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View Full Version : Anyone on here done any real mountain climbing?



GDC
8/5/2011, 03:20 PM
I haven't, but the first American woman to scale Everest was a speaker at a conference I attended this summer. Mountain climbing makes for some awesome and butt-puckering stories.

http://www.everesthistory.com/climbers/stacyallison.htm

http://www.summitclimb.com/new/images/news/1410A%20sherpa%20crossing%20five%20ladders%20over% 20a%20crevasse.jpg

oumartin
8/5/2011, 03:28 PM
only kilimanjaro

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 04:04 PM
Me and some Buddies went to Colorado during the end of Spring and hiked and went up some places you could free climb that were pretty safe but after doing that I never felt the need or drive I had back then to do it again. I loved skiing and on a trip to Crested Butte we skied the North Slope when it had had a great snow fall that Season and was open. I had been up that high before but for some reason I got altitude sickness that night after coming down to base. It was awful. I've never felt like trying anything over 10,000 feet since.

If you have the drive and are still in good shape you should go IMO but hire a guide if it's your first time.

Sooner_Tuf
8/5/2011, 04:08 PM
I grew up in the mountains in Northern Colorado, so yeah I have climbed around in them some. But nothing like in the photo posted.

Peach Fuzz
8/5/2011, 04:11 PM
Longs peak was pretty interesting. Done some decent 5.6+ on the diamond face... scariest thing I've ever done

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 04:23 PM
Longs peak was pretty interesting. Done some decent 5.6+ on the diamond face... scariest thing I've ever done

That place is beautiful. I'm glad I never went that high and found out I couldn't handle the altitude. Ive had trouble Scuba Diving too.

That must have been awesome.

Peach Fuzz
8/5/2011, 04:26 PM
I'll see if I can get some pics, it was the second best view I've ever seen. 1. being North Rim at grand canyon.

Also without a doubt the most terrified I've been because I really don't know **** about climbing, and it's probably top 10 in U.S.

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 04:34 PM
I'll see if I can get some pics, it was the second best view I've ever seen. 1. being North Rim at grand canyon.

Also without a doubt the most terrified I've been because I really don't know **** about climbing, and it's probably top 10 in U.S.

Back in HS we went 4x4 over the Continental Divide between Nederland and Winter Park. Yankee Doodle Lake (I think it was) was around the top and clearest crater type lake we'd ever seen. Some awesome views and very different than the Grand Canyon but both just have their own beauty that's for sure.

Can't imagine how you must have felt taking on a top 10 like that.

Peach Fuzz
8/5/2011, 04:42 PM
Back in HS we went 4x4 over the Continental Divide between Nederland and Winter Park. Yankee Doodle Lake (I think it was) was around the top and clearest crater type lake we'd ever seen. Some awesome views and very different than the Grand Canyon but both just have their own beauty that's for sure.

Can't imagine how you must have felt taking on a top 10 like that.

I felt regret for about 6 hours lol... afterwards it was like my first bj haha

btw I know where you're talking about and was just there last week! freakin amazing view to say the least. WP still had snow at around 9,000 feet if you can believe that.

BajaOklahoma
8/5/2011, 04:45 PM
A friend's son was on the Drake football team that played a game against Mexico in June. One of the things they did was to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Very few of the football players made it to the top. my friend's son made it, but had to be carried down.

I'm not sure that it was smart to try to take the team up, but it was certainly a cool thing to do.

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 05:01 PM
I felt regret for about 6 hours lol... afterwards it was like my first bj haha

btw I know where you're talking about and was just there last week! freakin amazing view to say the least. WP still had snow at around 9,000 feet if you can believe that.

I think we went in June that year and there was patches of snow everywhere.

diverdog
8/5/2011, 05:18 PM
I've done ice climbing and some rock climbing out west, west virginia and the gunks. Never was good enough to lead.

There only handful of mountains in North America that you can do mountaineering on. McKinely comes to mind.

Interestingly Bear Grylls climbed Everest after breaking his back in a parachuting accident in the SAS.

GDC
8/5/2011, 05:18 PM
I'll see if I can get some pics, it was the second best view I've ever seen. 1. being North Rim at grand canyon

I once packed some ice and scotch up Emory Peak in Big Bend and looked out over the south rim into Mexico, that was a nice view also.

http://www.jeffblaylock.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/1888.jpg

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 05:39 PM
I've done ice climbing and some rock climbing out west, west virginia and the gunks. Never was good enough to lead.

