The coolest "I wanna" outside your given discipline

[Retrosaurus]

 

Ocean sailing. I mean open sea, southern hemisphere, bad ass shit. Wild far beyond what the mountains could ever serve.

[lizard_brain]

Tried the paragliding thing last year. Was impressed when I saw three guys run off of the summit of Baker with paragliders. I met two them during one of my lessons at Tiger. "Yep, two days up - forty-five minutes down!" They landed on the heli-pad at the Baker ranger station. I didn't continue with the lessons for long, though. I actually found it quite boring. Skydiving - that's the way to go if you want some air-time thrills.

[lizard_brain]

...Oh, yeah, and my "I wanna" is to spend some time in Nepal.

(...must...follow...topic......arrrrgggghhhh....*THUD*)

[B.S.'er]

Good topic.

My ultimate dream involves an enchainment. Just me (solo), my climbing gear, several pre placed parasails, my own personal chopper pilot taxi sevice, with personal photographers, and a 24 hour window.

And don't call ice climbing easy. I've found many WI5 pitches to be more pumpy on the forearms than many 5.12 rock pitches.

As for "extreme" how about spending a year in a prison near some major Urban area such as New York or LA?

[Dwayner]

I want to try this moondancing thing...while ice climbing on a big wall.

By the way...bro/sis chock-o-lot. Ice climbing be getting kinda of mechanical these days with all the specialized gear and such, but don't compare it with aid climbing, which in its more difficult modes can scare the @#$% out nearly anyone. Anyway, how about posting some detailed instructions about the rapid foot movements, soundtrack, etc. as I'm sure that there are many of us who would like to add this moondancing scenario to our aspirations.

- Dwayner

[Retrosaurus]

quote:

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Originally posted by Dwayner:

Anyway, how about posting some detailed instructions about the rapid foot movements, soundtrack, etc. as I'm sure that there are many of us who would like to add this moondancing scenario to our aspirations.

- Dwayner

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But please give us some advance warning as we would like to put condoms on; just to be safe.

[carolyn]

Right now...

I just want to learn enough of everything so I have options.

I prefer ice.

I wanna learn how to ski.

And I want to dogsled a few more times in the near future.

I think it would be fun to learn how to combine the last two and do some skijorning!

WAAAAAAAAAAAY Later...

I want to climb Aconcagua, Polish route.

[David_Parker]

As I get older, I wonder if I will actually fullfill some of my goals of my 20's. I still want to do a wall! NW face Half Dome would be cool 'cause it goes clean and is away from the touristos in Yosemite. Still, I'd like to do the Nose or Salathe too and then go to Zion. This would be a great trip. Right now I'm mostly focused on alpine mixed. I've had the taste and want more. My ice climbing skills are honed and so now I'm ready. I'd also like to try some caving and some radical canyoneering. I know a few canyons in S. Utah where you can feel more remote than on a mountain! Some remote sea kayaking is in my future too. Just need to find the right partners for this stuff. That's why I hang here on the web site. Sooner or later it will come together. I'd like to make a trip to Chamonix and do some classic mixed routes and some rad ski descents also. I also want to do an expedition to a high altitude peak, but not over 8000 m. South America sounds like the best bet. And Retro, I too aim to do some rad sailing some day. Sea Kayaking a remote coast line is also up there. I have all the skills (and $) to do these, so the only trick is turning these ideas into solid plans.

Hmmmmmmmm, some interesting posts on ice climbing. Just a tip to the inexperienced. It is a LOT different than rock climbing. The biggest difference is that you have to deal with being bombarded with ice all the time. And even the same route is a lot different year to year. True most moves are "easy" but an ice crux will fuck with your head in a much different way than rock. Wait until you run into funky or thin ice! I think the biggest difference comes when leading. I adhere to to the simple principle, when ice climbing the leader MUST NOT fall! Too much sharp shit flying around. Often it helps to just climb through the crux with no pro because it takes too much energy to hang out and put in pro, if there is any. That takes confidence you may not have if you are inexperienced. Matt, I would take you up Drury Falls, but only after I saw you climb somewhere else first. Mostly because I'd need to see if you move fast enuff. I have no desire to do Drury any other way but in one day, car to car.

[Lambone]

Hi Dave,

Reading your post made me think of a couple of things. Not to be negative about everything, but...

First,

The NW Face on Half Dome can be one of the most crowded Grade V's in the Valley. Plus the touristos are above you throwing rocks on your head! But I hear its an awsome route, and definately one to look forward to.

Back to Ice for a second,(if your not interested folks, don't read ahead)

I think we have two very diferent philosophies. You say, "Often it helps to just climb through the crux with no pro because it takes too much energy to hang out and put in pro, if there is any. That takes confidence you may not have if you are inexperienced."

