Al_Pine

How can keeping a prospective line to yourself be more competitive? If it about your own aspirations, you keep it to yourself to keep away competition. Once everyone knows, it is no longer your goal but possibly many others as well...as in the case of Sloan. It just seems like to me that getting a FA is inherently competitive. "First ascent" means first to climb it, before anyone else. Means you beat everyone. What is not competitive about that?

Here's a good one from MVS's page .

For that command to work your photo needs to on the internet already AND needs to have a specific suffix. .jpg, .jpeg, or .gif I think. Also be careful not to put spaces between the image tags and the photo URL. If you don't already have the photo on the internet, you can upload it (as long as it's climbing related ) onto the photo gallery (click that little "photo gallery" thingy at the top of the page. Another way is, as Lummox described, to upload the photo as an attachment. I think you need to preview the post in order to see the attachment deal. Once you've got the photo on the internet one of these ways, you can find out it's URL by getting it on the screen (the one on the internet) and right clicking on it and looking at "properties". This all works for Windows. With a Mac I think you're totally fucked .

It seems to me that keeping your prospective lines secret is as much, or more, competitive. If you're so noncompetitive then it shouldn't matter whether or not you got the FA, right?

Was that not a joke? Was that not clear, that the intention was to make a joke? It was clear to me that you intended it as a joke, but apparently, there are things that you just can't joke about. I found out that my guess was wrong, so this particular path of discussion now appears moot.

A) What do you expect; he's going to donate a bunch of iMacs running OSx? It's not like 99% of computers that get sold aren't gonna be running Windows anyway. B) Gates Foundation gives out a LOT of money for a LOT of good causes, and, self-interested PR or not, they help out a lot of people who need it. Perhaps Scrambler is referring to offer by Microsoft to have their penalty in the abusive monopoly verdict be that they give tons of computers to schools and such. Perhaps maybe Phillip-Morris could also pay off their civil penalties by providing cigs to school-children?

Now that is a brush with greatness! Awesome story Ketch .

oooo! I went to a game-show taping once.

I didn't do it. Don't know who did. But my guess as to the reason would be that you threatened to kill newbies. Maybe?

Me too. Perot oughta try again. That sure was great the last time he ran. He's singlehandedly responsible for removing the first Bush from office.

SCW is actually in the lower left center of that picture (compare to sunnier days pictures) and that picture is apparently taken almost two weeks ago.

I climbed at The "Grotto", quite near Jailhouse Rock a couple of years ago on December 24th. We had the place to ourselves. Lots of doable cracks on columnar (basalt?), plus many of the aretes bolted. Kinda like Vantage, though the rock seemed more solid. If you happen to have it, check out Climbing No. 140 (1993) p. 50 .

It's graded 5.7 with the "bouldery start" addendum in the white Kramar guide (two editions ago?)

Fucking sport climbers trashing the climbing areas!! There was no erosion there before they bolted DDD!!! Mattp, ok, not an Aries apologist...perhaps an Aries avoider?

Check out this page. They've got a big headline about "Haley" with a picture of Gary "Yugve" A choice quote from the article:

How can you handjam a lovely blank-walled perfect butt-foot chimenee!? That's like laybacking a splitter handcrack! Like grabbing holds on a perfect friction slab! Like NOT clipping the bolts on an Exit 38 sport climb!!!!!! . . It's like walking to the top of El Cap. ETA: obviously Mattp has identified himself as on of the Aries apologists!

Handjamming would be easier than the way I do it, ... except when it's wet toward the back.

You guys handjam that thing?

Mounties is pretty good instruction for the price (cheap). Some of the "instructors" are know-nothing dickhead powertripper dudes, and some are way cool. Try to figure that out and get in the good intructor groups at the breakouts. Of course, if you're a total newbie, it might be difficult to figure out who is the know-nothing. It is usually possible to tell who the powertripper dudes are though. However, a far superior way to learn about the dangerous world of climbing is to hook up with some anonymous person on the internet. It is especially good if their internet persona displays a tendency toward substance or alcohol abuse. That way you can easily convince them to waste their day teaching your newbie ass the basics of climbing safely by just waving a little dope or booze in front of their nose. Hell, if you offer enough beer, they'll probalby even cart your ass up there.

Fleshed out the above trip report a bit and posted it here , if anybody's interested.

What if noone is around? C'mon, who's gonna know?

We drove into Tuolumne at night through a couple of burn areas. Surreal is right! Like entering the gates of hell and all that shit

Minx if you got small hands then Breakfast of Champions must be perfect for you right at the bottom (crux) then turn into overhanging OW . No wonder you think it's hard! Zoom: I couldn't pull the first move either. How the hell do you guys do that? (I pulled on the bolt, that made it pretty easy ). And Harpell, you calling Zoom a sport climb?! I guess I missed the bolts on that runout thin crack section . Libra Crack is basically BOC without the extra 40 feet of overhanging handcrack. So if you really think Libra crack is a sandbag then BOC has gotta be on your list too. Beckey Route: I agree with sandbag on the slab move, definitely not 5.5, but perhaps you could just make a running start at it like the kiddies do on the slab at the UW Rock? Lizard Chimney? Anyone think that's a sandbag at 5.8? 5.8 is a pretty weird grade I guess. Check out the first pitch of the Back Road. Seemed hard for 5.7.

You're confused because you're confusing the aesthetic beauty/environmental concerns angle with the ruined climbing potential/climbing concerns angle. There are many arguments for and against rock modification. It is not just "ooh icky trash" versus "but dude I couldn't climb it without these bolts", though those are two of the most obvious issues.

so? majority wins, minority LOSES (except w/ that asshole, Bush) Great aint it? well the majority of people will need via-ferrata to climb 90% of the climbs at index... should we be gathering iron or will you ocncede that this argument is faulty at best? Nope...won't concede...its a continuum...you said 90%...general population this is true...90% of climbers, not true... If you're going to start getting picky on what comprises the denominator, perhaps you'd better reexamine your 95% statement above.