There only handful of mountains in North America that you can do mountaineering on. McKinely comes to mind.

Interestingly Bear Grylls climbed Everest after breaking his back in a parachuting accident in the SAS.

They did those shows about some folks that got a 2nd chance at Everest after failing to make the peak the first time. One of those guys had a bunch of metal in his back from a serious Motorcycle accident I think they said. They showed some of his XRays. I can't believe he made it to Base Camp a 2nd time and he didn't have an easy time up the 2nd time but he did make it.

Base Camp there is a feat in itself.

reflector
8/5/2011, 05:53 PM
I can honestly say that I have never done any real mountain climbing.

Peach Fuzz
8/5/2011, 06:01 PM
I once packed some ice and scotch up Emory Peak in Big Bend and looked out over the south rim into Mexico, that was a nice view also.

http://www.jeffblaylock.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/1888.jpg

Loved Big Bend! I guess I'm pretty luck because I've seen a lot for my age out west. The key-hole hike in BB is one of my top5, I'm a desert kind of guy.

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 06:12 PM
Although a Volcano....the top of Diamond-head was very cool. We met an 80 year old lady who said it was her last time up the first time the Wife and I made it up there. Cool View. Not that tough a trek up though. They have a staircased area that probably saves a lot of injuries. I imagine you'd have a helll of a time carrying someone up there so it's no place for folks who have physical disability.

http://www.jimandjackie.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/dh-google-looking-south.jpg

http://www.franklinband.net/2008_03_Hawaii_DiamondHeadTunnel_through_the_mount ain.jpg

tcrb
8/5/2011, 06:23 PM
When I lived in Seattle I was a member of the Mountaineers for quite a few years and did lot of it. Mostly rock climbing....low level grade 5 stuff. I was considered an advanced intermediate climber on rock. Dont think I ever led anything over a 5.2. That was a long time ago and in those days the equipment was a lot more primitive than it is today and it took a pretty accomplished and athletic climber to lead on higher rated pitches 5.3 and above. Over the 14 or so years I lived out there I climbed a crap load of the peaks in the Cascades.... last time I tallied them up I think it was something like 46 of 'em, including all of the big glaciated peaks. Baker, Adams, Glacier Pk, Ranier, and even St Helens before she blew. I spent the summer of 1982 guiding tourists up Mt Ranier on the weekends. Climbed it 13 times that year. I truly loved being in the mountains and feeling the adrenaline rush of tying onto the end of a rope and being exposed to several hundred feet of air above the valley floor. Haven't felt that rush now in about 20 years. It's mostly a young man's sport, even though I know guys that I climbed with back in the day that still make grade 4 and 5 climbs a few times a year. And I think I read that there was an old fart around 60 or so that even climbed Everest a few years back. That guy must have been one tough sombich, because even climbing a mountain like Ranier is no easy task (which is only 14,000 ft and 1/2 as high as Everest).

diverdog
8/5/2011, 06:35 PM
They did those shows about some folks that got a 2nd chance at Everest after failing to make the peak the first time. One of those guys had a bunch of metal in his back from a serious Motorcycle accident I think they said. They showed some of his XRays. I can't believe he made it to Base Camp a 2nd time and he didn't have an easy time up the 2nd time but he did make it.

Base Camp there is a feat in itself.

From a purely climbing standpoint everest is not technical. K2 is far worse. The thing that makes everest so damn hard is the weather and altitude.

tcrb
8/5/2011, 06:45 PM
From a purely climbing standpoint everest is not technical. K2 is far worse. The thing that makes everest so damn hard is the weather and altitude.

Yep. K2 is far more technical. And it's only ~800 feet lower than Everest. Annapurna is the king of killers though. Something like only 150 people have made the summit and I think there's been 51 fatalities. The Himalayas are only for those who love the sport enough to die for it.

diverdog
8/5/2011, 06:50 PM
Yep. K2 is far more technical. And it's only ~800 feet lower than Everest. Annapurna is the king of killers though. Something like only 150 people have made the summit and I think there's been 51 fatalities. The Himalayas are only for those who love the sport enough to die for it.

