Don't fall, man!
 

I love the spirit. But it does make my palms sweat.



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"It's like, you know, I didn't die and it feels so good."

I wouldn't want to climb it, but I would love to jump off it.

I was wondering how she was going to get down. I'll take the escalator, thank you!

Like cool!:D

Who's the idiot that posted this in PARF?

this sort of climbing is the ultimate. i cant comprehend it. just thinking about it makes me freaked out. i dont think anything humans do in sports or any physical/mental challenges, compares to this

what comes close in terms of danger, strength, metal strength, risk? Big wave surfing? Landing fighter jets on ships in the dark? MotoGP? Space travel?

Nothing compares that I can think of. As I write this, I am sitting in my office not 5 minutes by foot from Maverick's, possibly the scariest big wave surf spot on earth. Those guys fall all the time and go out for more. Not those climbers.

I used to climb a lot, but with a rope. If I didn't have a rope, I would stop when a fall would result in a sprained ankle or an owie on my knee.

Maverick's ! long live Jeff Clark. a man with some steel balls for sure
no, nothing comes close to this free climbing, uh uh no way

If you value your life so little, and perhaps the well being of your family (hopefully no kids/wife, or lots of life insurance) have at it.

Stupid, IMHO. On par with taking a built race car to the track and then racing without buckling your seatbelt...

The skill level is unchanged whether you use a rope or not. The climbers in this vid are incredibly skilled, but what's the point?

i'd hit it!

Watching that made it pucker if you know what I mean. Scary!

Her balls are way bigger than mine. :eek:

(You can't do that type of crap if you have a spouse, children, or anyone else who loves you.)

Crazy stuff - I like mountaineering and I've even done some, but never free-climbing like that without ropes or carbiners. That stuff is CRAZY!

I've done some pretty intense hikes though, but nothing quite like that - maybe it's something I'd try someday, but probably not...

I wonder if that gal is freaked out by spiders or mice... That'd be funny.

Exactly. I can drive around the track at 9/10ths and not crash... but it is the unexpected oil on the track, the mechanical failure, or the slight imperfection in the tire compound that may send me into the barrier. I don't wear safety gear because I suck, I wear it for the unexpected.

How can these people trust the stability of the rock, a rogue muscle spasm in their arm, or a sudden gust of wind? They can control their minds amazingly well, but something unseen and unexpected can kill them in a blink.

- Mike

Scientology thing?
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Ya gotta admit that is a great opening sequence!

I got a North Face she can climb. She's hot.

What? I can do that.

I've just never done it. ;)

Crazy!!!!! When she jumped off the rock in the first segment I thought WTF!

I've hiked some parks canada trails. Ha!

Since they have a parachute, doesn't that take away some of the danger if they fall? I assume that anywhere above 400-500 feet they have a pretty good chance of being able to open it. Still pretty crazy to climb that without ropes.

Those two are married. I am impressed that they can control their fear but holds do break and fingers pop and feet slip. The climbs they are doing would be comparable to some of us climbing a 90 degree ladder a thousand feet up. It's not that difficult but the exposure adds a huge element and there is always the fear of falling. I've free soloed a few times when I couldn't find a climbing partner and did not enjoy that feeling of not being sure of the next hold with legs pistoning and arms shaking. Yuch. Like Dean did when he had to downclimb.

Either that or she is just epically stupid.

I suggest it is the latter.

The last "best speed climber in the world" is now the deadest speed climber in the world. Seems he took a tumble...

5.11 is nothing to blush at... the best climbers in the world can still occasionally get into trouble at that rating. Back when I was still guiding I used to get a book every year called "Accidents in North American Mountaineering." That book was chock full of expert, experienced climbers experiencing mishaps including death on what should have been a cake walk. Quite an eye opener, sort of like finding out that most drownings occur in less than X inches of water.

If you're thinking about climbing without a partner again, there are passive cam belay devices you can use. I've never used (or even handled) one myself and have heard they are sort of clunky and cause drag on the rope, but I still prefer that to falling to my death :D

My climbing days were pre-marriage. Right now, I would feel very comfortable free soloing 5.11 because I would never get off the ground.

Regarding deaths, climbers die in all kinds of ways. Michael Reardon, a crazy climber, was swept away by a rogue wave. Dan Osman had a rope break. Todd Skinner's old, beat up harness broke, etc., etc.

These people just seem like they have death wishes to me. And a lot of them get their request granted apparently.

Crazy.

The one that jumps out at you when you read "accidents in north american mountaineering" is taking a leak... serious, experience mountaineers get out of their bag on a mountainside, step out of the tent wearing just the liners from their boots, slip and fall to their deaths.

The other incident which seemed to show up year after year is a climber topping out and then while unroped and sorting/packing gear at the top of the climb falling over the edge. It would be funny if it weren't so sad :(

I think those people are adrenaline junkies with a death wish. I guess we all take risks, I own a bike, and I have done some light weight free climbing, but always way inside of my limits.

Bah. WTF do I know? Lots of folks get killed by falling rock. It doesn't take much to kill ya. Someone knocks loose a rock, and you can be a goner, even if your being careful.

Hell you could be driving along, doing everything right, and a coyote could just jump right out in front of you.

Oh, like THAT would ever happen! ;)