jkrueger

Did you try *asking* for help?

Nice outing! I've been wanting to do that one, but haven't found anyone to carry my pack for me . . .

This land is my land This land is your land That explains all of the lawsuits

When climbing sport, it is generally accepted that a send on hanging draws still counts as a redpoint. It's not full value, per se, but a redpoint just the same. That would be silly.

As of late he's getting airplay on the Halo 2 video game. It's probably his biggest audience since he went toe to toe with Ralph Macchio in Crossroads.

Return2Sender -- 2005 Spring Tour http://www.return2sendermovie.com/ Big-air antics of free climbing pro Timmy O’Neill in the Peter Mortimer film Return2Sender . . . Washington Seattle: April 26, 7:00pm, Neptune Theater British Columbia Vancouver: April 27, 7:00 & 9:00pm, Macmillan Planetarium Oregon Portland: May 4, 7:00pm, Hollywood Theatre Eugene: May 5, 7:00pm, UofO/177 Lawrence Hall Bend: May 6, 7:00pm, Tower Theater -- There are 3 video clips from Parellojams (shot at Indian Creek) online at: http://www.bigupproductions.com

Ah . . . not bitching or complaining; just fleshing out some of the grey areas by providing some counterpoint to your arguments, Rudy. I have the utmost respect for Adam as a climber and a person. He is exactly who he is and makes no apologies or justifications to anybody for it. However, I'm not entirely convinced that chipping is an acceptable means of route development. But at the same time, I realize that there are no absolutes. I don't expect anybody to live up to the same standards as me, hold the rock sacred, or even see chipping as a controversial issue. What I do is my choice, and what you do is yours. No, I haven't developed anything at Smith. But I have developed trad routes in Oregon that involved copious amounts of trundling, prying, scrubbing, and destruction of plant and tree life. I made a decision as to what means I would use to justify my ends. Route development is, ultimately, a selfish act. And yes, it can be a lot of work. I have even been told to be "less aggressive" in my cleaning tactics, which I'm taking on suggestion.

I'm not living in la la land. Quite the opposite. I'm well aware there are chipped routes at Smith. I've probably even climbed a few. I know a person that has pried away huge blocks and chipped nearly entire routes there. Granted, the lines and moves look good. But at what point does it become justifiable to debase the rock for the sake of creating a route?

Ah, this is not surprising coming from the man who once proclaimed "There are no ethics in climbing." Though I disagree (about the ethics thing), I do respect your consistency. I have yet to encounter the route that was established with such disregard to the established ethics of the area as to dissuade me from stepping up to it. Which isn't to say it isn't out there . . . On the one hand, climbing a chipped route isn't going to change the fact that it is a chipped route. But on the other hand, climbing a chipped route is, in effect, condoning the act of chipping in the first place. It becomes a (difficult) question of the ends justifying the means.

Perhaps personal ethics are defined as much by what you won't climb as by what you will . . . Is there a line which you absolutely will not cross, regardless of a climb's recommendations, stars, popularity, or aesthetic appeal?

Voters' Pamphlet -- Volumes 1 & 2 I'm sensing a liberal bias as evidenced by their use of the term pamphlet . . .

In all fairness, they should have also informed the bugling elk of the official regulations. Damn, they were loud!

Thought that was Jim Bridwell I passed in the parking lot. Ah yes, the carnival . . . that explains it!

Thought that was you! I would have stayed and chatted, but I'd already been subjected to so much nonstop senseless chatter in the area that I just had to get out of there. My favorite was when the guy said, "Those guys ahead of us are moving really slow, but we'll be moving at a pretty good clip." We then climbed our route, came back down Misery Ridge, and I swear those same two guys were still in the same exact place talking about the same damn thing! Peking was good, especially that first pitch. I caught the leader ahead of you on Moscow at the top of the 2nd pitch -- he asked if I knew where the rap anchors were and I politely suggested he do the walk off, at which point they brought up their trail line and carried it the rest of the way. I was looking out for you!