Drawing the line between hiker and climber

[hikerbrian]

Slab/warm up shoes, overhang shoes, gym/steep trad shoes (L-R) Rope is in the black rope bag

oh and not shown is my BD climbing pack, 2 crash pads, chalk pot, gym rope, and stick clip

Stick clips are for hikers. Teehee

 

[Remix]

Oddly enough this question is very important for optional disability insurance from AFLAC. Years ago (and maybe even now) they would not underwrite you if you participated in "mountaineering", according to the insurance agent. (as well as other thinks like being a private pilot or ever having back pain etc). However, the insurance agent told me that hiking was OK. But is that hiking with crampons and an ice axe, but no rope?

Etc etc.

The final solution was to shop around and I saved quite a bit of money for the same policy with less ambiguous exclusions from another insurance comapny.

 

[peakbagger]

At least the insurance agent discussed this upfront, I expect there are folks out there who could be excluded after the fact due to their hobbies. Better to find out up front than after the fact.

 

[hikerbrian]

i do not think that means what you think it means....

?

You've never heard it suggested that anyone who uses a stick clip is clearly a hiker, and probably a pack sniffer? WELL, allow me to be the first...

Also, anyone who leads .12a should find that funny

 

[Dave Bear]

At least the insurance agent discussed this upfront, I expect there are folks out there who could be excluded after the fact due to their hobbies. Better to find out up front than after the fact.

This is exactly why I commented as I did on this thread. Due to hike safe guidelines and common sense there are times when certain gear is important but should not throw you into a category where your policy would be void! I'm not about bragging rights as a climber or mountaineer and consider what I do hiking on and off trail and camping all seasons. I'm on adventure trips not ego trips and if something unfortunate happens I would like to know that a policy paid would be valid and it is tough to get agents to define their guidlines, much less put it in print!

 

[skiguy]

?

You've never heard it suggested that anyone who uses a stick clip is clearly a hiker, and probably a pack sniffer? WELL, allow me to be the first...

Also, anyone who leads .12a should find that funny

As long as we are into semantics it seems according to some Gym Rats are not Climbers.

 

[Red Oak]

yea never heard that one. been called a lot of things because i stick clip some stuff.. but the amount of people who ask to borrow it lets me know that people are a lot of talk In the end folks value their ankles more than their false bravado

Are you just not really just a rock climber,if you do not do winter?According to this thread, I am class/grade 3 or 4 climber/hiker.Funny always thought I was in a class of my own!
Will you give you props jake d for extolling the greatness of summer rock climbing on a site known for it winter hikers/climbers[did you know some on this site have climbed Everest,Denali and Aconcagua!]Love to hear their thoughts...peace

 

[Billy]

This blowhard I went to college with happened to play
on the college baseball team. For some reason he thought
that was significant. He had a bumper-sticker on his car
that said:

SOFTBALL IS FOR EVERYONE
BASEBALL IS FOR AHTLETES

The fact that this a-hole couldn't go from first to third
without requiring CPR is beside the point. The arrogant
tone of the bumper sticker (misplaced arrogance at that!)
is what made us all role our eyes.

This thread, which started out fine, is starting to drift
in that all too predictable direction.

 

[hikerbrian]

yea never heard that one. been called a lot of things because i stick clip some stuff.. but the amount of people who ask to borrow it lets me know that people are a lot of talk In the end folks value their ankles more than their false bravado

Just doing my part to keep the mood light, as these threads can turn into a "look how hardcore I am" spray fest. Boring.

Speaking of boring, I just got done reading the fine print on my life insurance policy, and I'm still not completely clear on whether things I do might be excluded. Time to make some phone calls. I read most of this thread as semantics, but I'm thinking now that the definition could be pretty important. Good catch Dave Bear and others.

Also, skiguy, Urban Dictionary is so awesome...did you check out the other definitions of climber??!

 

[skiguy]

Also, skiguy, Urban Dictionary is so awesome...did you check out the other definitions of climber??!

No doubt. Ironically IMO if you plug in "Hiker" you get a definition a bit too illicit for this site.

 

[jfb]

Some of you may enjoy reading this. It was written before gym and sport climbing were invented.

 

[JCarter]

I think if you pack your bag and say "i'm going climbing" you will know if you are going climbing or not I know when I go hiking, my climbing gear in it's entirety stays home.

climbing gear
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Socjake/IMG_0192.jpg

hiking gear
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Socjake/Hiking/IMG_0278.jpg

Am I the only one thinks it's funny that climbing gear doesn't include TP?

 

[skiguy]

Am I the only one thinks it's funny that climbing gear doesn't include TP?

You have to be a "Big Wall CLIMBER" for that. Not to mention other accessories.
http://www.supertopo.com/a/How-to-Big-Wall-Climb-The-Bivy-Food-and-Water/a10575n.html

 

[Dave Bear]

...or that the hiking gear includes too much! Some people are full of it! But like I always say, "If you don't like people you've found yourself on the wrong damn planet!";-)

 

[jfb]

Am I the only one thinks it's funny that climbing gear doesn't include TP?

Many popular climbing areas have outhouses or port-a-potties near the parking lots.

 

[Dave Bear]

Some of you may enjoy reading this. It was written before gym and sport climbing were invented.

Love it! Could only browse it for now but its a good read. In some respects games evolve and technolgy follows so the caliber of the new players may fall well short of those that came before! By the nature of when you were born on this planet and trips around the sun you may not be close to the likes of Washburn and many others who have passed on! And he was known to play on snow and ice from time to time!;-)

 

[DougPaul]

Some of you may enjoy reading this. It was written before gym and sport climbing were invented.

One of the classics of the field...

Doug

 

[Raven]

This blowhard I went to college with happened to play
on the college baseball team. For some reason he thought
that was significant. He had a bumper-sticker on his car
that said:

SOFTBALL IS FOR EVERYONE
BASEBALL IS FOR AHTLETES

The fact that this a-hole couldn't go from first to third
without requiring CPR is beside the point. The arrogant
tone of the bumper sticker (misplaced arrogance at that!)
is what made us all role our eyes.

This thread, which started out fine, is starting to drift
in that all too predictable direction.

funny - what comes to my mind are a number of pitchers in MLB who can't run the bases without getting winded because their cardiovascular conditioning is non-existent. Incredibly talented? Yes. Athlete? You decide. In MLB, there are major differences between positions.

Regarding hiking and climbing, I look at it this way: I'm hiking most of the time, mountaineering if I have an axe and crampons, and I'm climbing if I fall by letting go with my hands.

 

[Puma concolor]

I'm not sure where I said that technical routes like Everest, Denali, etc were not climbing.

So the West Buttress Route on Denali would be what? And don't say "mountaineering." Is it hiking or is it climbing?

 

[Puma concolor]

http://mountainproject.com/v/west-buttress/105953883

Looks like steep hiking.

Got it.