texplorer

MaryK, You either have a pinched nerve or somehow cut off circulation to your toes for a period. Either way feeling will most likely return. Even in surgerys where nerves are cut they grow back at about an inch per month. Good luck-

No aid doesn't require any free climbing skills at all. You only need to be able to place gear. Bouldering and sport climbing are more about the free climbing skills and little if any skill is needed with gear placement. Trad climbing requires both free climbing and gear placement simultaneously. So you would say that is just as easy as the other two? I agree that gear placement is not rocket science but ask Anna how easy it is while climbing. Climbing a V7 is very difficult and I am impressed seeing people accomplish such feats. The only reason I give trad climbing a higher status is because one must master multiple skills to be able to climb at the same level. I will probably never climb a V7 but I can say that I think when Thomas Huber pulls a V7 crux 1000ft off the deck runnout on RP's that its a more impressive feat. I'll speak more about this in a minute. No, I don't know where you get this. If you really want to make things simple. Here you go Bouldering- 1chalk, 2climb up, chalk, climb, up-chalk twice, dyno Sport Climbing- 1Chalk, 2climb up, 3clip draw, 4clip rope 5repeat Aid- 1place piece, 2climb up aider, 3place piece, 4repeat Trad- 1chalk up, 2climb up, 3 select size piece 4place piece, 5 clip rope, 6 repeat All very simple but which one has more steps involved? I was speaking of people staight off the couch that have NEVER climbed before. I saw a guy on his first day climbing ever climb a .11 with no falls. I have never seen a person on their first day climb a .9 crack. Why do you think people don't get on cracks more on TR. Maybe cause its harder. . .hmmmm. . . I agree. I did not say that I thought other forms of climbing are illegitimate forms of climbing. In fact I insinuated that they are legitimate endeavors as I stated that I participate in them as well. I choose trad (not only single pitch shit either) because I find it the most mentally stimulating. If you don't agree that is fine. I have fun joking about sportos and boulderers and the stereotypes associated with them and even laugh when you make jokes about us "Elitist Tradsters." After all if there weren't you guys we wouldn't have anyone to think we are better than. "Tell that bitch to CHILL!!! Chill honeybunny!" -Pulp Fiction

I will most likely be at the rope up even if it is corporately sponsored at the trailhead. . . .and I'm a dirtbag so I'll take any free-bees that they give away as well. The rope-up is my one chance per year to chestbeat to my washington friends all the lame things I have been up to. I'm don't really care who sponsors it as long as it is still for real climbers or real facsimiles thereof.

Maybe we should have the anti-corporate rope-up at the base of Prussik Peak. That way anyone that gets there will be a climber or at least have enough ability to hike their asses 10 miles uphill for a taste of that sweet TG stout. We could avoid the Tool and have a snafflehound cook-off.

I'm sorry dude, but if you don't think bouldering and sport climbing are legitimate forms of climbing, you are full of shit. I will not argue about this, because it is just ridiculous. It really saddens me to see anybody take that stance. I did not say the quote. It is, as I credited it, from Yvon Chouinard -the guy that started black diamond and patagonia and is only one of the most influential climbers ever. The entire quote, which would not entirely fit in the signature box, includes that Yvon thinks that they are not legitmate forms of climbing because they do not contain the risk involved in his definition of climbing. I believe the quote is in the latest isssue of one of the Climb-porn mags if you want to read it for yourself. I personally regard sport climbing and bouldering as forms of our modern definition of climbing but I do eschew a higher status to other forms of climbing due to inherent and unavoidable risks and increased complexity encompassed in them. I am not a trad-elitist, but I get irritated when people claim that bouldering and sport climbing are, on the average, as difficult as trad climbing. Physically I believe they are as or more demanding than a corresponding trad or aid climb but they are much more simple since you are mainly dealing with climbing and don't have to worry about gear. With trad climbing there are the added tasks of hanging whilst placing gear, having to decide when and where to place gear to protect yourself, and accounting for other factors such as rope management through pieces so as not to zipper gear etc. I have seen beginners TR sport .511s with no falls but have yet to see one make it up a true 5.9 handcrack without many hangs. So I guess it depends on how you define climbing. Chouinard obviously believes that climbing is more than moving your body up the rock. I can't say for him for sure but I would guess that his definition requires that a certain level of danger is mandatory as well as a mastery of equipment and techniques inherent with traditional climbing. In his day there was no sport climbing and bouldering was considered training just as working out at a gym. I don't know if I agree that with him that they are not forms of climbing. Bouldering and sport climbing are, by the modern definition the sport, climbing, but they are very different from trad climbing. However, if trad climbing was the original form of "climbing," and they are not trad then you could say they are not climbing. The Texplorer participates in Sport, Trad, Aid, Ice, Alpine, Chossgroveling, Soloing, Mountaineering, and Indoor Bouldering. He finds all these endeavors fun and challenging but very different in style and complexity. He respects people skilled of all the aforementioned disciplines and enjoys being involved with all sports which involve ascension throughout that range. The Texplorer enjoys clean, vertical, unbolted, splitter granite cracks that go for 100's to 1000's of feet. He is glad everyone doesn't like climbing those cracks for whatever reason so as to have them to himself and the select few others like himself. The Texplorer wishes you all happy "climbing" even if your sport isn't really "climbing."

