Dean Potter Solos Nordwand?

[EWolfe]

Been hearing talk about it...anyone else?

 

That's a scary thing to be soloing, given conditions, rock/ice/snowfall, and rock quality.

 

Wow.

 

Erit: Hey, look! It's just like cc.com Spray over there!

Edited August 8, 2008 by EWolfe

[marc_leclerc]

Uli Stek did it too... several times... i also did it.... then I flew off the summit by parapente!

[dugice]

Potter is a friggin' tool. His idiotic desert arch solo in Utah got him and his wife shit-canned by Patagonia. The less the climbing world hears about this moron the better off it will be.

[rob]

OH NO! HE LOST HIS PATAGUCI SPONSORSHIP!!1 NOW WHERE WILL HE GET HIS PUFFBALL VESTS?

 

Whatever, the guy's a good climber. Who gives a fuck if he's a tool? Lotsa good climbers are fucking tools.

[pink]

Potter is a friggin' tool. His idiotic desert arch solo in Utah got him and his wife shit-canned by Patagonia. The less the climbing world hears about this moron the better off it will be.

 

 

jealousy is a bad emotion, what does the guy get your girlfriend all wet or something?

 

your talkin, he's climbing.

[glassgowkiss]

i don't think it's jealousy. tool he is indeed. i have heard a story, that makes me think his wife is and exact match.

there were several solos of that face, like Mark Wilford's.

[rob]

You're right. Someone has already solo'd it, so it's a worthless accomplishment.

 

Did he even do the shit? Where are the high-def videos of his send?

[billcoe]

the late/great Dwight Bishop soloed it as well.

 

btw, Dean Potter is one of the nicer folks around.

[glassgowkiss]

nobody said it's worthless. look at the facts:

first of all this face gets a solo or two every year. the route (if he did a regular route) was done in the 30's. part of the mystery of the face was the history of the FA. at this day and age with advances of technology (crampons and tools) i think it's a bit easier- don't you think?

simply one should distinguish a good personal achievement and an objective value of such ascent. imo potter is a master of hype. i preferred the time when the ascents spoke for themselves.

[rob]

nobody said it's worthless. look at the facts:

first of all this face gets a solo or two every year. the route (if he did a regular route) was done in the 30's. part of the mystery of the face was the history of the FA. at this day and age with advances of technology (crampons and tools) i think it's a bit easier- don't you think?

simply one should distinguish a good personal achievement and an objective value of such ascent. imo potter is a master of hype. i preferred the time when the ascents spoke for themselves.

 

That sounds pretty reasonable. I thought you were supposed to be a shithead or something?

[marc_leclerc]

It is definitely sick that he soloed it... i want to climb it but Im gonna use a rope/partner.. lol ... just cuz we have better teechnology doesnt make make it easy.. look at the Weissner/House on Waddington.. that was done before the Eigerwand and only has 6 or 7 complete ascents to date.... it is still considered very hard and dangerous.

[EWolfe]

He did it in 3 hours! Holy crap!

[StevenSeagal]

OMG!

 

[pink]

i don't think it's jealousy. tool he is indeed. i have heard a story, that makes me think his wife is and exact match.

there were several solos of that face, like Mark Wilford's.

 

i heard he's on his way up to b-ham right as we speak

 

 

WHAT WAS YOUR APARTMENT #AGAIN?

[Dane]

" at this day and age with advances of technology (crampons and tools) i think it's a bit easier- don't you think? "

 

Typical though process from "modern climbers" who haven't been on the '38 route.

 

Not a lot of Americans that have climbed the face even today...even fewer that have soloed it. Not note worthy in the grand scheme of things but a good climb none the less. If Potter actually beat Steck's most recent time...that is something else again.

 

 

[rob]

OMG!

 

 

Come on dude, play the whole clip

 

3cuLcCPVYLc

[kevbone]

 

btw, Dean Potter is one of the nicer folks around.

 

I agree. I got to hang with Dean a few years back and he was laid back and NOT COCKY at all.

 

I dont think he cares if he soloed it. Why should you.

[rob]

I dont think he cares if he soloed it. Why should you.

 

What?? He doesn't care if he soloed it? Then why did he do it?

 

If he did it, he bloody well SHOULD fucking care about it. WTF?

 

"Nah, man, I just solo'd the nordwand, but I don't fucking care...."

 

Fucking bullshit. Nothing wrong with being proud, and if he did this, he should fucking be.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

I dont think he cares if he soloed it. Why should you.

 

What?? He doesn't care if he soloed it? Then why did he do it?

 

If he did it, he bloody well SHOULD fucking care about it. WTF?

 

"Nah, man, I just solo'd the nordwand, but I don't fucking care...."

 

Fucking bullshit. Nothing wrong with being proud, and if he did this, he should fucking be.

 

dude, remember, you're replying to kevbone.

[SlickWilly]

Enough with the Dean Potter hating. He is not a bad guy. And as far as his climbing goes, he has and continues to push it and redefine what is possible. He inspires - that is what climbing is really all about.

 

And going out on a limb - so what about his DA solo? He climbed a rock. Yes, yes - I know he should have been more aware of the consequences, but the rules and regulations are the problem. Kinda backwards that there are roads all the way to the base of Delicate Arch and big paved parking lots, a trail carved into the rock to get people there, but its not OK if Dean climbs it without leaving a trace? Arches seems to be set up only for people driving through and taking pictures - its almost as if the NPS would prefer that you not get out of your car.

 

Yes, when I climb in Arches I follow the rules and regulations and try to be on my best behavior. But I still think the rules and regulations are a bit extreme.

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Turns out, this actually was pretty ground breaking and insane:

http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/potter_base_solos_the_eiger/

 

 

[tomtom]

Where are the high-def videos of his send?

 

Of course he brought a film crew!

 

Dean’s climb was filmed by cinematographer Jim Hurst and photographer/mountain guide Beat Kammerlander. The footage will be featured in the upcoming Sender Films release The Sharp End, and as a feature segment on Jeep’s World of Adventure Sports airing October 11, 2008 on NBC.

[glassgowkiss]

 

i heard he's on his way up to b-ham right as we speak

 

 

WHAT WAS YOUR APARTMENT #AGAIN?

 

ask your mom- she knows

[billcoe]

"On August 6, Potter free-soloed the gently overhanging limestone route wearing a five pound BASE jumping rig on his back. He traversed into the climb along a natural ledge that comes off the northwest arête of The Eiger and soloed the final 600 foot headwall with 5.12+ crux moves at the top of the formation. Dean opted to bypass the lower pitches because they feature loose rock and, should a fall occur, there would not be time to deploy the BASE chute before encountering a 50-foot ledge that protrudes from the bottom of the climb. Below the ledge, the wall falls away for an additional 2,000 feet, leaving open the option of a 15 second flight from higher on the wall."

 

Whoooooooo, planning on opening the chute if things went array...thats F*ing bold dudes!

 

As far as the camera thing goes, so what? Reardon use to just go solo and he caught shit cause he didn't have photographic evidence. Sheese, I guess that it's true you just can't please some folks.

[rob]

Can't wait to see the film.