japan travel packages: Rock Climbing Etiquette Tips ? Don't Be a Route Hogger

: Avoid Route Hogging at Crowded Crags - Alli Rainey

Be considerate of others wanting to try the route you're climbing. Following a few simple guidelines can keep everyone at a crowded crag relatively happy.

At popular, crowded sport climbing areas, the limited number of rock climbing routes at each crag means that climbers often find themselves waiting in line to try the more popular outings. While this is to be expected, route-hogging can cause feelings of resentment, anger and frustration. Learn what qualifies as route-hogging, how to avoid participating in this unpleasant and impolite practice, and strategies for handling route-hoggers.

Route-Hogging 101

If you and your climbing partner are the only folks at the crag, you can feel free to take as long as you want on any given climbing route, so long as your partner is willing to belay you on it. However, if even one other climber wishes to try to the route you?re on, spending a lot of time on the route trying to work out individual moves can qualify as route-hogging. The more climbers waiting to try the route, the more you?re hogging it by taking your sweet time.

Other modes of route-hogging include the following:

Rapidly swapping turns on the same route back and forth with your climbing partner, not allowing any third parties to cut in and have a turn;
Showing up in a large group of climbers who must all have turns on one particular route, thereby cutting out anyone else at the crag who?s not in your group; and
Leaving your rope clipped into the first one or two draws on the route, or part or all of the way up, and then wandering off to belay your partner elsewhere. You?re thereby subtly staking your claim and daring another climber to be so bold as to ?cut in,? even while your attentions are occupied elsewhere. Note that leaving your rope clipped up isn?t a huge deal unless you return and freak out when you find another climber on the route.

How to Avoid Being a Route-Hogger

As a general rule, the longer the line of climbers waiting behind you to try a particular climbing route, the faster you should make an effort to get to the top and be done with it. If you?re close to sending, get on and give it your best. If you fall, either lower off or proceed to the top as quickly as possible.
If you?re not close to sending, don?t pretend you are by climbing up the relatively easy opening moves, and then taking a 20- or 30-minute rest, only to fall off on the first few moves out of the rest (unless, of course, they're the crux, and you are close to sending). Insisting to then work particular moves over and over again the rest of the way up the route only increases your hoggishness.
If you?re just working out moves, now is not the time to sort out and refine subtle beta. It is the time to have a good fitness burn and learn what you can as you move up from bolt to bolt as fast as you can. It?s okay to get on a route that you?re not close to sending ? it?s just not very cool or considerate to spend an hour or longer on it while others are waiting.
Do not have your partner lower you down repeatedly to try sections of the climb over and over again. This can wait for a less-crowded day. If that?s all you want to do, choose a less-popular route.
If only one other climber is waiting for the route you?re on, and you?re just trying to work out moves, inquire if they?re ready to climb, and let them know that you will come down whenever they are ready ? especially if you know that they?re close to sending or giving the route a solid redpoint burn.
If you?re in a large group and everyone wants a turn on the same route, look around and be considerate of others not in your group who want a turn. Invite them to go in between members of your group.
When you lower off, untie as quickly as you can and pull your rope. Do not converse with your belayer about moves on the route while you remain tied in and keep everyone else waiting.

Handling Route Hoggers

Handling route hoggers can be extremely difficult, since those climbers who tend toward this hoggish behavior often take their climbing particularly seriously. They will often become offended at the very suggestion that they?re taking too much time ? never mind that they?ll be the same people who will be perturbed by the presence of so many others wanting to try their project. Generally speaking, with route-hoggers, you have several options that don't require you to resort to rude or childish behavior:

You can ask nicely if you can have a turn soon, explaining that you?re ready to send or trying to redpoint.
You can simply wait your turn.
You can risk a tongue-lashing and/or all-out altercation should you dare to gently suggest that the route-hogger should end his attempt now/soon.
You can choose to try another route that doesn?t have a queue and/or a route-hogger in that queue.

Saying No to Hoggish Climbing Behavior

Don?t take an inordinate amount of time on a particular route when other climbers are waiting to climb it. If you?re not trying to onsight or redpoint, get to the anchors as quickly as you can, and save the beta-intensive work session for a less-crowded day. When you lower off the climb, untie and pull your rope immediately. If you want to try the route again, secure a place in line behind the other climbers waiting to try it. Try to handle route-hoggers as politely and patiently as possible to avoid making the crag feel awkward and uncomfortable for everyone else.

Copyright Alli Rainey. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication. Alli Rainey, professional rock climber and writer, Jody Mayer