The Alleged Sandbag
When I tell people that I began climbing in the Gunks, a fairly typical response is, “I’ve heard that place is sandbagged!"
In general, grades are so subjective and it often depends on when the route was first put up. While I struggle up a route, I often take solace in the fact that the first ascent was probably done in steel-toed boots and with pitons.
Climbing, in general, can have a steep and slow learning curve, and when it comes to its distinct style, like most areas, the Gunks is really no different. This can be especially true for out-of-state visitors—but if you’re paying a visit from out west, there are more than a few crack climbs that nobody talks about—the good news is that you’re almost guaranteed to have them all to yourself, too.
In my time climbing in the Gunks, I had never seen another person on Disco Death March (5.10d). You don’t really need a lot of gear for this route, but you do need big gear. I was even considering trying inverting through the crack, which I told Scott over dinner the night before. Bashfully, I said, “I know it might be dumb and it might not work.” He told me I should absolutely do it in a style that was right for me. So what if nobody had tried climbing the crack inverted style? It didn’t mean that it couldn’t work, and I wouldn’t know unless I tried.
Maybe this classic 1977 line was not done in the same way. In fact, it’s highly unlikely. But after spending some time climbing out west, I came back to Disco Death March and saw the route in an entirely different light. Our perspectives are created by our own personal experiences—so don’t let other people sandbag you. Or rather, don’t allow yourself to feel sandbagged by others—in climbing, what works for one person won't necessarily work for another. My beta might not be his beta; what feels sandbagged to him might not feel sandbagged to her.
Initially, I felt afraid and a little silly to try something in my own style, but the truth is that you don’t have to make decisions based on how things were formally done. Don’t let others tell you that things must be done in a certain way because one size doesn’t fit all. Don’t let anyone tell you how hard or easy something is going to feel—go and see for yourself.
Cover photograph courtesy of Chris Vultaggio
