Sorta... there's is someone I met from this forum and they climbed a much higher grade than me.

This wasn't an issue when I was driving their ass to the Red, it wasn't an issue when they needed me to set their tent up for them, wasn't even an issue when they didnt know how to operate their stove. They didn't seem to have a problem with me when they asked me to pick up groceries in town since I was going anyway.

However, once the subject of grades came up, I was a full 2 points below them. This meant that she had to find another partner to climb with - since neither douchewad bitchface or her new partner had a vehicle, I was good enough to be told I should drive them to the crag, but I wouldn't get any climbing in because I'm not at their level and her climbing is serious business.

Since I opted not to play taxi to someone who still hadn't paid for gas for the 10hr drive down, I was shunned for the rest of the time I was there... Quite comical to be having awesome conversations and connections with the other 99% of people I met and just the one dumbass giving the death glare every time I was within sight.

I have been on both ends of this experience. Keep in mind, it may have nothing to do with your climbing ability. There are lots of other factors that may lead people to not want to associate with you. Perhaps they were ok talking with you when you when you first met, but upon watching you for a while, realized you just weren't the type of people they wanted to hang out with. Maybe someone in your group said something offensive while you were climbing...racial slur? Offensive remark about people from (fill in city here)? Off color comment about recent SCOTUS rulings on same-sex marriage? Perhaps, after watching you climb, they realized they were watching a complete shit show-accident waiting to happen. Maybe they were intimidated by your awesomeness. I know that as I get older...I sometimes just find young people annoying...could I possibly have been THAT annoying when I was 22? Don't answer that. There are lots of possibilities, who knows?

I have struggled with saying something vs. not saying something. A lot of times, you can tell ow your comment would be received even before you open your mouth...

first rule of road trips ...

dont go with someone who climbs much easier or harder than you ...

I disagree.

You get your day of 5.13 single-pitch wankery where I'll belay for hours on end on your project, you put up a toprope on an 11 for me to practice hard moves on while you're between burns.

The next day we'll go do a day of easy stuff while you rest up for your redpoint tomorrow. We do 15 pitches on a 5.6 just for the joy of it.

After that we meet some people split up for a day or two and climb again.

Holy shit, everybody wins! No need to be a douchebro just to prove you're better at a very (in the grand scheme of life) insignificant skill than someone else.

In Ontario, at Metcalf Rock, we once heard a couple of guys talking through the trees.... it went a little something like this:

"hey, I've never climbed like this before... with the rope starting on the ground".... guy 2 says 'yeah, me neither, but i think this is the right knot to tie in with"...

my partner and I stared at eachother for a good 10 seconds of silence with thoughts bouncing between getting the heck out of there asap or giving up some of the day and walking over to have a friendly chat with these guys...

We did the right thing, we started a friendly chat, showed them this "new" thing called a figure 8, found them something a little easier than the 11c they wanted to start on and left with a high five and the feeling we did the right thing.... I could never live with myself had we left and one of them decked.

.....and I've met some arrogant people too....but to my fortune, I met them when I first started climbing outdoors, and regardless of how they passed along their suggestions (snarky might describe it right), the mix of knowledge and personal embarassment led me to seek the right mentors, the right advice and to be as self sufficient as possible..... mind you, in the context of ontario single pitch sport and trad.

Cheers!

Had a similar thing happen at Pillar 1 at Jordan. We were packing up to leave while two guy's climbing the 5.7 swaping leads after hanging one quickdraw each cause the climber would sketch out. After 7 or 8 swaps they make it to the anchors, lowered and stared at the draws for about a minute. I ask them if they know how to get them down, they say "nope...". So I taught them how to go in direct and clean the route. The last think I wanted on my concience was a guy hanging from the anchors with his rope on the ground. Sometimes you have to speak up every once in a while.

My boyfriend hypothesizes dude bros don't like getting advise from a girl who climbs harder than them. So maybe thats it.

Yes. This happens sometimes.

Regardless, I always feel like I have to speak up when I see something scary. But I do not speak up until I am sure that they cannot figure it out themselves, first. I cannot be responsible for how someone reacts to my advice. They can take it or leave it. But I do feel responsible to step in if I see something dangerous. That gives me a clean conscience, at least.

... told us about some climbers being arrogant fucks.

well no, none of my group was acting stupid or anything of the sort. all of us know what were doing and we were very friendly. your thoughts on my whipper could have been it though.. it looked bad from the ground but it wasnt bad at all. they could have thought what you said and that makes me think better of them. i'll go with that.