Chongo

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Pee Wee Herman: There's things about me you don't know, Dottie. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand.

Dottie: I don't understand.

Pee Wee Herman: You don't want to get mixed up with a guy like me. I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel.

[Squid]

At its heart, CascadeClimbers is a lot like high school. It's an honor to talk to Oly, or people like him. It means you've paid your dues. Paying your dues means spraying even if your heroes tell you you're worthless, even if you bang your fingers, and sometimes a lot more, on the keyboard. It means you've suffered for the spray. Paying your dues is caring less about looking the part than about showing your face often enough for the soul-spraying community to consider you sufficiently committed. MisterE has earned the right because he has been spraying on the site so long that he knows everyone. And he makes a contribution to the general welfare of the spray subculture that Oly particularly enjoys

 

[JayB]

How is it possible that someone has passed up this opportunity to ridicule Uncage the Soul until now?

[olyclimber]

We were waiting for you to bring it!

[EWolfe]

I met Chongo in Yosemite, and one of the people I was with said if we got him drunk, he would take us to a "king" swing he had set up at the base of one of his "projects".

 

His daytime activity was to try and lure newbies into jugging up this free-hanging rope with gear for the next section.

 

We all got smashed and went to the ropeswing, and it was huge! The rope hung away from the wall probably 35 feet, and it was at least 100 feet to the anchors. We scrambled up the side of this steep slab in the dark with headlamps, pulled the perlon keeper cord and took turns swinging into the void.

 

The slab was steep enough that you could only regain footing on the in-swing if your balance was spot on.b You only got 2 tries before you would lose momentum.

We pulled several people that couldn't "stick it" back in by the perlon to much jeering, myself included.

 

It was wild whooshing a huge swing in the dark, and having this slab rush up all of a sudden.

 

Chongo was cool, a little crazy and frenetic, but who isn't?

[Dru]

Uncage the Chongo

[ScottP]

Unchained

[billcoe]

Just to let you know, I have trademarked SoulClimber. Please desist from using this term or selling CafePress t-shirts and thongs emblazoned or otherwise enscribed with said trademarked phrase.

 

 

Interesting idea Dru. You missed "cockpunch" though.

 

What is a cockpunch that Bill A mentions BTW?

[chelle]

You guys check out the date of publication? Jan 2001. That is such old news... The LA Times has been trying to make Yosemite some mystical climbing place for years. Most of the people in the article are nice enough to chit chat with when you're in camp 4 or hanging in the cafe. There are some who are so arrogant (mostly the ones who actually believe the crap in the article) that they are not worth your breath.

 

Chongo is good for an interesting coversation or two for sure and then you'll probably think he's a bit too focused on himself and his ideas about physics to actually have a real discussion. Alex is a great climber but just as apt to say "hello" if you pass him in El Cap meadow as any of the tourons looking up at the walls trying to find a climber.

 

Squid's editing job on the article perfectly describes cc.com, beyond that it is barely good enough for lining the puppy pee box.

[Geek_the_Greek]

So has Chongo been kicked out of the Valley, or what? The ArdArvin interview (2004) says he's spent 39 seasons in the Valley.

His website is a hoot. I'm not sure whether those books would be total scams, or priceless posessions - or maybe both . If he's not in Yosemite any more, how will he pick up his orders?

 

Chongonation

[cj001f]

The LA Times has been trying to make Yosemite some mystical climbing place for years.

And Climbing, Rock & Ice, the AAC, and a couple thousand others....

[larrythellama]

when i was young i thought chongo to be cool, he had some good advice, but sadly his mind is going faster then an indy car. now he is a delusional rambler with nothing better to do then take up space in the center of the universe and bum beer and weed from noobs.

[Gary_Yngve]

I thought the letter in Alpinist was great, especially the punchline.

[catbirdseat]

I really like this quote:

 

(Arvin)"Isn't theoretical physics, in it's attempt to explain the universe, just another religion?

 

(Chongo) "What? Religion is stating assertions. Science is the pursuit of truth. Religion is the pursuit of a particular preference of truth, that which benefits the devotee."

