"Because it's there."

[Moonlust]

I didn't think anyone was reading all this stuff.

Spotting someone who's more than ten feet or so off the ground is generally a no-no; when they land on you there's not a helluva lot you can do about it. It's sort of up to the individual, but it's always good practice to let someone know where you're going and what you plan to do. I only very, very rarely solo anything; it's terrifying.

Sorry about the screen-stretchers; I don't have the ability to resize.

Those sweaty palms of yours are the reason gymnast-turned climber John Gill, one of the greatest climbers ever, introduced athletic chalk to climbing. In the top soloing pic, you can see the chalk bag hanging off the climber's hip. he'll find a secure stance and dip his hands in there to keep them dry.

Well, I am, sidescrolling and all

I'm glad you said it was scary, cause it really sounds scary and I'm not afraid of heights. I guess it's the no safety line bit that makes my stomach turn. I've used chalk for aerial stuff, it works well, but tastes bad. It's interesting how people bring things from other sports/activities to make life easier.

 

[Peregrinator]

Well, I am, sidescrolling and all

I'm glad you said it was scary, cause it really sounds scary and I'm not afraid of heights. I guess it's the no safety line bit that makes my stomach turn. I've used chalk for aerial stuff, it works well, but tastes bad. It's interesting how people bring things from other sports/activities to make life easier.

Gill was an absolute visionary. He trained for hard moves by doing stuff like chinups on the heads of bolts in a board. Amazing athlete. he was a mathmatician, and apparently liked the cerebral aspects of bouldering. He brought the idea of bouldering for its own sake into the mainstream.

Soloing is terrifying; it remains largely the province of elite and lunatic-fringe climbers.

 

[Peregrinator]

John Gill:

Young and spectacularly fit:

http://www.trainingforclimbing.com/html2/john-gill.jpg

Old and still climbing really hard:

http://www.nicros.com/New%20Training%20Center/Pic's/JohnGill2005.jpg

 

[Moonlust]

Wow, he has gorgeous arms...

 

[Jennifer Kaye]

Well, I would never tell a mom it's wrong to discourage her children to do dangerous things. Having said that, I'd remind you that by and large, climbing is a very, very safe sport; there are few deaths or serious injuries compared to many other sports and activities we let kids do regularly, like bicycling. For two seasons, my summer job was teaching climbing at a camp; the systems are incredibly redundant and safe, and there's only a tiny margin for pilot error. If he does become interested, sign him up for some lessons with a competent climbing school. You can look into reccomendations by contacting the American Mountain Guides Association. They have a registry of accredited climbing guides and schools, and any of them will steer him toward the safest practices.

Alternately, you could just hire me. I like kids.

Is that "really" why you would like me to hire you?

 

[Peregrinator]

Wow, he has gorgeous arms...

Gymnasts...dancers....

 

[Peregrinator]

Is that "really" why you would like me to hire you?

Heh....

 

[atmas]

Soloing is terrifying; it remains largely the province of elite and lunatic-fringe climbers.

And roped soloing is for the less elite but no less lunatic fringe.

 

[Peregrinator]

For a lot of folks, "climbing" means heading to the local climbing gym and "cranking" for a while. "Pulling plastic" grew into its own a sport in the past couple decades, having started as a training aid. Now there are gyms all over the place, and many folks have their own climbing walls. Some climbers see it as excellent training, some see it as an abomination of sorts, and some see it as a sport of its own. It has given rise to a strange group of people who have neve climbed outdoors but are very fit, skilled climbers. Sometimes their lack of experience in a less-controlled environment can get them into trouble. Pehaps Mother Kaye could take her little one to a gymm and let him try it in an incredibly safe and controlled environment. Probably the most common injury in a climbing gym is tendinitis in the hand/wrist.

http://www.climbromperroom.com/images/gym_350.jpg

http://www.go4se.com/images/wall_home.jpg

 

[Peregrinator]

And roped soloing is for the less elite but no less lunatic fringe.

Less suicidal, as well, I think.

 

[HappyMisha]

I didn't think anyone was reading all this stuff.

I love this thread. Don't comment much for I am not a climber but since I tend to go through "phases" in life, I may just pick up climbing one day.

Ps I have Photoshop if you want to resize something. Just send it to me.

 

[Peregrinator]

I love this thread. Don't comment much for I am not a climber but since I tend to go through "phases" in life, I may just pick up climbing one day.

Ps I have Photoshop if you want to resize something. Just send it to me.

Thanks. Feel free to grab any of the pics that stretch the screen and repost them; I'll edit and use your link.

Or since we've already moved on, we could just let sleeping dogs lie.

 

[Jennifer Kaye]

For a lot of folks, "climbing" means heading to the local climbing gym and "cranking" for a while. "Pulling plastic" grew into its own a sport in the past couple decades, having started as a training aid. Now there are gyms all over the place, and many folks have their own climbing walls. Some climbers see it as excellent training, some see it as an abomination of sorts, and some see it as a sport of its own. It has given rise to a strange group of people who have neve climbed outdoors but are very fit, skilled climbers. Sometimes their lack of experience in a less-controlled environment can get them into trouble. Pehaps Mother Kaye could take her little one to a gymm and let him try it in an incredibly safe and controlled environment. Probably the most common injury in a climbing gym is tendinitis in the hand/wrist.

http://www.climbromperroom.com/images/gym_350.jpg

http://www.go4se.com/images/wall_home.jpg

Such controlled climbing is my son's exposure. They actually have climbing birthday parties, now. That's how my son was first exposed to it.

