ready, or not
agedest
invent rock climbing. What I'm seeing is people with a lot of gear,
and no sensible clue what to do with it.
There were two guys who had the rope anchored only to a tiny pine.
When I asked about that, they condescendingly informed me that it was
anchored twice. Later, they got on a 5.10 sport route. The guy
leading made it past the second bolt and was stuck ninety degrees off
the rope line. When he let go, he not only swung a wide arc, he went
nearly inverted, fortunately slamming his back and not his head into
the wall. Next, they bouldered, i.e. unroped, a seriously overhanging
start to a high cliff, and I found him on top at least checking the
rope length before trying to climb it. What he showed me would be
their anchor was not as bad as the tiny pine, but was simply
ridiculous.
There was a couple who thought themselves quite advanced in the gym,
out to do a first top-rope on rock. They were standing at the
anchors, mystified. They had always lead at the gym, and had only
long lengths of webbing with no notion of how to make that into a
master point from the bolt hangers on top. After I got her through
that part, she then found that their rope was in a hopeless tangle.
When I gave up and left, they still could not quite understand that
the safely anchored rope was supposed to be waiting for them when they
got to the bottom because they put it there.
There was a father-son duo who had been taken out before to do
introductory climbing, and were there on their own after buying
complete outfitting. Again, no clue how to attach a master point, and
only a 50' length of too-thin webbing to use anyway. They were both
determined to rappel down, without ever having done any of that
before. Both originally rigged their belay device backwards; son was
determined to not use the belay loop, and he just had to do long leaps
down but without a glove.
None of them had ever thought to get, and read, and practice from, a
book. None of them, so far as I know, got hurt.
-
Gregas
> What I'm seeing, the more I see, is people who are out trying to
> invent rock climbing. What I'm seeing is people with a lot of gear,
> and no sensible clue what to do with it.
This is very true...based on your solo climbing report, you are one of them.
Oh, dear Lord Slime, have you abandoned us? Does the irony of post above
not draw your ire?
At least the Eugene-bot is still here regaling us with anecdotes from
the old days and merciless name-dropping. And, of course, the
never-ending cycle of cryptic FAQ postings. When we are all Panel 14,
the FAQ will live on, perpetuated by immortal AIs.
And I'm still here with the occasional totally useless post. Flame on.
It's comforting to know that some things don't change.
Greg
PS. ^,,^ (aka Dogboy), we miss you. Unlike me, you are probably out
climbing. Perhaps even 'over there'. G'donYa!
Eugene Miya
agedest <ber...@wmconnect.com> wrote:
>What I'm seeing, the more I see, is people who are out trying to
>invent rock climbing. What I'm seeing is people with a lot of gear,
>and no sensible clue what to do with it.
Invent?
Well gear freaks have existed for decades. In time, most leave the sport.
>None of them had ever thought to get, and read, and practice from, a
>book. None of them, so far as I know, got hurt.
Well books are commonly far from perfect.
Oh, book or not, one can watch people get hurt or killed.
Beginners or not. It's the scale of injuries or problems which can put
a crimp in one's day.
--
Eugene Miya
>not draw your ire?
Email John.
In article <fvv68j$s0d$1...@news.jpl.nasa.gov>,
Gregas <gmjun...@Nospam.gmail.com> wrote:
>At least the Eugene-bot is still here regaling us with anecdotes from
>the old days and merciless name-dropping. And, of course, the
>never-ending cycle of cryptic FAQ postings. When we are all Panel 14,
>the FAQ will live on, perpetuated by immortal AIs.
Sounds weird.
> Organization: JPL Information Services, InterNetNews
No mercy. I was at the Lab last week for meetings.
>And I'm still here with the occasional totally useless post. Flame on.
Waste of fuel. Gas is expensive and getting more so.
>It's comforting to know that some things don't change.
Things change. Except for constants. ;^)
--
David Kastrup
> In article <8755fd37-c925-4205...@w1g2000prd.googlegroups.com>,
> agedest <ber...@wmconnect.com> wrote:
>>What I'm seeing, the more I see, is people who are out trying to
>>invent rock climbing. What I'm seeing is people with a lot of gear,
>>and no sensible clue what to do with it.
>
> Invent?
> Well gear freaks have existed for decades. In time, most leave the sport.
Or the sport leaves them.
--
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum