Cooped Up? Get Uncooped.

Have you ever climbed with someone you don't know very well, and halfway through the day you're ready to chew through the rope and let him or her touch the void? That's what we call a bad climbing partner. Not necessarily a bad person, mind you- this person could spend all his or her spare time at the Humane Society walking puppies- but not the one for you.

Here are a few things to consider when looking for a climbing partner: 

Safety Does this person have a failsafe, never-leave-the-ground-without-it equipment check routine? Does this person belay safely, paying attention to the climber? Would you let this person belay your grandmother? If not, think hard before joining forces.

Style Light and fast? Heavy and slow? How do you like it? You and your partner should have similar styles when it comes to how you approach serious climbs.

Skill level Uneven partnerships are rocky partnerships. Mentorships are different - that's why they're called mentorships. The far more skilled person is the mentor. Partnerships are between people of roughly equal skill level. (Roughly as in within a few grades, not roughly as in "I send 11cs all the time, but he can only claw his way up 10bs. Can this ever work?") Obviously you might be weak in an area where your partner is strong and vice versa, but basically you should be on the same page.

Personality Do you like this person? It doesn't matter how perfectly matched you are in other areas; if the person grates on your nerves -even a little- the partnership is doomed.

Ambitions What kinds of climbs do you aspire to do? How ambitious are you? How much time do you have to devote to your climbing? If one person is a diehard and the other is a dilettante, odds are they won't be happy together. They might have fun weekend dalliances, but they aren't climbing soul mates.

Me and my favorite climbing partner:

• climbing
• friends
• how-to