I'd disagree fully. I think that the most important skill in ice climbing is sewing up the crux of a pitch. Even if the gear is shit, it will slow you down a little, it might even reduce the forces on your last good piece. Running out cruxes is not being, confident it's being foolish. Of course, big difference between moving fast and eficiently to save time and energy, and moving fast because there is no other option(ie. too pumped to stop). I just think that its wrong to tell a begining ice climber to just gain the confidence to run it out. I'd say sew it up, at all costs.

Let me give you an example:

I've seen this theory in action, it works. A buddy of mine took a thirty foot upsidown fall ripping 5 pieces, equalized stubby screws, tied off blades, slung cicles, the works. The thing that held him was a sling over a small horn of ice. His head and neck missed the ground by 6 inches with rope stretch.

I'm not trying to be synical, I don't know everything, and I'm still learning all the time. I just have a different opinion is all...

Oh, and Matt - I wanna go Ice climbing in Canada, never been there...

 

[Matt_Anderson]

In an attempt to get people to talk about something vaguely related to climbing (as opposed to books, Sexy's gender or access (allright, access IS related to climbing, and Is really important, but is still really boring . . . ) and because I believe that one's dreams are 1) the foundation of who we are and 2) some of the most interesting parts of us, I propose this question:

What is at the top of your to do list outside of the discipline that you commonly do?

Most of us don't spread ourselves equally among the different discplines of climbing. Nonetheless, I'm sure many of us have some climb that totally capturess our imagination, but we are unliely to do it unless we changed our current habits and gain more experience in that venue. Or maybe its just a climb that you think you could do, if some experienced partner in another discipline was desparate for a belay and wanted to team up with you on it.

Maybe some sporto really wants to get on the NE Buttress of Slesse.

Maybe a boulderer carries a yen for K2.

Maybe Terminal Gravity carries a torch for some bolted tufa route at Mt. Potosi (the chipping capital of the world) that clocks in at 5.blah blah.

Maybe Dru actually wants to get out and climb on the weekend instead of resting from the feverish pace of his posts during the week.

And tell us why, that's what makes it interesting.

Me - I'm rock climber. I avoid Sloggin whenever I can. Do even less ice. Don't even own crampons. What ice I do get to do is frowned on by my fiance. So it's always easier to go do something else.

I wanna go climb Drury falls. It's freakin' beautiful. Its got a boat ride.

Plus, I've been ice climbing exactly twice. What was it Like? A romp. Just about the most fun I've ever had. Ice climbing is exactly what every five year old boy wants to do: Swing big sharp things into ice and then pull up on them. It's like climbing 5.6, cause the holds are always huge (tools), but instead of using your fingers, you get to swing things more commonly found in gladiator movies.

Not only that, but Drury is local, so I'll be available anytime some ice climber is desparate enough to want to climb it with me. And I think I'll be good at it. A natural (come-on, it my dream, no reason to imagine myself as shitty). All my time doing hard multipitch rock climbs will pay off and I won't have to do an apprenticeship and actually gain the skills I need the hard way.

It's beautiful, its long, its hard, its close, it seems like more fun than a barrel of Monkeys. If it forms and you're desparate for a partner, call me. If you convince me that you somehow have the perfect mix of lack of judgement (want to climb with me) and judgement (can keep us alive on the climb - I've set exactly four ice screws in my life), I'm there.

matt

[Dru]

I want to learn to ski.

[mikeadam]

Man I don't know about that "ice is like 5.6" attitude. Try HOOKING your way up something vertical pitch after pitch for a bit and then let us know if you think it felt like 5.6 or like 5.11. Try doing it on lead and see if it feels like you just led R&D route. My guess is not.

You're welcome to head up to Lillooet with us this season and get your headspace and timing adjusted. Hopefully you'll take me up on that.

Mike

[David_Parker]

Yeah, I know the NW face might be crowded, but at least it's away from the vally floor. That's what I meant. Of course being 3,000 ft up on the nose is away from the vally floor as well!!!

Yup, we definitely have a different style if you sew up cruxes. I definitely wasn't saying this is what beginners should do. My point was that with more experience, you will have the knowledge and confidence to climb through and save energy. It took me a long time to get to this point, but for me it works. That's all. This is also why I advocate the philosophy "the leader must not fall." Too many rock climbers bring "falling is ok" into ice climbing and I think it's a big mistake. If you are getting into ice climbing, bring this attitude of not falling with you from day one. Then you might eventually have a different view towards pro. In a sense, your tools ARE the pro because at least one is in at any given time. Conservation of energy is also pro. Speed is pro. That's just how I think.

