Hi, my name is JC and I'm a toproper. I can't keep the secret any longer.
I climbed some toprope routes and will include them on my list of routes done in good style at Pinnacles.
I NEVER thought I would do this.
I have always been of the opinion that if you don't lead a route, you haven't done it in good style.
I've known for a long while that sometimes I take things (and myself) way too seriously.
If a route is listed as a TR in a guidebook, then it was established that way and was meant to be done that way.
I confess that I free soloed a couple of the lines and only actually toproped one.
I must say that I got a much greater feeling of satisfaction and enjoyed the freedom of movement on the free solos but I wouldn't recommend that as a regular thing at Pinns.
This was a difficult compromise for me but it also reminded me how often I compromise on what I want to do versus what actually happens. Sometimes you have to be willing to bend (maybe more than you want to) so you don't break.
Life is short and climbing should be about having fun. If you can't laugh at yourself...yer dun.
