mattp Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 why try to beat some record? I'm a solid member of the curmudgeon team around here but to this statement I'd say: why not? He's excited about climbing and folks around here and I bets everyone else is saying to him that it's amazing that he is doing all of this at such a young age. "Get experienced and be sure you are ready" is excellent advice that I'm sure he get's plenty of but setting out to be the youngest climber, or the one who rode his bicycle from home or the oldest climber or the demonstration of international-brethren, or the no-oxygen climber or the clean-up-the-south-col climber or [name your particular fetish here] are largely just different ways to motivate or define our experience. Lots of people enjoy these record-setting or climbing-plus type expeditions and if the "theme" helps someone raise money for their venture because someone else wants to contribute, I have no problem with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pink Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 i know that sounds corny but i always admired badass climbers that went out and got it all for themselves. As opposed to all those filthy rich professional climbers who were just given everything? normally ur pretty funny, but not today. i'm talking about people who aren't looking for a hand out ya ass engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pink Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 here's an interesting lead for ya little moochers.... http://www.gamertestingground.com/?hop=petalac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Braydon - all you need to do to raise money is remind Marc that 16 is age of consent in Canada. I'm betting he can find some older men who will be HAPPY to shower him with money and gifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choada_Boy Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I think you guys should go for it. Perhaps you should change you objective to THIS, though. Seems reasonable for your team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dane Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Couple of random thoughts. Nothing wrong with always trying harder or being the "first" at anything. There are always risks involved other wise it would have been done long ago. Climbers, really good ones, aren't any better technically but they are mentally...their imaginations run wild compared to the rest of us and just as importantly are willing to follow through. When ambition gets ahead of experience and skill I see a problem, a disconnect. When kids jump start an alpine career with a guided ascent of an easy 7000m peak it might well be a great thing. But to continue down along those lines is a major disconnect IMO. The old saying of "teach a man to fish and he can feed himself"....instead of "hand a man a fish and he has dinner" comes to mind. Not trying to rain on Braydon, we were all 15 once and felt the fire. One of the hardest things I have done lately was drop by and have this converstaion with Braydon's mom. But, climbers owe their partners a couple of things, honesty and trying to keep them from making bad judgement calls are two of them. It isn't a "kid" thing to me but a "climbing" thing. I'd have the same comments, "you're likely to get your ass handed to you so get a good baby sitter" to anyone with the same experience and ambitions. I just won't be so genteel or take the time for someone older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genepires Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 (edited) I think that beating personal limitations is more rewarding than going after records for the sake of fame. Fame is fleeting and will leave quickly. Not that one is right or wrong, just better from a personal standpoint. If ones dream passionately to summit everest, then by all means take the risk. But what is the point to do something inherently risky for the sake of bragging rights? I am just saying that before anyone puts themselves into serious harms way, there needs to be a well thought out inner dialogue about the reason why. If the reasons are inner then the risk may be warranted. If the reasons are solely external (example - the approval or respect of others, also known as fame), then the risk is never warranted. Bad experience with climbing will sort that out real quick. BTW, I am not in any way saying what Braydons motives are. I don't know him at all. This is just something that came to mind when I read about the chasing records thing. p.s. Bravo for thinking BIG! Edited March 13, 2009 by genepires Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A2THEK Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Imagine your frozen busted corpse and or your buddy too forever stuck to the side of the big hill. Your mom's sad for the rest of her life , all them college girls'll have to hump inferior men,& black diamond wont sell you any new icetools.It aint a pretty thing. There's a ton of mountains & years of experience ahead of you dont waste it by giving yourselves the chop right off! That being said, maybe you two have the balls of rhinocerouses and can pull that shit off & prove me wrong. And fuck sponsorship be your own MAN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dane Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Hopefully some here with a 15 year old in the house will give their thoughts. But this one is a biggy for me. By any standard I climbed hard in my youth...20 to 40 if you can call it youth @ 40. I don't have a big list like Twight but sadly I do have a list. Of all my buddies that aren't around because of mistakes in the mountains....I've now lived almost twice as long as most were alive. Sad, sometimes I think of them when I am having a good meal, a bottle of wine or a awesome climb....easy or not or just an amazing vista (or ass) I know they would have appreciated. And the dumb bastards...said with all due respect...all climbed better than me. But I am the one still out and ticking off climbs. This shit just aint fair which we should all rememebr from time to time. One stupid mistake and the rest of your life is gone in a second. Chances of that happening at 7000m is too high imo @ 15. Not everyone has someone like JR, that cares more about you than they do their own life, to shadow you up and down the mtn. That you can't pay for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raindawg Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Anyone remember the tragic tale of Greg Barber and Dhauligiri? Young fella was young and full of ambition though apparently lacking much serious alpine experience. Trust me, it left a horrific web of pain in the aftermath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_leclerc Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I don't seek any fame for being the youngest Canadian at 7000m, I just want to go there and climb. The 'young' thing is what might help us get there, the 'catch' as some call it. Just so that you dont get the wrong idea, Im really not a fan of blowing my own horn and attracting attention to myself, I just enjoy climbing. I'll make a statement about being the youngest to help attract a sponsor or two but my intention is not to go down in a record book, my intention is for an amazing and beatiful climb to go down in my internal memory book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pink Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 i'll donate a cake or maybe a pie.