The big olive green diesel monster outside the gate came to life. We filed in behind it, hands full of ammo boxes full of pitons, biners, and other assorted paraphernalia. I felt like we were going to war. Like I was slap-dab in the middle of Vietnam. Packed into the back of a truck. Gear filling every available space not occupied by a body. On a hard wooden seat. Roaring down the highway. Wind whipping the cold air. Clove cigarette burning. En-route to god knows where. Rock climbing. Don’t be scared. Let’s get after it!

I almost can’t explain the kind of nervous anticipation that I felt that day. I was in a foreign country, in a town that until two days ago I had never heard of, in the back of a military vehicle with a bunch of people I just met, on my way to a place that I didn’t know the name of, or where it was, or what it looked like.

We turned off the main road suddenly and began driving up uneven terrain, through thick vegetation, on non-existent suspension.  Some of the guys in the truck behind us hopped out as soon as we began climbing the hill. Foresight. Wooden seats and bony asses don’t make for a nice ride in the back country.

We filed out of the vehicles and hauled all of the gear to a level dirt platform. Tarps were being strung up from trees. Boxes stacked. Gear unpacked. This is it, home sweet home for the next 48 hours. Everyone else seems to have a role, or a place, or know what the hell is going on, but not me. I can barely speak the language and the three people who speak the most English were already indisposed.

The approach

Hardware

Piles of pitons

On a tarp laid-out in front of us heaps and heaps of climbing gear was put on display for the curious audience. Broken biners and snapped figure 8′s gave warning of improper use and the possibility of equipment failure. Bespoke, homemade climbing equipment to the likes which I had never seen lie in a small pile before me. Later, Mr. Tedi would tell me that they often used to make their own gear, a simple neccesity due to the lack of proper equipment available in Indonesia. The custom equipment seemed a throwback to the days of yore when DIY wasn’t a choice or an attitude, it was the only way. A time when real problem solving skills were neccesary, because a climber couldn’t place the piece of gear that was going allow them to send the route because the piece of gear hadn’t been invented yet.

In any case, the initial demonstration finished, Mr.Tedi released us onto the walls behind him. Limestone, southeast Asia’s geological standard, but different somehow. Dusty. Smaller Edges. Less dramatic features. But hard, and hard to climb on.

Rosid, my "chaperon," showing me how it's done.

annnnnd this is a photo of me being out climbed by a girl with no shoes on.

The scene at 125 wall

Lunch Time.

Demas beckoned and told Rosid and I that it was time for lunch. Sweet, desperately flailing is tiresome, hunger-inducing business. Maybe Rosid had mentioned something to Demas about my stomach sickness from the weeks before. Or maybe Demas thought that I might not like the local food. But I was handed a box of savory western looking pastries as giant steamy bowls of hot rice were being unveiled. Trying to parse meaning from simple actions and inquiring about them without offending your hosts is delicate business when language barriers and cultural misunderstandings are a possibility. Everyone besides me is hunkering down over their hot plates of rice. All kinds of strange foods fill serving bowls before them. Chilis, veggies, and eggs being stuffed into hungry mouths by rice covered fingers. Look back down at the white perfectly geometrical box in my hands. Feel that I am some how missing out.

Dude, frack this.

I will always be eternally grateful to my hosts for being as caring and as thoughtful as they were, but I felt like a bit of a princess standing there with my flash treats while everybody else ate real meals. I just wanted to be one of the boys. Im still not exactly sure why I had received the pastries, but eventually Rosid motioned me over and pressed a bowl into my hand. GAME OVER! Perhaps I should have heeded the warnings and sat there eating my little box of westernization. But alas, I am a traveler and have come here for a taste of something new. Rice and greens goes down the hatch like a champ. Lovin’ it. Every single minute of it. I’m eating everything. EVERYTHING! Jenkel, never heard of the stuff but give me some anyway. Makes your breath smell like pee they say. Down the hatch. Fermented, gritty salted preserved egg thingy with liquidy looking goey center. Down the hatch. Look at me, experiencing the world, having adventures, trying strange new foods.  It would take less than 48 hours for this moment to destroy my whole world, leaving me in a decimated weakened state of dismay, the squat potty would become my new best friend.  In any case, that hasn’t happened yet, so back to the present, back to the good times!!! Times were so good then. Let’s focus on that.

