[sharkbait]

In the last year that I have been involved in the climbing world I hav heard and read a lot of discussion about what is right and wrong in our sport of climbing, such as how to place protction and whay kind to place, how to send a climb once you get on it. If you fall should you lower down or hang until you can continue? Whatver the situation there are many do's and do not's in climbing that can be sumed up with one word, Ethics. So I guess my question is this, Where is the line drawn between possesing these strict ethics and just being able to go out and have fun?

[sick_tom]

Ethics - the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. (Webster)
WTF does that have to do with climbing? Ethics are basically opinions as to how things should be done. And since everyone has a different opinion, everyone has different ethics. The problem is when your ethics effect other people (i.e. chipping, bolting, gluing). Style of ascent (hangdog, ground up, yo-yo, etc) really only effects you. Ground up is obviously a much more difficult and rewarding style, but that is a personal thing. So when it comes to style you can draw your own line. When it comes to the other stuff, local opinion usually rules. In other words, don't roll up to the Gunks and rap-bolt some sport routes. The local climbers and land owners have agreed that bolts and sport routes should not exist on those cliffs. On the opposite side, if you show up at Shelf Road and put up a runout death route, it will probably get retro bolted because the local climbers agree that that area is for sport climbing. In some areas in Europe, the locals don't give a sh_t about drilling, chipping or gluing holds on a route. So what gives the local climbers the right to make the rules? Nothing other than the fact that 20 local climbers can easily kick 1 visiting climbers butt.
Anyway, thats my opinion, which really isn't worth a sh_t since I am lacking in the ethics department. I've drilled more bolts than I can remember. Some of them next to gear placements. Hell, I even hung from a piece of gear to drill a bolt. But I haven't chipped (yet).

[YetiMan]

Ethics, eh? Well, I'd like to say that the ground up idea of sending a route is how I complete my tick list. Hell, in the gym I'll climb something over and over just so I can redpoint it. Outside is a different story. Climbing outside is much more challenging and demanding. Redpointing outside, at least for me, is much less important. I climb outside to test my limits and have a good weekend. So far, no climb I've gotten on on lead was way over my head. That dosent mean that I wasn't freaked out beyond belief. It's amazing how quickly ethics and bravado fly out the window when I start to sketch. F'ck being a badass on the crag, I just want to feel safe. I'll grab a draw, I'll sit on a bolt, I'll call take after clipping just because my head, not my ablity, limits me.
Would I chip? No. Would I bolt Indian Creek or the Gunks? No. But I will be a big pussy when the pump is comming hard or my imagination is running wild.
_________________
I suck at climbing, but we all knew that.

[sick_tom]

hey Yeti, isn't it amazing that no matter how pumped and sketched you are, you can always hold onto a draw with Herculean strength? Somehow a quickdraw feels better than the biggest jug.