[pope]

Medium/large format photography. Any hot tips from the pros?

[EddieE]

Outside of my discipline? I wanna be a Ninja (lessons Dwayner?)and be the dude who breaks up fights on the Jerry Springer show. If that doesn't pan out I wanna spend some time surfing. After coming back from Hawaii last summer, that's one of the only other things that has as much 'soul' as climbing.

Parker - absolutely. Bone - I also respect your opinion, however because ice climbing, and to a slightly smaller degree gear protected rock climbing, requires the 'leader must not fall attitude' you must be very aware of your limits. That's why leaders who are climbing at a higher level can make that choice to run it out past the crux to minimize the risk of a fall. It really all boils down to your comfort level, and it also serves to keep the riff-raff out

[This message has been edited by EddieE (edited 10-18-2001).]

[willstrickland]

quote:

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Originally posted by pope:

Medium/large format photography. Any hot tips from the pros?

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Pentax 645N - An autofocus medium format that's as close to a 35mm slr in feel as you'll get in a medium format. Plus, they are cheap (for med format) you can find used ones for about $1500-$2000 with a normal AF lens. Med format slides are unreal, the format captures so much more detail. Pentax lenses are super sharp and exceed the quality of some of the more "upscale" stuff like Bronica, Mamiya, etc. Hands down it's the best deal in the med format world. No interchangable backs, but that's not much of an issue unless you change film types within a shooting session often. Be aware that the same focal length in med format (say a 70mm lens) is not the same as 35mm format. A 70mm 645 format lens would be equivalent in degrees of view to about a 40mm lens in the 35mm format.

[jon]

quote:

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Originally posted by pope:

Medium/large format photography. Any hot tips from the pros?

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Pope, not a pro just know a little about this and that. Don't buy medium format equipment in US, get it from Asia or Europe where it's half the price, I've heard good things about this place. http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/mamiya.htm There are some good places to take classes like

 

[willstrickland]

quote:

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Originally posted by David Parker:

I still want to do a wall! NW face Half Dome would be cool 'cause it goes clean and is away from the touristos in Yosemite.

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A little unsolicited advice fWIW:

If you're mortal (i.e. can't do it in a day) go extra light and shoot for one bivi. We hiked in and fixed to the top of 3 on day one. Climbed to big sandy on day two. Got up super early and aided the zig-zags with the sun rising in the middle of the third pitch (p20?). That puts you on the summit before most of the hordes have had a chance to reach the summit. The only down side is that you will be weaving through tons of people on the cables on the descent. Hauling this route would really suck.

[Lambone]

Dave,

That's cool, I hope I didn't come off sounding the wrong way there. I respect your opinion too. I ussually get bomber gear before the crux and then fire up to the next rest before throwing another screw in.

The example I gave was of a friend of mine who is a high end mixed/sport+alpine climber. The route had very little ice, and poor rock protection. I think in that situation, placing gear to make the route safe is a crux in itself. It requires a special skill that only come with lots of practice, the more gear you place-the more practice you get! Look at old Alex's style, if the route took any kind of gear he would place it, even if it was just some crappy tied off blade. But then again, he ran alot of shit out too!

[EddieE]

Jon - are you talking about buying gray market stuff? I've always been too chicken to do it. Have you had any bad experiences/drawbacks? Just wondering.

[jon]

No this isn't grey market stuff. This is the real deal, just without the USA warrantee. It's the same as buying climbing equipment from Europe, take out the american middleman and the price becomes reasonable. I've actually never bought any photo equipment from overseas, though I have bought some 35mm stuff from the East Coast and no some good and really bad places.

[gapertimmy]

i want to quit my job at the msft, take a huge pay cut, and go work at a ski resort.... ohh wait, I already did it let the freshies fly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[philfort]

quote:

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Originally posted by pope:

Medium/large format photography. Any hot tips from the pros?

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I would second Jon's suggestion of buying overseas. I've bought two MF lenses from Hong Kong, at just over half what I would pay for them here. Didn't have any probs with duty or customs.

If you want something you can take into the mountains with you too ('course, then you're gettin' back into your discipline), consider a medium format rangefinder. I've got a Mamiya 7, which isn't much bigger or heavier than a typical 35mm SLR, but the slides are four and a half times as big.

[haireball]

back to the original topic - I'd like to learn to sail...in spite of the fact that every time I've been on any kind of ocean-going boat I've spent 95% of my time hanging over the rail puking...

a couple of years ago, I actually built a very small wooden boat... so small that it will float me with about 1" of freeboard! back to the drawing board...

[pope]

Jon, Will, Philfort...an El Cap sized "THANKS" for steering me right. I've heard similar comments about the value of Pentax medium format cameras/lenses for years.