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bodyboarder
Jan 24, 2011, 7:05 AM
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Just curious how much climbers drink, and if there is any correlation with how hard they climb. So how much do you drink and how hard do you climb? I'll start: I drink a few beers 3-5 times a week and I've redpointed up 12d but usually send around 12a/b
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rtwilli4
Jan 24, 2011, 7:18 AM
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Rock and Ice just did a survey about this.
- 81% of climbers asked drink
- In one week, 23% have one drink, 35% have 2 to 4, 23% have 5 to 7, 15% have 8 to 14 and 4% have 15 to 28
- Not a single person who has ONE drink per week climbs 5.14 and only 13% climb 5.13.
- 9% of the heaviest drinkers climb 5.14 and 36% climb 5.13.
I have a few drinks pretty much every day. I onsite 5.10 trad regularly, and sometimes 5.11. I've red-pointed one 12c sport in 8 tries and easier 12's in less tries.
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bodyboarder
Jan 24, 2011, 7:22 AM
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Oh is this in the most recent issue?
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suprasoup
Jan 24, 2011, 8:07 AM
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You're not drinking enough. 20-30 beers, dozens of shots, dozens of sake bombs and a couple of bottles of crown royale and silver patron every Friday and Saturday.
The drunk white guy on the left redpoints 13+. My drunk ass has redpointed 14+.
(This post was edited by suprasoup on Jan 24, 2011, 8:20 AM)
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swoopee
Jan 24, 2011, 12:08 PM
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Maybe the heaviest drinkers have the most free time on their hands?
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spikeddem
Jan 24, 2011, 3:28 PM
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bodyboarder wrote: Just curious how much climbers drink, and if there is any correlation with how hard they climb. So how much do you drink and how hard do you climb? I'll start: I drink a few beers 3-5 times a week and I've redpointed up 12d but usually send around 12a/b
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bodyboarder
Jan 24, 2011, 5:32 PM
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so.... I can keep being an alcoholic?
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spikeddem
Jan 24, 2011, 5:43 PM
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bodyboarder wrote: so.... I can keep being an alcoholic?
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kachoong
Jan 24, 2011, 6:01 PM
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suprasoup wrote: [image]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs007.snc6/165792_10150122334998524_726203523_7734963_5088361_n.jpg[/image] You're not drinking enough. 20-30 beers, dozens of shots, dozens of sake bombs and a couple of bottles of crown royale and silver patron every Friday and Saturday. The drunk white guy on the left redpoints 13+. My drunk ass has redpointed 14+.
Heh.. and the camera man? Drunk as hell!
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kachoong
Jan 24, 2011, 6:02 PM
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And for the data, I hardly drink and climb like shit so maybe there's something to it.
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amyas
Jan 24, 2011, 6:13 PM
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swoopee wrote: Maybe the heaviest drinkers have the most free time on their hands?
smart swoopee... no fun whatsoever, but smart.
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chadnsc
Jan 24, 2011, 6:29 PM
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I drink maybe once a month and I only climb in the mid .10 range. Maybe I need to drink more?
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michael1245
Jan 24, 2011, 6:32 PM
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swoopee wrote: Maybe the heaviest drinkers have the most free time on their hands?
and that's what drives them to drink!
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suprasoup
Jan 24, 2011, 6:37 PM
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michael1245 wrote: swoopee wrote: Maybe the heaviest drinkers have the most free time on their hands? and that's what drives them to drink!
I swear it's the job.
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suprasoup
Jan 24, 2011, 6:43 PM
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kachoong wrote: suprasoup wrote: [image]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs007.snc6/165792_10150122334998524_726203523_7734963_5088361_n.jpg[/image] You're not drinking enough. 20-30 beers, dozens of shots, dozens of sake bombs and a couple of bottles of crown royale and silver patron every Friday and Saturday. [image]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs497.ash2/77041_1679616238134_1469380225_31734305_1876818_n.jpg[/image] The drunk white guy on the left redpoints 13+. My drunk ass has redpointed 14+. Heh.. and the camera man? Drunk as hell!
He's solid .12 which is probably why he's still standing.
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jbro_135
Jan 25, 2011, 4:10 AM
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suprasoup wrote: michael1245 wrote: swoopee wrote: Maybe the heaviest drinkers have the most free time on their hands? and that's what drives them to drink! I swear it's the job. [image]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs028.snc4/33767_474317638523_726203523_6749379_7790591_n.jpg[/image]
DRINKING!!! STEROIDS!!! CLIMBING!!! WOOOOOO!!!
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NJSlacker
Jan 25, 2011, 1:41 PM
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spikeddem wrote: bodyboarder wrote: Just curious how much climbers drink, and if there is any correlation with how hard they climb. So how much do you drink and how hard do you climb? I'll start: I drink a few beers 3-5 times a week and I've redpointed up 12d but usually send around 12a/b I'll save you the time and tell you there's no correlation.
I'd disagree. It sounds like there is a correlation, but there are the confounding variables of free time (as it was mentioned), as well as my guess: age.
I'd bet the youngest climbers tend to be the hardest climbers. They will also drink the most (on average) and have the most free time (on average).
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spikeddem
Jan 25, 2011, 3:03 PM
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NJSlacker wrote: spikeddem wrote: bodyboarder wrote: Just curious how much climbers drink, and if there is any correlation with how hard they climb. So how much do you drink and how hard do you climb? I'll start: I drink a few beers 3-5 times a week and I've redpointed up 12d but usually send around 12a/b I'll save you the time and tell you there's no correlation. I'd disagree. It sounds like there is a correlation, but there are the confounding variables of free time (as it was mentioned), as well as my guess: age. I'd bet the youngest climbers tend to be the hardest climbers. They will also drink the most (on average) and have the most free time (on average).
