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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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It's complicated.
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Moof
Big Wall climber
Orygun
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Johntp, I never left? What did I miss? Who the hell are you? Where are my pants?
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Once went to do the Salathé, but saw that it was jammed, and argued against starting. My partner talked me into doing Astroman. The next day we climbed up to the start of the boulder pitch, looked at it a bit, and I made some lame excuse to to bail. The next day we did Free Blast, and got bombed by rocks knocked loose by aid climbers hauling the Half Dollar. In spite of the bombing, the real problem was in my head. The climb was fun, though.
Did the same thing on Lucky Streaks on Fairview, got up a pitch or two and bailed.
Got lost on the S. Face of Charlotte Dome, and bailed. That one is pretty painful in hindsight - all that walking and didn't do a great climb!
So, I have some bails that were due to getting psyched out. No big deal though, it's probably best not to climb when your head is not right.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Johntp, I never left? What did I miss? Who the hell are you? Where are my pants?
Apologies. I guess I've missed your recent posts; I'm just an old dork. Your pants are in a tree near the base of Suicide. For $40 I'll give you the GPS cords.
Cheers!
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Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
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Which climb is more of a "failure"?
Climb A: Supposedly, well within your abilities. You get up there, you're shaking, you pick the wrong gear over and over, gear falls out, you're risking you're neck when you didn't intend to, you take FOREVER to lead the pitch. But, somehow, luckily, you pull off the red point in the end.
Climb B: You and your partner spot an awesome line that's not in the guidebook, and decide to give it a shot. It is way harder than it looked, but you and your partner take turns pushing the gear higher and higher before pumping out. You finally get to he anchors, but, still, neither of you can link the whole thing even on toprope. However, you pushed yourself harder and climbed at a higher level than ever before in that one session.
Edit: The one John Bachar quote that sticks with me is when he's talking about his solo of the Moratorium, something like, "I got away with some bullsh!t . . . "
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Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
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Greatest failure: Despite over four decades of climbing, I remain a rather mediocre climber.
Greatest success: Managing to remain at least a mediocre climber for over four decades.
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Yep, the best climber is the one who's still doing it.
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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I'm in the Off White camp--40 years climbing next year. Still mediocre but still at it. Moving to Bishop to continue my mediocrity.
I suppose my biggest failure was bailing on the Chouinard-Beckey on S. Howser Tower in the Bugs. We had a good weather window--rare as many of you know--but were a party of three. I had not been getting along with my partners very well at all, so I'm sure that played into my decision, but I was jugging the first fixed pitch after an uncomfortable bivi the night before. My feet were absolutely numb in rock shoes. The buttress was looming above. I felt fear and uncertainty and a premonition that an epic was in the making. By the time I got to the anchors, I resolved to rap off and let the other two continue. I've never been back to the Bugs.
I did salvage the day by having a fabulous free solo of Pigeon Spire on the way back to the hut, but looking back at the prize of S. Howser was painful. Still is.
BAd
@Cragman: Dude, that story was horrifying. Learnt yer lesson, I bet.
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