UKC

I was thinking the other day about how different personalities can bring different things to a climbing partnership, and it lead me to wonder what it would be like to climb with your exact double, or a mental and physical clone if you like?

Personally I take quite a cautious apporach to climbing; reading as much as I can about gear, anchor systems etc., trying to get as much mileage at the easier end of the grades as I can before moving up, tending not to stick my neck out if it doesn't feel 'safe' to me. I think if I climbed with my clone, I could be fairly confident about making it home in one piece, but perhaps at the expense of not pushing as hard as I can and finding my limits.

What about you? Are you the opposite, maybe a bit reckless and too quick to get in over your head, prone to not double checking your knots and anchors and sometimes benefiting from a more cautious partner to bring you back down to earth (not literally!). Or are most people in the middle, having a good balance of safety and adventure, and could climb much as they do now with their double?

Just a bit of fun to distract me from studying.

In reply to Taurig:

I generally find I clash something rotten with anyone with similar personality traits. So ideally no

Neil

Good god, no. I'd kill the whining little shit.

In reply to Taurig:

No chance, I'm crap enough as it is

In reply to Taurig: no thanks! I need someone to bounce off and push myself with. If it was just a reflection i'm not sure it'd work.

Plus at least when i'm climbing with someone else i get to trust belays completely at least 50% of the time.

i remember a lovely hanging belay on one bomber hex above me, and a cam beneath my feet!

In reply to Taurig:

No thanks, I need a proper rope gun, not another fat, old bastard spouting excuses of why he can´t lead a pitch today...

CB

In reply to Taurig:

No; I know all my excuses and would talk myself out of doing anything at all.

Cloning say Kelly Brook however....

In reply to Taurig:

No, would never leave the pub!

Adam

In reply to Taurig: You must be joking. Would rather cut the end of the knob off with a pair of rusty secateurs.

In reply to Taurig:

but on the other hand they could give you perfect beta for a flash

In reply to Taurig: I'd probably spend all day trying to burn myself off before exploding in a giant self absorbed fireball

In reply to cb294:

Hmmm... seems that I AM your clone!!

In reply to Cobbler:

There are many of us.

In reply to Taurig:

I think that if I climbed with my clone we'd probably both end up having a nervous breakdown on a ledge somewhere.

In reply to Taurig: hmm, this armchair is only big enough for one of me

In reply to Taurig:

Hell no, I'd cut the rope !

In reply to butteredfrog:

my sentiments exactally

Ooft, now that is what you might call an overwhelmingly negative response! Yeah I suppose I might do my own tits in as well. Think of the perks though. You get to climb any route you want, when you want, as your partner is thinking the same thing. Don't like the look of a climb because it's loose/scary/too hard/? No problem, your partner doesn't mind, they don't want to for the exact same reason.

Back in reality, I think the best time to have two opinions is when the sh1t hits the fan; even with things like navigation it's good to have someone confirming what you thought, or making you question and double check.