From 0 to Lurking Fear in One Year

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Kupandamingi

Trad climber

Berkeley

Aug 11, 2008 - 10:52pm PT

wow - yeah that guy in the Lurking Fear video posted was moving incredibly slow (belayer looks at watch and pretends to fall asleep)........oh crap, that was a video of me leading!

As to whether Billy exists, isn't there a little Billy in all of us (cue sentimental music).

Standing Strong

Trad climber

almost all the way home

Aug 11, 2008 - 11:11pm PT

rileh tell us what you REALLY think

p.s. call meh!

kupandamingeh - nice e africa quote and good song for your video!!!

are you sure billy isn't just a troll identity you've picked up to show us all your video

(kidding)

billygoat

climber

3hrs to El Cap Meadow, 1.25hrs Pinns, 42min Castle

Aug 11, 2008 - 11:24pm PT

It's pretty funny that I called troll 40 some odd posts before Wener, but almost none of you hopped on the troll-wagon until he did. You're all billys. Oh, wait, I am too...

billygoat

climber

3hrs to El Cap Meadow, 1.25hrs Pinns, 42min Castle

Aug 11, 2008 - 11:44pm PT

Riley. One, it's a little late to make that claim. Two:

"Why even bother feeding the idiot with a post??"

Stop being a hypocrite.

Dr. Rock

Ice climber

Castle Rock

Aug 12, 2008 - 12:08am PT

How come you guys sent me to rockclimbing.com and this guy, who wants to go from two gym visits to El Cap, did I read that correctly?
Well, he gets all this advice, WTF, over?

At least I am getting my sandstone ticks done.

I like you, Betty.
But there is something called a Gradient.
You learn on a Gradient, that is, you start at the bottom, and slowly start to travel up the ramp.
You get down everything on the way up down pat.
If you skip a step, you come back down the ramp a bit and back track til you flatten it out.
Then you continue back up the ramp.

The steepness of the ramp is determined by what you are learning.

If it's Rock Climbing, you want that ramp to be almost horizontal.
Why?
Because in this sport, you have to be perfect, or it's See Ya At Sears.
Baby Steps are the way to go. You could be a Krauk or a Sharma or Potter, but not at 25.
Your ramp is inclined at about 90 degrees.

Bring it back down to about ten degrees and enjoy life along the way.

I don't know, Jtsan, these quads left over from the bicycle seem to come in handy on the cliff.
I mean, my legs hurt after a good climb.

No wait a minute, that was just the hideous hike into Eagle Peak.

Hey Jtsan, I have a couple of Aeronautical Engineers from Nasa (isn't the internet wonderful!) coming over to visit the Ti thread, and yes, for once, I am not joking.

Could you do me a favor and clean up that math you did?
There is a slight error in your subtraction, I get 30 instead of 26, thanks!
I usually don't correct people on trivial crap, but these guys are heavyweights.
They have 23 rules for submitting post to their forum!

No mizpelled words,
No this, no that, sheesh!

Nefarius

Big Wall climber

Fresno, CA

Aug 12, 2008 - 12:49am PT

"Who wouldn't want to climb from zero to 'Lurking Fear' in 14 months?"

I don't think it's that big a deal, really... It's super easy aid, which is about the easiest climbing there is, honestly. It's a short route, low angle, etc... I'd say his chances of doing LF in 14 months, versus something like climbing the Rostrum or Astroman, free in the time, are significantly higher.

salad

climber

Escondido

Aug 12, 2008 - 12:51am PT

i got my ass kicked on that route.

anyone wanna go climbing???

Nefarius

Big Wall climber

Fresno, CA

Aug 12, 2008 - 01:00am PT

I'm just sayin...

I was a face climber of a few years and did my first walls with no instruction or mentoring at all. Read about it, bought some gear, ran some laps for a few hours on a local aid boulder (mainly practiced hauling and jugging for a couple of hours) and went for it. Got tired of aid, started climbing trad... Easy aid is, well, easy. LF was easy aid.

ricardo-sf

Sport climber

San Francisco

Aug 12, 2008 - 03:54am PT

:-) -- ok i'll bite ..

Dude -- going from 0 to climbing El Cap in a year is totally doable .. in fact i think you can go room 0 to soloing el cap in a year ..

.. read stuff, get in shape, try stuff, get help, and have a good head on your shoulders, and with a little luck you'll be alive next christmas ..

i went from first stepping into a gym to leading outdoors in 3 months, and then to soloing el cap 12 months after my first outdoor lead .. i had 1 mentor and didn't meet that guy face-to-face until 1 week before my ascent .. --

.. set a goal and go for it.

Billy

climber

Boston, Ma

Topic Author's Reply - Aug 12, 2008 - 09:46am PT

First, I want to thank everyone for all the advice that I've received since posting this the other night. This has been enlightening, inspiring, and a little scary.

So I went to the gym last night with El Cap (learning lingo) in mind. 4.5 miles on the elliptical in 30 minutes on Level 7. It was tough. Try it before you laugh! At my weight it was 400 calories. (6'1" 220 lbs.) Dinner consisted of a salad with grilled chicken. Then I got hungry watching Intervention (this chick was inhaling electronic duster. HILARIOUS!) and had some Broc with egg whites. Not a burger, but not bad.

