Newsletter from BK 20.5.

About the ethics of outdoor climbing

Both outdoor and indoor climbing have certain “rules”, and by following them the problem can be counted as "cleanly" climbed. The idea behind the rules is that the route or problem creates basically the same experience for every climber and is therefore comparable. Of course, this is impossible, because the climber's height and other physical characteristics make everyone's own ascent and experience subjective. However, the rules of the game try to ensure that the repetitions follow the idea of the first ascender as well as possible.

The following things are important in outdoor bouldering:

• Where do we start? Sometimes the topo has directly stated certain starting hold for the boulder problem. If the starting moves have been described, these must be used. Sometimes the start is just roughly where the topo line is drawn.
  
  
• Is it a sit start or a stand? Sitstart, assis or ss is the same as a sit start. This means that the climber’s butt must be on the mattress and it is also the last thing to get off the mattress when starting the climb. In the stand start, i.e. standing start, you start standing (who would have guessed ;)?) There are also various low starts, crouch starts and squat starts - often most probably because the holds are too high to reach from the sitting position, but they are significantly lower than what you would naturally grab while standing.
  
  
• As a general rule, it can be considered that at the start one crash pad is used and "stacking" pads is not desirable. Often the first move, getting the butt off the mattress, can be the crux of the entire route, and in that case, using two pads can make it considerably easier. Sometimes when the first ascender is very tall, it can be impossible for the shorter ones to reach the starting holds. Is it suitable for shorter climbers to put pads on top of each other to reach the holds? This is a topic that has been discussed about on many different channels with many different perspectives and there doesn't seem to be any right answer to this, but it seems reasonable that in order for a shorter climber to be able to climb the problem, pads can be added so the start is possible, but not easier compared to a taller climber. Elsewhere under the problem it is totally fine to stack as many pads as you wish.
  
  
• When climbing, it is important to make sure you climb along the line: roughly so that the line drawn on the topo is in the center of the problem you’re supposedly climbing. Some problems are eliminates. It means that a certain hold on the line of the problem is not in use, otherwise the problem would be easier. If there are no eliminations marked on the topo, you can use all the holds around as long as they fall on the line.
  
  
• Indoor problems usually end by bringing both hands to the last hold controlled. Sometimes it is also like this outside, when the route is a "drop off". However, most outdoor routes are climbed all the way up, i.e. on top of a rock. Topos are a good guide in this too.
  
  
• Dabbing can ruin an otherwise successful performance. To dab means that while climbing you accidentally touch either a pad, a tree, a spotter or something similar. Often the dab can stop or slow down a swing, making it less difficult. Even if the dab itself is not necessarily beneficial in terms of performance, the problem still cannot be counted as "purely climbed".
  
  
• Of course, everyone can climb each problem exactly as they want - after all, we climb for ourselves, not for others. When you want to tick a problem on e.g. the topo app 27crags or similar publicly, it would be important that the above rules have been taken into consideration - especially if you want to give your opinion on the difficulty of the route. The first ascender may not have always written down very precise instructions. If you are unsure about how the problem should be climbed, you can, for example, ask for advice in the comments section at 27crags! In uncertain situations, you can also briefly write in your own tick how you climbed the problem (what starting grips you used, whether there were more riders starting below, etc.) The most beneficial thing ethics wise is honesty and openness when it comes to climbing a problem!