I have always wanted to trek in the Himalayas

tcrb
8/5/2011, 06:57 PM
Yeah, a little trekking would be fun, as long as I had a couple of sherpas carrying my stuff, setting up camp and cooking for me. :D The altitude is a killer, even at the lower levels you're at 17,000'. And it takes weeks to acclimate. But the views must be spectacular. That'd be the trip of a lifetime for sure.

diverdog
8/5/2011, 07:12 PM
Yeah, a little trekking would be fun, as long as I had a couple of sherpas carrying my stuff, setting up camp and cooking for me. :D The altitude is a killer, even at the lower levels you're at 17,000'. And it takes weeks to acclimate. But the views must be spectacular. That'd be the trip of a lifetime for sure.

The last time I hiked in Colorado I got Altitude sickness. Headaches and projectile vomitting. Really sucked. I live at sea level and I went up to fast.

We just got back from Vermont Stowe area. Nice hiking and some of it was DDD grade hikes. I never heard of a hiking rating system or I never paid a lot of attention to it. The verticle assents were around 2200 feet and as best as I could tell it would be like an 8500 footer in the rockies or cascades. Really decent day hikes.

Next month I am going up to Pennsylvania to do some light climbing and rappelling.

Fish&Game
8/5/2011, 07:15 PM
only kilimanjaro
Kilamanjaro is not a technical climb at all...more of a physical and mental challenge. We have had a couple of guys go down and climb it, both said the same thing....get your *** in shape....they did it in four days, when it was recommended to take 5-6.

soonersponge
8/5/2011, 07:23 PM
I climbed a mole hill once.

tcrb
8/5/2011, 07:36 PM
The last time I hiked in Colorado I got Altitude sickness. Headaches and projectile vomitting. Really sucked. I live at sea level and I went up to fast.

We just got back from Vermont Stowe area. Nice hiking and some of it was DDD grade hikes. I never heard of a hiking rating system or I never paid a lot of attention to it. The verticle assents were around 2200 feet and as best as I could tell it would be like an 8500 footer in the rockies or cascades. Really decent day hikes.

Next month I am going up to Pennsylvania to do some light climbing and rappelling.

I've never heard of a grading system for hikes. When I climbed, routes were rated using the Yosemite decimal system. You had Classes 1-5 with 5 and above being technical stuff. Class five routes were rated 5.0-5.9. Not many peeps wanted to risk climbing the 5.9 stuff. Then they started improving the protection equipment with adjustable cams and better climbing shoes and all of a sudden they opened up the rating system to 5.10 and 5.11. Before you knew it guys were soloing the stuff that we could never climb while roped. Now I think they do climbs that are rated up as high as 5.15. Hard to believe.

diverdog
8/5/2011, 07:58 PM
I've never heard of a grading system for hikes. When I climbed, routes were rated using the Yosemite decimal system. You had Classes 1-5 with 5 and above being technical stuff. Class five routes were rated 5.0-5.9. Not many peeps wanted to risk climbing the 5.9 stuff. Then they started improving the protection equipment with adjustable cams and better climbing shoes and all of a sudden they opened up the rating system to 5.10 and 5.11. Before you knew it guys were soloing the stuff that we could never climb while roped. Now I think they do climbs that are rated up as high as 5.15. Hard to believe.

I think there is a 6.

When I first started climbing we used pitons as anchors. I wish I had kept one of them because it was made by Yvon Chouinad back when he was a blacksmith. The more technical cams came out about the late 70's early 80's if I remember correctly and they were called Freinds. I think Lowe introduced them to the states

I took a pretty wicked screamer one time when I put a couple in the wrong spot and my protection failed when I came off the rock. Placing pitons is pretty much a no no now. I think there are still routes on Yosemite that have hard protection in place. I know both the American Alpin Club and Access Fund have been fighting to keep climbing routes clean. The biggest issue we ran into is some dude sh*t on a ledge and you go to use it as a handhold and end up with poo on you hand.

When we were up in Maine and Vermont we went to several climbing outfitter stores and the range of climbing gear out there is incredible. Hell we use to rappel using a carabiner break system which took some skill to rig. Now you get a figure 8 and you are set. I wish I were younger to take advantage of this gear.

