folks I'd like to clarify that my hating towards climbing is mostly directed at the subsequent culture/subculture that spawned post-covid, and that's mostly just me reinforcing generalities in my head after dealing with like 4 dorks separately in the past as well as my own personal experiences within the fashion industry (aka Hell). The action of climbing something isn't lame, i feel like it's impossible to even say that; that's kinda like saying walking or breathing sucks lmao.
And like OG climbers back when they had to craft their own fucking gear and like bolt the fucking things into the mountain themselves, that shit is awesome. Or like fucking Dan Osman, that guy was radical. I think I've realized i kinda just hate bouldering, especially when bouls walk around with their big ass bouldering pad/fucking california king mattress only to go 9 inches off the ground, that shit is like mountaineering cosplay while also sniffing your own farts for climbing essentially an earth ladder
I mostly boulder and carrying pads sucks, but its just as challenging mentally as trying to learn a new trick that is at the max of your abilities. Also, lots of shit is way more than 9 inches off the ground I can probably name at least 10 I've done that top out around 35 feet. A lot of what you probably consider "epic" looking climbing is actually easy AF. Lots of routes up El Cap just involve hauling bullshit around while getting pissed on by European tourists, but anyone that is patient enough can aid climb their way up in a few days. Osman was a kind of a dickhead and those famous videos of him were on terrain that I personally have solo'ed many times and is like walking up a ladder. Taking a fall off a 25 foot boulder near the max of your abilities is way riskier see also my right ankle. Anyways, this isn't a thread for it, but it sucks that your perception of something you haven't actually spent much time doing is entirely impacted by a shitty attitude and other people's actions. Every sport we do is comically weird if you look at it one way or fun and rewarding if you look at it another. I sense a lot of personal insecurity in this thread that people are using to judge and talk shit on others probably because they don't have something in their life that they get genuine inspiration from without having to contextualize it relative to others.
I totally get you though about COVID and random fashion trend dorks getting into shit. Its nauseating that everyone has a carefully curated YouTube channel and that most of them are just ripping off skating and other fashion trends. IDK how many times I met someone that is like 'ya im a skater' yet they do not currently skate and never made it out of the local skatepark as a kid and just buy the trendy clothes on IG.