I Climb... climb on <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
On belay <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Climbing <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
I love the exact instant when toes step off horizontal rock and meet vertical rock and the world turns 90 degrees and the new down is between me and the rock, not the other ground where my partner is. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

As Oldranger said - almost all climbing deaths occur alpine climbing not technical rock climbing. A few years ago they had like 3 deaths out of 50,000 person climbing days in yosemite valley - definitely safer than driving to yosemite. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Modern technical climbings belay system is way safer that climbing with older gear. With multiple pieces of protection and an anchored belayer with an automatic belay tool, there is little that even a beginner can do that is wrong enough to get you hurt. Some people need to have attentive partners who watch their every move, I'd rather have a partner that can catch me regarless of their attention or lack of it, or physical ability. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> I climbed extensively with a woman who weighed 85 pounds soaking wet, and I was about 180, dry.

However I mostly solo except on real routes in climbing areas. I have a lot of steep hard ryolite 30 feet from my back door - theres a 30 foot high lava flow that defines the back of my property, so I can tie on my shoes and walk out into the backyard and boulder. A traverse from one side to the other and back is around 250 feet. Enough to keep my fingers in shape. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

One of my routes starts by walking to end of the small boat dock, leaning over the pond and grabbing the rock, then swinging onto the rock and up the vertical rock above the pond. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Its a lot lighter to leave the gear at home - like 25 pounds each.

THE IMPORTANT PART
Climbing [technical rock] is about being absolutely 100% ON. Every move is preplanned and executed and you watch your toe lock on before averting your attention. Anything else is "thrashing" and it will tire you out and make you fall. You pull with only the force required and you move quickly, to pause is to expend energy not going up. Generally I use 2 point contact, that means I have one toe and some fingers locked on and the other hand and foot are moving together for their next purchases. Yes this is a violation of the "watch everymove" but as I said - generally, and it depends on how hard that piece of rock is to YOU because someone can just stroll across it and others will be forever spat off. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> On anything where I would be roped [except the crux], I would climb a lot faster than you would expect. The problem with using protection is it slows you down and can actually cause your death by benighting you. However as I said in another place - down climbing steep rock is more difficult than going up because you can't see your feet.
Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
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These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.