Kimmo

just say no to drugs. because the body is a precision instrument.

I'm pretty sure pete said yer a nerd. i mean shoot, without a diet, people would just die and stuff.

cool stuff and nice vid too!

one just knew he was saving up for this, since he'd avoided one of the more iconic lines at a place he'd visited a bunch.

you could have really tilted that 8th photo for proper effect. sounds like a fun day.

props to both of you. him for focus and determination, you for helping him along!

does it matter? i was simply questioning you about the necessity of "moral fiber" for climbing certain routes. why is moral fiber needed again? ummm, yeah? i don't think we ever had any disagreement here. yeah not sure if anyone could ever run those times without ever running before, but i'll tell you what: certain genetics will make the task of running a 2:35 a hell of a lot easier vs. a differing genetic makeup. this one is a no-brainer. in other words, a dachsund will (generally) never ever outrun a whippet. healthy humanoids don't have the physical variation that dogs do, but the point is relevant: a certain physiology is favored in a particular activity. "most of people" probably don't have any desire to climb at that level. and of those who do, yes, i would say many are frightened/unsure of committing to the path required to do so. i'd also add that for some, it really isn't a question of "work". the path unfolds organically as they practice their passion. for them, it isn't a question of following certain strategies to achieve "results", rather a singular engagement in the very activity they continually enjoy! i'm sure if you thought about it, you'd acknowledge that excelling at ANY pursuit has crossover for excelling at EVERY pursuit. dedication, love, continual engagement in said activity. anyone who is good at anything should know this. this isn't to say that if one is good at one thing, they can excel at another, but i do believe the process is the same regardless of pursuit. and since you keep making the comparative argument, i'm sure you are a virtuoso on the guitar;) and yes, i have "tried a few 14a"; what opinion should i now be voicing?

hey listen here BOB: YOU stfu. BUAHAHAHAHAAA.

ok just for fun, let's continue this insightful conversation. so you are saying above that a 5.14 climber would have to undergo an "enormous amount of training both physical and mental" to climb a runout 5.11 slab? quite frankly, that's ridiculous and you know it. it's preposterous even. ludicrous. silly. tortured. i'd humbly suggest that they are quite "talented", if that word is to mean anything anymore. their talents came about through much climbing, and from an advantageous genetic predisposition, and in rudy's case at least, parents who support and share in his exploits. how are the results related to "moral fiber"? please explain. also, defining "work ethic" as "a set of values based on hard work and diligence", i do wonder if this is the relationship these kids have to climbing, or one that you are projecting onto them. my suspicion, at least with the case of bailey, is that there isn't really an "ethic" at play here, more just a non-ending psych to climb, and this i personally wouldn't call "work"! what is the "point" you speak of? and yes, "danger" is very subjective. everyone defines it differently, and everyone responds to situations differently. shoot, my parents think leaving the house is dangerous!

back to the original post! props to drew and the old dude(!), and bailey. really cool achievements! what struck me the most with watching bailey climb scar face was how friggin much harder he'll be climbing soon. the sky is obviously not the limit for him at this stage. i think the same is happening to drew, as he gets stronger and stronger. fun stuff.

now you're reducing the equation to the very subjective notion of "danger", which i think has little to do with "moral fiber" or "work ethic".

can you tell me what you think the point is? thanks.

not that i'm necessarily defending kevbone here, but your post raises some interesting questions about "performance", and doing "well" in anything one might do... firstly, it seems kevbone has a pretty high degree of proficiency with the guitar. i would think this would lead him to have some understanding of the processes involved in "mastery" (high skill level) of a particular medium of expression, right? i wouldn't dismiss him simply because he chimed in with a perhaps misunderstood comment. (btw, is it "spray" every time you play your guitar in front of somebody, kevbone?) secondly, is "moral fiber" really a requirement for "sports performance" of any kind? seems like too many counter-examples everywhere to even go here. and "work ethic"? isn't this a rather puritanical approach to "climbing", simply reducing it to two such criteria seemingly devoid of the fun and passion that might be the ideal driving forces in any endeavor we partake in? words words words.

there is a tendency for people to overlook things like public input/oversight over agency conduct when it serves their desires. "common-sense" is in the eye of the beholder.

oh and i also think, depending on the opinions of the more relevant parties, that this might be split off into a thread of its own; it really wasn't a discussion of belay technology to begin with....