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NJSlacker
Jan 25, 2011, 3:16 PM
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spikeddem wrote: NJSlacker wrote: spikeddem wrote: bodyboarder wrote: Just curious how much climbers drink, and if there is any correlation with how hard they climb. So how much do you drink and how hard do you climb? I'll start: I drink a few beers 3-5 times a week and I've redpointed up 12d but usually send around 12a/b I'll save you the time and tell you there's no correlation. I'd disagree. It sounds like there is a correlation, but there are the confounding variables of free time (as it was mentioned), as well as my guess: age. I'd bet the youngest climbers tend to be the hardest climbers. They will also drink the most (on average) and have the most free time (on average). You're using the testimonials in this thread as evidence?
I'm using the results of the poll and common sense.
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edge
Jan 25, 2011, 3:56 PM
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Well, let's see...
I've been climbing for 34 years, and drank for 31. When I started climbing, my heros were Dougal Haston, Don Whillans, Joe Brown, and all of those other Brits who defined hardcore by living hard and climbing harder. If I wanted to emulate them, I just knew that I had to drink like them.
For a while it worked, although for the most part I reserved the drinking for after the day's climbing. Usually, but not always. My first attempt on Diedre at Cathedral Ledge, a renowned NH 5.9+, ended with me rapping off. Tail between my legs I retreated to my truck, where I had a couple beers, smoked a phatty, and returned to send the climb with a can of Heinekin in my chalkbag.
Similarly, I was spending a rest day on the Valee Blanche outside Chamonix drinking in my tent. After finishing a pint of gin I grabbed my gear and soloed the Cosmiques Spur, then returned for some more drinking before convincing my partner to join me on the Rebuffat Route on the Midi. I think that one went around 5.10, and I remember bootying 2 rigid stem Friends from the route.
I drank a fair amount back then, but managed to push into leading 5.12 trad without the benefit of indoor gyms or sport climbs to train on. All we had was trad, aid, or ice, but that was the early 1980s. I had innumerable good times drinking and climbing.
Fast forward a few years, and eventually the drink caught up with me. I had an extended period when it was more important to drink than climb (alcohol has a way of sneaking up on you like that), and I routinely started a half gallon of vodka every day at 2 pm and it would be gone by 9 that night. This went on for years...
Fast forward (again) to last January. After my third arrest for DWI and second conviction, not to mention two months of failed residential rehab, I served a month at the county poke and another 7 days at a multiple offender program, but still I drank, even at an accelerated pace. Everything came to a head last Spring and fortunately on July 1, my birthday, I checked myself back into the same rehab. Through lots of hard work and sacrifice, I found the tools to help me abstain completely from alcohol, and next week I will celebrate 7 months of sobriety.
Alcohol is a huge part of our society, and a integrated aspect of the climbing culture. It is easy to send hard and want to pop a few cold ones in celebration. Will everyone find themselves going down the same road that I did? I hope not.
Take it from me, responsible alcohol use can be fun, and even enhance your next road trip or weekend climb. Just keep in mind that when alcohol makes things go bad, they can turn ugly in spectacular ways.
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camhead
Jan 25, 2011, 5:49 PM
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Damn, Edge... that's a hell of a story. Several years ago I worked as a river guide in Southern Utah which involves quite a bit of booze, and associated with quite a few oldschool lifers; rowing Grand Canyon for 30+ years-type people. I started noticing that whenever they were shootng the shit and catching up with each other, conversations usually went something like,
"Hey remember so-and-so?" and the would end with either "yeah, he's sober now," or "yeah, he's dead."
Personally, I don't like getting drunk as much as I used to. Climbing was easier hungover than something aerobic like hiking, cycling, etc., so I partied a lot. There were a couple hard slabs that were easier after having a beer to calm the nerves. I still drink more than average. Can't get to sleep without a couple beers or glasses of wine every night.
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kachoong
Jan 25, 2011, 6:13 PM
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edge wrote: Through lots of hard work and sacrifice, I found the tools to help me abstain completely from alcohol, and next week I will celebrate 7 months of sobriety.
Congrats Edge! Commendable!
I don't drink much at all. I used to throw back beers and shots till my back teeth were floating but that was through the years 18-24. After that it was just to enjoy company or celebrate at the pub. The last couple of years I've probably drunk around 8-10 times a year.
edge wrote: Alcohol is a huge part of our society, and a integrated aspect of the climbing culture.
This is the part I don't quite get. Most drunk people are either pretty obnoxious, incoherent or irrational. I find it kinda amusing that alcohol is needed to enjoy life. When I was younger I thought it was necessary to drink to enhance any good time but realistically, and in hindsight, it probably dumbed down the reality of my experiences.
To me, alcohol is nice around a campfire, post-climb, or at the end of a hard day doing anything exhaustive. I drink at parties probably 50% of the time. Any other time is not for me.
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sbaclimber
Jan 25, 2011, 9:13 PM
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camhead wrote: Climbing was easier hungover than something aerobic like hiking, cycling, etc.
@Edge, dude, good on ya, and stay on the wagon!!
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theapollo
Jan 25, 2011, 9:18 PM
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Been climbing ten years, only drank for one (ahhh high school.) Never touched alcohol since, climb .14a and V12. Maybe if I had drank all that time I would be climbing 5.18zzzz and bouldering V30?
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