How Many Partners Do You Have?

[schindlerpiste]

When I was living in Austria, I used to ski with the same 4 or 5 people all the time (wife, Markus, Manfred, Charlotte). Now, mostly, I ski with my wife and kids, or my bro. and his snowboarder friends. I kind of like skiing with snowboarders. ...They are so optimistic and full of energy! Infrequently, I will ski alone. It's a totally different feeling that is sometimes scary, but always good. The bottom line is ...It's all good, and ...Just Do it!

[Cornholio]

I really only have one go-to guy for all those things. Being stuck out in the flatlands hasn't helped my readiness factor much, though, so I hope he doesn't dump me. I'd say I have other trusted ski-specific people, and other rope-specific people, and other general backcountry-specific people, and other sailing-specific people, but really only one guy who I do all those things with comfortably.

It strikes me that my ideal partner doesn't match my skills. Instead we'd dovetail on most things and be comfortable trusting each other as situations arose where one was more experienced/competant/etc.

[Yossarian]

Yoss have you seen the TV ads here for Denver's new "bathouse" scene? sounds about like this thread: come meet guys into the same adventuresome alternative lifestyle as you!

Ha, no, but I'll keep an eye out for that for sure. HA!

[CS]

Good thread Yoss. I've never actually sat back an thought about this. Doing so, I realized there isn't one person I could say I would be comfortable both sharing a portaledge with and assessing a slope in the bc. In fact, there is only one guy I would really want to tie in with on something big, like more than 2 days on a wall. I've actually done a certain 2-day wall in Zion with like 5 different partners, 2 of which, no 3, had no big wall experience. But I'd never do that on something up The Big Stone. Just cragging around though, usually as long as a person is competent with belaying, I'll tie in with 'em.

There are a few peeps out in California I would tour with any time. Can't say the same out here in Ootah since I've only been here a couple months, but there are some folks I know I could trust and out in the bc. So, I guess, in the all-around category, I've got 0 partners. There just aren't too many people who enjoy the sufferfest that is a big wall.

[RawkFingrl]

one person = my boyfriend

and that's probably part of the reason he is my boyfriend, he plain rocks. we can do all of that together and safety is always #1 considering we love each other more than anything. it fucking rules to have the person you are in love with be equally stoked to climb, ride, trail run or hike, camp or explore with the dogs just as much as you are.

i feel incredibly lucky.

[shera]

i feel incredibly lucky.

damn straight

[H-man]

First I would need some friends....

Seriously, for me it depends on the where. In Austria I have two really good ones, but they live there so obviously we can't go everywhere together. My brother in law is my best partner, but again it is only for trips since he lives in Manhattan and isn't always available. He also has not embraced the touring thing. We only go "side country" or whatever the kids are calling it these days in places like LCC and Jackson.

When it comes to touring I have none. I am still pretty new to it and still question my own abilities somewhat, so I make conservative decisions. I don't want this to effect me one way or the other with partners, meaning either I hold them back or I do things that I am not comfortable with. This touring one has actually been bothering me a lot lately.

I would be interested in hearing how most of you met/hooked up with your "touring partners"?

Good thread Yoss.

[backpack]

I have two, I guess. One whom I've been backpacking with since Jr. High, and one who's good for skiing/biking/hiking near home on short notice.

Of course, I'm not into as many different things as a lot of people here are... I'm mostly about backpacking and skiing with a side of third world travel and mountain biking.

[Buster Highmen]

My experience is that the cadre of k00ks evolves over time. There's accrual during college years and erosion later on to a basic core sample. It has been a cyclone that picks up debris for a while and then spits it out, winnowing the proverbial what from choss.

Back when I had time to hike, fish and ski more there were 4 folks I could really trust. None of them were really good skiers, but I spent many hours camping, hitchhiking and trekking around the hills of Montana, mostly the Pintlers. Roadtrips from Portland to Bozeman, Madison, Berkeley and outlands.

It wasn't expertise in anything per se, but more of a tone and an attitude that made the situation work. Or at least get initialized. I guess that's what would convince me to jump into the crucible of being trapped in thunderstorms under a tarp with an induhvidual or touring into a cabin in -20F for a week of bisquick, psychedelics and telecrashing.

As I've mentioned, death played a role in ending one of those friendships. And I guess inertia, Brownian motion and other shadowy forms of randomness eroded a Great Plan or two. And so I sail into the sunset.

But, that's what makes this such a great resource. It's the nuts like you guys out there that have made for such great, ripping times. And it's a nice toasty warm blanket of comfort to know that there will be a lot more.

Now Visualize Whirled Peas.

[snowfire]

one person = my boyfriend

and that's probably part of the reason he is my boyfriend, he plain rocks. we can do all of that together and safety is always #1 considering we love each other more than anything. it fucking rules to have the person you are in love with be equally stoked to climb, ride, trail run or hike, camp or explore with the dogs just as much as you are.

i feel incredibly lucky.

I'm in the same boat. It's freaking awesome and I'd have to work really hard to find a new partner for everything I do.

[pde20]

Five or six total...but only one of them lives in the same state.

Even for those who share all the characteristics you are talking about...simple day to day life schedules i've found to be amongst the toughest things to surmount.

