A battle between the old and the new ways of doing things has been on-going for literally thousands of years. We can easily go all the way back to Aristophanes’ Clouds when Socrates was getting into it with Strepsiades. With no end of the my way vs. your way argument in sight, I suspect that battle will rage on into perpetuity. The battleground for disagreement between an old way of doing things and novel ideas is not limited to any one set of circumstances. We’ve seen it in politics, games, transportation, literature, and technology. In addition, climbing is not immune from confrontation between different perspectives.
There are lively conversations about gear placement, safety measures, rope management, trail maintenance, access, grades, dabs, chalk, bolts, and anything else you can think of. I’ve witnessed heated opposition to the neon colors popularized in climbing fashion over the last several years. Luckily, with most conversations, arguments, and in some cases bullying self-righteousness, there can be growth. There have been and continue to be people who can step back and listen to various sides of an argument and proceed reasonably toward an improved outcome. The world of climbing has moved leaps and bounds over the last 50 years. The sport is more popular, safer, and more inclusive than ever before. Is it perfect? Not at all, but there has been positive measurable growth that stems from heated debates and rational deliberation.
One fervent example of lively discussion has been taking place on social media for several months. Responses have triggered anger, mistrust, and tribalism. They have also elicited compassion, empathy, and solidarity.
The conversation stems from some form of the following: As a woman hiking alone in the woods, would you feel safer coming across a man or a bear?
Responses are varied, but several men felt offended that women would rather come across a bear. These offenses were met with statistics in terms of bear attacks vs. man attacks, and statistics met with anecdotes, and anecdotes met with emotion, and in the end it resembles something like a conversation. That conversation has taken place primarily in the comments section of social media apps, which of course barely reaches the minimal threshold of a conversation, but the topic has also made it into real personal dialogues between real people speaking face to face about what they would choose and why.
There is a lot of climbing that takes place in the back woods where bears are prevalent, and so being faced with a similar scenario is not out of the realm of possibility. Granted, there is a major difference between solo hiking through the woods and hiking to a crag where one might expect to see strangers hiking in and around the area. None-the-less, it is a relatable scenario for many climbers.
For the record, if I were a woman solo-hiking in the woods, my initial response would be bear over man. Bears are usually very unlikely to attack, and the memory of seeing a bear in the wild would be much more exciting than the memory of seeing some random dude on the trail. Both possibilities have the potential for good and bad outcomes, but in the end, all things being equal, I’m going with bear!
While the conversation centers around “bear or man” the important take away is that we live in a world where women have to think about it. For many, confronting a wild bear feels safer than confronting an adult human male. That is not a good sign!
What is a good sign is that the conversation is happening. Most men seem to pick man over bear but hearing that several women envision that encounter differently is eye-opening. And opening one’s eyes is the first step in what (since ancient times) we call growth!
Old ways of doing things and new ways of doing things, old ways of thinking and new ways of thinking, there can be benefits to both, but whether you are from the old-school or the new-school, conservative or progressive, man or bear, the important thing is that conversations continue!!!
thedihedral.com 
I think I will call moments in life like this “clouds” Mostly with kids & grandkids. I am a lone hiker/walker & can’t honestly say which bear or man. Will think upon it….. aka cloud! Thx for another great post. Send Gaia my best again on recovery of “chip” fracture.
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Will do Sunyamar!!!
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I’m a solo female walker/hiker and I often see men on the rural trails I frequent. So far I’ve never felt afraid or threatened. One day though, when I saw fresh bear tracks by the river, my heart was pounding a lot harder than normal and since that day, am always on the lookout for bears in that area. I’d rather see a man than a bear any day.
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Good call Terry!!! Foot Prints > Bear Tracks!!!
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“As a woman hiking alone in the woods, would you feel safer coming across a man or a bear?” I have been asked on trails by women, “Aren’t you afraid to hike alone?” I’m hardly alone (woof!) and the question really irked me. I have said, “I’m more afraid not to.”
I’ve only been afraid once and the man in question was stalking me — even here in town. I am very visible because of my hair and my canine companions. Fortunately, Dusty T. Dog was suspicious of him and the man was afraid of dogs. That said, until I encountered that guy, I never thought about it and when he vanished from my world, I quit thinking about it. My fear was of HIM, not men in general.
As it happens a strange man I met on a trail was prepared to protect me against a moose if it turned out I needed it. I went into a wildlife area with Bear as a puppy. We walked our walk. We came out to find the guy who’d been in the parking lot when we arrived (and with whom we’d chatted) sitting on the hood of his truck with a rifle across his legs. “thank goodness,” he said. “There was a bull moose back there when I went in to fish. I was worried about you.” I’d seen the tracks but whatever.
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“I’m more afraid not to” makes me dread living in a city! Hiking in a city is just going for a walk. I need my school to just let me move into a mountain cabin and just teach remotely full time.
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What a wonderful thing that would be.
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As a runner/hiker/out for a walk I have crossed paths with bear, black, a lot just get out of the way if I’ve yelled at them…I know where I race, bears are there…yes a concern, but well, where else would they be…
when ever I run in our river valley, I hop into off road small random trails without thinking twice…no fear, a woman…I’ve know a few that would go, because that’s their planned route, and it’ll be where they’ve been before and are familar, but for a lot that’s a big no go.
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I’ve encountered bears numerous times while out and we just respect each other and go on our way. I know what I’m dealing with when it comes to a bear. I know what to do.
The men I encounter I have to be wary of. There are no signs saying “I’m going to kidnap you and kill you” but it happens often enough that women have to be wary. I live in the town where Abby Hernandez was kidnapped by a guy who offered her a ride home when her new boots were hurting her feet. I also had an incident where I was out geocaching and a guy tried to get me to sit in his car saying he couldn’t start it. I refused, and I always wonder if I dodged the proverbial bullet with that one.
Men don’t usually have to think about these things, because women are usually the target of the crazies.
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That is pretty scary Patti, that was smart to avoid sitting in a strangers car, great thinking!
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I was afraid of wildlife recently in the Smokies, and now that I’ve read your post, I would have been alarmed to to come through one of those densely forested paths and seen a solo man. I would have taken another path if he didn’t say “Hi,” or leered in anyway.
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