Z-pulley system demo

SF 328 member showing great form

Summit Lookout

There was a continuous string of climbing tutorials happening through out the day. We learned how to created a Z-pulley system with two ascenders for vertical rescue, how to use etriers and ascenders for……ascending, locking off figure 8′s and atc’s for descending, placing active and passive pro, AND …..this the best part…….Hammering, weighting, and removing pitons. A skill that will hopefully see some action one day. God willing.

And that’s basically it. We climbed until the sunset that day. Camped in the fresh open air that night. Got a few climbs in in the morning and called it quits. Packed up the truck and got back to base camp in time for lunch.

Indonesia was such a great adventure. Thanks again to all of the interesting and wonderful people I met out there. If you’re ever going to be in Indonesia I’d highly suggest bringing your shoes and a harness with you. With a little bit of diligence you might find yourself sport climbing in Bandung or Surowiti, multi-pitching at Spikul or Kelud, beach climbing in Bali or yogyakarta, or gym climbing in Surabaya.

- “I have spent the past two years traveling the globe on rock climbing. Climbing has allowed me to access to places and cultural experiences that would have been nearly impossible to experience other wise. That is what I wish to share most of all. The idea that rock climbing is more than just a crag, or about the grades, or a set of friends at the gym. Rock Climbing is a key. And possibly your gateway to the world.” Check out my tumblr ( http://pencilfingers.tumblr.com/ ) for more things travel and climbing related. – Jean-Pierre Chery

The crew

Farewell my friends

Miss Representation: Statistics

(Source: http://www.missrepresentation.org/)

The documentary explores how the media represents women in movies, tv shows, ads, politics, and the news. Specifically, in the context of the United States, the message given to women and girls is that their value comes from their body and physical appearance. Regardless of academic, political, and professional achievements, what matters the most in how they look. The media plays a role in shaping this discourse and reinforcing this in a variety of ways. From developing simple, one dimensional, female character’s who’s action’s revolve around getting a boyfriend, getting married, and having a baby, to reality TV female characters that mainly cat-fight, back stab, and call into question the other women’s sexual past, the media presents a limited representation of how to be a women. In terms of representation, women comprise 7% of directors and 13% of film writers in the top 250 grossing films. Women make up 51 percent of the US population but only 17 percent of Congress.

These limiting roles leave young girls with no alternative messages and many try to live up to unrealistic definitions of beauty. Ads play on these messages and use harmful gender stereotypes with images that reinforce unhealthy, unrealistic expectations of beauty, perfection, and limited messages on sexuality. According to the film, “the number of cosmetic surgical procedures performed on youth 18 or younger more than tripled from 1997 to 2007. Among youth 18 and younger, liposuction nearly quadrupled between 1997 and 2007 and breast augmentations increased nearly six-fold in the same 10-year period.65% of American women and girls report disordered eating behaviors.”

Not only does this hurt women, but it also hurt’s men as well. According to Kilbourne, “the negative and distorted image of women deeply affects not only how men feel about women, but also how men feel about everything that gets labeled feminine by the culture – qualities like compassion, cooperation, empathy, intuition, and sensitivity. Human beings should share the whole range of human qualities – strong and gentle, logical and intuitive, powerful and nurturing – and not be told one sex can have only one set of human qualities and one sex only the other.” There are many ways in which people do gender, and the media only offers one limited, heteronormative image. If you have the chance, watch the documentary. I highly recommend it.

To learn more check out:

I: Jean Kilbourne Killing US Softly videos easily found online.

II. Tough Guise: Violence, Media and the Crisis in Masculinity.  View intro on You Tube.

III. Beyond Rhythm and Rhymes: Documentary that examines representations of gender roles in hip-hop and rap music

Massive thank you to Minna Kim for putting this whole event together and organizing the fundraiser to host the viewing!

For those who didn’t come, Minna organized BKB’s first ever women’s climb-a-thon as a fundraiser to host the film. It was awesome! Everyone who participated took shifts and rotated between climbing, belaying, and counting. Pretty much, each individual had to climb the wall as many times as they could in 30 min. Doing it on the auto-belay felt like doing wind sprints. Strongly recommend trying that for a cardio work out.

Spring is in the air and the climbers are too!  And what good is working in a climbing gym if you can’t get out there for the real deal some time?  High Xposure Adventures, a New Paltz based guiding service, recognized this and kindly invited us up for a staff day in their home crag, the Gunks!  We were totally psyched to go, but an immediate problem presented itself:  The staff-car ratio here is about 1-27, and strangely, we didn’t feel like cycling the 90 picturesque miles…

Not to fear gym rats, it’s Brooklyn Outfitters to the rescue!  BKO operates out of the metro area, leading outdoor excursions for the urban adventure enthusiast (that’s us!).  We met Friday morning at Brooklyn Boulders, and with their huge van there was room for us all.  We were cruising up the FDR to the cliffs by 8am.  Some of us had never been out on real rock, so you can imagine the psyche was pretty high.

