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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jul 24, 2006 - 02:30pm PT
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Yeah, I detect signs of cheating in those photos.
His hair is blond except at the roots where it appears darker.
Does the sun account for the change or is it performance enhancement?
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Roger Breedlove
Trad climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jul 24, 2006 - 02:53pm PT
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Hey scuffy,
You know, you blew your chance of believability by making your claims public. If you had kept quite about it you would have been golden.
I want to believe you, but you need to provide objective proof. There still may be a chance of redemption:
Testimonials from friends, maybe?
Backing off every other climb you have ever done—looking for consistency here.
Verifiable claims from a gaggle of great climbers that they did the route in fine style?
Photos--no digital images, however, too suspect--and someone really good to present them to a skeptical audience. (Colon Powell has some relevant experience here.)
Dark hair?
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Jul 24, 2006 - 03:06pm PT
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A little over a week ago, I was walking the carriage road of the Trapps with Max, the non-climber hippie, his dog Shithead(pronounced something like "Shih TAY Ed) and my dog, Teddy. We had no intention of climbing, since Max had toenails the size of Texas that would have had him screeching in pain had I tried to bind his feet with sticky rubber.
I noticed that Teddy had lagged behind, and Shithead was stealthfully watching. Teddy seemed to be trying to quietly slip away, and he was headed directly for the line called Boston(5.5, with an offwidth section that he'd have had to stretch full out to get even two points of contact).
When Teddy noticed I'd noticed him, he seemed to smirk, and then gave me one of those cutest of cute dog grins of his. He hopped right up the first bit of dirt, turned, smiled and dynoed right up the next bit. He smiled at me again, and - shocked! - I realized his intent - to free solo Boston, and take up Biscuit's(rest his soul) mantle.
Teddy jumped up again, and now he was right there where the tree stump meets the rock face. This is the first foothold on the route for MANY a young Gunks climber, and dag nabit, it looked like Teddy intended to forgo it completely My dog has style!
He gave me yet ANOTHER big grin, and I was absolutely sure he would send. He just seemed that on his game; the confidence was palpable.
yes, I was nervous. yes, I feared for his life. he's only a terrier after all, and though Boston's only a single pitch - it's no ledge-filled gimme.....
Teddy seemed just about ready to launch for that rock face; I held my breath - guardian not wanting to stifle his need to go for it, come what may.
I swear I saw him wink and me. And then.....
And then......
And then he TORE into a HUGE lunge. Someone had left nearly a full club sandwich laying at the base, and Teddy, who must be part Sandwich Hound, intended to eat the thing whole.
It was just a sandwich he was after, after all, and not his first free solo. As for me, I din't have any free solos I didn't do, but I can now live vicariously, through Teddy and his non solo of Boston, one of the Gunks more historical classics.
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Roger Breedlove
Trad climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jul 24, 2006 - 03:10pm PT
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Soooo....what color is Teddy's fur?
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scuffy b
climber
Chalet Neva-Care
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Jul 24, 2006 - 04:13pm PT
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I should have known better, Roger.
Back in those benighted times I thought I was climbing for myself. I intentionally went to 5 & Dime with no witnesses.
The satisfaction I gained from my non-solo of the climb was
hogged all to myself. I didn't realize until now how selfish
I was being by not spraying all over the place. I was irresponsible. It was a phase, just a phase. During the same general time frame, I also did not free-solo Good Book, but (you
can guess) with no disinterested witnesses or cameras around.
It would have been so easy (to assemble the crew of observers)!
Reform is not always brought about without struggle, though.
To illustrate: on my last "pathetic" (in the words of Leroy) outing, I did have a witness to the punishment (even though it was not a free-solo), but it turns out he is a schoolteacher
(there goes the disinterest), and even though his hair is blond,
mine is dark!
I intend to keep up the struggle. I thought you might want to know that.
sm
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GrandMastaD
Social climber
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Jul 24, 2006 - 04:15pm PT
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is that a huge tic-mark in the photo? or just bird shat?
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Roger Breedlove
Trad climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jul 24, 2006 - 04:33pm PT
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Ha ha, Scuffy. It's all about the striving.
Good one Gene. Funny top ten list.