Caboose
8/5/2011, 08:09 PM
I conquered Mt Scott down by Lawton. It was amazing.

tcrb
8/5/2011, 08:17 PM
Pitons were still around when I started climbing too, but they were worthless in the Cascades. The rock there is to rotten to hold 'em. There are quite a few routes that were 'bolted' back then. Guys would take a piton hammer and a concrete bit with them and hand drill a hole that would take an expansion bolt. They'd bolt a route where there was a particularly difficult move where they needed protection to get past it....usually an overhang. There were also lots of bolts placed on descent routs for rappel anchors. Every now and then you'd come across an old soft iron piton that had been there for a couple of decades. All this talk about climbing is making me wish I was about 20 years younger! :(

diverdog
8/5/2011, 08:23 PM
Pitons were still around when I started climbing too, but they were worthless in the Cascades. The rock there is to rotten to hold 'em. There are quite a few routes that were 'bolted' back then. Guys would take a piton hammer and a concrete bit with them and hand drill a hole that would take an expansion bolt. They'd bolt a route where there was a particularly difficult move where they needed protection to get past it....usually an overhang. There were also lots of bolts placed on descent routs for rappel anchors. Every now and then you'd come across an old soft iron piton that had been there for a couple of decades. All this talk about climbing is making me wish I was about 20 years younger! :(

I think you are right . Yosemite is bolted although they may have removed some.

I still have my old climbing hammer somewhere around here and my son takes my old Pacific Iron Works harness on scout trips. I turn 53 this year so climbing is getting to be a distant memory.

diverdog
8/5/2011, 08:27 PM
Pitons were still around when I started climbing too, but they were worthless in the Cascades. The rock there is to rotten to hold 'em. There are quite a few routes that were 'bolted' back then. Guys would take a piton hammer and a concrete bit with them and hand drill a hole that would take an expansion bolt. They'd bolt a route where there was a particularly difficult move where they needed protection to get past it....usually an overhang. There were also lots of bolts placed on descent routs for rappel anchors. Every now and then you'd come across an old soft iron piton that had been there for a couple of decades. All this talk about climbing is making me wish I was about 20 years younger! :(

My survival school in the USAF was in eastern Washington. I really enjoyed my field experience. Lots of bears.

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 08:47 PM
From a purely climbing standpoint everest is not technical. K2 is far worse. The thing that makes everest so damn hard is the weather and altitude.

True but both are over 8000m at the top and both are in the Death Zone.

Even with acclimatization I doubt I could even make it half way to base camp

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 08:52 PM
Yep. K2 is far more technical. And it's only ~800 feet lower than Everest. Annapurna is the king of killers though. Something like only 150 people have made the summit and I think there's been 51 fatalities. The Himalayas are only for those who love the sport enough to die for it.

I read a Novel about AP back in school. The guys that did that stuff back in the 50s, 60s and 70s were hard core SOBs.

diverdog
8/5/2011, 08:52 PM
True but both are over 8000m at the top and both are in the Death Zone.

Even with acclimatization I doubt I could even make it half way to base camp

No kidding. I would be sucking wind the minute I got off the plane.

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 08:58 PM
No kidding. I would be sucking wind the minute I got off the plane.

LOL....so true for me....lol

Frozen Sooner
8/5/2011, 09:00 PM
A friend's son was on the Drake football team that played a game against Mexico in June. One of the things they did was to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Very few of the football players made it to the top. my friend's son made it, but had to be carried down.

I'm not sure that it was smart to try to take the team up, but it was certainly a cool thing to do.

OK, maybe I'm way off here, but isn't Kiliminjaro in Africa? Was the football game in Kenya or something?

Peach Fuzz
8/5/2011, 09:01 PM
ST diamond head (if you mean the one just outside of Waikiki?) is a good hike for people that can't take the steeper cliffs. I liked the ones on the backside of Hlulu. Took my gf at the time up through the winding hills at night to see the skyline and I can't even begin to describe the scene. If I didn't divide views between natural wonders and man made wonders it would be right next to Grand Canyon.

The most technical mountain I've have is Crestone peak in CO. it's one of those massive ones you can see going from Trinidad to Pueblow.

I'm guessing the tetons would be up there in difficulty for the U.S. they looked pretty rough every which way you looked at them.

Fish&Game
8/5/2011, 09:05 PM
OK, maybe I'm way off here, but isn't Kiliminjaro in Africa? Was the football game in Kenya or something?I believe the game was in Tanzania.

tcrb
8/5/2011, 09:12 PM
No kidding. I would be sucking wind the minute I got off the plane.

Hell, I'm sucking wind when I mow the lawn here at sea level. :eek:

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 09:18 PM
ST diamond head (if you mean the one just outside of Waikiki?) is a good hike for people that can't take the steeper cliffs. I liked the ones on the backside of Hlulu. Took my gf at the time up through the winding hills at night to see the skyline and I can't even begin to describe the scene. If I didn't divide views between natural wonders and man made wonders it would be right next to Grand Canyon.

