Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 2, 2009 - 05:15pm PT
|
Earlier in his life, Pratt seriously considered entering Clown College. He was amazingly agile and could walk on the tops of wine bottles lined up in a row on a camp table as well as juggle many balls at once, even ride a unicycle. Although he left us nine years ago, this is where he has come to be.
|
|
jstan
climber
|
|
I'll try to make an argument that walking on the tops of wine bottles is better training for climbing than is slack lining.
Both require excellent balance and muscular control. But....
The holds do not move. The climber does have to achieve minimal lateral forces on the immobile holds. Wine bottles do just that.
Slack lining is a dynamic training primarily for balance and mucular control to restore balance when the holds are moving.
Slack lining is great training for climbing...........during Richter 9 earthquakes.
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 2, 2009 - 05:29pm PT
|
Okay, Johno Stannard. This will be simple. Next one is you, slacklining in Camp Four with antennae and pink capri pants. But I do agree. I agree, I never thought that slacklining was that useful. Pratt knew everything.
THIS JUST IN FROM SCUFFY: "Johno, don't be forgetting that outside foot again, okay?"
|
|
jstan
climber
|
|
But when you drag that outside foot along it makes such a good scraping sound!
|
|
matty
climber
po-dunk
|
|
Looks like he's texting...
|
|
Blitzo
Social climber
Earth
|
|
Look at those old Regal Select cans.
|
|
SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
|
|
Bump for the man in knickers!
|
|
Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
|
|
Yes, bump for Chuck.
Meanwhile, this thread is the second one I've seen this morning that refers to dragging the outside foot. What's the story behind that?
|
|
jstan
climber
|
|
Story not suitable for polite company.
|
|
Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
|
|
Well ok then.
That means you might find my comments on the "Ladies do you feel objectified?" thread to be interesting.
|
|
jstan
climber
|
|
The Pacific Ocean is now spanned by puzzlement.
That's a lot of puzzlement.
Edit:
I thought it was your thread and so had trouble picking it out.
Comments added.
I declined to tell the story when it occurred to me saying it was impolite would cause imagination to go at warp speed. Always good to exercise the imagination.
The story:
Many years ago Bragg, GHand, I, and one or two more were walking down the carriage road when Greg asked how was one to climb offwidth. None of us had ever even seen an offwidth much less climbed one. But Henry had given us the rules. To wit:
Face the ground
Back to the offset
Stand up on the outside foot
So I told Greg
Back to the ground
Face the offset
Stand up on the inside foot
Greg then asked why everyone was laughing. Today, after Peter suggested I slackline wearing pink tights, Scuffy B offered the opinion that I should try not to drag my outside foot behind me.
Any student of "Young Frankenstein" knows this is the only way to walk.
I rest my case.
|
|
Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
|
|
jstan-
You won't be puzzled if you read what I wrote and I think you will agree.
Edit:
Sorry for the confusion. I see you found the other post.
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 3, 2009 - 10:15am PT
|
Jan,
I know, I know. Usually Stanno is more tractable and makes most attempts available to communicate. But he can, as has been noted by all in past years, verge into the Disneyworld of explication. We humor him and even feed him occasionally.
In easy wide cracks, it is actually possible to climb them with the inside leg, ignoring--- dragging I should say--- the outside leg and foot. Such a frisky approach is actually simpler in a few respects and more exhausting in others. This all applies only to easy wide cracks. And some climb them this way without even knowing it, as Scuffy has noted in the past, especially in Johno's case.
Now when the climb is harder, possibly overhanging, not the right width, has a bad edge, and so forth, the outside foot is crucial, each move made is of shorter length, and the whole business is not prone to sassy 1-1/2 foot-long single moves, lest you come flying out of there, perhaps even "facing the ground". In short, although forgetting about the outside foot is very common, it is just that, an oversight due to the obsession with the detail closer at hand. Can we twalk.
|
|
Brunosafari
Boulder climber
OR
|
|
With all due respect to gracious JStan, I think Frost is next, and he don't look good in pink either!
I never met Pratt, but you have captured perfectly, for me, the mythic status which we all have been able to afford him so naturally. ("so righteously," for-crying-out-loud). Part of the Myth is the perception of restlessness, struggles and sacrifice regarding his profession, home and personal life.
As climbers, especially those of past eras, the common experience of sometimes feeling like we don't fit-in, is a powerful aspect of our emotional identity. Here, that identity, our metamorphic self, is seen in the soul of Pratt, in the distorted bluesuede and reflections of the windows and is well-balanced on bottles; revolving like spheres, and spilling out of the itinerate's heavenly van. Thank you Peter Haan.
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 3, 2009 - 02:18pm PT
|
Brun, thanks tons for the very kind comments above. And I stand corrected. Frost shall be next. I think Argyle....By the way Herrington is photographing Frost early next week in Oakdale. When I do Yvon, I might replace his outside with lizard skin or maybe Komodo Dragon skin. I have some files on those surfaces.
I won't use pink for Frost--- he is kinda femmy enough already--- I could lose him entirely in there. Pink has to be held in reserve for Johno. Now if I can just squeeze Stannard into a pair of leotards---even black ones--- I can photoshop the color afterwards. Antennae also no problem.
|
|
Brunosafari
Boulder climber
OR
|
|
I suppose YC made his own universe.
|
|
jstan
climber
|
|
Peter:
I hate to tell you. When I bicycle any distance I put on one of the stretchy black buttrags. But i wear regular shorts to cover them up.
You have your work cut out for you as regards me and black tights.
I have lots of good hats though.
As regards Tom Frost I am reminded of the efforts late in the 19 century, and before Einstein, to explain relativistic effects using the Aether, a fluid filling the entire universe.
The Aether wasn't real. Tom is.
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 21, 2013 - 09:58pm PT
|
bump for The Great One.
|
|
jgill
Boulder climber
Colorado
|
|
|
Dec 21, 2013 - 10:18pm PT
|
Is that Chuck on the left?
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 21, 2013 - 10:31pm PT
|
Actually rSin, back in the day we all did handle Chuck with tweezers, yes. That Pixie/Fairy Dust was terrifying. "Technique is your protection" kind of thing going on everywhere when it actually was all done with Pixie Dust. Call a spade a shovel.
Johno Gill of course knew Pratt back in the day, as in the Nineteenth Century just above. That was clearly when Pratt wore comely pantaloons even as shown. They could be made to gather in inscrutable ways, hidden from even a belayer anchored close by, but serving to knot up in certain untold ways as to make even the worst offwidth a mere certainty of ascent.
Pratt really looked like he could have run off with the circus; I suppose in a way he actually did, too, as JohnoG suggests by innuendo just above. Chuck was cute; he had that button nose turned up a slight bit, blond but balding early, and transistorized at 5'-4". A perfect atomic guy. Thank god he loved to party and drink. Had he not had this particular arcane skill, perhaps he'd have merely taken over everything by this point.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!