"Because it's there."

[John Doe]

At least I understand the question now. Actually, when Mallory said that, he was planning to be the first up Everest. Um...dies in the attempt as well, so I guess we can each use him as an example, huh?

For me there's the joy of experiencing the scenery, the feeling of openness, the views. I agree with part of your question; I'm not wild about crowded routes on popular mountains. It's why if I went back to Alaska I'd choose a different route on Denali, and why I'm really unlikely ever to go to Everest. It's also, as an aside, why I don't care much for downhill skiing any more, the crowds, the machines.

As far as what you accomplish, I think I already answered this, but the answer is nothing, really.

You're essentially talking about mountaineering, which for many climbers is a different sport from rock climbing or sport climbing. Folks who climb difficult steep terrain get the same sense of accomplishment that a martial artist gets; joy of movement, the perfection of technique, the gradual overcoming of obstacles of ability. Probably the most distilled essence of this is bouldering, in which very hard moves are practiced on very short routes so no rope is necessary. Some folks specialize in bouldering and can do amazing things:

For one, I don't give a shit what kinds of climbing there are. They're all inherently retarded. Secondly, the difference between climbing and martial arts is you can't kick someone's ass with a caribeener.

Well, unless you jammed it in the guy's eye or something.

 

[Peregrinator]

For one, I don't give a shit what kinds of climbing there are. They're all inherently retarded. Secondly, the difference between climbing and martial arts is you can't kick someone's ass with a caribeener.

Well, unless you jammed it in the guy's eye or something.

True, they have different applications. I think climbers would make better cat burglars, though.

 

[cjh]

For one, I don't give a shit what kinds of climbing there are. They're all inherently retarded. Secondly, the difference between climbing and martial arts is you can't kick someone's ass with a caribeener.

Well, unless you jammed it in the guy's eye or something.

heh.

ninja stupy appears steathily in the thread.

*searches for nunchucks, awaits stupy's inevitable verbal upchucks.

 

[Peregrinator]

heh.

ninja stupy appears steathily in the thread.

*searches for nunchucks, awaits stupy's inevitable verbal upchucks.

I like him again.

 

[John Doe]

True, they have different applications. I think climbers would make better cat burglars, though.

I suppose.

Am I spelling caribeener correctly?

 

[cjh]

I like him again.

heh.

i bet you've adopted the dog from the pound that no one else wanted, at some point in your life, too.

 

[John Doe]

heh.

ninja stupy appears steathily in the thread.

*searches for nunchucks, awaits stupy's inevitable verbal upchucks.

Faggot.

 

[Peregrinator]

I suppose.

Am I spelling caribeener correctly?

Carabiner. I miss studying martial arts.

 

[Peregrinator]

heh.

i bet you've adopted the dog from the pound that no one else wanted, at some point in your life, too.

Nah, I've managed to have enough discipline to stay the hell out of pounds. My ex brought a cat home from one that killed three parakeets in a few weeks, the little bastard.

 

[cjh]

Nah, I've managed to have enough discipline to stay the hell out of pounds. My ex brought a cat home from one that killed three parakeets in a few weeks, the little bastard.

i thought that only happened in cartoons.

 

[Peregrinator]

i thought that only happened in cartoons.

No, the idiots were used to the other cat, who kinda didn't get it and just looked annoyed at them, so they used to dive bomb him all the time and get away with it. The new one would leap six feet in the air and snatch them. We rescued them a few times, but eventually they all died. When we split up, she took the mellow one and the hunter became the new campus cat at the school I teach for. He's been known to face down bear cubs and stuff.

 

[John Doe]

No, the idiots were used to the other cat, who kinda didn't get it and just looked annoyed at them, so they used to dive bomb him all the time and get away with it. The new one would leap six feet in the air and snatch them. We rescued them a few times, but eventually they all died. When we split up, she took the mellow one and the hunter became the new campus cat at the school I teach for. He's been known to face down bear cubs and stuff.

Yeah, cats are retards.

 

[Peregrinator]

Yeah, cats are retards.

I love them, but you're absolutely right; their alleged intelligence is way, way overrated.

 

[John Doe]

I love them, but you're absolutely right; their alleged intelligence is way, way overrated.

Yeah. As a pet they're okay, but they're not very connecty on an emotional level.

You can just tell by looking at them that they don't really give a shit about you beyond what they can get out of you. Women suck...

I mean CATS! Cats suck.

 

[Peregrinator]

Yeah. As a pet they're okay, but they're not very connecty on an emotional level.

You can just tell by looking at them that they don't really give a shit about you beyond what they can get out of you. Women suck...

I mean CATS! Cats suck.

