Drug and Big Walling

[JosephH]

Yeah, I would be if those two times actually resulted in a more drastic permanent result. Instead I'm still firmly in the ranks of the 'jumpers' with everyone else. But I did learn the to accept and acknowledge I was jumping and that actually allowed me to be more aware and concious of it when I'm doing it and so do it a bit less. But at the time it did enable me to break through a long plateau to another level entirely by forcing me to look at my own [straight, whining] behavior. In someways it sucks because now I always feel like I'm jumping and know it's all too true...

[JosephH]

I put up two hard FA's in the '70s that repulsed extremely determined and sustained efforts on our part only to succeed on the first attempt on each after dropping specifically for the routes. The result was 'The Electric Koolaid Acid Test' and 'Leaves of the Failing Faith'. Neither would have happened for decades or at all by any other path...

 

You make it sound like NOBODY else was going to come along and do the route sober. Sounds like a little ego coming out of the acid trip.

 

And I'd reply you'd have to climb them before legitimately making that statement. Both climbs turned back myself and four other climbers including my partner who did rings at a national level as a gymnast. I was told this past year that the third route we put up at the same time saw Todd Skinner "hanging from it like a xmas ornament" in '86 at the top of his game...

[strumpett]

I agree with the jumping theme, but I would say, it’s more like 75%, not 99%.

[strumpett]

Todd Skinner "hanging from it like a xmas ornament" in '86 at the top of his game...

 

Are you saying you sent a route Todd could not do?

[JosephH]

I'm saying a decade later, after an afternoon of dogging, he sent a route we worked on for considerably longer but with no dogging, this at time when he was onsighting hard lines right and left.

[JosephH]

I agree with the jumping theme, but I would say, it’s more like 75%, not 99%.

 

That's what we all tell ourselves - it's certainly what I used to think, but the experiences I had tripping cruelly disabused me of that notion entirely.

[bigwalling]

I have led hard aid so fucked up before I don't remember the pitches. On one pitch, I drank a bunch before leaving the belay. Then after the really dangerous part I hit a rivet. I called for another big OE and he said it was in the haulbag but he'd send vodka. Finished it off probably about a pint. Then... the last moves to the belay a beak almost ripped and that made me feel quite a bit more sober. If the video camera didn't get jacked you could all see the video my partner took and me making not one bit of sense(mumbling and nonsense).

 

If I ever make it to the trangos I will definetly buy and bring lots and lots of hash on the wall.

 

I never used to toke like I do after I started hanging in yosemite. I showed up loving to drink and the others that loved to drink toked huge. After about 2 months of valley time I couldn't stay away.

 

They don't call it Crystal Cyclone(VI A4+) for nothing!

 

Someone... once was so fucked up that they had a good piece placed. Yet when they went to fully commit they missed the aiders and commited anyways. 80+ footer!

 

Getting fucked up and climbing is what made me love it so much more than before. It was so free and so fun and you can be totally wasted, high, stoned and still do it. If I had showed up to a X-C race all fucked up it wouldn't have gone so well is my guess.

[TBay]

Someone... once was so fucked up that they had a good piece placed. Yet when they went to fully commit they missed the aiders and commited anyways. 80+ footer!

... was this person so f**ked up from the get-go that he left is daisy chains behind. or is this the lasted in hard-aid technique: leashless aid.

Edited November 20, 2006 by TBay

[bigwalling]

Leashless aid is the future step up or go home!