You may think you are being cleverly witty with what you think are your over the top solutions - but do you know that everything you suggested plus lots more is standard practice in many areas of the world? Many places of the world where they climb far harder on the average than around here. This American attitude of - "we're manly self sufficient tough guys who can take care of our-selves" is all fine and good and certainly has it's place - its nice to keep alive the traditions of our sport. I am not in favor of the universal sanitizing and dumbing down of climbing as is common now a days. But burying your head and not keeping an open mind and not being aware of world wide trends - whether you agree with them or not - is just setting you up for failure.
I have read this 4 or 5 times and I still don't know how to respond. Cleverly witty? Over the top solutions? Burying my head and not keeping an open mind?
Your post just confuses me.
I know I know I know that I should let this poor horsey rest but I want to make one more attempt to explain myself - haven't done a good job obviously and there isn't even a language barrier excuse to fall back on.
You originally said (and I am lousy at quoting - so this is just a cut and paste):
How about a little brass plaque at the base of each route stating the length of the pitch, what gear is essential to keep it a "G" rated climb, where the crux move is, and the contact info of the FA party in case you disagree with the plaque.
Sorry for the overly sarcastic response, but this is climbing. We do not need more "signs". As has been said, we need self-sufficency and responsibility.And I concluded that you thought that the plaque suggestion was so over the top that it was obviously sarcastic (and the fact that you dragged it out with the FA stuff indicated to me that you thought you were being witty in your over the top stuff). My point was that"
1. the plague or sign giving beta on the route is pretty common in many places (and as an aside to Rich's original suggestion that there be some convention indicating how long the rap is - that too is pretty common on many places already).
2. that additionally to the plaque there are other conventions that are commonly used - colored hangers meaning "crux here", "routes diverge", etc.
3. in places where these things are common the level of climbing is typically higher than in N. Conway, NH.
(and as another aside - some of these things have been historically done in these pats for longer then you have been alive - route names/grades painted at the base of climbs at Crow Hill in the 50's for example).
And finally I assumed that your second sentence - the one about self responsibility - would be the typical thought pattern by most readers even if they were aware of my 3 points above. My "burying your head" was about that. If you are intentionally choosing not to make use of these types of conveniences - and by extension not allow them on "your" cliffs - that is fine. It's in the same vain as Henry not using cams or the barefoot craze that repeats every 10-20 years. It's more of a challenge , it's being true to the roots, yada yada. Just do it knowing the pros and cons and being aware if how things are done elsewhere - not as a knee jerk reaction of the style "We don't care what those pansy grade inflating Euros do - in NH we are real men and take care of ourselves" (that was an over the top example of being sarcastic in case you didn't get it). If you want to make N Conway (and there are many "N Conway's" across the country - slabbo has one in CO) an Amish climbing area that's fine. My roots are there - I appreciate and respect and participate in that type of climbing all the time. But I am also aware of trends. So make your choices from an informed position.
