UKH

Some of my dreams of climbing harder* classics have begun to look a bit unrealistic so I've started headpointing routes and I have to say I enjoy it.  I can spend a good chunk of time perfecting a solution to the problem and if I feel bold enough I get to lead it and it's a really nice sense of accomplishment.

Is there any hope of redemption? Have I lost my way? I worry it's a slippery slope and soon I'll find myself trying sport climbing...

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* hard for me - not "hard"

It is probably in the bottom of your rucksack

Chris

Masturbation used to be thought of as sinful. I'm sure headpointing will be acceptable too one day.

I'd only start panicking if you purchase a bouldering mat.

C'mon, I said I'd lost my moral compass, not my marbles!

It's called getting old.

Nope

You have changed your way, and that's no bad thing.

Don't climb when it's raining?

once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny

Well only w@nkers headpoint sooo....

I was at the Works today with a friend marvelling at how many REALLY strong climbers there are nowadays - way better than we could ever be. But, we'll be out on real rock in the coming weeks safe in the knowledge that most stuff E3 and above will have zero traffic....go figure.

You've certainly lost your way, but I think it is probably only actually immoral if your top-roping antics inconvenience someone else who has come to do the route properly. 

What you need is a moral compass compass to find your moral compass. Or maybe a Moral GPS but there are some who would say that that's unethical and dumbing things down.

If your moral compass is becoming a bit wonky, it's best to avoid sport climbs. The trouble is those lines of steel bolts distort the moral field completely, so that your compass will merely point you from bolt to bolt. Then you'll end up climbing like a child drawing one of those join-the-dots pictures, and you will have lost your traditional values completely.

It took me 45 years to successfully lead 3 Pebbleslab, and I attempted it at least once a year.
I could always easily get to final slab, above the hole, and I always had gear in the hole.
It was that run-out that did for me. Most times I had to call for a rope to be lowered to me so I could finish up the slab, but several times I reversed from that high point. I never set off on a top rope

It became an obsession.

Finally, 45 years after my first attempt, I did it. The feeling was extraordinary, I was on a high for days, a lifetimes achievement. I have no idea what headpoint, redpoint, thispoint thatpoint means, and I don't give a toss. I did my climb, and that was a fantastic feeling, what climbing was all about for me.
So please don't anyone come on here and tell me I didn't climb it. 
'Cos I did.

Well done! What grade was it?

HVS

A long time ago (1975) being young and very stupid I thought TPS would make a good first HVS lead. To add to my stupidity, I thought that as Joe Brown had led it without protection, so would  I. On the top slab I very nearly came off. I will only climb that route on a  top rope now. 

Nice. 👍

A top tip should you ever choose to repeat it; those in the know reckon it is significantly easier to climb TPS at E1.

Wow, after (presumably) getting past the technical crux but failing on the adjectival (*) crux several times, I'm surprised you kept on trying.

And reversing from after the hole is pretty impressive.

Well done on finally showing it who's boss.

(*) I was going to say psychological crux but that doesn't quite fit because the top slab moves also have technical difficulty, just not quite as much as getting beyond the hole.

Allow me to introduce you to Reg, my invisible friend.  He is always there for moments like this, providing a Reasonable Excuse to justify what others may see as poor conduct, cowardice or just general uselessness.

He is my Reasonable Excuse Generator, and examples of his work may be found on my profile.

I believe that he has siblings who are currently available

Maybe it has been leading you in circles all these years anyway... Personally, when we have no problem with people seconding a route and then leading it, I don't see what is wrong with TRing a route. Otherwise, how can you learn and progress?