"failed belay" is a rather harsh assessment, one that overlooks a variety of factors. Given high on rock's account of the affair, i'd rather lay off any blame and take it for what it is: a few factors combining to create a rather unfortunate incident, one that luckily didn't kill anyone, and everyone can learn from (without resorting to "failure" or "success" judgments; if we must, i could call it a "success" cuz the climber didn't get killed!). i'd also surmise that the climber wouldn't have decked had the belayer been using a cinch etc.... Your comments prefacing the above (which i deleted) i can totally agree with. we can get complacent because of technological innovation, and i know i've done this (to a safe degree, in my mind) with the grigri. but do you have any sources for the statistics you mention about dropped climbers with grigris? i'd love to read some actual numbers, since i have wondered about this myself (btw, i've been climbing since the 80's, and can't recall any grounders with grigris, but one long fall at little si when a friend's brand new 9.1 slipped through an old-skool grigri a LOOOONG way before whew catching).

i can certainly understand your perspective. it was pretty similar to mine before i started using a grigri. here's my take: the grigri (or cinch, or fader, or eddy; used em all) is like an atc with a safety belt. still a pretty good idea to approach the use of one as one would an atc (keep your brake hand on, pay attention, etc) but if the belayer becomes disoriented/injured/distracted by yellow wasp/has a sudden spontaneous hand amputation, the leader isn't necessarily in danger of dying. it's a back up. oh and it has made climbing so much more enjoyable! holy smokes, it's been what, probably close to 20 years since i've used an atc (except for occasional alpine), and i still remember straining away at the rope, having to hang on, making sure that hand was always tight etc etc while my buddy dogged his way up some index test piece. anyway, that's my perspective. just glad everyone's all right.

glad high on rock's gonna be ok. whenever i see someone belaying with an ATC, it kinda freaks me out. especially if there's a big weight difference.

i don't understand your question above: "will he learn anything"? if he wants to go, take him. have fun and see what happens. be smart about supporting his endeavor, and remember, it's about him not you. we took our just-turned-3 yr old out for the first time, and she had a blast! we just walked her up the hill a bit, had her tell us when she wanted to go, and man she loved it. tomorrow was either climbing or skiing, and guess what she picked. next time out it'll be probably be the discovery chair at crystal. i'm sure she would have had just as much fun at 2 1/2, or 10 1/2, meaning i don't think there's any magic age for having fun in the snow!

ok thanks for making sense of it for me.

nice work drew! keep it crankin! what's next, TBONTB? syked!

I'm confused: why is it a "great gesture of good faith by the BLM" to make the closure voluntary instead of mandatory?

is there a treadwall anywhere in the seattle area? anyone ever seen any used ones for sale?

can you manipulate the pea? does it have a distinct individuated border? does it hurt if you press really hard? if yes, i would guess ganglion cyst. i first got one on the base of my left middle finger 10 years ago. it was kinda neat cuz i could press really really hard on it and feel the fluid squeeze out. within days it would fill again, offering repeat enjoyment. 10 years later it still comes back, along with another one at the same spot on left index finger, but neither affect my climbing. if it bothers you much, i'd definitely check with a doc to eliminate the possibility of something more serious (and non-reversible if ignored).

regarding how often they "should" train: if left to their own desires, would your kids climb/train every day? at 3, seija is obviously influenced by parental desires (i suppose there's a chance this never leaves us!), but anytime she's asked, it's usually "let's go climbing!". mainly she climbs on the bigger holds, so i'm not too worried if it's the 5th day in a row she says that, but recently some of the holds she hangs makes me pause....