 

[Peregrinator]

Such controlled climbing is my son's exposure. They actually have climbing birthday parties, now. That's how my son was first exposed to it.

Then if he's interested in climbing outdoors, you should definitely get him some lessons with a good climbing school. It seems expensive, but the investment is worth a fortune in terms of enrichment and safety. How old is he?

 

[Jennifer Kaye]

Then if he's interested in climbing outdoors, you should definitely get him some lessons with a good climbing school. It seems expensive, but the investment is worth a fortune in terms of enrichment and safety. How old is he?

He's only 9, so it's not yet a big deal. Last summer we sent him to a week long summer day camp that had climbing as it's primary theme. He loved it and at regular school he was nuts for rope climbing. It's not yet a big concern of mine, but if he gets serious about climbing as he gets older, I can see that my hair will surely grey.

 

[Peregrinator]

He's only 9, so it's not yet a big deal. Last summer we sent him to a week long summer day camp that had climbing as it's primary theme. He loved it and at regular school he was nuts for rope climbing. It's not yet a big concern of mine, but if he gets serious about climbing as he gets older, I can see that my hair will surely grey.

Oh, loosen up, mom. You should try climbing yourself. I hope this doesn't sound like an insult, as it absolutely isn't, but most people's anxiety about climbing comes from a kind of ignorance, a lack of knowledge of the systems and how safe it really is. The key is to get him some good instruction early on, to set the tone, so he knows how to make good decisions and stay safe.

It's all about education, like so many other things.

 

[Peregrinator]

Can you hear them calling?

http://www.scenicphotographsbyvance.com/images/sh230b-The-Grand-Tetons.jpg

 

[SunnyGirl]

Great thread.

 

[Peregrinator]

Great thread.

Thanks. I'm having fun with it. Is there anything you're curious about?

 

[Peregrinator]

How do they get down?

In the easiest descents, you find yourself at the top of whatever it is you just climbed and walk down a trail back to the bottom. Nature doesn't always provide such an easy route, however, or maybe it's just too damn long, so most climbers rappell fairly frequently. Rappelling is nothing more than sliding down a rope, using some sort of mechanical device to create friction of the rope and control the descent. It's also often the scariest time of the climb, as once you lean back and put your weight on that rope, any gear failure means you're going to take a big fall. Descent anchors are super redundant, extra strong, and climbers make a practice of checking each other's systems before rappelling.

http://impressive.net/people/gerald/2001/09/08/15-07-26-med.jpg

 

[atmas]

Oh, loosen up, mom. You should try climbing yourself. I hope this doesn't sound like an insult, as it absolutely isn't, but most people's anxiety about climbing comes from a kind of ignorance, a lack of knowledge of the systems and how safe it really is. The key is to get him some good instruction early on, to set the tone, so he knows how to make good decisions and stay safe.

It's all about education, like so many other things.

The first few times I went climbing (with peregrinator, actually) I was so adequately indictrinated with the necessary safety, the carefulness, the redundancy that comes from guides who are eager to instruct and to instill the required precautions, that safety was not a big concern because we over-compensated for it. I liken it to driving, and in fact I would suggest that driving may be more dangerous than climbing: you are`always at the mercy of the toxicity of the driver in the other lane, something you cannot control whereas in climbing the number one predictor of safety is the attitude of the climber or team. In climbing you hold your own future in your hands, which is not always so in driving.

 

[Peregrinator]

The first few times I went climbing (with peregrinator, actually) I was so adequately indictrinated with the necessary safety, the carefulness, the redundancy that comes from guides who are eager to instruct and to instill the required precautions, that safety was not a big concern because we over-compensated for it. I liken it to driving, and in fact I would suggest that driving may be more dangerous than climbing: you are`always at the mercy of the toxicity of the driver in the other lane, something you cannot control whereas in climbing the number one predictor of safety is the attitude of the climber or team. In climbing you hold your own future in your hands, which is not always so in driving.

Well said; a good climber eliminates pilot-error problems and minimizes exposure to "objective" hazards. Which is why we wear helmets, after all, most of the time.

 

[Peregrinator]

Mountaineering is sometimes considered a seperate sport from climbing these days, but to do so is to forget that climbing began as a means of locomotion in the mountains and moved to the local crags for practice first, and then evolved into a sport in its own right. Sometimes climbing a mountain is nothing more than a long walk in the cold and wind:

http://www.alaskaphotography.com/photos/mountaineering/images/mountaineering1_rf.jpg

Sometimes it involves steep snow climbing, exhausting:

http://www.suunnistus.net/pohjantahti/adventure/qpr/images/mountaineering.jpg


Sometimes the way up is difficult and "technical:"

http://classic.mountainzone.com/photo/viesturs/graphics/k2-edandscott.jpg

Some mountains just defy the imagination:

http://www.loretan.com/images/trango.jpg

Some just beg to be played on:

http://www.nevasport.com/reportajes/img/reportajes/tuckerman/image016.jpg

 

[semen4her]

I thought these were the words spoken by matthew craig wen asked why he fucked that 12 year old pussy.

 

[Peregrinator]

I thought these were the words spoken by matthew craig wen asked why he fucked that 12 year old pussy.

See? It's a universally understood comment.

I like the .gif in your sig.