We arrived in the parking lot on the Mohonk Preserve and met Bobby Ferrari, veteran climbing guide/instructor and proprietor of High Xposure adventures.  He equipped us with what gear we still needed and prepared us for what to expect in the day ahead.  Once ready we hiked up the approach trail, with the colossal quartz conglomerate which makes up the Shawangunk Ridge looming over head.  It took about 10 minutes to get to The Mac Wall - a spectacular section of the cliff with classic routes for every level (5.3-5.11).  Bobby’s crew had already set up ropes for us on MF, Coexistence, and Higher Stannard.  They’re all hard routes, clearly the High X guys knew the Brooklyn crew was comin’ too represent, and the gloves were off!  We pumped our way up those – check out Pierce rocking the roof on MF - and did what we could to make it look pretty too.  That sh*t was hard yo!

In the afternoon, Lorenzo and I took up the sharp end on Something Interesting and Three Pines, respectively.  Lorenzo strung both pitches together on double ropes, and crushed elegantly.  For me it was fun to get back on Three Pines – site of my very first lead many moons ago.  We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day, it was sunny and breezy, in the low 70’s.  The weather was perfect for climbing, and we went non-stop up and down all day like yo-yos.  Bobby and his crew gave us great beta for technique, and encouragement to push on routes we might have thought were out of our league.

The crew out there was just like an extension of what we’ve got on the mats back in BK.  Everyone was warm and positive, and we all had such a killer time.  By the end of the day we were totally destroyed – veins popping out of our arms, dirty, sweaty and happy.  And similar to enjoying  Sheep Station after a good session at BKB, we stopped at the Mountain Brauhaus for some good Bavarian refreshment before hitting the trail back to Brooklyn.

All in all we had an awesome day up at the Gunks, and got totally pumped out.  High Xposure Adventures and Brooklyn Outfitters sure know how to show a climber a good time. You can’t go wrong somewhere as beautiful as the Mohonk Preserve. This trip marked the first of a series that we’re running from the gym from now on.   So check them out, and if you’d like to come along you should totally sign up!

For information you can check out the details here from Brooklyn Outfitters.

And don’t forget to have a look at our photos from the day on Facebook!

We’ll see you at the cliffs!

I used almonds and almond butter for this recipe, but if you are allergic to nuts you can easily replace this with peanuts and peanut butter.  Common misconception, but peanuts are legumes, not nuts. Both nuts and peanuts provide a great source of protein which is pretty important for a diet, especially athletes. Most American’s have a pretty heavy diet in protein, especially animal protein, which can be a problem since this type of protein inhibits the body from absorbing calcium. The great thing about nuts and legumes is that they offer protein and fat in a form that the body can convert into energy without negating calcium and mineral absorption.

Ingredients

 Ingredients:

Dry:

3 cups oats

1/2 cup dried apricots

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup almonds- chopped up

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbs ground flax seeds

1 cup chocolate chips

Wet:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup maple syrup or agave

1 1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and oil a 9×12 pan.

2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Dry ingredients

3. Add wet ingredients. Be generous with the almond butter.

4. This is a fun part, use your clean hands to mix the ingredients and insure that the almond butter is evenly distributed.

5. Place mixture into the oiled pan, make sure it is evenly spread out, and bake for 35 min for chewy granola bars. If you prefer crunchier, bake another 5-10 min.

For a little extra fun, I drizzled melted chocolate over the granola bars once they cooled, and then covered them with toasted coconuts shreds. Then I sprinkled on some salt crystals. This recipe is entirely vegan friendly.

Have fun with these! You can add whatever dried fruit, nuts, and seeds you like.

Granola Bars

If you want to learn more about eating for exercise here is a place to start: http://www.nutrition.gov/smart-nutrition-101/healthy-eating/eating-exercise-and-sports

Just in the nick of time. Always. Just in the nick of time.

One evening on the ride home after closing the gym in Surabaya, Eman projects his voice to the two “young” travelers in the back seat.

