mike1

6 miles from home or 6 blocks from work!

I went to the Northwest Show & Avalanche Summit yesterday. John Scurlock provided a stellar slide show presenting some of this trip. It was the highlight of the day!

36' high. It's high enough for training. they're not done building the walls but they are giving tours, answering questions and signing people up. 10% off for all members signed up in October as "founding memberships".

the Source

Good write up on McMurdo. Not so good for Spot. New ACR looks promising. Equipped

you guys are relentless......................

Reinhold Messner was an inspiration to me when I first began climbing. Seeing this video inspires me even more! Thanks for posting this Dane!

I'll be your Huckleberry... coffin bearer? how grim....

Regardless, I would expect that a credible death threat against someone on this forum would result in banishment.

I believe the birds will nest with climbers around. The park does not. Only if all climbers acted responsibly. No guarantee of that precludes Park closure.

Logical fallacy or not, I believe this is the single biggest reason bolting threads ALWAYS degrade into anonymous abusive shit slinging character slurring debacles and get shipped to Spray. There has never been such a thread that has made it to page three without someone saying some kind of crap that they'd never say if their mommy was in the room to ask them, "Why would they say that to another person? Didn't I raise you better?" If you're afraid someone is going to track you down and throw a brick through your window because of something you said on the internet, you'd best reexamine the way you treat other people. Maybe, but I think there are just those here that feel safe from behind their keyboard whether they use their name or not.

Good to meet ya Ivan, Bill. Mike

:tup:

I saw this last night in Portland. :tup: It’s well worth your time to see this on the big screen. I hardly noticed the subtitles. It was cool having just re-read the White Spider. Much of it was fresh in my mind, though there was some difference as you point out.

very, very cool.

ahhh the stupid question... should be an easy answer then. I think I'm done trying to squeeze water outta this rock.

It’s completely different, I think. You aren’t jogging across the pavement risking a fall into a crack in the earth. You don’t have the risk of a rock falling from the sky or a block of ice breaking off from some nearby building. Seriously though, you don’t run a marathon knowing you are voluntarily running into possible adverse dangers that could kill you. It’s not an adrenalin junky thing either. It’s completely unique. Maybe I live around a different crowd here, but more than a few have asked me why. I was getting out of the elevator at work and a couple engineers talking about something I had no clue about looked at me and said, let’s ask Mike, why did they do it? I had no idea what they meant and the first thing I said was, because they’re bored. When I asked what they were talking about they said those 3 climbers that just died on Hood. Hmmm... They think it’s a little crazy to take that kinda risk without some really good reason. Especially when it kills. I think its fun, I enjoy it, I like to do it because I can, all work for me because I HAVE done it. Explain it to those who have not done it without sounding crazy, pretentious, egotistical, name it... But that’s the harder question. My question was simpler. Why do you do it? I think there’s more to it than most here have admitted.

makes my feet hurt just lookin at them

Yeah, well that's just, like your opinion man... oh, and gesundheit!

all very well thought out responses. Responses I could tell me ma (thx Ivan). But I admit... I was hoping for a little more depth - maybe some philosophy. Maybe after a hit of nitro.

The recent house bill drama seems to put us on the defensive. I don’t know about you all, but I suddenly am asked more now, why I do it. I don’t know if I’ll ever answer it to anyone’s satisfaction, including my own, but I thought I’d give it a try. It’s an escape from one world to another. The more complex our world becomes, the more I want to escape to the mountains. Climbing forces me into a zone where all I am thinking about are my movements, safety systems, navigation, weather, terrain, communication, self rescue... whichever subject is pertinent at a particular moment in time. All thoughts of the civilized world are gone and I am forced to pay attention to the natural world around me, completely. But that’s not why I climb. I first wanted to climb because I wanted to be able to say out loud, I climbed that! It was an ego builder for sure. Now I still like to say that, but I am happiest to say it quietly to myself. I am a self-proclaimed introvert and I honestly don’t care to tell others of my climbing experiences or much else for that matter. Even typing this is a bit over the line for me. Like Fred eludes to, I could probably be considered OCD. For instance, I know I can’t get into golfing because I would have to go all the way with it in order to enjoy it. Fortunately, I recognize this and have successfully stuck with climbing as my obsession. I am adventurous by nature. I’ve worked outside most of my life and feel most comfortable outdoors. I also have a strong love of geology. I think all of these quirks just feed the fire for me. I have to see these incredible mountains and know what makes them so incredible. I guess I climb because I feel like I have to experience the mountain environment first hand... I think.......... crap, I don’t know! Why do you do it? P.S. If you know of other climbers (famous or not) attempting an answer, please quote them.

An organizing force in the universe. You think gravity is a god? Hmmm Do you wear a helmet when you climb? What makes you 'believe' the universe is organized? hmmm, you got me there. Gravity is an organizing force and by definition the Universe is organized, albeit randomly. Damn Webster’s anyways... I still think your comment was funny.

An organizing force in the universe. You think gravity is a god? Hmmm Do you wear a helmet when you climb? ...sorry, just had a matrix flash back. What makes you 'believe' the universe is organized?

that's right man, nobody fucks with the Jesus...

Just now reading through this whole thread and... No, I do not BELIEVE that praying to Jesus or any higher power will help you climb better related to the onset of some miraculous ability. However, praying in general, can be very meditative and calming as well as opening up personal revelations about your mind and body. Sure that can definitely help you climb better. Proof there is no god? Give science some more time.... or go to Haiti.