So where on SNORT's lameness scale would what we see on the homepage pic fit in? Climbing a sport route all kitted up but not clipping the bolts would for me fit in at the sharp end of BAD ASS

here's a link to the pic, i case it gets replaced: (http://www.climbing.co.za/gallery2/displayimage.php?pid=1333&fullsize=1)

Reminds me of the old adage:

"There are old climbers and there are bold climbers. However there are very few old bold climbers"

Not badass
Not a good photo either, that's just dumb! For sure lame!

Climbing a five meter cliff without clipping anything isnt badass. In fact climbing it wearing a harness at all is pretty lame, so was bolting it in the first place! Try bouldering sometime? (or even toproping - neither leaves any permanent trace).
In fact this thread itself is right up there on the lame scale!

haha, nice one Colin, my old man also reminds me of that one every now and then (he only ever fell once apparently).

No way Xmod, compared to this, bouldering it would be lame. Soloing it with weights is "way more bitchin'" than even tradding it (matt segal's words).

At the risk of sounding like an idiot:

I think that climber has just top-roped that climb. But, at a guess he (or a partner) had climbed the route sport style to get the top-rope up.

So - top-roping an already bolted climb does not change the impact of the original bolting.

_________________
I don't think, therefore I'm Not

heehee, is this an ethical debate?

with that pose ... totally bad ass

hoho, heinrich, I don't know.

Just read your ethics on ethics post on the trad vs sport post...

To me lame and dumb don't always co-exist. Lame may be thoughtfull, and dumb may be exciting, I guess.

Spot on Heinrich! This is an ethical debate about wearing helmets, even if you are not bolt clipping. It's not just for trad climbers you know. Speaking of which, wanna go check out Last Rites? I think it will be dry now. I can also not remember what we talked about last time you phoned me, so if it is important that I don't forget something... well then you better remind me.

Ok, I think I've made fun of everything I can think of, so I'm now going to hell.. I mean home.

Bad Ass 5 - Lame 3 (heinrich, colin and dave surely will agree on bad ass and I think not knows not what is not lame)

Yeah, but just because i like the word bitchin', and for no other reason. the dude is dumb, but then again, so are all of us playing with the concept of calculated risk.

Shorti, I'm very keen - struggling with a back and knee injury right now, got a cortezone shot right into the back-muscle of my right knee... that ain't so bitchin'! but the synapses will fire again soon. Only six weeks to the dead-line of R&R entry, so wiggies gets a bit more priority. But PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE i'd like to do last rites with you. Just give me a few weeks to recover and moer a hard line. Then i'm all in - my bling needs rock...

Cool, bring some bolts and hangers and I'll organize a drill, the prospect of that unprotectable first pitch scares the crap out of me No seriously, lets just go climb it, I'll lead and you can be the pig, then I can practice some big whauling.

kindly screw you !!
you can lead the first pitch, with new shiny bolts. I'll solo the second, and drill a nice belay stance, then lower off to get some foot-holds glued in underneath that slabby overhang crap. while we're at it, i may just as well put in one or two staples at the notoriously hard spots. sounds like a plan?

I usually climb using 2 skinny Blue Water Ice Floss ropes. When you are in a party of three and you are following something like the over-hanging crux pitch of Prime Time and you come flying off on 1 skinny rope, (ask Dave Valet) or you are following a route Scatterlings and a hold breaks and you fly off into space high above the ground on Blouberg, then the Lameness scale changes a little. It is intensely gripping prussicing too. Top roping under those situations is the scariest of all and anything but lame. If you don't believe me go try it. (because if you are soloing you ain't gonna come flying off - are you now; and if you do it won't really matter).

It is also desperately scary doing the pendulums on the Nose on one of these skinny ropes on top rope. Ask Clint....