erik Posted June 8, 2001 Share Posted June 8, 2001 i'm the best climber in the state! by far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwayner Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 This is a ridiculous subject but since you asked..... BIG LOU of course! And let's not forget the likes of Pete Schoening, the Prater Bros., Bread Feckey, Dee Molenaar and others of their eras. Those guys were/are tough, motivated, positive fun-lovin', climbing maniacs!!!! Honorable mentions go to characters such as Matty Kerns, Jim Nelson, George Dunn, Erik Moehler, that oxygen-deprived Viesturs feller, an Australian import named Childs (don't know if he still lives around here) and all others who wake up laughing everyday because they're usually having a good time and the mountains are bringin' them joy! Rock on!!!!! - Dwayner, who didn't make his own list...."Hey! I could have been a contender!!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panther Posted June 9, 2001 Author Share Posted June 9, 2001 The late, great, and much-much missed Alex Lowe said that "the best climber is the climber having the most fun". Come one come all. No one's opinion will/should be chastised or subjugated to harsh critique. No one should be embarassed by their name being tossed out there. It's all in fun. Who do you think is the 'best' climber in this state? Why do you think that, and what merits your opinion? They do not neccessarily need to be the 'hone master'. This is your chance to pay homage to your personal Cascade hero living or dead. If no one has ever heard of them all the better. No criteria other than your personal opinion, and please please please respect others opinions and don't get angry or pissed off. This applies to me too (of course) Panther Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 Conrad Anker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 steve house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyagpa! Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 I second the vote for Steve House! What an exceptional individual as a climber and a person (absolutely 0 ego). As for big Lou if your reffering to Lou of RMI, he can only do the walk up routes cause he can barely cary his big head(that goes for his son peter to. Not to be negative but if your an a-hole your an A-hole. (drop the ego Lou) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwayner Posted June 10, 2001 Share Posted June 10, 2001 Dude! How can you say that about Big Lou? Haven't you seen the previous topics on this board such as "Big Lou", "Big Lou, Jr." and "More Big Lou, Jr."? This topic is a dead end. You can just spout out about who you like...blah, blah, blah...like a bunch of teenage girls talking about the Backstreet Boys. (Which one's more cute?) I did it myself (blab about the "best climbers") just a few posts above this one just because I like to make sure the old-timers get a little credit once in a while but now that I think about it..... From a realistic point of view, you can't even carry on this conversation without carefully defining the criteria for "best". And even so, it can devolve into a high-school yearbook popularity poll: "cutest smile", "most roguish hat", "most likely to be a grandmother before 30", etc. By the way, people with "0" egos and people with "big" egos both scare me. They very likely might be hiding something. So, back to the "contest" in you insist: here are a few more categories to consider: "most elegant backstep", "best organized rack" (and I'm talkin' about the kind with gear hanging off of it, gentlemen), "most grabbable lycra-butt", "best summit hug", etc. 'scuze me while I settle back with a Mickey's and sort through the candidates....It's going to be tough....especially the one about the hug! - Dwayner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RStewbone Posted June 10, 2001 Share Posted June 10, 2001 I'm not sure who the best climber in wa. is but If Dwayner is already drinking malt liquoron sunday morning he gets my vote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drederek Posted June 10, 2001 Share Posted June 10, 2001 How to define the "best"? The most prolific? The most skilled at a particular type of climbing? The most well-rounded? (climber, not breasts or bottoms) The most vocal? The highest profile? The most scared who fires it anyway? The most humble? The ones who do the climbs that are beyond us? Someone who knows when to back off or someone who doesn't? I would admire anyone pushing themselves to a higher standard. Be it 5.7 or K2. As soon as you think you're the best or better than anyone two more people that you don't know about have passed you by. Are you the best climber you can be? D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highclimb Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 You guys are just mad and spitting out names because you are embaresed that a 14 year old can kick your ass. now i know i am the best climber and i know it hurts you to think about it but just just remeber what the late great Alex Lowe said The greatest climbers are the ones having Fun....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 Hey Aidan- Lets slap 40 pounds of Chillupas and Keystone Light around your waist and see how well you climb then! Viva los pinche gordos! I'm not too huge into the who's best thing, but if I had a vote it would go to Fred not because he has climbed everything or has more FAs than anyone else, but no one (that I know of) has contributed as much to PNW climbing as him, he did write the cascade bible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpine_Tom Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 Steve Swenson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaphappy Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 I'm sure most of you haven't heard of him but, Dave Moroles. He climbs everything and anything, terrifying hard runouts, 5.13 cracks and sport, as well as demanding water ice and mixed routes! (oh yeah he solos amazing shit too!) I'd swear his heartrate never changes! Bryan Burdo is worth mentioning also, I believe he has more grade III-VI first ascents than anyone else in the state, including Mr. Becky! Not to mention his other sport accomplishments, 5.13 at age 40!( I'm sure at least one of you will grab your Cascade "bible" trio and start counting, remember Bryan has at least 1 or 2 that haven't made it in there yet. And btw I did not spend/waste my time actually counting them, I got my info from someone who did!)I realized I should clarify that those ascents are only in Washington state (and Slesse) If others were included I'm sure Fred would have him beat! [This message has been edited by slaphappy (edited 06-11-2001).