Dawn Wall vs. Moon Shot?

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Messages 1 - 14 of total 14 in this topic

roadkillphil

Trad climber

Colorado

Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 15, 2015 - 07:02am PT

Kudos and congrats to Tommy and Kevin on a great job well done. Very impressive. It's not every day one can be "the first to ascend the world's hardest climb." Never for me in my wildest dreams on my best day.
With no snarky intent, I do wonder why the popular media has glommed onto this as if it were some sort of moon shot?
Aw heck, this is the Taco..let's get snarky: Having just read "The Tower," I am also wondering how many bolts were added to the Captain for rigging and filming purposes?

survival

Big Wall climber

Terrapin Station

Jan 15, 2015 - 07:11am PT

Awesome job by our friends and big wall studs!
The guys worked harder than most people will ever work on anything,...in a very first world kinda way.

Once a "big" story starts being fed from media outlet to outlet, it kinda feeds itself. Especially if the drama continues for days and gives them something to follow.

NOT as cool as Moon shot. Repeat: NOT!! If I was a hot Betty and had a choice to bang one of the first guys to return from the Moon or the Dawn Wall? I'd go with the Moon guy every time.

But wait!! We don't really know if we actually went to the Moon or if it was a big stage up job.....hmmmmmmm.....calling Klimmer.....

[Click to View YouTube Video]

supafly

Trad climber

vancouver, bc

Jan 15, 2015 - 07:33am PT

I think part of what makes the news crew and people in general interested is the "emporer's clothes effect".

Someone at some point said.. this is the greatest climb ever done! And then the media try to piece together exactly why, with many funny misunderstandings along the way like freehanding and how the pair "bushwhacked up the final 100 metres of scrubby slope" to get to the top.

I don't think either Tommy or Kevin care about the media attention, if anything it detracts from their achievements. Topping out to their families and a quiet campfire would have been more memorable no doubt.

Figuring out climbing and portraying it on the news will always be hard, because it's such a contrived challenge.

k-man

Gym climber

SCruz

Jan 15, 2015 - 07:40am PT

When the tied in to start the wall, I doubt they had any idea of what a sensation in the MSM the climb would become.

People all over now are trying to right themselves with their understanding of free climbing.

Big Mike

Trad climber

Jan 15, 2015 - 07:48am PT

The best thing about this climb from the layman's point of view is it helped a lot of them finally understand the difference between free soloing and free climbing..

High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber

Jan 15, 2015 - 07:56am PT

"People all over now are trying to right themselves with their understanding of free climbing."

:)

thetennisguy

Mountain climber

Yuba City, CA

Jan 15, 2015 - 07:59am PT

Simply amazing!! Load of super hard work has finally paid off!! Nice job, Tommy and Kevin! Remembering back about 4 years ago when Tommy gave us an update on the project at an SNS ACC climb unity at Donner (Sugar Bowl) and I think many of us have been following this project for many years now! And now, at last, the world is taking notice! How sweet for you guys! Making history and standing on the world stage! Double Exclam!!

The Alpine

climber

Jan 15, 2015 - 08:02am PT

One word answer:

Adidas

Not that their feat isn't amazing. It takes lots of money and hype to get that sort of main stream exposure.

I hope the boys address this in future chats, it would be interesting to hear about.

mouse from merced

Trad climber

The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.

Jan 15, 2015 - 08:08am PT

we all agree the moonshot was bogus
not to mention
artificial
dummy
ersatz
fake
false
forged
fraudulent
imitation
not what it is cracked up to be
pretended
pseudo
phony
sham
simulated
spurious

they can't fool me though
those folks in the meadow saw it this time in real time

edit: what a viewer takes away from all this is up to them.
IF the two protagonists in this drama (soon to be a TV drama?) take away any moneys, fees, etc, they have MORE than earned them.

LearningTrad

Trad climber

Jan 15, 2015 - 08:09am PT

I'm just glad the awkward sparkling wine made it in there. Pheww!!!

this just in

climber

Justin Ross from North Fork

Jan 15, 2015 - 08:18am PT

The best thing about this climb from the layman's point of view is it helped a lot of them finally understand the difference between free soloing and free climbing

I don't think they get it still Mike, but it's always fun to laugh at the layman.
Watching the local news last night, this is the first time El Cap has been Free Climbed, meaning they only used their hands and a rope was their only piece of gear. So they campused every move and basically free soloed it with a rope. Sick!

Mike what this climb showed us, is that you better step it up on your live TRs.