News & Notes – 3/29/2010

Whoever red-tagged it… that’s lame.

If it were Big Up, they could have taken a cue from Mortimer when Trotter snagged Cobra Crack – just go with it. Film climbing history, don’t manipulate it.

Red tagging, in this instance, would be manipulative. If Sharma did FRFM first while many others were trying it, I (and others, I’d guess) would assume that he was simply stronger than the others. But if it is red tagged (and the public doesn’t know), then it skews the context in which the FA goes down. As Nalle says, the FA becomes less meaningful.

And what’s wrong with folks trying it? It’s unlikely Nalle would have cruised in and sent it in two or three days. But if he did, that would sure as hell be newsworthy.

Like the first poster, I’ve not heard of Sharma having red tags on his projects in the past – if he did (on his recent Spanish 5.15s, for instance), that would slightly change the historical light in which we view his FAs. Perhaps those more in the know could shed some light on this.

Yeah guys, relax. We don’t tell climbers what they can and can’t do. If you’re looking for a sinister media conspiracy, watch Fox News.

Am I the only one that thinks its silly that a bunch of armchair climbers think they ‘know’ what Chris would or wouldn’t do because they’ve watched all the ‘Dosage’ movies? I’m not saying Chris isn’t nice person or a laid back guy. But people get attached to things. Especially to things that they put a lot of hard work into equipping, not to mention all of the hard work since then just trying to climb it.

@Ryan … I am pretty sure that ‘Jumbo Love’ was an outstanding project, and not something that was bolted by Chris. Which would be why he couldn’t/wouldn’t red tag it. I think it was something bolted quite some time ago but was never done.

Yeah there is more history to Jumbo Love and its location is much more remote than FRFM but I have a strong feeling if it wasn’t for Sharma coming along as a visionary to pushing climbing to the next level Jumbo Love to this day would remain an abandon project. Though FRFM is much more easily accessible I think the concept and the idea behind red-tagging a route that has yet to see a FA is pretty much the same. I guess my opinion shouldn’t matter all that much, I’m never going to climb anywhere near 5.15….like Sweatpants said…we are just a bunch of armchair climbers anyway, but it sounds like Nalle showed respect to Chris and the climbing community even though he might not agree with red-tagging, that is encouraging at the least.

@ Josh Lowell : the reason that you guys have fingers pointed at is the fact that most of what we all know about Chris is the public image Big Up created by featuring him as poster boy in most of your movies since he’s a pretty private guy otherwise.
And the Chris that we know from all those Dosages, King Lines and Progression would never do this, the image you guys painted is of a guy who has nothing to win or loose he’s climbing to better himself and to be inspired and inspire others, to set new standards and bring forward new believers an players in what’s possible an what’s not. That is not the case if you read the thread on Nalle’s blog, who from being pretty evasive in the beginning goes to full accusations that he was c@&k blocked when he got to Spain to try the route and add to that new rules about “I bolted it it’s mine to try” on spaniards climbing blogs, I hope you understand why it’s not that easy to wash your hands so easy by just throwing a line about Fox news. You know what they say:” follow the money trail”
And unless Chris or whoever had anything to do with this comes forward to explain things and why the sudden change in attitude ( competition was supposed to generate progress, and abiding by the “red tagging” rules we wouldn’t have Jumbo Love) you guys will have to deal with all this gossiping and second guessing. We looked up to guys like Chris to better this sport and to inspire, it doesn’t look like that this time, the message is just the opposite.
And come on Big Up is a power house in the sport and the business so own up, with big power comes big responsibility:)

Okay so after reading Chris post on Dailas blog, and all of Nalle’s posts on his own blog, I don’t think its so much that Chris doesn’t like Nalle. More that Nalle isn’t one of Chris’s close friends. Thats why Chris let Dave and Dani try, but asked Nalle not to. Makes sense… to me anyway.