...and who makes sure that they dont double up?

After a climber documents a first ascent, he/she contacts the National Alpine Society (NAS) and they allow one to chose a route name from a master list. The process is similar to the way the National Weather Service (NWS) names tropical hurricanes, with each storm in a particular season getting named with the same letter of the alphabet, with each letter cycling through every 26 years. In 2006, all new climbing routes begin with the letter "N."

Hope that helps!

I do.

how do people come up with route names

Actually there is new legislation in Washington this week to change the system to one more like the system used in music publishing / rights granting, which means its more complex. The new bill would make it so that new routes using a name similar to, or the same as an established route name would have to pay a clearance fee to the climbers who put up the older routes. Despite the complexity I think it will be better since it should cut down on routes with ". . .wild ride", "welcome to . . ." or
" . . . semen" in the name.

Does this mean i can't name a route " Welcom to Mr. Semen's Wild Ride" ?

Yeah I'm sorry about that. I was on vacation that week and my second in command was strung out on mescalin and adrenochrome the whole time.

^^^^^^ Classic quote... need a trophy... anybody got a trophy?!?!??

Yeah I'm sorry about that. I was on vacation that week and my second in command was strung out on mescaline and adrenochrome the whole time so I had to sub-contract the job out to some dudes in Sri Lanka in order to save enough money to place my deputy in rehab. He's fallen off the wagon several times since, so chances are if a route has a sucky name, it's due to the cost-cutting procedures I've had to go through to keep my staff alive and out of the loony bin.

Okay, so color me stupid but what is this trophy thing you all speak of?

how do people come up with route names, and who makes sure that they dont double up? For instance how would you make sure youre not using a name for a new route that already exists? Im sure there arent copyright infringements but i was just wondering.

Why do you ask, twodogsfvcking?

[quote "maxtrax"][quote]
^^^^^^ Classic quote... need a trophy... anybody got a trophy?!?!??[/quote]

Okay, so color me stupid but what is this trophy thing you all speak of?[/quote]

*starts coloring*

Before stars, there were trophies for good posts, and steaming turds for bad ones.

And you were allotted a limited number of trophies to give out, which is why the person is asking if anyone has one.

Jay

Why would you reuse names?

Do you do that with your kids also?

Meet my kids, bob, bob and Applehoneysky.

Not as a dis to you (well, a little one anyway), that has got to be the least creative thing I've ever heard.

For me, I try to make my routes puns that go with the theme of the area or the mood of the climb. I do everything possible to never repeat a route.

Just as I'd never tattoo a girlfriends name on myself, or paint her name on an underpass, I would never name a route after her.

What is the point of naming it in the first place? Isn;t it rather vain to put a name on an intangible line on a cliff face? How about just climbing it with as little impact as you can, and leaving it for the next person to discover? You can call it whatever you want in your little climbing book. Seriously, are you like contacting every guide book author in all these places telling them about your White Wedding route?

How the hell is giving it a name fucking up the enviroment?

It's the plaques that get put at the start of every route, with the name, FA party, date. Generally made of bronze.

I was thinking of doing some deep oil soloing in the gulf of mexico.

It's the plaques that get put at the start of every route, with the name, FA party, date. Generally made of bronze.

Airspace, I never said naming a route f**** up the environment. Those were your words. I said how about just climbing with as little impact as possible,and leave the route for the next person to discover the way you did.

My point is the initial poster sounded like he was looking for noteriety in his climbing and route naming. I guess that's what most people look for. I admire the climber who explores, climbs, and leaves.

Isn;t it rather vain to put a name on an intangible line on a cliff face? How about just climbing it with as little impact as you can, and leaving it for the next person to discover?.

I own a bunch. I use almost none of them. The history sections are usually pretty cool reading

I own a bunch. I use almost none of them. The history sections are usually pretty cool reading

What is the point of naming it in the first place? Isn;t it rather vain to put a name on an intangible line on a cliff face? How about just climbing it with as little impact as you can, and leaving it for the next person to discover? You can call it whatever you want in your little climbing book. Seriously, are you like contacting every guide book author in all these places telling them about your White Wedding route?

I own a bunch. I use almost none of them. The history sections are usually pretty cool reading

okay..lots of questions to answer.....

First, what the hell would I carrya bolt kit for? I wouldn't even know how to use one if I had it.

Second, no I wouldn't mind at all if someone climbed a route later and then claimed a first ascent. I would laugh at them maybe, but hey, call it your FA if that makes you feel better. It's not like I am going to collect royalties everytime someone mentions my White Wedding route.

Thirdly, of course I have guidebooks, and use them sometimes. You guys are taking this all too literally. The tone of my earlier post was meant to men my climbing in general has moved towards the purer form of climbing....for my amusement. I find it amusing that people obsess about their "FA's" so much that they have to post about naming obscure routes on obscure cliffs.

RR

"is route naming arbitrary?"

Is climbing up the small and large rocks strewn over our earth arbitrary?

Themes are awesome. What are some of the best? I like Christian Brothers at Smith. Funny names like Barbeque the Pope, New Testament, Revelations, and Blasphemy.

The Gunks names always have good stories. Well, maybe all places do, but in the Gunks it's in the guide book.