Funny "Euro" Practice

[mcgarnickle]

Ok, how is your definition of onsight subjective? It is exactly the same as I would have said, or as is accepted understanding by everyone. And please, here by everyone I don't mean some gumby who is outside toproping for the first time. I am talking about someone who's been climbing long enough to care about making an onsight.
Now without introducing some other random elements, such as gear being preplaced, stickclips, or other superfluous details, I really don't see any ambiguity or grayness in that definition. I mean hell, its almost legal!
The same thing for the other terms, redpoints and flashes. I am starting to just repeat myself at this point.

As far as the comparison to the grades, saying you can't define 5.10, that is true but only a bit. If nothing else, 5.10 can be quantitatively defined as being harder than 5.9 and easier than 5.11. That is inarguable, the values of those however are.

But check this out, since you already started proving my point by defining onsight the same as I would, lets play it this way: Give me an example of a climb which some other experienced climber would call onsight within the definition which both you and I share but we would not consider legitimate OS? Something to illustrate one of those gray areas you insist exist but do not specifically name.

Steve J

[Brendan]

neither agreeing nor disagreeing on the whole climbing up then downclimbing, resting, then freeing it after idea, but i feel it could be maybe possibly 'cheating,' if you will. i for one am guilty of doing this practice, but only a couple of feet off the ground. to climb up to the crux on Freewill, only to be shut down by the last few moves, then reverse the whole climb back through Gom Jabbar to the ground (highly unlikely, but a good example), then return later and climb it clean. this seems like that person would be almost rehearsing the moves, and ready for the pump/ crux. and in turn, climbing much more efficiently than the would have to begin w/. then to call it an OS? i appreciate the effort going into the send, but is it really and OS, or a 1's try (or 2nd try) redpoint??
my $0.02

[Pete L.]

In the climbing news recently Steve Mclure did a "real" onsight of a 14a route because as he stated he placed all the draws on the go.
This makes every other 14a onsight invalid if the definition of an onsight includes placing the draws. Gray area???

Here's a good addendum to the original post: go to 8a.nu - Articles - "Redpoit, Freepoint and Preclipping"

[mcgarnickle]

OK

Onsite: "Climbing the route from the ground up, first time, with no assistance, without falling, until you reach the top."

Two climbers both try to onsite a route.

Climber one has never heard of the route gets on it only knowing the grade, puts the draws up and sends it, without falling and the belayer is silent, there are no ticks or draws up which makes it hard because there are a lot of hidden holds and the clips are very strenous.

Climber two knows of the route because he's from the area and its a popular route. he tries it for the first time after seeing pictures of his friends pulling through the crux and rumours that the clips are hard and that there are hidden holds. He climbs it after a bunch of people session it so all the key holds are ticked with large chalk marks. He climbs to the crux and realizes he can't do it, down climbs to the ground and rest there for four hours, did I mention all of the clips are up and most are extended to make it easier to clip them from the rests, he tries to get through the crux again but finds he's not efficent enough on the bottom so down climbs and rests on the ground again, finally he has memorized the bottom sequence flies through the crux because there are tick marks on the hidden crux hold and sends the route.

Based on this post they are both Onsites. Here are the problems, with the definition:

"Climbing the route from the ground up, first time, with no assistance, without falling, until you reach the top."

first time= subjective due to the whole down climbing to the start and resting for hours

no assistance = subjective due to the 1000's of different types of assistance you can get.

If you want a pure cut and dry definition then it should truly be no assistance, in that case if you describe every onsite you think you've done we could probably poke holes in it. Most of the Onsites you see in magazines are BS because there is some form of assistance, draws up etc.

You can't ignore all these little things because they effect the difficulty of the route, as in my example.

As for the grading comment:

As far as the comparison to the grades, saying you can't define 5.10, that is true but only a bit. If nothing else, 5.10 can be quantitatively defined as being harder than 5.9 and easier than 5.11. That is inarguable, the values of those however are.

My point is grading is subjective, even in your example above, i agree 5.10 is harder than 5.9 an easier than 5.11 but my point is ALL OF THIS STUFF IS SUBJECTIVE, not cut and dry definitions.

Gary, the second climber did not make an onsight ascent by your (the one we agree on) definition of onsight. We both agree an onsight is made on the "first try". The second climber tried the route, went up and then downclimbed to the ground. He made two tries on the route. He send it on his third try yes? Who would call that onsight? Certainly not me, and probably not you, and probably nobody who agrees with the definition of onsight we used:
"Climbing the route from the ground up, first time, with no assistance, without falling, until you reach the top."

Let's forget about the grades thing, those are pretty much meaningless in their values, don't get me started on From Beneath You It Devours.. 12c LOL!