“Rosid’s going to Bandung tomorrow. There’s probably going to be outdoor climbing involved. ”

I was meant to be leaving Surabaya and flying to Jakarta in a week or so, but this……….this……had adventure written alll over it. Where the hell was Bandung? I lemented the idea of having to leave my hosts and newly made friends so abruptly, but this seemed a rare and fleeting opportunity, a chance to go and see places that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to. By the time we arrived at Eman’s house I had made up my mind. There was no way I could pass this up………….the only problem being that my passport was at the immigration office and Rosid was leaving for the train station in the afternoon. I’d have to be quick. The next day found me waiting in a hot room with a million sweat pounds of impatient people. Finally, my number was called, the fee was paid, and I began to walk out of the office with a freshly stamped passport, valid for another 30 days. BUT WAIT! What the hell was this?!? I glanced down to beam over my new passport bling and noticed that the “new” expiration date on my visa (the one that he just stamped)expired TWO WEEKS AGO. This guy’s trying to get me locked up in prison.

I return to the desk with the erroneously stamped book. “Oh, sorry,” the man says. And then proceeds to just use white out to change the date and sign his signature next to the white out. Really? Why didn’t I just do that in the first place? There was barely enough time to catch Rosid before he left the gym, and barely enough time to catch the train before it left town. Barely, but enough. We pulled out of the station two men and four ginormous bags jammed into two tiny seats, my skinny knees almost rubbing the wall in front. But we were on our way. Only 16 hours from God knows where.

When I awoke another world unfurled before my eyes, a shifty haze of far off mountain vignettes full of kelly green blobs of life. Rice patties reflecting the vision of the sun. Rural homes built only from the materials of their surroundings, sulked heavily in the wetness of early dawn. I am surprised. This is not the urban metropolis to which I closed my eyes. Be still my heart. The beauty. These are the mountains of my mind. Grab camera. Shoot til full.

Bandung

On a foggy morning, Demas, Rosid’s contact from Indonesia Climbing Expeddition comes to pick us up in the rescue jeep. The air is different here in Bandung. It’s cool, and moist, the way mountain air should be. We stop at a place for breakfast on our way back to the Indonesia Climbing Expeditions headquarters.

“Bubur Ayam?” Demas asks.

“I’m sorry what?” I say. Trying to recall my tiny lexicon of Indonesian phrases.

“Have you had Bubur Ayam?” He says. “It’s like a rice porridge with chicken, the specialty of Bandung.”

I hadn’t and was stoked at the prospect of trying something new, something I had never heard of. We sat and mowed down the steamy bowls of rice porridge, chopped chicken, and sweet sauce while Rosid and Demas got down to business. We were here to sell gear. Well………….., Rosid was here to sell gear. I was just kind of along for the ride.

“Have you had this one?” Demas asks. Pulling a pack out of his pocket. “Local cigarettes.”

Clove cigarettes. Fragrant and spicy, like smoking something out of your grannies spice rack. We stayed lingering in the morning calm. Coffee and cigarettes. Until the end of early dawn.

Base Camp

When we rolled into the home of Tedi Ixdiana (a.k.a. Base Camp) that morning, I felt like Peter Pan happening upon the hide out of the lost boys. Some kids clambered up the 12 foot climbing wall to gain access to the second floor, no stairs. Climbing posters, magazine articles, and yellowed photographs tatted the walls. A group of young men sat around a concrete table smoking clove cigarettes, some using military ammo boxes as seats. There were bowling ball sized rocks on the floor full of drilled holes and rusting bolts. A glass display case housed shiny odds and ends. Some familiar. Others, a complete mystery.

Demas introduced me to everyone and we sat around for a while staring at each other trying to figure out how to bridge the language gap. Heaps of Indonesian treats were accumulating on the table as more and more people showed up. “Tomorrow,” Demas said. “We’re going to climb with the Indonesian Special Forces.”

328

We passed the day cruising aroung Bandung glad handing store owners and showing off Rosid’s climbing gear. Finally back at Base Camp, the hot day simmered down into cool evening. The sound of hot diesel now churning outside the gate. Must be Special Forces group 328. We were a tired listless bunch before they arrived, tuckered out from the day’s tasks. But even in normal everyday life SF328 takes no prisoners. Second wind.

The group of ten or so soldiers rolled in and lit the place up with their good humour and warm energy. All of a sudden everyone was laughing and moving about, strapping on shoes and lacing up, like our bouldering wall had just been flash mobbed.  I sat back and watched these Army boys, I was curious. Could they really climb?

“Mister! Mister! Come climb!” They called.

Climbing Terminology

1) Flash: completing a climb on the first try with no falls.