The most technical mountain I've have is Crestone peak in CO. it's one of those massive ones you can see going from Trinidad to Pueblow.

I'm guessing the tetons would be up there in difficulty for the U.S. they looked pretty rough every which way you looked at them.

Yep the Waikiki one. That was our first trip to Hawaii. We have a pic of us that the Lady from Houston took of us with Waikiki in the background. It was a beautiful day too. They have warning signs that say it's not for the faint of heart or Pregnant Women and such....but if you are in decent shape and take some water with you....it should be no problem.

I did the walk into Carlsbad Caverns after the Sun Bowl Game we won and it's a damn good walk into the Caverns. It's good that it has an elevator to take folks out...lol I think I could make it out the trails but it would be difficult for me these days. I can't imagine what the original folks that explored that place must have been thinking when they found all the different rooms in there. Especially the Kings Palace area of the Cavern.

I went to the Caverns site and it says:




Elevator Renovations

Through September 2011, elevator service limited. Allow more time to visit. Expect lines to exit the cave. Walking exit is steep; check with park ranger first.

I wouldn't go back unless the Elevators were working.

Another one of the coolest places in America IMO.

Imagine using wood planks and old mining lumber to make your way through there back in the day...

http://www.nps.gov/cave/historyculture/images/gb_elevator_1924_556.jpg

picasso
8/5/2011, 10:27 PM
http://movies.maxupdates.tv/wp-contents/uploads/2010/01/Into-Thin-Air.jpg
Great book.

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 10:31 PM
This is the book I read and it was awesome. I gravitated toward Winter Sports in Jr HS and HS because of it and a few others.

http://ebooks-imgs.connect.com/product/400/000/000/000/000/447/235/400000000000000447235_s2.png

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 10:34 PM
http://movies.maxupdates.tv/wp-contents/uploads/2010/01/Into-Thin-Air.jpg
Great book.

I think I read that one.....or saw something about the dispute of the account of the Russian Climber....

Curly Bill
8/5/2011, 10:35 PM
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51byyM9RA%2BL._SL500_AA300_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/045123331X/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books)

Read this a coupla months ago.

I plan on reading Into Thin Air

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 10:35 PM
I loved Clint in The Eiger Sanction....

http://thisdistractedglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Eiger-Sanction-1975-Clint-Eastwood-pic-10.jpg

soonercruiser
8/5/2011, 10:36 PM
"....umf....prof...mmmm....."
(Would somebody please scratch my nose?)

http://members.cox.net/franklipsinic/Other/Patient-in-traction.jpg

Peach Fuzz
8/5/2011, 11:07 PM
here he comes to **** on another great thread...

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 11:08 PM
It's just the body cast they put you in if you live through an accident in a PT Cruiser.

GDC
8/5/2011, 11:12 PM
http://www.eagles-nest-historical-tours.com/EN/img/eagles-nest-right.jpg

Hitler's Eagle's Nest was amazing. We didn't have to climb because there is an elevator built into the middle of the mountain.

diverdog
8/5/2011, 11:13 PM
I loved Clint in The Eiger Sanction....

http://thisdistractedglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Eiger-Sanction-1975-Clint-Eastwood-pic-10.jpg

What many people do not is that during the filming a pair of climbers went up and down the Eiger in one day. The climbing duo were Rheinhold Messner and Peter Habeler, two of the greatest, if not the greatest, climbers of all time.

StoopTroup
8/5/2011, 11:15 PM
What many people do not is that during the filming a pair of climbers went up and down the Eiger in one day. The climbing duo were Rheinhold Messner and Peter Habeler, two of the greatest, if not the greatest, climbers of all time.

It was an awesome Movie

MamaMia
8/7/2011, 01:10 AM
I climbed to the top of Baldy Mountain in Cold Bay Alaska. I stopped at Frosty Creek to pan for gold.

GDC
8/7/2011, 09:42 AM
It was an awesome Movie

North Face is another excellent climbing movie about the Eiger.

picasso
8/7/2011, 09:44 AM
http://www.eagles-nest-historical-tours.com/EN/img/eagles-nest-right.jpg

Hitler's Eagle's Nest was amazing. We didn't have to climb because there is an elevator built into the middle of the mountain.

You've been to the Obersalzberg? Saweet.

While we're whippin' it out on mountain climbing books we can't leave this one out:

http://www.mountaineersbooks.org/client/Products/ProdimageLg/5743.jpg