The Golden Rule
You know what Jams My Cams? Rules. There are a lot of "rules" in climbing... or maybe there's just one? Some are comp rules. You have 4 minutes. Make sure…
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August 19, 2018
Those Damn Gyms
Gyms. You've read article after article about how they are ruining climbing. The kids chase grades, they're scared of runouts, they've got no ethics, etc. You've read about the mentorship…
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July 15, 2018
Social Anthropology of Climbing Grades
Let's talk about scales, and not the one in my bathroom that I avoid. Anything you measure has a scale. Things like weight and distance are linear scales, two units…
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June 23, 2018
Ascending for the Visually Impaired
Myopia. A legitimate medical condition, otherwise known as near-sightedness. Having myopia can be fixed with glasses, contacts, or surgery. To have your decisions or opinions called "myopic" is similar -…
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May 29, 2018
The Dude Grades
If you're not up on the climbing blogosphere, you might have missed this thoughtful piece over at Moja Climbing; Dude Grades: A Look at Sexism in Climbing Grades. Now, many longterm…
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March 25, 2018
How to Build a First Aid Kit – Bouldering
Getting hurt. I can't say it Jams my Cams, because its a part of the sport I have come to expect. Flappers, twisted ankles, ticks, sandpapered nipples from sliding out…
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September 20, 2017
JMC: Foreshadowing
You know what Jams My Cams? Foreshadowing. Like re-reading a well written book with a twist, going back over events and statements made in the past can take on new…
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September 16, 2017
Ode to a Climbing Hold
I, Justin Meserve, am a poser. I spend easily 80% of my climbing time in the comfort of a gym, pulling on plastic shapes devised by artists, sadists, or both.…
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January 13, 2017
JMC: The Little Things
You know what Jams My Cams? Me. My Ego. Or is it my Id? That little voice inside my head that tells me I am not good enough, that nobody…
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March 31, 2016
JMC: Climbing Partners
You know what Jams my Cams? Climbing partners, more specifically, losing climbing partners.This is a fickle topic and let me start by saying that the primary focus here is not about…
September 1, 2015