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 Brian Burdo more first ascents than Beckey?? But Beckey never chipped holds or bolted on cobbles..... You guys should spilt it up by category, like, best boulderer, best sport climber, best alpinist etc. - then the best climber is the one who is highest in the most categories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highclimb Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 You guys just wait....COlin Haley will be the guy we will be talking about AIdan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaphappy Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 Thanks Dru, but I believe the question refers to the climbers accomplishments and not his ethics (why is it that ethics creeps into everything?) And I did not say first ascents, I said first ascents grade III-VI. Only two of Bryan's are sport routes the others are mostly ground-up trad routes. You are correct it should be split into specific catagories, but wait, who cares! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 Ethics refers to behaviour whether commendable or reprehensible! That's why it creeps into everything. People with bad ethics are losers At the grades you denote, I'd say the two come off about equal for #'s of routes done? And Pete Doorish would be in there too? But Beckey is global not just regional. Don't forget that in the 60's at one time he put up something like 100 routes Grade III-V in two years (the exact figure is in some profile of him in some old climbing mag...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backcountry Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 Why was Bread Feckey absent from many of the early Himalayan exped's??? Â Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 I assume because give the climbing bum lifestyle he led, it was cheaper to roam around North America hoovering up first ascenmts than head off to the Himalaya. Maybe after what happened to Schoening he was worried he would have to catch 8 people with 1 self-arrest?? Â Didn't he discover "the highest lake in the world", in the Himalaya, in the 50's, though?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblakley Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 quote: Originally posted by panther: The late, great, and much-much missed Alex Lowe said that "the best climber is the climber having the most fun". Panther I agree with the best/fun correlation. However using the system we need to have a measurable way of determining who indeed is having the most fun. I propose the CFMS (Cascadian Fun Measurement System). This system will use the nomenclature F.n.l I.E. this climber is the best because he scored a F.10.c when soloing the Cable route up Tiger Mt. Of course ethics will always be a consideration such as when he did this was he wearing a clown suit? That would be in bad style in my opinion and he should probably be out of the running. Fun is a serious and intense issue and as such one should be forced to prove what level of fun they have experienced. Any input here would be appreciated. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pope Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 Ethics attempt to level the playing field in a game with very few rules. If you chip holds to transform the 5.14 you can't do into the 5.13 you can do, should people conclude that you're a 5.13 climber right there with Peter Croft? Horsecrap. Again, I personally don't care how many drastic measures people are willing to take to convince themselves that they're capable of climbing at a level they can't really handle, until they start beating the rock into submission. I hate to see guys like that on somebody's super-hero list. [This message has been edited by pope (edited 06-11-2001).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaphappy Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 Pope, interesting you should use Peter Croft as an example. In the latest issue of Rock and Smut (page 52) there is a route called The Touring Inferno which Peter calls his and the other first ascentionists "finest hour". Notice the bolts along the traversing crack and the three bolt/chain anchor. I find it ironic he is one of your "heroes" Do you think they bolted that crack on lead? or on rappel? I'm sure they held themselves in place with pro to put in the bolts. Besides a route that goes at a mere 11a Peter could solo in his dreams. It seems as though your hero is not as closed minded as yourself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pope Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 First of all, he ain't my hero. Rock climbing achievements don't mean much in the big picture. Second, I don't know the details of the new route so I'm not prepared to speculate. Thirdly, and most importantly, there's a BIG DIFFERENCE between the ability to appreciate something new and different and accepting something that degrades alpine beauty. If you check out some of this spring's discussions on bolting, what you'll notice is an enormous number of people offering sound reasoning in defense of preservation and limited bolting. My mind is quite open to hearing justification for bolting, but what I continue to read are accusations that somehow my mind is not open to the viewpoints and arguments which you can't seem to produce. Be careful buddy...you can open your mind to seeing McDonald's in Mount Rainier National Park, if you're really open-minded. I doubt that's what you want, but if you're really open-minded.....you can flush everything down the shitter, and suddenly it's OK to chip, glue, bolt cobbles onto the wall, etc. The welcome sign out at Exit 38 officially permits using glue to stabilize holds! But go ahead and accuse me of having a closed mind, of being stuck in my ways, since you can't formulate any real arguments. Don't forget to remind me of how arrogant I am while you're at it.....it's just not possible that I'm only trying to open your mind to the idea that natural is more aesthetic, is it? Don't forget to accuse me of being a macho man who doesn't need bolts 'cause my schwanger is so big, etc., ad infinitum, blah blah blah, yaaaaawwwwnnnnn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 Yeah, we all know Pope's hero is Clint Eastwood, not Peter Croft! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pope Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 Hey Dru, study up on THE EIGER SANCTION so you'll be ready to play "the quiz" in the second round. I'll see what kind of Brenda Venus poster I can round up for this one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.