 

That last sentence is the most succinct and yet thorough expression I have ever seen of what religion is.

[sexual_chocolate]

Not if you parse it out a bit.

 

First of all, define "religion". I'll say that the mundane and worldly expression of that word seen around us fits his initial definition: Religion is stating assertions, but I personally don't consider it complete in its reach.

 

Secondly, science as "pursuit of truth" is somewhat specious at best, when we can't even agree what "truth" is.

 

Thirdly, he might give "religion", in its exoteric variations, a bit too much credit when in his statement he implicitly endorses "religion" as a "pursuit" of "truth". My own eyes see too many counter-examples to make such a blanket statement.

Further, I would claim that "religion", again in its exoteric forms, often in no way benefits the "devotee", instead simply making him a blinded robot mindlessly repeating beliefs handed down to him by authority, which he then needs to protect through perhaps violent measures any time he feels them threatened.

Edited December 8, 2005 by sexual_chocolate

[kix]

good parsing, but it depends on what your definiton of "is" is.

[sexual_chocolate]

I don't understand your comparison; perhaps if you removed the cigar from your vagina, I could understand you better?

[catbirdseat]

...Further, I would claim that "religion", again in its exoteric forms, often in no way benefits the "devotee", instead simply making him a blinded robot mindlessly repeating beliefs handed down to him by authority, which he then needs to protect through perhaps violent measures any time he feels them threatened.

You may not see any benefit in religion, but clearly there must be a benefit, otherwise it would not be as popular as it is.

[Dru]

...Further, I would claim that "religion", again in its exoteric forms, often in no way benefits the "devotee", instead simply making him a blinded robot mindlessly repeating beliefs handed down to him by authority, which he then needs to protect through perhaps violent measures any time he feels them threatened.

You may not see any benefit in religion, but clearly there must be a benefit, otherwise it would not be as popular as it is.

 

There must be a benefit to having parasites, or else no one would be parasitized!

[DirtyHarry]

You may not see any benefit in religion, but clearly there must be a benefit, otherwise it would not be as popular as it is.

You could say the same thing about crack. 10,000,000 crackheads can't be wrong.

[sexual_chocolate]

CBS, I don't think mere popularity gives any particular thingamajiggy legitimacy.

 

I would say though that aspects of "religion" are very desirable: Love thy Neighbor, Love thyself, humility, peace, kindness; crap, who would argue with that, besides the most jaded Mortiis followers.

 

If you look above, I never discarded "religion" as a whole. I think it can offer wonderful guidelines or objectives. Heck, who wouldn't want more peace and love and understanding in their lives! I know I do....

 

And I don't think one should attack religion because of the hypocrisy of its followers. Bush and Robertson etal are not good examples of religious people. One can systematically study the contradictions between their actions and the ones supported by the one they ostensibly follow.

[lummox]

i know chongo. he is a bum. nice enough though.

[ScottP]

Bush and Robertson etal are not good examples of religious people. One can systematically study the contradictions between their actions and the ones supported by the one they ostensibly follow.

Just curious...

How do their actions make them appear to follow "the one"?

What actions are supported by "the one" they "ostensibly" follow?

[kix]

the answer is within you

[catbirdseat]

CBS, I don't think mere popularity gives any particular thingamajiggy legitimacy.

 

I would say though that aspects of "religion" are very desirable: Love thy Neighbor, Love thyself, humility, peace, kindness; crap, who would argue with that, besides the most jaded Mortiis followers.

 

If you look above, I never discarded "religion" as a whole. I think it can offer wonderful guidelines or objectives. Heck, who wouldn't want more peace and love and understanding in their lives! I know I do....

 

And I don't think one should attack religion because of the hypocrisy of its followers. Bush and Robertson etal are not good examples of religious people. One can systematically study the contradictions between their actions and the ones supported by the one they ostensibly follow.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not defending religion. I am just saying that people who are religious don't take the global view that you do. They don't really care about its benefits for society, but rather are driven by a desire for personal salvation. The need for religion is deeply selfish, just like the need to procreate.