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braydon Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 I don't seek any fame for being the youngest Canadian at 7000m, I just want to go there and climb. The 'young' thing is what might help us get there, the 'catch' as some call it. Just so that you dont get the wrong idea, Im really not a fan of blowing my own horn and attracting attention to myself, I just enjoy climbing. I'll make a statement about being the youngest to help attract a sponsor or two but my intention is not to go down in a record book, my intention is for an amazing and beatiful climb to go down in my internal memory book. bingo...the whole "first" thing helps out with getting the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyHarry Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Hopefully some here with a 15 year old in the house will give their thoughts. But this one is a biggy for me. By any standard I climbed hard in my youth...20 to 40 if you can call it youth @ 40. I don't have a big list like Twight but sadly I do have a list. Of all my buddies that aren't around because of mistakes in the mountains....I've now lived almost twice as long as most were alive. Sad, sometimes I think of them when I am having a good meal, a bottle of wine or a awesome climb....easy or not or just an amazing vista (or ass) I know they would have appreciated. And the dumb bastards...said with all due respect...all climbed better than me. But I am the one still out and ticking off climbs. This shit just aint fair which we should all rememebr from time to time. One stupid mistake and the rest of your life is gone in a second. Chances of that happening at 7000m is too high imo @ 15. Not everyone has someone like JR, that cares more about you than they do their own life, to shadow you up and down the mtn. That you can't pay for. This is good advice. But then again you might get hit by a bus tomorrow or die in a freak avalanche on some dog route on a Volcano. That being said I wouldn't go trying to solo the north face of the Devil's Thumb any time soon. I guess for everyone there's a certain amount of risk they are willing to take for the possibility of a payoff (new route, summit). As a youth I think you tend to be willing to take more risk because you don't think you will be the one getting curb stomped by a cleaving serac. However, as a lot of elite alpinists have shown us, risk is relative and can be mitigated by skill, decision-making, and fitness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dechristo Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I just want to go there and climb. The 'young' thing is what might help us get there, ... ride your bikes there, climb, and ride back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I just want to go there and climb. The 'young' thing is what might help us get there, ... ride your bikes there, climb, and ride back. And then never, ever go to Vantage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dane Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 bingo...the whole "first" thing helps out with getting the money. Dude that seems a little skewed. "first" and guided ascents work for the blind, the dude with no legs, male lesbian bipolar dwarfs and when you're pushing 83 and never climbed... Instead how about using that $7000+ guide's and travel costs per person to get some real climbing done on your own all the while building your skills and experience level, then pick objectives you might have a reasonable chance to actually get up by yourself and then ride your bike to the mtn and back. Try an alpine ascent with a team of two carrying what you need on your own back...heard it is the new rage in climbing. This is good advice. But then again you might get hit by a bus tomorrow Easy for you to say and me too. A 15 year old wants to stand in front of a bus with his eyes closed I think we are all responsible to speak up. Reality in the big mtns even for the very skilled. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/05/0515_020515_bearzi.html Pumori..No high altitude experience necessary. It is mostly a snow climb up fixed lines.."Peakfreaks" How much climbing can you do with $15,400 in US dollars? That is your GUIDE's fees for the Pumori trip. $6700 a piece PLUS another $1000 each, easy, getting to Katmandu and back from CONUS. Canada for a week in winter at less than $500 a trip. Chamonix for 10 days...cost less than $1800. round trip. Typical Denali trip for a month these days....under $2000. Pumori is a very cool mtn... what ever you do, best of luck and have fun at it! How about some real climbing stoke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyHarry Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Shit, at 15 Colin was still getting rides from him mom to UW practice rock (that's where I taught him to climb, BTW, so I should probably get all the credit for that) . So, it's pretty good advice to start sending shit locally for a few years b4 you tick off something in the big ranges. And I wouldn't think of getting a guide, he'll probably try and steal your girlfriend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genepires Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 (edited) The guide may try to steal the girlfriend but guides have no women skills. They look good on the outside but the inside is a different story. The girlfriend is safe......from guides. Edited March 14, 2009 by genepires Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpineK Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 I was happy to get a drivers license at 16 so I could drive to a trailhead with a climber my own age. I'd pick up any job I could to make money while not taking away from good weather conditions for climbing. The main goal was climb a lot. After a few years I'd be trying to earn money and save as much as possible to go on longer trips to climb routes in the Canadian Rockies. I had a tick list. I devoted my free time and money to climbing routes I thought were cool, not just summitting whatever peak would be impressive. Because of this I made friends with folks who had really big ideas or were part of them. One such fellow was on a team headed to Everest. My friend decided prior to the set expedition date that he had lost interest in climbing Everest. He new me and what I'd been climbing and offered to put me in as a replacement to the group. I thought for a couple days and then went for it. The whole thing was expensive, but not anywhere as expensive as the expeditions I met over there full of guided clients. If climbing something big like that is your dream then I'd say just climb a lot of things and meet other folks into climbing. Start locally then start expanding the geographic area where you climb routes. Push you altitude experience, but don't try and make huge leaps all at once. A big list of successful ascents and routes will help you a lot when you apply for a grant. The bottom line is climb stuff that looks cool and fits you budget. Don't set your goals based on what others say you have to do to be a really impressive climber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobo Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 ...guides have no women skills. The girlfriend is safe......from guides. You might wanna ask rob's opinion about that. I'm jus' sayin'... Braydon, Dane and others here speak wisdom from experience. Heed them, live long, and have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genepires Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 one exception to the rule doesn't negate the rule. Maybe there is one real swavay smooth guide out there but most (including myself) just dumb highschool geeks. (said with smiles and love for guides) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 I've always thought you were cool Gene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowell_Skoog Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 So if I'm reading this correctly, your goal is to raise sponsorship money in order to hire a guide to climb Pumori. And the hook is that in doing so you would be the youngest people to climb that peak. If you're hiring a guide, you're seeking a scholarship, not a sponsorship. You should be up-front about this. You got off to a poor start in this thread, since I had to read between the lines in Dane's comments to catch the guiding angle. I have little experience asking people for money. But I think it should begin with full disclosure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CollinWoods Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 Anything is possible if you go for it. You just have to put in the effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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