Discussion Topic |
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L
climber
The salty ocean blue and deep
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HK,
In Michelle's defense, certain posters to the original slug-fest were going for milestone posts, self-aggrandizement, hyperbolistic comparisons, and generally contributed nothing to the debate over ground up vs. top down.
I did read every post and follow the entire thing, despite some incredibly inane comments...such a waste of eyesight and time.
Doug and Sean, JStan, Bob, occasionally Joe, and two or three others contributed sound, non-attacking dialogue...out of some ridiculous number of posts. Can you really blame a smart gal like Michelle for wanting a distillation?
My only gripe with her is for prolonging this cheesy soap opera...and spreading it to another channel.
PLEASE CEASE AND DESIST. THANK YOU.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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I haven't read any of this, but i can see it's winding down and since i haven't chimed in yet i just thought i'd say "hey!" to all my pals and maybe snag the last post. oh, SNAP!
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Jennie
Trad climber
Idaho Falls
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Sorry Laura and BVB, but my .02 is coming.
I agree with Jody that "rape" is way too strong of accusation for the method and style of our heroes/anti-heroes on Growing Up.
Placing bolts in rock? The central issue is whether their placement can be rationalized at all. Whether they are placed on lead or en rappel is a peripheral issue. Does placing a bolt from a stance (or hook), on lead, sanctify its intrusion into the rock? If so, are bolts placed en rappell, therefore unholy ?
The grandest of ST threads, with both thoughtful and obnoxius, insightful with prejudicial, charitable and hostile posts; is it merely about an issue peripheral to the ethics of placing bolts in a natural rock formation? I don't think so. Is it really about "style"?
I'm not sure when pride and competition got a stranglehold on the climbing world. But hundreds of posts on the War of Roses thread are testament of why many of us climb......."I had to endure umpteen kilogroans of discomfort.......had to put forth a thousand megagrowls of effort.....and was possesed by two thousand demons of horror.....therefore anyone putting up a route of similar magnitude MUST experience the same or greater opposition or their climb has no credibility."
How do we integrate our personal struggle into even playing field so we may compare ourselves to others who aspire to similar exertion and striving?
My suggestion? Lets invent a confined area and call it a stadium. We can put down an artificial meadow within its confines. Let's dip into Uncle Wally's chalkbag and divide
the meadow into a measured grid of sacred toil and veneration, blessed by praying evangelists, honored by anthem singing celebrities and blessed by half naked marching women. We'll have opposing factions called good elitists and bad elitists, (or Lancasters and Yorks if you prefer) but beware, the bad guys will think the good guys are the bad guys. Whichever side we pick, we'll rail on about cheating, unfair advantage, trickery, bad style, stealing, disrespect etc.
We can hire impartial men and call them referees to keep the struggle and mayhem within the confines of Christian decency. Then we'll hire armed police to protect the referees.
We can dispense with drill and bolt and use inflatable objects called balls. Whatever rules or ethics, hoops or goalposts we decide on, the possesion of the aformentioned BALLS will be the central defining criteria for personal credibility. This grand contest, and strife against our fellows should take place within a descrete period of time, preferably called quarters, with options for double overtimes and even "sudden death" (no time for your life to flash before you while you're falling off a silly mountain). Yes, there must be fighting and bloodletting but after the last knee goes down we can all hug, clasp hands, give thanks we're Americans and not those nasty, vile European soccer fans.
Sound like fun and glory? Then we'll only have to go to the mountains for want of adventure and recreation.
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Jennie
Trad climber
Idaho Falls
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Footnote for Jody
Some on ST believe Mr Langford is not a serious climber. Jody keeps company with John Gill, Peter Croft, K. Kline, Mr Knott and other very talented climbers but posts modestly about his own abilities. Jody has climbed 5.10C and that isn't pedestrian in my view.
Jody's father was a pioneer first ascentionist in the mid 20th century and Jody grew up climbing. He is still active in the sport.
On a forum in which 5.14 virtuosos to 5.4 weekenders to casual light scramblers offer their opinions on every climbing issue, I believe Jody is fully vested
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
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Michelle = Jennie = Jody?
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Who the hell is Michelle?
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
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Michelle = Mimi pretending to be Jody
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Michelle
Trad climber
Fort Sam
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Topic Author's Reply - May 2, 2008 - 09:08pm PT
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Thanks d4.
Was actually thinking of starting up a third thread on this topic too.
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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YOSEMITE MAINTENACE
By Art Ticcold
Associated Press
Yosemite, CA. A citizens group, The Rescue Choppers, announced today an ambitious three-phase plan to cleanup unneeded climbing bolts in Yosemite National Park. In the first phase they plan to hike up the Yosemite Falls Trail and rappel down to remove an unneeded anachronistic bolt on the first pitch of a climb called “Serenity”. Rappelling is also known in climber parlance as rapping. The second phase is much more difficult. The skilled team will climb the strenuous Gunsight Gulley before rapping in to a climb called “Central Pillar Of Frenzy” to remove approximately twenty bolts that were installed over the course of twenty five years by groups of vandals. Group spokesman, Bhongo, says the climb had deteriorated badly since a violent confrontation in 1988 between two gangs; the Noobs and the Turons, both groups which tried to take over the Park around that time. Bhongo, who will be directing the work from the valley floor, is best know for his three great published works, A History of Transcendental Medication, an overview of microbiology, Delayed Decay, molds and fungus on tents, as well as his masterwork on the technical aspects of Band-Aid climbing, Pitch For Life. The third even more difficult phase will be to climb the heinous East Ledges to the top of El Capitan. (The word heinous is often confused with the word sketchy but the two words are an example of convergent evolution and are quite distinct.) From the top of the El Capitan formation they plan to rap down the “Salathe” climbing route and remove the extraneous bolts. It is not clear where all the extra bolts came from but the leading theory is that a species of bird, the rock chicken, placed most of them during nesting over the course of thirty seasons.
A final phase four is planned for next year when some bird dropping will be scrubbed on a climb called “Growing Up”.
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Jacko
Trad climber
Grass Valley Ca.
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Hey Cracko,get off of Coz's back, or I will come down there and beat you like the Family Dog.Also, when did Jody turn into such a BadAss..Wow, say Hi to Buffy and Mr. French for me.. Jacko
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Russ, would you hit her?
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Michelle
Trad climber
Fort Sam
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Topic Author's Reply - May 2, 2008 - 11:31pm PT
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Michelle = Michelle (aka armygirl lately), a non-hard climber currently at the Army's combat medic school. The closest she's ever been to Russ is a Fish booze muffler acquired from a friend (and for some absurd reason, said muffler is here with me).
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Well, at least that's settled. Good luck with your studies!
The 'Hit' part was pursuant to a kind of inside joke, too complicated to go into here.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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complicated, hmmmmm
see you in the morning, bring your DNA evidence kit
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Michelle
Trad climber
Fort Sam
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Topic Author's Reply - May 3, 2008 - 01:06am PT
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no, really, what have you been drinking radical?
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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Back in the mix
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Dynabol or Winstrol from the looks of that pic.
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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Back in the mix
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haha, nice Riley.
myspace style self portraits are the rage right now, it's all good until you meet the perpetrator IRL and you're like, "whoa, I thought you were a chick".
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Festus
Social climber
Enron by the Sea
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Left to right: John Gill, Jody, Jody's dad, Jennie and Michelle--mid 20th century in the Tetons.
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socalbolter
Sport climber
Silverado, CA
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Don't forget Mrs. Beasley (would she be the FISH in this case?).
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