SAFETY DISCLAIMER: You are smart, but I still have to say do NOT play these games before or during climbing unless it is with an innocent, alcohol-free beverage or food… Otherwise wait until you are safe at your campsite, hotel, or home. Also, there’s no need to get completely shit-faced to have fun, so, instead, GET CREATIVE.
GET CREATIVE: These games just might result in ingestion of way too much alcohol than is safe for the human body or for climbing the next day. Since we love climbing and climbing is really the priority, I highly recommend using edible (or marginally edible) items that are entertaining but not quite as abusive to the body, such as shots of:
GAME 1: Guidebook Roulette
(After all that reading, bonus you end up finding a really cool route to do!)
GAME 2: 15 Minutes My Ass!
After you close the car doors, lock-up, and throw the pack on your back, start the timer. Stop the timer when you have arrived at the crag and know FOR CERTAIN you are at the right spot. Write down the total number of minutes it took for you to get there. When you get back to the hotel/campsite/home look at the time estimate the guidebook gave to get to the crag and do the following calculation:
Your approach time in minutes divided by the estimated guidebook time in minutes equals the number of shots each person takes.
EXAMPLE: Your approach time was 50 minutes, the approach time given in the book was 20 minutes:
50/20 = 2.5 shots
GAME 3: “Nice” at the Crag!
I love the word “nice!” I enjoy hearing it when people support each other at the crag and I enjoy using it. But let’s make a fun little game out of it. There are two parts to this game.
EXAMPLE: You hear “Nice!” 9 times, and there are 3 people in your group. 9/3 = 3. Each person takes 3 shots (again, strongly recommend avoiding hard booze in order to actually keep having fun!)
GET CREATIVE: These games just might result in ingestion of way too much alcohol than is safe for the human body or for climbing the next day. Since we love climbing and climbing is really the priority, I highly recommend using edible (or marginally edible) items that are entertaining but not quite as abusive to the body, such as shots of:
- Beer, wine, or no-alcohol beer
- prune juice (this can continue the fun into the next day!)
- clam juice
- blended juice, kale, and hot pepper sauce
- blended sardines and milk
- nasty-flavored Jelly Bellies
- or some other gag-inducing combination that will get people laughing. Get creative!
GAME 1: Guidebook Roulette
- Select a climbing guide off your bookshelf or use the one for the crag where you are currently climbing.
- Turn to a random page in the guidebook, randomly select a route to read (or read what is on the page), and read it out loud.
- Everyone will take a “shot” each time the book says any of the following:
- “obvious.”
- “easy 5th class scramble/down climb”
- “unprotected chimney”
- “classic”
(After all that reading, bonus you end up finding a really cool route to do!)
GAME 2: 15 Minutes My Ass!
After you close the car doors, lock-up, and throw the pack on your back, start the timer. Stop the timer when you have arrived at the crag and know FOR CERTAIN you are at the right spot. Write down the total number of minutes it took for you to get there. When you get back to the hotel/campsite/home look at the time estimate the guidebook gave to get to the crag and do the following calculation:
Your approach time in minutes divided by the estimated guidebook time in minutes equals the number of shots each person takes.
EXAMPLE: Your approach time was 50 minutes, the approach time given in the book was 20 minutes:
50/20 = 2.5 shots
GAME 3: “Nice” at the Crag!
I love the word “nice!” I enjoy hearing it when people support each other at the crag and I enjoy using it. But let’s make a fun little game out of it. There are two parts to this game.
- Part 1: Keep track of how many times you hear OTHER parties say “Nice!” while you are at the crag. Divide the total number of times “Nice!” is said by the total number of people in your group and that is the number of “shots” taken by each person.
EXAMPLE: You hear “Nice!” 9 times, and there are 3 people in your group. 9/3 = 3. Each person takes 3 shots (again, strongly recommend avoiding hard booze in order to actually keep having fun!)
- Part 2: Your group has to NOT say “Nice!” and come up with other creative supportive words like “Superfragalistic!”, “Stupefying!” or “Ballistic!” The nerdier or crazier the better! Imagine the entertainment the group next to you might experience from your creativity. If someone in your group accidentally says “Nice!” that person has to take a shot at the end of the day.