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Gene
climber
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Jul 24, 2006 - 04:36pm PT
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Top 10 Reasons Why Reardon Actually Free Soloed Romantic Warrior
10. Needed more face time than Romantic Warrior porno film allows.
9. Couldn’t download trial version of Photoshop.
8. No danger at all. I was always tied into photographer’s camera strap.
7. WWBD? (What would Bachar do?)
6. Free shoes for very short life.
5. Astroman was busy that day.
4. Hair stylist was on vacation.
3. I’m all tongue and the chicks love it.
2. Dude! You gotta camera?
1 I’m blond!
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Anastasia
Trad climber
Near a mountain, CA
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Jul 24, 2006 - 05:19pm PT
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I just wanted to be the 201st person to post on this thread since no one cares.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Jul 24, 2006 - 06:48pm PT
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I didn't read this whole thread. Who did. But I think there are some basic truths at work here.
One, free soloing at any high level borders on the fantastic and the unbelievable. It's one of those see-to-believe kind of gigs. Even if you've heard about it from reliable folks you can't really understand it till you do it or at least see it.
Second, as with all fantastic things, people need to be assured said things really and truly happened lest they are made to feel like they've been force fed stories about alien abduction and other such hogwash. So the plain truth and the fantastic must go hand and hand, or all bets are off. It's not a matter of right or wrong--it's basic human nature to want to KNOW, especially so when the fantastic is involved. To try and avert this by saying we should concern outselves with "more important" things is to vastly underestimate the importance of the truth. I did that for much of my life and it almost destroyed me.
Anyhow, somewhere in the soloing career of MR there were events that happened that led some to believe at least some of his claims were suspect. It is my understanding that these suspicions were somewhat bolstered by wintnesses said to be there but who have since hedged on their specific accounts or have simply not responded with enough specificity to trash can the lingering doubts. So in a sense, in some cases it seems the whole "witness" thing has in itself become somewhat fantastic.
I said "specific" because it's well know that MR solos and solos very well; but simply bearing witness to his soloing prowess does not answer to specific challenges to specific climbs, which probably requires, at this point, specific folks to give specific reports.
Lastly, it is not the climbing community at large who originally made a "big deal" out of this. Free soloing 5.12 IS a big deal, especially when its bolstered by tons of hype. People persist because the truth will always push to be known, especially about fantastic things.
I personally don't have a clue about the lingering doubts. I tend to trust my friend John Bachar on that account. But so long as thre are any doubts at all the questions will never really go away. Nor will they vanish because MR goes on and solos a ton of other stuff and puts it on a DVD. At this point it seems doubtful the questions will go away until the specific routes in question are fully addressed to everyone's satisfaction--something that, sadly, is unlikely to happen by the looks of things.
JL
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Ksolem
Trad climber
LA, Ca
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Jul 24, 2006 - 07:30pm PT
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Well, I've read the whole thread. Even posted a couple times and regretted it once. John (if I may use your first name though I barely know you,) you have made the best post on the thread.
I choose to believe MR for the reasons I gave before, but the doubts are not unreasonable and will not go away easily. The truth has it's own way in the end.
Levy as usual posted thoughtfully and pointedly as well. But I question his logic on one thing. MR showing up and doing Astroman would not prove much. I have been able to do Astroman cleanly without a whole lot of trouble, but remain schooled thoroughly by the Warrior.
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Kevin Daniels
climber
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Jul 24, 2006 - 07:51pm PT
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comments please
as a climber what i climb and how i climb are important.
climbers deal in respect and reputation.
michael is asking climbers to acknowledge and respect him for what he has done. it is important to him or he would have kept it to himself. i have climbed or soloed most all of the routes he has listed. not the scrappy stuff. what he is asking me and the climbing community to do is acknowledge his achievements. this must be important to him or again NO ONE WOULD KNOW.
this is not about my ego. honestly i believe these routes can be soloed onsight. why not ? many have thought about it and have not done so or maybe they have and are laughing.
