layton Posted June 23, 2002 Posted June 23, 2002 Well since I couldn't find any partners, Once Again... My 2nd attempt at soloing the Suart Glacier Coulior ended in blistered feet this time. What the fuck is it gonna be next! I am so pissed at my careless lack of pro-active foot care, "Just one more mile and I'll stop!" Duh! FUCK! My sense of self-worth as a climber is going down the tubes, since I have failed on 6 of the 7 last "Alpine" climbs (a mountain, or more than 10 pitches) in a row. Wow! I'm looking at my batting average on alpine climbs over a cool glass of Jim Beam. I need some moral support. Is this a scary number of failures since the 1st of the year? I'll transcribe my hits and misses. Someone please tell me they fail this much too! Jan: Twin Sisters Range Winter Traverse - utter failure, storm. Feb: Synchronicity - Success! March: Colonial Pk.watusie rodeo -failure, bad snow Epinephrine -failure, too crowded, lazy Frigid Air Buttress - success! Original Route - failure, can't lead A4 Chrimson Chrysisalis -success! April: Tripple Coulior-success! Spindrift Couliour-failure, melted May: Cuthroat Cauthorn/Wilson, success! Greybeard solo, failure -melted,wimp June: Backbone Ridge - failure, partner sick at base Baker NR +/or headwall -failure, storm Ashulu - failure, road snowed over Rock on to Sqaum Butt -success! Stuart Glacier Coulior #1 -failure, guilty about deer, lost. Stuart Glacier Coulior #2 - failure, blisters. That's just since the 1st of this year! I've failed on the Price Glacier 3 times!!! Same with Murchison Falls in Banff!!! I've had to turn around b/c of drunk drivers slamming through phone poles, partners who've lied about their experience,lost it emotionally on route, or have come within' inches of death. I've turned around from getting lost, being too tired for the task, and mostly me whimping out. And I wonder why I couldn't find any partners! Quote
Climzalot Posted June 23, 2002 Posted June 23, 2002 Mr. Layton. Dont be so hard on your self, you are still the man and we still love you even if you are a failure. Call the shop if you want a ride to Squamish today. kisses and hugs Quote
lizard_brain Posted June 23, 2002 Posted June 23, 2002 quote: Originally posted by michael_layton: And I wonder why I couldn't find any partners! Because you're such a crybaby. Quote
Skisports Posted June 23, 2002 Posted June 23, 2002 give me a pm next time you go climbing try midweek thats when I climb the most Quote
MounTAIN_Woman Posted June 23, 2002 Posted June 23, 2002 Michael - you are not alone. My partner and I have had those years. Recently, the 2000 climbing season got off to a similarly abysmal start. One memorable "failure" was an early season attempt of Big 4, which tried to precipitate us off the mountain with sliding snow slabs. The season got better, but it took some reassessment of our climbing goals and approach to turn it around. Our success rate improved dramatically when we planned two or three trips for a given weekend, a Plan A trip, and then Plan B and C trips that took into consideration the weather forecast and the climbing team. Sometimes, we changed plans in the meeting-place parking lot. Many of the climbs we chose were easier climbs that we were afforded a better chance of success, whether due to the technical difficulties and conditions of the route, or the weather, or all of the above. The best way to get your confidence and "edge" back is to back off a bit and get some summits under your belt. If you keep getting turned back, eventually you are going to want to stop trying. Remember why you are out there - unless you are paid to be "extreme" (e.g. Mark Twight), just enjoy yourself! After that "setback" year, the next year, 2001, we had one of the best climbing seasons! Hang in there! Quote
layton Posted June 24, 2002 Author Posted June 24, 2002 Thanks! I guess I was trying to seem overly dramatic. Actually I was really making fun of myself, which most of my posts usually do. I wanted to see what the general public thought about a 35% avg since most of what you hears about are the successful climbs. I don't hate myself, most of the time I'm pokin' fun of Mark Twight's desperate writtings. p.s. you guys are frickin' mean, keep it up it wouldn't be any fun if you weren't, so suck my ass. Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted June 24, 2002 Posted June 24, 2002 I free soloed the Toof and Mountaineers Doom Cracks this year. Now I am tough too Quote
Dru Posted June 24, 2002 Posted June 24, 2002 isnt it better to go out in miserable conditions and fail than to stay at home? anyways maybe you should take up "Guaranteed Outcome Climbing" that Twight likes to bag on. it sounds like the ticket. I think you need lots of rope and Sherpas though. and not much Gu because Guaranteed Outcome is not Extreme. Quote
Rodchester Posted June 24, 2002 Posted June 24, 2002 So I took a co-worker's husband out this weekend for his first "glacier" climb up Baker. Just doing the Coleman-Demming route. We get to the trial head, he forgot his sleeping pad. (strike one) Hmmmm...ok we sleep in the parking lot and do a car-to-car push. We leave the trailhead at 10:00. Stream crossing he loses a trekking poles and over the water fall it goes...bye bye pole. (strike two). Right as we were getting to the treeline he postholes, hyperextends his knee and strike three we are going down. Sometimes it just wasn't meant to be. I made it home at 3:30 a.m had one beer and fell asleep. [ 06-24-2002, 09:33 AM: Message edited by: Rodchester ] Quote
PackOnMyBack Posted June 24, 2002 Posted June 24, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Dru: isnt it better to go out in miserable conditions and fail than to stay at home? Absolutely. I have learned more from failed attempts than I've learned from many of my "successful" climbs. Plus, the stories are almost always better! Quote
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