[mcgarnickle]

In the climbing news recently Steve Mclure did a "real" onsight of a 14a route because as he stated he placed all the draws on the go.
This makes every other 14a onsight invalid if the definition of an onsight includes placing the draws. Gray area???

Here's a good addendum to the original post: go to 8a.nu - Articles - "Redpoit, Freepoint and Preclipping"

Onsight has nothing at all to do with preplaced gear in that definition which Gary wrote and the one which is on 8a and we all use to update our scorecards. At least those of us who are not full of sh*t, you f@#ka$ know who you are.

So no, it does not invalidate all other previous onsights made on preplaced draws, and does not make this gray at all. Like I said, the definition is pretty damn airtight unless you start adding things to it which the definition does not name, such as gear.

[Pete L.]

Another example:
Dean Potter first made news by onsight free-soloing a 5.13 at Mill Creek, Utah.
He climbed up to the crux several times over several days before finally committing to the crux and sending the route.
Is this really an onsight??
The climbing media seemed to think it was.
Opinions?

[mcgarnickle]

Another example:
Dean Potter first made news by onsight free-soloing a 5.13 at Mill Creek, Utah.
He climbed up to the crux several times over several days before finally committing to the crux and sending the route.
Is this really an onsight??
The climbing media seemed to think it was.
Opinions?

This is like trying to debating the pending doom from the bird flu pandemic or whether Angelina Jolie is too thin or Paris Hilton was going to commit suicide in jail. Seriously, I think anybody who gobbles up the crap in the media at face value needs to have their head examined. This isn't personal so I hope I'm not offending you Pete because I know you are a bit above this.

Steve J

[Pete L.]

First off: Angelina Jolie is not too thin.
Second off: Paris who?
Third off: No offence taken. I've quite enjoyed the banter. Asinine or not.
Lastly: The original point of this thread seems to have been lost. I was not looking for a definition for "onsighting" or "redpointing" I was curious to see if anyone else out there fealt that the "up-climbing/down-climbing it's still an onsight" practice was b.s. I, for one, feel that it is.
That's it.

Back in town Steve? Good job on M.S. at R.R. Freakin' hard!

[mcgarnickle]

First off: Angelina Jolie is not too thin.
Second off: Paris who?
Third off: No offence taken. I've quite enjoyed the banter. Asinine or not.
Lastly: The original point of this thread seems to have been lost. I was not looking for a definition for "onsighting" or "redpointing" I was curious to see if anyone else out there fealt that the "up-climbing/down-climbing it's still an onsight" practice was b.s. I, for one, feel that it is.
That's it.

Back in town Steve? Good job on M.S. at R.R. Freakin' hard!

Yes, its stupid and and makes you a liar if you post it on 8a. And yes, I have been stinking around here for ages now it seems, hardly any climbing to speak of, except living vicariously thru others' achievements. Thanks alot you roadtripping pendejo ( I mean it nicely !

Oh and btw, M.S. is the most learnable route ever! First time up it seems real hard, but after a few burns, it gets hella easy. But thank you! Brilliant quality tho...

[Clive kessler]

If you can climb up to the crux then down climb to the ground without falling it is an onsight. Lets face it would probably be harder than just climbing the route. Imagine trying to downclimb from the 5th bolt on fleeing heifer.

This technique seems more ethical then some of the other practices onsighters have used. Climbing a nearby route - Climbing a tree - using a spoting scope.

Really who cares if one person calls it an onsight and another calls it an attempt...

PS anyone who uses 8a.nu does so because:

1) they are gay (put your own definition of 'gay' here)

2) they have no self esteem and need to show the how hard they can climb

3) they are the type of person who has a public debate about the definition of onsight

[Pete L.]

Don't forget the most important ones:

4) they have computers at home that allow them to log on.

5) they're under 6'6", have small man syndrome, and don't get to carry a gun on a regular basis.


I, do agree with you though on the "climbing a tree or a neighbouring route" approach. B.S. as well.
But, if you can elliminate a tough 3rd or 4th clip by the up climb/down climb tactics then you'll have given yourself an unfair advantage.

[MCpl]

How about lowering next to a route and checking out all the holds before trying to climb the route for the first time? Still onsight I guess.

But after reading all the post one can see the discrepencies in the accepted and defined definitions of onsight. Wikkipedia's definition:
On-sight
A clean ascent, with no prior practice or beta.

Yet we find the climbing community accepting downclimbing and reclimbing a route as onsight if the climber climbed the crux for the first time clean as ok. Sub-aside to that, there are some onsights that are easier because the draws are pre-placed, holds are chalked/ticked, etc. Still an onsight albeit soft. Perhaps to satisfy record keepers, there ought to be an option to tag the onsight as soft because of the afore mentioned aids.

The question now being which comunity do you want to be part of? People who care about what other climbers are doing (media, 8a.nu, stick-clipping first bolt, etc) or climbing for yourself?