Bill_Simpkins

Who cares? What can I do about it anyways? I've never blown an aid placement nor broke a hold due to my weight. I've learned to climb and do whatever I do at the weight I'm at. I place gear based on what I feel will hold me. Plus 175 is the weight of the "average" climber right? Well 200 is just 12.5% heavier. You guys act like 200 plus pounds is an astronomical difference or something. 12.5% is peanuts.

Seriously though, I like the different types of climbers. I love watching a featherweight glide up a steep route. I also like to see raw power or grace. The heavier (not fatter) you are, the more technique really matters. Good climbers come in all shapes and sizes. As far as safty, I think the gear can handle it, you just have to make sure there's good gear off the belay and that your belayer can handle the fall, which are things all climbers should do anyways. Theres no way for me to get much lighter and be healthy so I never worry about my weight. I just have fun doing what I can do. Thats all I can do.

No lard. BuLGIng muscles only. My legs weigh more than you guys. You are all girly girls. I have to watch where I step so I don't break you in half.

hahaha

Have you ever listened to him? On the contrary, he is usually very upbeat and optimistic, so I don't know where you are getting this. If you want to cite a right-wing talk show host who does actually whine a lot, try Michael Savage. As for Rush, it is ironic you mention him today in this context. I happened to catch him 20 minutes this morning on the way to work. He was laughing and reading from Maureen Dowd's column in the NY Times from 12/05/04 "Jingle Bell Schlock" (http://www.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/maureendowd/). Now, if you want to talk about whining, THAT would be a place to start. In fact, one could extrapolate her obvious unhappiness with the holidays, and life in general, to many many liberals in our society, who seem to find no joy or happiness or GOOD in anything. I listen to him almost every day. He's a talking advertisement for the republican party. He also bends the truth as much as possible. He's very smart, but he's a weasel. He reminds me of a car salesman or the guy trying to sell you a stereo at the electronics store.

You can be over 6 feet tall, weigh over 200 pounds and be in really good shape. Theres a difference between "fat" and "burley".

GWB snorted cocaine, was a drunk driver and belonged to Skull and Bones. Then he ran a few corporations out of business. Put that on a resume and try to find a job.

Rush Limbaugh (sp?) whines all day along with his gazillion dittohead followers. He never says anything that would do any good. He just whines and complains. I really don't care if republicans or democrats win. I just think all the voting issues should be looked into until everyone has full confidence that it is accurate. If there is a difference between the orginal count and a recount, something is very wrong. They should not stop investigating until they know exactely what happened. If not, then our system is sloppy.

That's funny stuff, because it's sooo true. I don't understand the whole PC movement. I mean, it goes both ways. You can say stuff not to offend people, but isn't restraining what you feel somewhat offensive to yourself? My opinion is: Say what you feel, or keep it to yourself. Both methods have its rewards. To me, people that are very PC, are just liars.

Went there yesterday. The snow was sweeeet! The groomed runs are in great condition. Hit one rock when I went into the woods. Go get it.

haha. When I'm in prima shape, I weigh about 5-15 pounds less. Me and the other climbers I know that weigh about the same are by no means fat or have any handicaps. Weight does not keep me from pulling 5.12's, it's my technique and lack of consistant training that hinders me. Of course I get jealous sometimes when the scrawny little bastards can campus the entire route, but us fatties, we get more chicks.

Thanks for the correction. I heard it from someones mouth. I should have checked it out for myself before spraying about it.

You fall on an 8.3mm rope in the mountains many times? dude. that is hard core Yes I have. But my point is that an 8.3 mm rope can hold me just fine. The persons question had to do with weight. I am a big guy. I was relating experience. I have never fallen on mountain "route" with a 8.3 mm rope. But we have stopped and "cragged" at a cool looking spotsomewhere on the journey, where I have fallen.

I am 6'2" and weigh 210 pounds. I usually climb on a 9.6 mm rope while cragging and climb on a SINGLE 8.3 mm rope in the mountains (unless partner requests a thicker one). I have fallen on both many times. One thing to remember is that skinnier ropes have more stretch and can put less impact force on the pro. The only reason I sometimes use thicker ropes is for jugging and top roping, just for wear issues. I place pro like anyone else. I also run it out like anyone else. No worries. I also know a guy who weighs 220 pounds and had no problems. He is a strong climber. There is a guy from England who climbed 5.14 and weighs 240 pounds. I'm sure he has fallen alot to get where he is.

Good investigative work!

You know it's people like all of those described above that help make life interesting. I think in a lot of ways, we envy them. Cheers, to fearless wanderers.

I heard of a guy from a local source who would walk around on the glaciers on Mount Baker and preach to climbers. He was dressed in slacks and suit jacket and no gear at all. I was told they watched him standing on part of the glacier when an ice wall callapsed almost all around him and he stood there unharmed. hehe

Be careful to pull on the correct strand of rope while doing the "leave no sling behind" rap trick off a bolt. I got the ends mixed up and got my rope stuck once (got it back). This is one to practice a few times at home first. But it is a cool trick. Usually if I can't finish a route(too hard or wet) and have to bail I just aid to the anchors (pull on gear or make atries with shoulder runners).

I don't have Photoshop, but I'm sure someone could fit this one in........ Get to it!

I'm heading for Skookum tomorrow before sunrise. Anyone is welcome to join if they can keep up and have a mountain bike

PM Me if interested. Thinking Skookum Peak would be nice and I am open for suggestions.

Hope you found someone. I should have hooked you up with my roomate, he went to Banff for 4 days!

We are all taken from time to time. The more we are taken , the more cautious we become. Some even become too cautious. If we didn't learn anything, life would be pretty boring, wouldn't it? You've made some pretty interesting conversation for us today. Thanks.

Why don't you spend all of this energy you are using on finding good evidence to back you instead of defending this marginal evidence. If your evidence doesn't hold up against skeptics then its no good, even if it is true. It must ALWAYS hold up.

I am pretty open to conspiracy theories etc... If there is a lot of good solid evidence I'll kick the thoughts around in my head. The video was very convincing if you watch it and don't follow up on the facts. However, there are pictures of the tail of the plane crashing into the side of the Pentagon. There are pictures of marks on the ground where the plane skidded into the building. A Boeing 757 isn't that big of a plane compared to other jumbo jets. Jets like this also arn't the most solid things in the world. Remember how easily the roof peeled off that Hawaii Air plane a while back? However, even when light metal is projected by exploding fuel it can penatrate stone walls. This does not mean either that the metal would be shot in all directions. There are many factors than determine which way the energy is distributed upon impact. There is momentum from the plane (pretty simple) and momentum from the explosion (complicated). Also the different layers of the building complicates things further. All the pictures suggest an object the size of a Boeing 757. The pentagon is a BIG building and a boeing 757 would look smaller than you think sitting right next to it. As far as airplane parts, there were lots of parts found. There are engine turbines and scrap metal strewn about the premise. As far as video goes, no one was looking for this to happen. How many people right now have their video camera pointed at the Pentagon? As far as the FBI stealing the video, where is the proof of this? Anyone could have made up that story. Rumors fly fast. Even if they did take, so what? It is their. I'm sure they know where every security camera in DC is and use them to their advantage. Wouldn't you? If there was any solid evidence to support this theory, I would be all over it. It would be very interesting. However, I don't see any. You can't prove there are red fish in the water if you only have evidence of yellow ones.