i dont give my respect to just anyone, it is one of the few things i get to take with me. i have no reason to not believe mike but given the claims he is making honestly i feel a little disrespected by mike. we all know where the cruxes of these routes are. if you have not climbed these routes please do so. i know EXACTLY where the images of me would be if i were making the claims. i would show respect to all the folks who have worked hard to climb these routes by acknowledging their ascents and making it very easy for them to support the fact i had crossed into a completly NEW LEVEL OF COMMITMENT AND PERFORMANCE. i realize these are my views and my feelings and i mean no disrespect to mike or any other climber.
please forgive my spelling and grammer. i was in wood shop
kevin daniels
714 642 5354
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
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Jul 24, 2006 - 07:52pm PT
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I guess I'll add fuel to the fire here then... This kinda goes along with what Largo said. Lots of people here keep saying "I'll take Bachars word for it" Sorry to drag you back in the mix, John. However, Bachar has never said anything other than what Largo reiterated here: "it's well know that MR solos and solos very well; but simply bearing witness to his soloing prowess does not answer to specific challenges to specific climbs"
John has repeatedly said: "If you can keep up with the boy for a day of climbing, I'll get you free rock shoes for life! (any brand...)"
Oh yeah and, "tic...tic...boom, jb" (This is my favorite line in the whole thread!) =)
And while I think JB is totally credible, this doesn't really answer the question posed, nor offer, really, any more credance to the specific claims. Seems like plenty of people support his soloing ability. It's just specific climbs, that are way above and beyond that people wonder about.
Anyway, just pointing something out. Carry on.
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
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Jul 24, 2006 - 07:59pm PT
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Ksolem wrote:
MR showing up and doing Astroman would not prove much.
It might prove that the allure of a relatively easy 2 large (so far) was too good to resist!
$1000 is knott a paltry amount to me, but it would be worth it to see a live show...
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Jul 24, 2006 - 08:16pm PT
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Jul 24, 2006 - 08:21pm PT
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Sadly, what Largo and some of you others demand is a juried climb.
So it has come to the point where if someone must have a solid witness AND a camera around, or take crap forever.
I think that is biullsh!t
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jul 24, 2006 - 09:28pm PT
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This thread is long already and won't go away soon. Perhaps it's time to continue ti in Part 2.
But I ain't doin that.
" MR showing up and doing Astroman would not prove much. I have been able to do Astroman cleanly without a whole lot of trouble, but remain schooled thoroughly by the Warrior."
It would prove everything as far as I'm concerned if it was onsight. I don't think Reardon's done Astroman and soloing onsight would be a major step beyond what Croft and Potter accomplished on it. Sure Peter had the vision to take that huge step, but he had it wired. Onsight is a far different animal, which is why, I suppose folks have trouble swallowing the Romantic Warrior episode.
I've got no real evidence either way. Maybe it would be fun if this was a psychology experiment where a lot of truth and a dose of fiction equal confusion.
Or maybe Reardon is just another visionary trashed for being ahead of his time.
Peace
Karl
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James
climber
A tent in the redwoods
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Jul 24, 2006 - 09:42pm PT
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Reardon can have my walker if I can watch him solo Equinox.
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bob d'antonio
climber
boulder, co
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Jul 24, 2006 - 09:53pm PT
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Karl wrote: Or maybe Reardon is just another visionary trashed for being ahead of his time.
Or maybe...a lot of people have small lives and need to move on.
I could less if he solo the routes or not...there are much more important things going down.
Also..climbing isn't dying over...my children and wife are worth living for.
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Richard
Trad climber
Bend, OR.
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Jul 24, 2006 - 10:02pm PT
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When Michael soloed Equinox, I was lucky enough to be privy to the fact that he was gonna try it. There was a race of sorts between Michael and another climber, local to JT.
The afternoon when EQ was soloed, MR and Mark Niles came into the local climbing store (where I worked) and told me he completed the project. We went to his laptop, Mark pulled the chip out of his camera, and we looked at the un-doctored photos. From the first moves of the route to the last.........all rope less
I didn't see it live and in person, but there was absolutly no way they could have photo shoped it into Marks camera. Am I a credible witness? Well, some might say yes and some might say no. I don't climb 5.12 and I barely climb 5.10, these days. But I know what I saw...........I believe Michael. And I also like him. And If you're lurking here MR...........you still owe me that photo!!!
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