2) Match: When you place either both your hands or feet on the same hold. (A good skill to master)

3) Stem: A move that requires using opposing outward pressure, which can be done with both your feet and your hands. Best way to explain it: when you tried to climb the door frame as a kid.

4) Smearing: Another technical term, which refers to applying the sole of your shoe onto the wall when you don’t have a hold. I think this is easier to do outdoors, but that’s just me.

5) Beta: Advice on how to successfully complete or do a move on a route. WARNING!! Some people really hate getting beta,  but if you are someone like me who occasionally needs it, there are many climbers who will give you beta.

6) Beta-flash: think about it….. flashing with  beta…

7) Dyno: A really dynamic move that typically requires that both feet are off the wall for a hot second and involves some body momentum.

8 ) Mantle: A technical term that refers pushing down on a ledge or hold, typically one pushes down with their hands to allow one to possibly match with one’s foot.

9) Crimp: Technical term that refers to a using just the tips of your finger on a hold. This can take a little while to get used to.

10) Pinch: just another way to use a hold.

11) Undercling: using a hold with your fingers faced upwards instead of down. Typically used on the beast or in the cave.

12) Arete: typically this refers to a narrow ridge outdoor, but indoor this refers to the corner of the wall. If you climb the left back walls, some of the routes will say arete off on the tape.

13) Hook: A technique that involves hooking your heel or your toe.

This post is only about terminology used in an indoor climbing gym, and if anyone is interested in a post about outdoor terminology, just let me know!

Have fun climbing!

Esty

Steven and I have taken our fair share of unusual transportation around the world. Camels, tuk-tuks, Mongolian ponies. But it’s turning out that one of our favorite modes of moving is the small boat.

Last month when we went to India for a friend’s wedding in Mumbai, we also stopped in Varanasi, the holiest town on the Ganges river. Every morning at sunrise, people come down to the riverbanks to dip themselves in the freezing, (and filthy) holy water and send off prayers in the form of floating candle/flower concoctions.

Since out hotel was right on the water, we woke up at five every day to the sounds of the riverbank life and on so, on our last morning we took a two-dollar boat ride to check out the hubbub of the banks from a new angle.

Here’s a peek of what we saw:

That boat ride got us thinking about all the other ones we’ve taken. Our Top 3 from around the world are:

            In the south of China near a town called Yangshuo is the Li River and other smaller tributaries. For just a few bucks, you can rent a bicycle and spend the day peddling through the rice fields and jagged limestone karsts, then take a small bamboo boat down the river back home. We did it twice, stupid grins on our face the whole time.

            Only a few months later we found ourselves on the Niger River in Mali trying to make it to the ever mysterious Timbuktu. With a local guide, we spent four days on a pinasse, or what is basically a glorified and partially covered canoe, puttering along through fishing villages, past hippos, sleeping on the banks of the river under the stars. Minus the fact that we never actually made it to Timbuktu via the river, we think back on that boat trip as a major success.

And last, kayaking through the turquoise waters of Halong Bay in Vietnam was freaking wonderful. We passed enormous karsts jutting up straight from the water and spotted climbers making their way up them, or falling with a laugh and splash into the water below. We even got to spend the night on an old fashioned sailboat in the bay, literally drifting to sleep.

So two thumbs up for small boat rides during travel—the easiest way to remind you of the meaning of the classic travel mantra, It’s not the destination that matters but the journey.

–

http://telephoneandsoup.com

http://allthewaytotimbuktu.com

6. Fuel up and Bring a Snack

Climbing really burns a lot of calories and climbing on an empty stomach isn’t going to do wonders for your performance, especially if you are planning to be there for a while. There are a few food places around the corner and some places near by even deliver. If you’re coming straight from work, throw some trail mix in your bag along with your gym clothes. Water is also awesome as are snack breaks.

5. Do Try a Yoga Class

Climbers tend to have tight shoulders and wrists. One of the best things about the amazing yoga classes offered at BKB is that the instructors get it, since many of them climb. You will spend class stretching out and strengthening the muscles you use while climbing. Especially for people who climb a few days a week and who are trying to get better, yoga will help. Trust me, your body will thank you for it.

4. Do Come Alone

The climbing gym can be a bit intimidating. For people who just started climbing,  want to start climbing more often, and even for those who have been climbing for a while, don’t be nervous about coming alone. The majority if people at BKB are really friendly and very willing to give you tips if you ask them. If you need someone to top rope with, most people are pretty willing to let you jump into their climbing rotation. Just ask.

