I posted this originally on my old anklebiter blog almost exactly two years ago. Here it is again, perhaps a little bit better this time:
Rock climbers are intent on finishing routes or boulder problems successfully (read: not falling). There are specific definitions for the ways a rock climb can be “sent:”
- On-sight. When you successfully finish a climb having never seen it, been on it, or know any details about it. This term comes with the most prestige and honor. On-sighting is a sign of your fitness level, ability to problem solve in the moment, and talent.
- Flash. When you have climbed a route successfully your first time on it, but you have either seen someone else climb it, or you have been given “beta” (information about how to climb the route, for all you non-climbers out there) and have an idea of what the moves are. You can be very proud about flashing a climb. It means you needed very little help, and you were strong enough to do the moves first try even though you didn’t figure them out on your own.
- Red-point. When you have to red-point a route, it means that you have fallen on it. It could mean that you did the climb second try. It could also mean that you did it on the 205th try. Either way, there is no shame in red-pointing. The one time of not falling on the route erases all the other times you did fall on it. Red-pointing shows that you went through a learning process on the climb and hopefully means that that you became stronger and better at climbing.
However, there is no pride, no honor, no prestige, no term for leaving a climb unfinished. In fact, I would say, for many climbers an unfinished climb is a little bit shameful: a climb left unperfected, a climb left undone means you have quit, you are a quitter. You can say, “Well, I have been on that climb. I have done all the moves. But I haven’t done it,” with a little deferential tilt of the head and a lowering of the eyes and much frustration in your voice.
I have too many unfinished climbs hounding me, some for a year or two, some for decades: Creature, Inter-gallactic Orcas, Mr. Serious, Slash and Burn, Happiness, Ultramega, P.O.D., Big Iron on His Hip… Oh, how I weep over Big Iron! I could go on; it almost doesn’t matter that I have a tick-list of routes I have done a mile long. It is the unfinished routes that are a thorn in my side. They symbolize weakness.
Or in a more positive light, I can consider that they show me I still have a lot to learn. Even if I have finished all the climbs I have ever tried, I will still remain unfinished as a climber, and actually, that is good. I can always get better and stronger. I can always work on skills that I don’t have. I will always have new goals to attain, new routes and problems to climb.
And I also need to remember that my life is unfinished business: I am always growing, learning, changing, hopefully becoming more the me, who I am supposed to be, all the time.
