Categorizing your climbs (flash, onsight, redoint)

[NB_Gecko]

I was browsing on 8a.nu, and a question hit me:

How are people categorizing their climbs?

How can an outdoor climb be categorized as an onsight? I understand redpoint, flash, top rope and all that. I was just wondering how a onisght would work.

Would someone just "tell" the climber of a route somewhere? No beta and you can't look at the climb, so wouldn't that mean no guidebooks?

Just curious

[Climbing4life]

I was browsing on 8a.nu, and a question hit me:

How are people categorizing their climbs?

How can an outdoor climb be categorized as an onsight? I understand redpoint, flash, top rope and all that. I was just wondering how a onisght would work.

Would someone just "tell" the climber of a route somewhere? No beta and you can't look at the climb, so wouldn't that mean no guidebooks?

Just curious

ya it would be no previous knowledge of the route , other than the grade i beleive.

[NB_Gecko]

I was browsing on 8a.nu, and a question hit me:

How are people categorizing their climbs?

How can an outdoor climb be categorized as an onsight? I understand redpoint, flash, top rope and all that. I was just wondering how a onisght would work.

Would someone just "tell" the climber of a route somewhere? No beta and you can't look at the climb, so wouldn't that mean no guidebooks?

Just curious

ya it would be no previous knowledge of the route , other than the grade i beleive.

That's what I mean though. Then how'd a climber find it, know where to go on it, and where the top was.
I understand onsights at gyms and comps... cause they have no previous knowledge of the route. Right up until they're face to face with itand have to climb it. Competitors aren't even aloud to see it walking up to the problem.

So does that mean climbers are blindfolded hiking uo to a cliff? (I know they're not, just making a point)

[Climbing4life]

No blindfolds needed , you just can`t know the details of the route and you cant have tried it or ask anyone who has what to do.

[NB_Gecko]

Jeesh... The climbing community is a trusting one.

It must suck going to onsight something, about as difficult as avoiding a SuperBowl score because you missed the game.

[martha]

most guidebooks say little about the routes in question. Thus an Onsight is any route that you've never climbed and you lead ground up no falls the first time. A guidebook might say, 'a pumpy 40M climb with 7 bolts' 'or follow the small holds to an arete and climb 25m to the top'
That isn't enough info to ruin an onsight. Trust me.

the terms aren't used indoors except perhaps for Comps. since afterall... indoor climbing isn't 'real' climbing anyways.. just something to do in the off season or when it rains.

[NB_Gecko]

oh ok, see the guidebook thing was confusing me. I guess that it's a good point that you don't get enough info on it.

So a belayer (on a sport route where the climber comes back down) would get a flash instead of an onsight?

[NB_Gecko]

oh ok, see the guidebook thing was confusing me. I guess that it's a good point that you don't get enough info on it.

So a belayer (on a sport route where the climber comes back down) would get a flash instead of an onsight?

If said belayer was to give the route a go after.

[granite_grrl]

So a belayer (on a sport route where the climber comes back down) would get a flash instead of an onsight?

Most of the time, yes. If the belayer couldn't gather anything from the route from the previous climber I suposse they could still claim an onsight, but this now enters a grey zone and requires the climber to be honest with themselves.

[*Chris*]

...and after much debate and internal strife, you've got to ask the question: "Why does it matter?" Anyway, if you're really stuck on a fuzzy question like this just do what I do, round up!

Flash/Onsight? = Onsight
Redpoint/Pinkpoint? = Redpoint
Free/A0? = Free

Heck, if I climb an easy top rope I'll usually round that up to a lead cause I know I could if I had to.

Hope that clears things up!

[martha]

Heck, if I climb an easy top rope I'll usually round that up to a lead cause I know I could if I had to.

Hope that clears things up!

Oh you've made things Crystal Clear... that we can't believe a friggen word you say about anything to do with climbing!

[STeveA]

The best thing is to blindfold the belayer and put muffs on his ears. That way you do not ruin the onsight for him(her). You should probably make sure that there is lots of slack in the rope so that they do not get any feedback that might help them either.

[martha]

That is good advice Steve, nice of you to send your boys up as your rope gun. Keepin' em safe eh?

[STeveA]

Thats why I have 2 boys, at least 1 spare!

[chossmonkey]

Thats why I have 2 boys, at least 1 spare!

Now that is thinking!


You can also have the advantage of not needing to belay since you have one to hang draws and the other to belay. For that matter, I hope you make them carry all the gear so you just need to take a very small pack.

Bec and I might need to rethink the whole never have kids idea.

[granite_grrl]

Bec and I might need to rethink the whole never have kids idea.

No, we don't.

Besides, why do I need another draw monkey? Why do you think I keep you around?

[martha]

Honestly Rebecca, you might want to re-think that... Kids are WAY easier to deal with than husbands.