3. High Five People

Recognize someone’s hard work. Okay, so not everyone will be into actually high fiving each other. I just started V4′s and the other day I was working on a 4 in the back while a few guys worked on some 5′s and 7′s. When I finally finished the V4 I was so excited! It was the 5th V4′s I’ve done so far, not that they knew that, but they saw me struggling with it. Getting high fives from random people was super rad! There is something nice about recognizing someone’s hard work and supporting each other. I give people high fives and props all time. BKB is a community so when you see someone working on a route regardless of the level and she/he is super excited about accomplishing her/his goal, high five them or something. I see it happen at the gym all the time and it’s part of why I love BKB. The best is when you are working on a route with a total group of strangers, everyone really wants the group to get it, and you all work it out together. Group High Five!

2. Invest in a Pair of Shoes

For those of you who climb more then once a week, I highly recommend you get your own pair of shoes. BKB sells a bunch as does REI and EMS. They range from the $60-$200 and are worth it. It’s the same thing for anyone that runs. You don’t run in just any random pair of sneakers. You get the sneakers that fit your feet, are the best for the terrain you cover, and your running style. The same thing goes for climbing shoes. There are different kinds based on what and how you climb and investing in a pair will make a massive difference in your climbing.

1. It’s All About Community

I think one of the best things about BKB is the community they’re trying to build and it’s members. BKB is really open to new and old climbers. I think it’s safe to say that most people who are at the gym love climbing, are super excited to be there, and are really friendly. If you come during the day Monday-Friday you don’t really have to wait as long to get on the wall and there are less people, but since most of you are not in grad school and have traditional jobs, you will have to brave the masses from about 5pm-9:30pm. I do both, and while there are different waves of people that come during different times of the day, the one thing they all have in common is that they are very supportive, share the wall, and are willing to help you out. BKB members are very diverse. There is no common background, pretty evenly split gender wise, and a wide range of physical capability. There is room for everyone.

Don’ts

6. Don’t Come if You are Sick

I saw  a lot of people with cold and flu like symptoms climbing in the past few months. Unlike traditional gyms where you are supposed to wipe down the machine when you are done, no one really wipes down the holds after they climb. Take a few days off. If not for you, then for the rest of us. Thanks.

5. BKB is not a Day Care Center.

Don’t leave your kids unsupervised. I’m  not referring to the kids who are part of the BKB Beasts team or to the parents who bring their kids hoping to get them excited about climbing, –that’s awesome and I wish I started at an early age. No, those kids are well behaved and supervised. Key words here: Supervised and well behaved. I’m referring to the parents who drop their kids off and just sit around chatting with each other while their kids run around in circles and beat each other up in the cave area. Your kids make me nervous. Why? Because I’m afraid that when I fall off the wall, I as a big person, will squish your little child. Also their screaming gives people a headache, but you know that.

4. Guys and Girls: Don’t Rock Short Shorts.

It’s a gym. Wear appropriate clothing. We don’t need to be flashed and climbing requires some stretching of the legs. Keep it contained people.

3. Appropriate Times to Take Your Next Facebook Photo.

I get it. Climbing is awesome and you want everyone in your online community to know you tried it. But climbing to the top, spreading yourself out so now you are taking up even more space, busting out your iPhone and taking multiple shots of yourself hanging from the wall while there are a line of people waiting to boulder at 7pm (also known as rush hour on a week night) is really not cool. Just ask a friend to take a picture of you while you are climbing or at least do it on the practice walls.

2. BKB: Not Always the Best Place to Get it On.

It’s great a lot of couples climb together and I can totally understand wanting a partner who has similar interests, but making out on the climbing mats while people are trying to climb around you, not so much. This is not directed towards people who hug and kiss their friends and significant others. I’m talking to the people who mount each other on the climbing mats that I have to walk around to get to the wall.

1. Don’t be That Guy

You know the guy who doesn’t share the wall and thinks he is entitled to it because he does V7′s and V8′s while you are still struggling with V2′s and V3′s and then expects you to get off for him even though you have been working on it all day and are one move away from finally finishing, don’t be that guy. I sadly see this happen too often. Everyone starts from the beginning and we all progress at different rates. I played a sport in college and there was this weird rule about how athletes had priority to use the machines over non-athlete students. BKB is not my college and in this space there is no hierarchy over who gets to climb first or who has priority on the wall. Wait your turn guy and be just as mindful as the rest of us who are sharing the wall. You don’t need to ascend that V8 five times in a row and if you don’t flash it the first time, it doesn’t mean you get to keep hogging the wall. Share the wall and drop the attitude toward beginners.