Also, having the real opportunity to develop the necessary level of comfort, trust, understanding of knowledge and experience, and I guess just overall rapport is a time consuming and difficult process. All of mine are either college frineds who i know a lot about and understand and know the majority of their formative experiences, or folks whom I lived and worked with in a ski town environment where the opportunities to test these criteria out were more abundant.

I guess this high bar is the way it should be when you are undertaking activities such as these.

[cj001f]

simple day to day life schedules i've found to be amongst the toughest things to surmount.

Finding someone free when you are and interested in the same destination is the biggest pain. Especially if you move somewhere new. It probably shouldn't have, but has, taken precedence over all the other factors. Most people who climb/ski/travel are good people, you just don't always click. Interesting in a different way.

[pde 20]

pde20 is the only guy I trust. That guy is CORE.

[freshies]

interesting post, made me think ths out. I figured out I actually have several catagories of friends based on the particular task at hand:

for all around mountaineering and mtb'ing biking adventures, i have 2 good buddies. all of us have similar skills, are best of friends, and have done many trips together through the Sierras, Rockies, AK and other far flung places. But, both these guys are not big skiers.

So for touring in Tahoe, I have one go to buddy that I love to tour Tallac and and do east side trips with in the spring. Unfortunatley, he is back in Berkeley now pursuing a PhD....so will have little time to do BC jaunts this winter/spring. I have another 2 friends that I feel comfortable doing BC trips with, but they are not as strong as my main partner now in grad school.

For resort days, who cares. On pow days, there are no friends, and on non-pow days I like to get QT on the hill in w/the GF and other buddies, etc

[pde20]

pde20 is the only guy I trust. That guy is CORE.

also, being wary of ending up on a lift, rope or skin track with douch bag trolls is a very big challenge. welcome back, pussy.

[RawkFingrl]

my avatar is what i call "lovelines" from a day we had at loveland pass last spring. when you get to a stopping point and see each others lines criss cross in perfection as you look back at the mountain you just hiked, giddy with laughter... you know you got something going right.

[Telenater]

Perfect partners.... 0

Partners that I enjoy(including feeling safe and similar desires for routes and skiing/boarding) doing overnight bc trips with 2-3

Partners that I enjoy (see above), day bc trips (quite a few more).

I'm not much of a climber so that's never really entered into my thought.

Frequently though, if I want to do a trip of some kind, I'll see who else is interested and make plans for the trip based on my comfort level with the available partners.

[powstash]

Great thread Y.

I've probably got 2-3 solid do anything most anywhere type partners.

I've then got another 4-5 that I will bc tour and climb with but the situation needs to be right.

I have a number of people I'd conside a partner on the "fringe" people I'd ski with but I usually don't get around to going BC with them mostly becuase I prefer my standard crew and mostly for the fit. I'm know that I'm on the fringe with others likely for similar reasons. When it comes to skiing the BC, climbing peaks and stuff, once you've got a 2-3 of go to guys that you trust your life who you've found a tremendous amount of comfort and comradaire with, it's hard to expand beyond that...at least for myself.

[Lurch]

I've got 2. One that I ski and kayak with and one that I just back country ski with. I also ski and kayak with my fiance but only on mellow terrain and water.

[nhtele]

Got a few in each area...rock climbing, ice climbing, ski touring, but few that I feel comfortable doing all with. I guess i would have to say 2, possibly 3 that I can feel comfortable doing all with.

Guessing after those sketchy anchors I built this summer in Boulder Canyon that I might have dropped off the list

At least we can go fishing together.

[Mountain Freak]

I have 3 for Mtn climbing, b/c skiing, rock climbing, Ice climbing...

1 I met while climbing Crestone Needle, 1 b/c skiing at James peak, and the last I met at work. You know who you are you lurker!

[RootSkier]

This thread is cool - and very interesting.

It almost got me weepy-eyed, because my best outdoor partner ever just moved to Nort hern California.

We started kayaking at the same time 8 years ago. We swam on class II, and much later, gritted our teeth while testing ourselves in class V. We have paddled together hundreds and hundreds of days. The vast majority of our river exploration consisted of the two of us, working our way down increasingly difficult and exciting new runs. We spent many cold and scary days together. He pissed me off sometimes, and vice versa, but we always kept boating together. It's going to be tough to find that again.

I have never had a great backcountry ski partner. There were two guys I skied with a lot the last two years but one of them is injured and one is out of the country.

There are two other guys I really like to ski with, but I can't come close to keeping up with them on the skin track on their huge 4-6 mile approaches.

[divegirl]

A partner for me who fits all these categories is obviously Legoskier. However considering I'm relatively new to the sport, I don't believe I'm a perfect partner due to my lack of experience. However I do know when to say I'm uncomfortable with a particular situation, which contributes to me being a safer partner in general, so.....

[crashnburn'd]

I have one who I would go nearly anywhere with although we are diverging at the moment due to 1000+ mile seperation.

I have two more I'm trying to get to do more in the winter, but as of yet I've been unsucessful.

[TurxSki]

My Beloved, just like RawkFingrl, and Snowfire (except mines a girl)
We're just getting into the BC bidness. Might not be up for "the real thing" until next season.
Resort, Sidecountry, rope-ducking for now. Our 5th or 6th (?) season. Still learning.

'fess up though.
"Partnering" with your Significant Other does mean more yelling, crying, misunderstandings and so on than with a "partner". Or at least I'd think (hope ) so.