Will you watch the 2010 Olympics?

[Etoile]

Hmm. I know nothing about ice climbing, and a bit about Everest...but I don't think they're really the same category, are they?

 

[Keroin]

Sure, the ice is a risk - especially if you're off by yourself in the middle of nowhere, with no pros checking conditions. But most accidents result from human mistakes and/or carelessness.

Scaring people off from ice climbing with tales from your mountaineering friend is like scaring them off from skiing with tales of his heliskiing stunts.

Fact is, there's the ice climbing equivalent of bunny slopes, and escalating skill/risk levels all the way up.

I really think you'd like it, if you tried it at a place like this.

Actually, I wasn't trying to scare anyone off. Though my thinking is that anyone who's interested in ice climbing isn't going to be scared off by someone saying it's dangerous. Heck, most of the funnest sports out there are dangerous. That doesn't seem to stop people from enjoying them.

Yes, my friend climbs at a much higher risk level than the average Joe, I should have qualified that. And he's usually climbing off in the middle of nowhere, where rescue is far from easy. So, yes, you have a point.

I'm slowly easing back into winter sports. (Brrrr). Next year I'll probably pick up snowboarding and cross country skiing. We've got wicked winter play areas all over the place here. But first I have to get myself a mountain bike - I can't wait for spring!

 

[Keroin]

Hmm. I know nothing about ice climbing, and a bit about Everest...but I don't think they're really the same category, are they?

No, not at all.

ETA: On the list of dangerous sports JM linked to, they had "High Altitude Climbing" listed and the title of the video was "The Death Zone", which is why I included that blurb about my friend. That's all.

Actually, the biggest danger on Everest now is the sheer number of inexperienced climbers.

 

[JMohegan]

I can't believe she agreed to that pose for the cover. I know few adults (maybe zero, actually) whose minds wouldn't flash to "what a great position to..." when seeing that picture. Wow.

People who ski recognize the stance from the sport itself (though of course that's hardly an action shot.) Even so, the initial response is.... damn.

What do you find more surprising - the fact that she posed for that cover, or that she agreed to bikini shots?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010_swimsuit/winter/lindsey-vonn/10_lindsey-vonn_1.html

 

[Homburg]

I can't believe she agreed to that pose for the cover. I know few adults (maybe zero, actually) whose minds wouldn't flash to "what a great position to..." when seeing that picture. Wow.

What a great position to.... ski.

Thats all I thought of, honestly. She is in a tight tuck, and looks fast and in great shape. We're not talking about the Danica Patrick bikini photos*. This is a skier dressed as a skier, on skis, and in a skiiing pose.



* - Mentioned as an example of gratuitous cheesecake shots that have nothing to do with the person's chosen sporting endeavour.

 

[Sharpened]

Sex has been used to market women's sports for as long as I can remember. Why is it any surprise?

Besides, many of these events need to milk as much recognition and viewers as possible out of the oympic spotlight before they go back to being ignored by the sporting media.

 

[Etoile]

For the record, all my mind flashed to on that picture was "hey, she's actually horizontal, they tilted the picture."

 

[JMohegan]

What a great position to.... ski.

Thats all I thought of, honestly. She is in a tight tuck, and looks fast and in great shape. We're not talking about the Danica Patrick bikini photos*. This is a skier dressed as a skier, on skis, and in a skiiing pose.



* - Mentioned as an example of gratuitous cheesecake shots that have nothing to do with the person's chosen sporting endeavour.

Speaking of gratuitous cheesecake.... there are 45 shots of Vonn in this year's swimsuit issue.


http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa78/johnmohegan/vonnSI-1.jpg

 

[JMohegan]

Actually, I wasn't trying to scare anyone off. Though my thinking is that anyone who's interested in ice climbing isn't going to be scared off by someone saying it's dangerous. Heck, most of the funnest sports out there are dangerous. That doesn't seem to stop people from enjoying them.

Yes, my friend climbs at a much higher risk level than the average Joe, I should have qualified that. And he's usually climbing off in the middle of nowhere, where rescue is far from easy. So, yes, you have a point.

I'm slowly easing back into winter sports. (Brrrr). Next year I'll probably pick up snowboarding and cross country skiing. We've got wicked winter play areas all over the place here. But first I have to get myself a mountain bike - I can't wait for spring!

