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mbez
May 8, 2005, 10:31 AM
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How did the term "beta" get its meaning for climbing?
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johnathon78
May 8, 2005, 10:59 AM
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back in the day, a few people would get hold of video tapes of a certain climb in order to redpoint it. The tape player they were using was called a " beta max " vcr. Hence the name....beta.
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thomasribiere
May 8, 2005, 11:23 AM
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hard like a sunday morning hangover? :twisted:
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mbez
May 8, 2005, 4:17 PM
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Ya know, I figured I'd get hammered for not doing a search -- but I did one and got way too many hits. Thanks for your kind assistance.
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cogmog
May 10, 2005, 7:18 PM
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In reply to: How hard is it to do a search?
Im fairly new to this forum, but not to climbing. Responses like this is why I limit my time spent in this forum.
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curt
May 10, 2005, 7:28 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: How hard is it to do a search? Im fairly new to this forum, but not to climbing. Responses like this is why I limit my time spent in this forum.
I also provided a link to the thread containing the correct answer to his original question, didn't I? The search function should be used more by those asking a basic question here, since it is highly unlikely that any basic question related to climbing has not already been asked before numerous times.
If you think my reply to the OP was offensive in this instance, this place probably isn't for you. Consider taking up crochet or backgammon.
Curt
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dingus
May 10, 2005, 7:28 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: How hard is it to do a search? Im fairly new to this forum, but not to climbing. Responses like this is why I limit my time spent in this forum.
Do you know the origin of the term beta?
DMT
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cogmog
May 12, 2005, 9:18 AM
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In reply to: If you think my reply to the OP was offensive in this instance, this place probably isn't for you. Consider taking up crochet or backgammon.
OK ..... ? Arent you like 50? Grow up!
And actually I do know where "Beta" is derived from. It has to do with the scientific method. When a theory, process or way of accomplishing a task, is being tested, there is information that is shared between parties involved in the testing. This information is known as "Beta". When a climb is being worked on, somone may share some "Beta" with another person who is also working on the same route.
I do however like the whole idea of the Greek rating system though! :lol:
The BETA tape is a good one too!
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curt
May 12, 2005, 9:26 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: If you think my reply to the OP was offensive in this instance, this place probably isn't for you. Consider taking up crochet or backgammon. It has to do with the scientific method. When a theory, process or way of accomplishing a task, is being tested, there is information that is shared between parties involved in the testing. This information is known as "Beta". When a climb is being worked on, somone may share some "Beta" with another person who is also working on the same route. I do however like the whole idea of the Greek rating system though! :lol: The BETA tape is a good one too!
No, apparently you don't.
Curt
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cogmog
May 12, 2005, 3:07 PM
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In reply to: http://www.toprope.com/hallucinations/mileski/mileski2.htm http://www.tradgirl.com/climbing_faq/other.htm#beta
Cool. Didnt know this. I stand corrected! :idea:
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fluxus
May 12, 2005, 3:38 PM
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As an old Gunkie myself I don't think its enough to just say "Jack coined it." He and others such as Jeff G., Colin Lantz, Mike Freeman, Scott Franklin, Jordan Mills, Russ Clue, the late great Kevin Bien and others would spend a fair number of days on the same climbs, folks like Jack would get the routes totally wired, name every hold and every move on them. Survival of the Fittest, Scott Franklin's popular route is a prime example of this. Every hold and every move had a nick name, "Cross your heart!" "Don't Pig!" "Now surf!" Its was like a choris at the base of the climb as the climbers who knew the route would recite the beta move for move in sync with the movement of the climber. Perhaps the reason Beta came to be is that gunks climbers would gather in large groups in one area. On any given saturday at lost city in the late 80's there might be 20 or 30 people at the Survival block. A wall with only 5 routes. So there was a ton a sitting around talking going on and not all that much climbing.
Those guys had a lot of fun with beta, it was a game. Naturally, there came a point where you would have been considered less cool if someone outside of the group could actually understand what you were saying. To this day a converesation with someone like Mike Freeman will confuse the daylights out of a newbie and have old hands laughing their heads off.
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