Read my signature.

I hear Godzilla is a fun 5.9?

Thread drift. Please not another snaffle debate. We here at the Royal Chestbeater Society are for the protection of the snaffle but are not opposed to harvesting snaffle's where they are overpopulating the area (ex. Boston Basin and Mt. Slesse). Lets get back on topic!!!

That's a great idea. I talk to our sponsor and see.

Her Majesty's Royal Climber Chestbeater Society is now opening up nominations for the 2003 Summer Chestbeater Awards. This summer we have several new categories in addition to our usual ones. Remember all nominations must be self nominations. Here are the categories- 1) Best Individual Overall Chestbeater : Submit your own climbing related achievements from May 1 to Aug 30. Include ratings, lengths of climbs, # beers involved, sexual acts engaged in upon climbs, rescues, etc. 2) Best Group Chestbeat : Same as individual beat-0ff except with your friends during a single even during the summer. 3) Best Single Chestbeat Event : Submit your account of a single event involving a climbing related activity. 4) NEW!!! Lifetime Chestbeat Award : Do you know someone who has been beating off for years. Now is you chance to honor them and their chestbeats. 5) NEW!!! Best Chestbeat involving Cougars, Snaffehounds, and Horsecock : This one should be obvious. We would like to thank our major sponsor: Scotteryx Cougar Bait Inc. Tune in at the end of the summer when Jon Kraukaur and a one-armed "Climber" present this years' winners.

I will tell you where the worst unclimbed lines are. PM me $50 ($.50 american) and a 6er of stout.

This story would have been more cool if "satin" would have possessed you to kick off a huge boulder onto your partner below or push one of the portlanders off the 1500ft cliff. Ah well, I guess I'll settle for a usual chestbeat. Good job bro- way to get out there.

Supreme Cuddos Dru, Fern, Capt C. It takes alot of fortitude to climb that much "grass and fifth class." Hey that sounds like a good route name. What are you guys going to call your new thrutchfest anyway?

Doug and the rest, I am concerned about bolting at the butte but am currently living in Eugene and will not make it to your discussion. Please cast a vote from me for no new bolts of any kind. There are plenty of natural anchors there and bolted anchors, while convenient and useful, are unnecessary. Please keep the crags from becoming outdoor climbing gyms. Thanks, The Texplorer

100% agree Erik. Climbing is not about thinking too much. Once you can get your shit dialed and not have to think you'll start sendin. I wish people would stop contemplating climbing a 5.whatever and just give it a shot. So what if you don't get the "onsite." Just admit your too scared and go back to bouldering or ski-mountaineering easy dog routes.

Slesse- had to be a f@#$in canadian peak.

Or you could put up a new route on Slesse. . . . .

I must agree with Daler. By tying in with a clove you waste all of about 3 inches of rope (about 8cm for Canadians). Also, if your leader can't hang on whilst you take them off belay for the last 3 feet of rope then they can take a 6 foot longer whipper. Unless I am just misunderstanding you, dru, I cordially disagree.

I forget some of you on here have jobs and such.

Surprised I haven't heard about the desert chimneys -Kor/Ingals on Castleton -The Priest -Lightening bolt cracks -Sister superior Almost all the desert towers have chimneys come to think of it.

Yea, if that guy is such a good climber, why is laying the split pillar back on the pic in the "50 favorite climbs" book? That thing is a total straight in crack.

Where is "goodtimes"???

Nothing that a few copperheads, hooks and pitons could deal with . . . .

We can't officially give you the sea-to-summit badge but sounds like a gnarly day with an exponential amount of slog. I have always thought it would be cool to climb hood, roadbike down to hood river, windsurf, run the little white, cycle to beacon, climb at beacon, sea kayak the columbia, and get drunk off on Lucky lab stout. Then I thought that sounded kind of stupid and so I just go climbing at lamo overbolted places like flagstone.

I've been off route. All this time I've been climbing bolted crack near a river with DFA and non-topless hippie chicks about.