Cross country's my favorite winter sport, by far. It's about as close as one can get, solo, to heaven on earth.

 

[Keroin]

Speaking of gratuitous cheesecake.... there are 45 shots of Vonn in this year's swimsuit issue.

She has a nice set of skis.

I love that skis are now all short and fat, I can't wait to try them next season. I see the photos were done in Whistler. That's where I first learned to ski. You know you can ski up there in August, at the very top. It's icy as shit but kind of fun to ski when it's 35C outside!

 

[Keroin]

Cross country's my favorite winter sport, by far. It's about as close as one can get, solo, to heaven on earth.

There's an awesome Nordic club here, about ten minutes out of town. They maintain a beautiful area for X-country. There's a groomed oval that they light, so you can ski until 10pm in the winter, and then there's a bunch of ungroomed trails through the wilderness. Bliss.

 

[intothewoods]

What a great position to.... ski.

Thats all I thought of, honestly. She is in a tight tuck, and looks fast and in great shape. We're not talking about the Danica Patrick bikini photos*. This is a skier dressed as a skier, on skis, and in a skiiing pose.



* - Mentioned as an example of gratuitous cheesecake shots that have nothing to do with the person's chosen sporting endeavour.

Me too. Maybe I've been watching too much porn.

 

[Homburg]

Speaking of gratuitous cheesecake.... there are 45 shots of Vonn in this year's swimsuit issue.

C'mon, it's an Underarmour bikini. That's sportswear.

*snort*

 

[YourCaptor]

Someone please explain the dangers of ice climbing. I don’t see why it should be outrageously dangerous. Is ice too weak to catch a fall or something? It can’t be, it’s just ice, you could drill in a 5 foot bolt if you really wanted too.

Also Everest, I really don’t have much respect for anymore. Sure its high altitude, but that’s it. You know they have a queue at the top now. “Hey you made it, now take a number and wait”. What they need to do is get rid of all those ladders and ropes, then see who still makes it.

 

[Keroin]

Someone please explain the dangers of ice climbing. I don’t see why it should be outrageously dangerous. Is ice too weak to catch a fall or something? It can’t be, it’s just ice, you could drill in a 5 foot bolt if you really wanted too.

Also Everest, I really don’t have much respect for anymore. Sure its high altitude, but that’s it. You know they have a queue at the top now. “Hey you made it, now take a number and wait”. What they need to do is get rid of all those ladders and ropes, then see who still makes it.

My friend Ripster would agree with you. He climbs lots of mountains that are technically far more difficult but everyone gets "Everest" stuck in their head as the number one achievement for a mountaineer. Now, having said that, it's still nothing to sneeze at, even with ladders and ropes. It's the guys that climb with three Sherpas carrying all their gear, those are the ones that don't deserve it, IMO.

Next time I talk to him, which will be soon, I'll ask him the specifics about the dangers of ice climbing.

 

[Etoile]

Also Everest, I really don’t have much respect for anymore. Sure its high altitude, but that’s it. You know they have a queue at the top now. “Hey you made it, now take a number and wait”. What they need to do is get rid of all those ladders and ropes, then see who still makes it.

I have done extensive research and some writing on the tragedy of May 1996 on Everest. You NEVER lose respect for a mountain, because she will fuck your shit UP if you do.

 

[JMohegan]

Me too. Maybe I've been watching too much porn.

Says the woman who gets off on bobsled tryouts.

C'mon, it's an Underarmour bikini. That's sportswear.

*snort*

Ha!

Someone please explain the dangers of ice climbing. I don’t see why it should be outrageously dangerous. Is ice too weak to catch a fall or something? It can’t be, it’s just ice, you could drill in a 5 foot bolt if you really wanted too.

Ice climbers protect themselves with a harness and rope. Easiest system = rope anchored at the top of the cliff. More advanced = a system in which you carry the rope up the cliff as you go, placing anchors in the ice periodically, and letting out rope as needed. So let's say you're 6 feet above the last anchor when you fall; you'll only drop 12 feet (6 to the anchor and then another 6, the length of the post-anchor rope.)

The anchors, called ice screws, aren't 5 feet long. They are roughly the length of your hand.

As I said earlier, I don't think it's all that dangerous - as long as you're properly equipped, focused, and climbing on ice that's substantial enough.

 

[intothewoods]

Lol, oh I forgot, I'm just straight.

