griz

Yeah, that too.

Aron Ralston's book on his ordeal..."Between a rock and hard a place". Good read. The dude is a shit magnet after reading about some of his other stories though... Example: His very first overnighter results in his camp getting trashed by a black bear and then being stalked by the same bear as he post holed his way out in the Tetons. Check out the attachment for some pics that he took of himself while trapped. Warning: one pic is of his trapped hand AFTER amputation...gross but interesting.

Ahh, I remember my first trad 5.12 attempt like it was yesterday. Lotsa grunting and groaning for many minutes and never even got off the ground... OOOh yeah baby, I suck. It's good to have goals in climbing but relax if you don't get there in your time frame (or ever).

You need to get a climbing buddy that works there... I had my last goretex jacket get flushed down the Middle Fork of the Salmon and he picked me up a new one for $10 at the next pup sale they had for employees. Sweeeeeet!

I'd be surprised if he ever went for a deal w/ Nike. I think he's kept that company private for all these years so he can tell companies like that to go fuck themselves w/o any debate.

Wouldn't mind slogging that 90k peak they have on Mars too. That would be pretty cool. Really! I think it is the size of the state of AZ or something. I don't see any big changes from what is already happening...people slowly achieving what was once thought impossible through better knowledge,gear, training techniques ect. It's a slow process for sure but always going forward.

Sick shit...climbing on Broad and K2 then 2 weeks later going for a speed record on Rainier... The rest of us mortals would groan at the sight of a set of stairs after trip like that for months but he sets speed records instead. God bless that mutant.

Overheard: One rock wispering to the other rock: "I'm smarter than this guy..."

Yeah, climbingboulder.com is a site you guys should envy as a resource for climbing . It really is a pretty impressive site if you want beta/ rte pics in Colorado. However, if you wanna shoot the shit/talk shit/get a chuckle with climbers online it has nothin' on cc.com. Wish there was a site as active/funny as this site that focused on the rockies but it ain't so.

It's a cool idea. I hope it works out for whoever put the site up. It has cc.com's good design and ease of use but going for a broader base beyond the PNW. CC.com is fun but I don't live in WA anymore, ya know? I've always thought it would be great to have a site like cc.com but geared towards climbers from all over...not just the PNW. It could fit the bill. The sections/ divisions for Trip Reports already kicks cc.com's ass. Having a designated place for TR's of international climbs and climbs outside of the PNW is a great idea that cc.com should follow too. good luck,Ascensionist.

yeah, I've had similar experiences. Just a few weeks ago while backpacking one weekend, some couple said the same thing while the unleashed dog is going nuts and barking in a threatening way. I have a canned response of "Oh, that's good because if he does then I'll kill him with my bare hands." Sounds awful but if they feel they have the right to make me feel threatened then I just flip that shit right back at them and make them a little nervous too. I agree, selkirk, most dogs are awesome.

Yeah, now that you mention it the smarter one looks a little bit like Clinton.

Word, beeyotch. Supagreg... do you do weddings too? I've got a friend looking for a DJ up there.

It's all about getting that 2% of undecided voters. That's gonna make or break either canidate.

Probably some truth in that, for sure. Bush always sounds like a dipshit to me but supporters seem to find the same stuff part of his down home "charm".

Bush overheard to his Mamma after the debate... "K-k-k-Kerry is a m-m-meanie. He m-m-mmmade f-f-fun of my ffff-ff-foriegn policy and war on th-th-t-tttterrorism!!!! MMMM-M-Make him stop! HHHumph!" Vote for your guy wally, I'll vote for mine.

I think he actually said this...

Yeah, I'd always planned on voting for him but I actually feel pretty good about it now. Kerry's closing was strong stuff . Bush's sounded like something written and read by a 1st grader. He was so defensive at times I thought he was going to start and run off to his mamma.

I got this one emailed to me a couple days ago...: The Guys' Rules At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down Finally, the guys' side of the story. (I must admit, it's pretty good.) We always hear "the rules"from the female side. Now here are the rules from the male side. These are our rules! Please note... these are all numbered "1" ON PURPOSE! 1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down. 1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way. 1. Crying is blackmail. 1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it! 1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question. 1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for. 1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor. 1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 days. 1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us. 1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one. 1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself. 1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials. 1. Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we. 1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is. 1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that. 1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," we will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle. 1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear. 1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine...Really. 1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball, the shotgun formation, or monster trucks. 1. You have enough clothes. 1. You have too many shoes. 1. I am in shape. Round is a shape. 1. Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight; but did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping. Pass this to as many men as you can - to give them a laugh. Pass this to as many women as you can - to give them a bigger laugh!!

I saw this card today and it made me think of cc.com and get- worked -up -over- nothing threads like these. God, who gives a shit? Anyway click on the attachment... It reminds me of a great quote from a wise man too: "Get a life!" - William Shatner to the trekkies. SNL.

Everybody responds abit different to altitude , for sure but the best advice I can give is to really focus on your breathing when you feel symptoms coming on and even when you feel ok. Make sure you do the whole pressure breathing thing effectively. I've found it to be the key to getting rid of AMS type stuff. I've been able to beat bouts of tunnel vision, nausea , faintness with good pressure breathing and return to a more normal state w/o fail within 10-15 minutes. And I agree w/ CJ001f on the importance of hydration and being in shape. Find a drink that works well and sits well at altitude too. The fancy protein drinks make me sick and weak at altitude but I can guzzle good 'ol gatorade and it sits well. Other people I climb with swear by the fancy protein stuff so just find what works, ya know? Find and eat foods that settle your stomach too. Crackers worked magic for me on a nice tall peak once. Try some experimenting. Maybe you changed your routine abit and don't realize it.

Click on the attachment...

Yeah, join a racing organization and take it to a track, ya know? Everyone is on the same page and you don't have Ma and newborn coming around the corner about to put your brains on their bumper. You are an ass, otherwise.

Oh, man too true... or how about you're in some 3rd world shithole country blessed with great mtns but anything y'all eat staples your entire team's asses to the throne w/ a bucket in front of you to catch the puke too? All you want to do is die and get the hell out of that god damn country and eat some safe american food. 3 months later, all you remember are the fun parts and great views from the summit. 6 months later, everybody is on board and excited w/ tickets in hand for another round of climbing and dysentery. 1 year later you are stapled to a toilet again,puking your guts out muttering "WTF was I thinking?". And the cycle goes on and on... Climbers with selective memory are truely the best climbers. Perhaps it is from spending so much time starving your brain of O2?

Most points I would make have already been said but would like to strongly second the idea of reading and studying Freedom of the Hills. It will give you a good base knowledge. It's what I used for starters. I still remember rigging up a z-pulley system in my living room and dragging my mtn bike out accross the floor to test it out w/ the FOH book in hand. Pretty much anything else you just gotta go out, do it and learn what works for you. It's always seemed to me like 90% of mountaineering is judgement from experience and having good common sense. The other 10% is just the core climbing skills, ya know? Knowing when to say and when not to say "Fuck this." is probably the best and hardest skill you will need to develop. Anyway, good luck.