Tick marks

[hans]

I took a lap up Banana Peel yesterday and couldn't believe all the tick marks on the "key holds". Some of them were over a foot long. I noticed this on Angels Crest last year as well.

I can't imagine why this is necessary, or who would do it.

[NateDoggOG]

Might not be so much tick marks, just the fact that everyone and their grandma climbs that route...... sometimes more than once a day. It's not like there is any super secret beta for the climb either......

[smallman]

Because gym climbers lack the ability to problem solve anything without tape marking the sequence?

[MarkR]

Because gym climbers lack the ability to problem solve anything without tape marking the sequence?

Good point, I should start bringing out tape on multipitches.

[jstod]

I've noticed the same over the past couple seasons and find it to be a really bothersome trend…

While I'm more or less resigned to (but not necessarily stoked about) the presence of tick marks at sport crags, I've started seeing them more and more on classic multi-pitch routes as well as single pitch trad test-pieces - which I don't think is right.

Some routes that I saw that were noticeably ticked last summer:

Clean Crack
Caboose
Crime of the Century
Kangaroo Corner
Ultimate Everything
Grand Wall
Rock On
Perspective
Great Game
Right Wing

and even a newer route - Squeamishness

I feel each of the single pitch climbs listed above should stand as classic onsight test pieces. A 5.10- trad climber can probably workout the moves on crime of the century with enough ticking and rehearsal but sometimes there's real value and satisfaction in building your climbing and giving the on-sight a legitimate go. Tick marks ruin everyone's chance at that kind of experience and I think should be viewed as a hostile assertion of indoor ethic over the greater climbing community.

As for ticking on multi-pitch climbs? Again, WTF?

Three seasons ago I was climbing behind a group of ACMG Asst Rock hopefuls who were "guiding" the examiners up Peasants Route. One of the students was ticking-up a storm, which has me wondering whether the ACMG has embraced this practice?

In the end, if you're going to tick, wipe it off immediately when you're done, but I feel as a community we should greatly discourage ticking in Squamish (or at least in non-sport crags).

My 2 cents….

Julian

[relic]

Don't reck my send of Banana Peeled man! I'm going for the head-point ascent free climbed. Ticks are part of my send routines.

[dakine]

Personally I like to use coloured chalk (the stuff used on blackboards) on trad routes. I colour match for cam and stopper placement. Then for hand and foot ticks I use the white ones but make sure I put (LF) (RH) respectively.