 

[YourCaptor]

My friend Ripster would agree with you. He climbs lots of mountains that are technically far more difficult but everyone gets "Everest" stuck in their head as the number one achievement for a mountaineer. Now, having said that, it's still nothing to sneeze at, even with ladders and ropes. It's the guys that climb with three Sherpas carrying all their gear, those are the ones that don't deserve it, IMO.

Next time I talk to him, which will be soon, I'll ask him the specifics about the dangers of ice climbing.

I love how humble those sherpas are. They'll help some dude carry his crap up their. But set their own records, like first man to moonwalk Everest, not interested. I wonder what they got in their head.

I have done extensive research and some writing on the tragedy of May 1996 on Everest. You NEVER lose respect for a mountain, because she will fuck your shit UP if you do.

It's not so much the mountain, but the accomplishment that's not so hot. I'd also be interested in the Everest survivors vs deaths ratio in comparison to other mountains.

Ice climbers protect themselves with a harness and rope. Easiest system = rope anchored at the top of the cliff. More advanced = a system in which you carry the rope up the cliff as you go, placing anchors in the ice periodically, and letting out rope as needed. So let's say you're 6 feet above the last anchor when you fall; you'll only drop 12 feet (6 to the anchor and then another 6, the length of the post-anchor rope.)

The anchors, called ice screws, aren't 5 feet long. They are roughly the length of your hand.

As I said earlier, I don't think it's all that dangerous - as long as you're properly equipped, focused, and climbing on ice that's substantial enough.

Sounds like regular top roping and leading. A screw? That has to suck, its hard enough to just place a nut, but to screw something.

 

[JMohegan]

Sounds like regular top roping and leading. A screw? That has to suck, its hard enough to just place a nut, but to screw something.

Yes, that's exactly what it is.

It doesn't suck, but you do have to know what you're doing. The guy in this video starts placing a screw at about 1:25.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t6z53j1jPg&feature=channel

 

[Velouriana]

Will the skaters be wearing those skin tight outfits?

If so, then yes, I will be watching.

 

[Keroin]

I love how humble those sherpas are. They'll help some dude carry his crap up their. But set their own records, like first man to moonwalk Everest, not interested. I wonder what they got in their head.

They are Buddhists and live very simple lives (though that's changing). They don't view climbing Everest the same way Westerners do. To them, climbing mountains - when you live among them and have only feet and yaks for transport - is just a way of life. Some of the Sherpas on Ripster's staff have summited Everest six or seven times.

And you should see how much stuff these guys can carry!

 

[Etoile]

It's not so much the mountain, but the accomplishment that's not so hot. I'd also be interested in the Everest survivors vs deaths ratio in comparison to other mountains.

Sure, some people do it for the cool factor, to say they've been there. Others do it to battle personal demons, to prove to nobody but themselves that they can do it, etc. I imagine I could have climbed Everest myself in the amount of time it's taking me to earn my degree - they're both marathon events that require extensive training. I'm getting my degree because I want to; some people climb Everest because they want to. Blind people have climbed Everest, amputees have climbed Everest, a 15 year old has climbed Everest, and a 76 year old has climbed Everest.

Everest has claimed 210 lives out of 3000+ summits. The most recent season, 2009, saw 5 deaths. More will die this year. To my knowledge, there has not been a year with summits that did not also have deaths.

Keep in mind, too, Mallory's reason for climbing Everest: "Because it's there." Sure, other climbs may be technically harder, but there is definitely cachet in climbing the tallest mountain in the world. Nowhere else can you stand on top of the world. There's something to be said for that.

I'm not trying to change your mind, by the way - one is either impressed by Everest summits or not. But I think everybody has a story that brings them to Kathmandu.

 

[Keroin]

OK, so I just had a little chat with the Ripster regarding ice climbing. I asked what the dangers were and this was the response:

"Mostly avalanches from above and of course ice letting go if not set-up well enough, as in frozen and attached to the rock. Also falling and getting an axe in the knee , head that kind of thing too."

Apparently avalanches are the number one hazard but this is dependent on location, (ravines, he said, are the worst areas). He also said that, yes, there are many different levels of ice climbing and some are very easy.

The problem of ice letting go is becoming greater, though, with climate change.

 

[JMohegan]

Fairey's Olympic Colbert

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa78/johnmohegan/colbertOlympicFairey.jpg