers works, with a diverse range of groups or even sub-communities existing under this climbing community umbrella.

Surfers hate body-boarders etc. Everyone seems to love to hate, in life and sport. The same seems true in climbing.

It appears that the small elitist community in the Blue Mountains has several groups. It is my perception that in these groups peers stroke each other ego's and share, beta and ethics, (even gossip and scandel) to both create their community feel, and to help encourage themselves and each other to push their climbing abilities further.

I think the combintation of ego stroking, idolising and respect all contribute to some of the rubbish that happens.

If a climber chooses to glue a hold on, chip a hold or anything similar they need to be able to justify it firstly to themself and secondly to their peers. In such a tight knit community where relatively few people are directly affected by these actions, it must be easy to justify it to a few peers, who may allow it or accept it because they respect you or like you. These peers may then use those actions to justify their future actions and again it just becomes a chase of the numbers.

It is a shame that things got/get so personal in a forum, where people misinterperate things, misread/write things, hide behind aliases, send in friends etc.

People make mistakes and if we choose to live a lifetime (or long time) in a sport or community, we are all bound to make mistakes. Even ethics, views and passions change over time, I know they have for me. As too have the different things I get out of climbing at different times.

I have recently been in a position that revolves largely around politics with friends, peers and people I respect. I have come to recognise that opinions differ, people want different things for different agenda's. It is OK to disagree, things even get heated at times, but at the end of the day it is important to remain respectful to your friends and peers but also to yourself.

I would love to see (hell I'd even by the beer/coffee) Ben and Simon sit down for a beer/coffee and talk about some routes the've climbed or places they've been and develop/redevelop a mutual respect for each other, other than the anomosity that seems to exist entirely from flaming and BS on a forum.

Ben you climb hard and have made (and admitted to) mistakes. Unfortunately one of these is irreversable, but maybe you will train up and get the FA of Australias first 35 in impeccible style. That would be cool.

Simon you are passionate about what you believe in and live in this community and as I see it you therefore felt compelled to state publicy your distaste for the original incident that occured and try to have it recorded it accurately. I also believe from speaking to you and from reading what you write, that you are ready to move on from it. Mistakes have been made, admitted, and learnt from. Maybe you can be there to photograph Bens ascent of this hyopthetical 35?

Its late and I'm tired, so I hope this made sense. I will re-read it in the morning and edit it if appropriate.

Steve