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jgill
Boulder climber
Colorado
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Jan 20, 2014 - 07:58pm PT
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Although soloers are more likely to die than be injured, when you engage in this sort of activity at least have good medical coverage to avoid having to ask others for financial support. I'm sure Honnold has this taken care of. Long term care would be good also.
In 1954 when I traveled from Georgia to Colorado and started my solo scrambles at age 17 my dad took out a burial policy on me without my knowledge. We laughed about it years later.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Jan 20, 2014 - 10:09pm PT
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El Cap looms in the minds of a very few. So possible but sooo intimidating.
I hate to keep harping on it Jim, or beating a dead horse if you will, and I don't mean to take anything from Alex, but I think your NEAR-NIAD is as impressive as a young lad in his 20s free-soloing something. Congrats!
I just now found this and hadn't seen it before from http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1004339&tn=20
Ton Kim Brough said,
I wonder about the 60 and over time record. As I recall George Lowe did NIAD at 60 swinging leads. But he gets three asterisks.... He did it with Alex Lowe! I don't remember what their time was.
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bigbird
climber
WA
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Jan 21, 2014 - 12:04am PT
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bigbird, my advice to you is to not give advice to others. From what I see, it appears to come from a selfish desire of your own, rather than a true desire to help others.
Still have not answered my question... How exactly am i being "selfish"? Being that selfish is defined as "having or showing concern only for yourself and not for the needs or feelings of other people".. I am concerned with the greater welfare and feelings of those affected by the possible death of an individual... So how exactly am I being "selfish"?
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Brian
climber
California
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Jan 21, 2014 - 04:23pm PT
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It is interesting how many conversations--this thread, every thread about what jobs are good, every thread about what cars are good, every thread about what climbing towns are good, etc., etc.--degenerate into justifications for the choices people have made in their own lives, an attempt to convince others (or, actually, perhaps oneself) that one has made the right choices. The folks who are teachers attempt to convince themselves (in the guise of convincing others) that being a teacher is the best job, balancing time to climb, some financial security, giving back to society, and so on. The folks who live in small towns try to rationalize why their lives are better than life in Flagstaff, Boulder, SLC, or some other big-city near climbing.
Not everything is about you/me. We all want to think that we've made good choices in life, and it's natural to look to other people for some sort of validation of that. But Alex's example does not justify your choices in life (for safety or risk, dirtbagging or financial security, solitude or family, etc.). Maybe this thread could be about Alex's achievement rather than using that achievement to bash other people over the head or to reassure ourselves that our lives are also good?
(That's not a comment directed at any particular poster. As I said, this trend is common to a whole range of thread on a variety of topics. Moreover, I've engaged in online banter about the joys of being a teacher, the virtues of California granite, and so on.)
EDIT (to follow my own advice) re: Sendero. Hearing about this solo was mind-bending for me. It's hard to express, but it definitely seems to this observer and sometimes soloer that this was a categorically different event. Donini's comments about cracks v. slabs rings true to me, and I've always avoided 3rd classing slabs for that reason. Both impressive (on so many levels) and thought provoking (in a number of ways).
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Jan 21, 2014 - 06:26pm PT
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I don't know, Alex might still have some catching up to do!
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jgill
Boulder climber
Colorado
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Jan 21, 2014 - 06:28pm PT
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What's the Verm up to these days?
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Jan 21, 2014 - 06:39pm PT
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Hopefully ol Piss and Vinegar is still doing well. He has one heck of a website going.....
http://www.vermphoto.com/
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Jan 21, 2014 - 07:58pm PT
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What's the Verm up to these days?
rollerskating and taking pictures of wildlife.
seriously.
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Jan 21, 2014 - 08:01pm PT
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btw, as bad as this thread has been, and it's been pretty bad, i'm still waiting for someone to complain about the tic marks.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Jan 21, 2014 - 08:53pm PT
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The Verm had a really nice spread on Peregrines in Arizona Highways.
Edit
And just like staged Verm photo, Honnold's solo pics are staged too.
Well, not THAT staged, but "shenanigans" as Honnold puts it.
From The Alpinist
I saw the photo of you getting into your harness on the wall. What was going on there?
[Laughs] Well that's how you film the soloing process. We did a lot of documenting up there. I had just soloed a whole pitch to that block, and it just marked a natural end and a good spot to put my harness on. [During] one of the other pitches I soloed, Renan Ozturk hung an aider on a bolt. I just hung on it and stepped in. That's the thing with filming soloing, it's just filled with shenanigans.
KLK, it's only a matter of time with the ticks.
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zBrown
Ice climber
Brujo de La Playa
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Jan 21, 2014 - 09:40pm PT
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Time is up - don't those tic marks piss you off?
I, and my dog, hate 'em.
A line has been crossed here.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Jan 21, 2014 - 10:47pm PT
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What's the Verm up to these days?
Still climbing with class. Well 4th class.
And fighting off the ladies.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Jan 21, 2014 - 11:16pm PT
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Oh my, who cares about honnolds questionable ethics- that poor dog!!!!
Edit- BTW thanks McHale for that verm web link. Some good stuff.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Jan 21, 2014 - 11:16pm PT
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This thread did need more levity ( and photos ).
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Roots
Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
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Jan 22, 2014 - 11:25am PT
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"The Timid Are Not Qualified To Comment On The Activities Of The Courageous" -MP14
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Jan 22, 2014 - 12:46pm PT
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A bunch of people die every year descending climbs... maybe we should campaign against that, if we are going to put our fears into others?
The mind-blowing thing isn't that he is a fantastic climber with a death wish, it's that he IS NOT. That his risks are calculated and, in his mind, safe. He makes 5.12+ feel solid.
THAT's the mind-blowing part. When you are 25 feet above gear on a 5.7 and feel solid, just know for him it's 15 grades harder that he's comfortable facing that risk.
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weezy
climber
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Jan 22, 2014 - 03:08pm PT
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cover yourself in bubblewrap and don't leave the house!
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Jan 22, 2014 - 03:14pm PT
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just know for him it's 15 grades harder that he's comfortable facing that risk.
I would leave out or change the word 'comfortable'. He is probably at the limit of 'comfortable'. ;>)
Edit; It probably feels good, or comfortable, to get the ropes on again!
I'm just talking about it. I would not imagine putting cuffs on him. This is all about freedom.
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Robinson
Trad climber
Chattanooga
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Jan 23, 2014 - 12:41pm PT
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