Cats are great climbers...women, meh. Depends on the individual.

 

[MisterEdMe]

I'd like to go mountain climbing, but I have this medical condition: Sofaitus

Yea Right! Medical condition is of the mind and often a sorry excuse. I was diagnosed with chlostraphobia, temporary polio, heart murmur, hay fever, ADD, and permanent bronchitis. Over the years I've done this: served 4 years on a submarine, climbed Mt Rainier, ran 2 marathons, and still have strong prolonged sex. I'm 41. What's your excuse? (I also have a business degree and own 3 businesses). I never copped out or use ANYTHING a doctor told me as an excuse.

 

[MisterEdMe]

You may possess a lot of intelligence and philisophical points of view, but how about common sense?

 

[Peregrinator]

You may possess a lot of intelligence and philisophical points of view, but how about common sense?

I do okay. I'm not sure how to demonstrate that to you in a post. I don't tend to climb above my ability, and I don't ever think a summit is more important than a safe descent. I'm willing to back off, to stop short, to bag the whole thing if the weather or conditions are bad. If you have a specific question that will serve as a yardstick, I'm more than happy to answer.

 

[Peregrinator]

Yea Right! Medical condition is of the mind and often a sorry excuse. I was diagnosed with chlostraphobia, temporary polio, heart murmur, hay fever, ADD, and permanent bronchitis. Over the years I've done this: served 4 years on a submarine, climbed Mt Rainier, ran 2 marathons, and still have strong prolonged sex. I'm 41. What's your excuse? (I also have a business degree and own 3 businesses). I never copped out or use ANYTHING a doctor told me as an excuse.

A) I'm sure Taltos was kidding. Sofa-itis=sitting on the sofa.

B) I agree with you and I admire your attitude.

 

[John Doe]

You may possess a lot of intelligence and philisophical points of view, but how about common sense?

Common sense is a mythical thing that stupid people such as yourself made up to make themselves feel better and to pull out of thier asses when they felt overwhelmed by the intelligence of others, so they could rave on about "educated fools".

 

[sexy-girl]

Great books; Touching is an incredible story, a true testament to unbelievable grit and unwillingness to give up.

I haven't read Spider, but it's one of the great classics. The North Face of the Eiger is a truly awe-inspiring climb. You may want to read and then see Seven Years In Tibet.

yep thanks ... these are being passed down from my sister ... (shes seriously considering taking up some form of climbing) i think she also has seven years in tibet

 

[Guest]

 

[Peregrinator]

yep thanks ... these are being passed down from my sister ... (shes seriously considering taking up some form of climbing) i think she also has seven years in tibet

Oh, tell her to go and not worry about it. The majority of climbing these days is about as stressful and life-changing as a weekend volleyball game.

Check out the pic I posted of the kids; that was during one summer I worked for a camp and my job was to take them climbing. It was a blast, and there's no danger at all of falling further than the slight stretch in the rope. You're not climbing more than fifty or sixty feet and then gently lowered to the ground again. It's really fun.

 

[Peregrinator]

Sometimes my humor is a tad too sophisticated.

You mean "sofasticated?"
Heh. We can't all be Benny Hill....

 

[Peregrinator]

More porn for climbers. This is an interesting pic of El Capitain in Yosemite Valley. Photoshopped into the pic are the Petronas Towers, the tallest buildings in the world, for scale. El Cap is 3700 feet tall, a cliff of perfect granite, and was considered at one time to be impossible to climb, just too damn big. Eventually a varying team of climbers led by Warren Harding did it anyway, in a total of 47 climbing days over the course of seventeen months ending in 1958. The route they chose is called the Nose, and is the prominent part that sticks out in the middle of the pic. Harding and his freinds used all sorts of "direct aid," meaning they placed bolts and pitons in the rock and climbed on them as well as directly on the rock. In 1975, John Long, Jim Bridwell, and Billy Westbay were able to climb the route in a single day. Although they still used direct aid, they modified their technique by "committing" to doing it in a day, meaning they were able to climb much faster by not carrying a lot of camping gear and supplies. In 1993, Lynn Hill astounded the world by climbing the entire route "free," meaning she used no aid and climbed only with her hands and climbing shoes on the rock (she was still "belayed," roped up in case of a fall). She then turned around and performed a more amazing feat, climbing the entire route free in a single day, considered one of the greatest rock climbing achievements ever. It has only been repeated a few times. Speed climbing became the rage in Yosemite, and as of September 2002 (I got sick of Googling), the speed ascent record for the Nose was two hours, forty-eight minutes and thirty seconds, by Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama. That's somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty feet of very difficult climbing per minute for 3700 feet.