In reply to Ben Farley: In a few infrequent visits to Pex some twenty years ago I can remember having great difficulty in even getting off the floor on most of the problems there. (I should add that this is not a phenomenum restricted to this particular venue).
While nursing my bruised/battered ego I could marvel at the talented climbers such as Joe Healey who would gracefully cruise across the seemingly blank walls. Some good climbers from the Uni and Poly would spend many hours learning the art of Pex climbing whilst also developing the strength and technique required to send some of the harder problems. I never saw a top rope there but did witness a few luckless soles who attempted 'dubious' tactics only to be verbally abused by the talented few - all done in good fun but also reinforcing the ethic of the time that the solo was the way to climb.
With a good wind behind me and a very tight top rope I could have 'climbed' some of the harder problems there but deep down I knew that I wasn't actually good/talented/determined enough so I didn't.
Climbing hard might be elitist, not attempting something might be defeatist but at the end of the day climbing is /was a physical and mental game - hard moves a long way above the ground or a tiny scrap of damp,muddy carpet are not for everyone and that's the way it should be.
You can solo it, lead it, top rope it or use whatever means possible ( because who actually cares?) but you'll still know, when your bragging in the bar or when you go to sleep that night, deep down inside, whether you were good enough
pmc