I talked to a buddy of mine about the trip (Bobby) and he said he's in. He's been a climber for about a year now and his reaction was JUST about the same as the reaction that I have gotten here. Possible, but very very tough.

Lastly. Please, PLEASE someone just explain to me what a troll is, what constitutes trolling, and how my questions sound like it. I'm really new to message boards in general, and even more of a novice with climbing, so I don't really know what I'm being accused of here. Not that I care what people think of me, but I don't want this "label" to hinder my ability to garner knowledge about this trip.

That being said, jstan and Lynne and a bunch of others have been so helpful so far that this absolutely seems possible to me. I will keep you all (who care) posted on how things go in the gym, AND when I get out to climb, hopefully this weekend. Bobby has some gear and I am trying to get out to this place in Western or Central Mass. Purgatory Chasm, I think it's called. Psyched.

Thanks Everyone!

-Billy

P.S. If my correct spelling and grammar make me seem like some sort of fake post or whatever, sorry. This is just the way I type. Email me if you think I'm not for real.

Billy

climber

Boston, Ma

Topic Author's Reply - Aug 12, 2008 - 09:53am PT

Found the term "trolling" on Google. I am not trying to "incite an enflamed discussion." In fact, judging from the definition, there is nothing trollish about it. I'm sorry if people here find this project/goal outrageous or laffable. Don't waste your time on it, I guess. I am just trying to get information on this. If you think I'm trolling, you're entitled to your opinion. Please keep it to yourself, though? Makes it harder for me to read through the real responses.

Thanks,
-Billy

Roger Breedlove

climber

Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Aug 12, 2008 - 10:16am PT

The definition of a troll is broader than the one you quoted. Probably the best definition is someone who manipulates a conversation in a way that the other party feels 'taken' or tricked. It can be intended in good humor or anti-social, but it usually pisses people off.

If I take you at your word, the reason that some of us think you are trolling is that you are asking a very naive set of questions. Imagine if you were to decide to take up golf and post on a web site frequented by experienced players past and present asking how you could enter the PGA in the next year or so.

As it turns out, you have been given excellent real advice from very accomplished climbers. If you like what you hear from the positive responses, it is best to just ignore the stuff you don't like. My guess is that if you pull this off and keep the ST Campers up to date, you will find that everyone will be supportive. Everyone starts somewhere.

On the other hand, if you are trolling, you will be ignored in favor of more accomplished trolls.

BTW, what did you weigh when you were in great shape?

Billy

climber

Boston, Ma

Topic Author's Reply - Aug 12, 2008 - 11:13am PT

fattrad - Sick. Thanks.

Roger - Thank you for finally explaining it to me. I will keep people posted with mundane details to shake the trolling stigma.

I weighed between 197 and 205 at 6'1" and I was really muscular at the time.

-Billy

Dr. Rock

Ice climber

Castle Rock

Aug 12, 2008 - 11:30am PT

I like you, Danny, but what are you going to do after that?

I mean, you will be ready for your next sport, right?

What's left to prove?

Cool, if you want to knock stuff off, Climb El Cap, Ski Everest, Wingsuit the Grand Canyon, Kayak the Mauna Loa lava flow, base jump from Mars...

Ahh, I got it, you just watched The Bucket List!

Billy

climber

Boston, Ma

Topic Author's Reply - Aug 12, 2008 - 11:52am PT

No Bucket List. Only 25. Mars wouldn't really be "base" jumping, though...

It's true, I am asking naive questions, and I apologize for that. I also understand that this sounds ridiculous to seasoned climbers, and that certainly makes me nervous about the entire endeavour. I don't really know why I chose to do this, but I made the decision and now I have 14 months to make it happen. If I don't, it goes into the failure column. I'm not sure what will happen if I do.

So, sorry for the naivety. I realize it arouses frustration in some of you, suspicion in others. I'm Googling this stuff as fast as i can, but any suggestions that I can work into my plan for the next 14 months will (hopefully) drag me up Lurking Fear.

Thanks.
-Billy

Nefarius

Big Wall climber

Fresno, CA

Aug 12, 2008 - 12:07pm PT

So... Go out and get yourself a copy of "Big Walls", by John Long and John Middendorf. Read it, take it to the crag and practice hauling, jugging, etc. Lurking Fear is a clean wall, but relies on fixed gear to remain so. Learn to place heads and have a few with you on your ascent in case one blows.

Also, no one else has said it yet, so I will - Hit rockclimbing.com and read the stuff from passthepitonspete (ptpp). He's written a ton of stuff that has helped many a wall climber on their first wall. Ricardo-sf, for example. Pete was his online mentor, if you will. The key is to learn these systems close to the ground, before you blast off.

jstan

climber

Aug 12, 2008 - 12:51pm PT

Oh, there is no trolling stigma at all. Eighty percent of us saw the questions were real and your goal is achievable. The other twenty percent just love trolls so they are always looking for them. A talented troll can be great fun. I doubt there is anyone on ST who has yet to encounter a spitball from the back of the class.

Perhaps I need to repeat one thing I mentioned. To accomplish your goal you have to spend some time in the Valley. You need to spend time on that rock.

Edited OT stuff