minus at least couple of hundred points - pure onsight, no?

and I do carry an extra ATC on my harness, because it's so much easier to rig a rappel with these - it's not that heavy anyway... IIRC, munter is not recommended to for multiple rappels...

everyone should take a belay test.

I'm not sure I'd want someone with only shoes and a chalkbag belaying me.

Hip belay

I think you meant, "Hip belay, n00b."

Jay

And if you don’t carry prussic you’re either bad ass and never fail or you’re a pussy and never push your limits.

LOL, I've seen that early AM in the Gunks with huge expedition style headlamps - cut them a slack as prolly visiting climbers (or nyc show-offs)...

+100 for Arc'Teryx packs to carry gear (tend to be shiny)
-100 for Cold Cold World or Dana Design packs (tend to be dirty)

Now this situation is a bit contrived because in my experience trad partners are a close bunch and tend not to just pick up and climb with anyone that walks by but in the interest of fairness I bring you this:

You are meeting your regular partner at the local trad crag when he calls and tells you he will be delayed in traffic but to go ahead and get racked up, you think this is unusual but you go ahead anyway and start to get the gear out of your bag and rack up, you planned to climb on his lead rope. As you get set at the base of your target another climber who's partner is also in the same traffic jamb says hello and engages you in some small talk, then offering to follow you on the first pitch of your climb. Before taking a potential pitch onto your gear at the hands of this unknown belayer, or perhaps worse having the n00b cement your gear trying to clean it you need the:

Screening test for n00bs - Trad Version

Risk factor 1: Helmet
No helmet +50
Climber has a helmet at the crag: -25 points
Climber is wearing a helmet belaying: -20 points
Climber wore a helmet on the approach: +15 points (-15 for 4th+ class and/or alpine approaches)
Climber got out of car wearing helmet: +50 points

Risk factor 2: Climbing shoes
Climber's shoes are made from natural leather: -10 points
Shoes are made of synthetic material that need to be removed like the plague at every belay and smell like death: +30 points
Lace up: -10 points
Aggressively down turned toe: +10 points

Risk factor 3: Harness
Any harness having less than 4 gear loops: +5 points
non-full strength haul loop: +5 points
No evidence of chimney grovelling scrapes or dirt/mud stains: +5 points

Risk factor 4: Belay device(s)
Give the climber 10^n points, where n is the number of belay devices on the climber's harness in excess of one. (you should know the munter)
In addition:
Has a grigri hanging from harness: +20 points
Has a device whose brand name is "ATC" followed by something: -5 points
+150 points for ATC sport

Risk factor 5: Rack
Climber has a good selection of pieces somewhat tailored to the area: -20 points
Climber has more hardware than home depot (and it's not for aid): +40 points, -10 points if it's discovered climber is gear addict when discussing the pros and cons of stacking nuts, in opposed horizontal placements, while run out.
Climber has set of 10 sport draws on him: +30 points

Risk factor 6: Unnecessary(?)/necessary equipment
-2 points for each locker that serves an obvious purpose on harness
-10 points for each rap ring on the climber's harness
Prussic cord on harness: -5 points
No tape when asked: +30points (if you hand jamb without tape ignore)
-10 for duct tape nalgene holder
+5 for every sport draw (unless it looks like it's been run over several times, then -5)
+ 20 for matching draws.
+ 10 for matching cams. +100 if they're shiny.
- 10^n for each item with a chouinard logo on it

Risk factor 7: Topo
+20 for crisp recently published guidebook
- 5 for topos on copy paper
- 10 for guide held together with duct tape
- 30 if their guide is older than you are

Risk factor 8: Clothing
10^n where n = the number of items bearing a Prana logo
+ 10 for jeans
- 10 for carhardts. An additional -5 for each hole.
+5 for crocs

100 or more: Run away.
50–99 points: High n00b probability. Climb with at your own risk.
25–49 points: Possibly a n00b or a visiting trad climber.
0–24 points: Probably a top roper or sport climber.
Less than 0: The climber probably knows more about climbing than you do.

My apologies for any offense I may have caused jt512 while stealing composing this post.

Edited for editing

thanks to knieveltech for the additions.

Sorry, I just went YEGO on this one (your eyes glaze over). The post has to havee come from a NOOB in denial. If you get out and around you'll find people who would solo around most of us who are all types

helmet: I know very good climbers who climb with them on (CrackMD and Lisa) and a lot of great climbers who forgo them.

Climbing Shoes: who gives a crap: I've seen a guy walk "Panic in Detroit" (a gear protected 5.12b/c for those noobs who don't know) in an old pair of his GIRLFRIENDS climbing shoes

harness/ rack, new old: with 2 gear loops with 4 with haul loops: who the shit cares. Hell, Henry Barber wears a swaimi so does that make him an ultra noob. when I was in a phase of doing R/x-rated routes, I'd wear a sporto harness since I was only taking 2 or 3 pieces anyways...

as for more gear then home depot..... I guess you forgot about places like Indian Creek. Showing up there with a gunks rack either means a) you have no clue about the place or b) you are Alex Honnold.


can I say this is pretty moronic