tomtom Posted August 9, 2008 Posted August 9, 2008 (edited) Just simple me communing with my Buy Patagonia www.patagonia.com I do this only for personal growth, Hey, you! You're ruining my closeup! Get Away From The Camera!!! as I'm just a goofball. Autographs. Get your DEAN POTTER autographs. $1000. Edited August 9, 2008 by tomtom Quote
korup Posted August 9, 2008 Posted August 9, 2008 From the climbing link "It may be the first time anyone has set out to free solo a route at the edge of their ability with only a B.A.S.E. parachute." What? This statement idiotic. I'm pretty sure "5.12+" is not at the edge of Potter's ability, and how the hell does it still count as a free solo, if you have a F***ing parachute? Quote
Raindawg Posted August 10, 2008 Posted August 10, 2008 Dean Potter has made a "BASE solo" (or FreeBASE) of Deep Blue Sea (5.12+) on the north face of The Eiger, Switzerland. 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. Scary stuff for sure but for those Eiger "purists", note that he was climbing the top 600 feet of rock, not one of the traditional giant alpine routes. So, it is what it is, whatever it is, and perhaps unique with the BASE set-up, although perhaps one might argue that it's just a freakish way of protecting oneself from damage or death as would a crash-pad or rope. Speaking of the Eiger North Face, it seems to me that I once saw a picture of Dane way up on that thing. That true, mister? Quote
Buckaroo Posted August 12, 2008 Posted August 12, 2008 Met Potter briefly in '99 on the Salathe, we were on our 2nd day at El Cap Tower. Dean and Jose Perea blew by us on a speed record attempt. He seemed like a nice guy, we talked to him later in camp 4. I don't care what anybody says, he can be a tool all day long. He's a bad ass climber. Base jumping by itself is a deadly sport, it took Jose. To combine that with on-site(?) solo 5.12+ and live to tell about it, that takes big balls I don't care what anybody says. Quote
denalidave Posted August 12, 2008 Posted August 12, 2008 Base jumping by itself is a deadly sport, it took Jose. To combine that with on-site(?) solo 5.12+ and live to tell about it, that takes big balls I don't care what anybody says. Quote
stinkyclimber Posted August 12, 2008 Posted August 12, 2008 Wearing a BASE rig is hardly like having a bolt at your waist and a belayer wearing capris and sipping a Red Bull next to your crag dog down below. He would have to get a decent, planned push off when he fell in order to get into the right flight position. The consequences of a broken foothold or an unplanned slip would be the same as doing it solo without a parachute. And even then, BASE is pretty fucking dangerous. Seems pretty crazy to me. Quote
G-spotter Posted August 12, 2008 Posted August 12, 2008 Base jumping by itself is a deadly sport, it took Jose. No, rockfall on a trad climb in El Potrero took Jose. Quote
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