Adrenalin junkie …

Freeclimbing's not insane - it's the most sensible way to climb.

Equipment can fail, rope can snap, fancy looking bits of metal can bend and give, then what are you left with... your own body - but because you've mollycoddled it with the 'protection' of equipment you don't really know what it's capable of.

To freeclimb your equipment is your own body. You keep it in good order and have the experience to know exactly what it can and can't do - and finding out those limits is the fun part.


That said I only really started doing it when a friend took me sea-cliff traversing and I discovered I was crap at knots. Kinda figured I'd get myself into more trouble tangled up in a bit of rope and so didn't bother with it.

Sad to say, as a kid I'd sit for ages under a tree just looking at it whilst the other kids were making failed attempt to climb it...

... then I'd just get up, route planned out and scramble up like a squirrel on speed.
I was a strange child.

Originally Posted by rictus01

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Yes I have fired guns (2.2, SA80 and shotgun), and done archery ... but as you have already twigged, they are misplaced in that list … this isn’t supposed to be a list of interesting/cool things you have ever done!!

To me freeclimbing is what you do when you have rope-climbed too much and need the next challenge ... to me there are 4 levels ... 'top rope', 'leading', 'trad', and finally free climb. It’s a bit like s3x . . . if you start needing thrills out of more and more depravity/perverse/debouche acts, it’s coz you have had too much normal s3x!! If that’s not the case then you are probably just a bit wrong in the head … so as I say, the same applies!!

Originally Posted by K

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I disagree - not only do I take it as read that my body is not capable of taking a 100ft drop onto bare rock and getting away with it ... we all have to put faith in mechanical gear, especially safety gear every day ... like brakes on your car/bike ... like the pipes/valves on your gas supply ... like the roof on your house ... etc etc ... its not like errors can't happen, but it is a backup. I don’t see having ropes as an excuse to fall and if I do fall, I feel I have failed the climb ... but it is nice to have a bit of backup if you get it wrong ... I attempt some 'jumps' ... I'd never do that free climbing ...

There are too many variables outside my control for me not to want some sort of fallback ... I fallen from a climb where I've grabbed a bit of rock that had mud in it and I lost grip ... I've fallen where a bit of rock has come loose, I've even fallen where my shoulder clicked/gave way suddenly ... had I not had rope to stop me falling to my peril, I'd be fooked To me its just common sense to have a backup and some sort of safety measures in place

Its all about attitude to risk I suppose ... I'd never ride a bike without leathers, I'd never freeclimb anything but the simplest of climbs ... I'd never race the TT … I’d never play Russian roulette ... basically they are above MY threshold!! As Rictus said, to me I'd walk away as they look stupid!!

I never said I was at the top of the 'extreme' scale, just this dude is way off the bottom, even for a reserved person!

Quoting Rictus, as I feel that attitude sums me up too "if it looked fun I'd give it a go,if it looked scary, I'd take on the challenge, if it looked stupid, I'd walk away". Its all about your perception of where things lie on that scale As I have explained, unless it is a stepladder climb, freeclimb is on the wrong side to me …

What 'grade' did you both freeclimb at?

Um, dunno about grade - I never got into 'proper' climbing as such so tended just to mooch about until I saw something that looked interesting - study it and then just climb it - that included buildings as well as cliffs!

I guess we see it from different angles - you see it as the 'top end' of the sport of rock climbing - I see it as, well, I s'pose simply a way of going about doing something (namely getting to the top of an object) that is pretty much unrelated to other methods/sports.

That said - your example of grabbing a bit that turn out to be mud - that's what I mean about having that comfort zone given by the equipment, kinda. It means that you don't second guess, let alone third guess, your action.
That's why, for me anyway, I felt safer freeclimbing than the little bit of ropework I did. It was just you and what you were traversing - you check everything, then double & triple check it. Each handhold, each toehold, touch, feel, test, consider, move - next.

Nothing else can get you so at ease with your senses and connected to what you are climbing.

100ft drops don't come into it - there's no room in your head for even the barest consideration of something that is outside of the few square inches holding you to the surface. If you think about that drop first - you simply haven't got the head for free climbing.

Sorry to sound so much of a hippy about it - but it's like that. Very spiritual and bonding...

... well, for me anyway. Not a 'rush' per se, very peaceful in fact.

[rictus01]

I suppose it shows the different perspective people have, I really never liked the idea of relying on someone else and would much rather trust in my own skills, but that also translates to a lot of things in life as well.

Free climbing is only physically following a plan, to over come an object, after 10 feet it's irrelevent what height you're at, and focus takes over until you're done, I guess it's like all things in life some people will never see it or understand what yoou see in it (bit like riding a bike then).

different strokes and all that, what gives you a rush, I may find boring or just weird and vice versa, I don't benchmark myself on others and never have found the need to, I'm what I want to be and glad of it.

K if by "being a hippy about it" is being your own person, and following what makes you happy, then that's what I've been doing for years

(Oh and a 2.2 would be quite a gun, what was that attached to then, or did you mean a .22 by any chance )

Cheers Mark.

Like I said, I don’t intend to ‘use’ my belayer … and when ‘leading’ you can still take quite a fall and smack into jagged rock … it just prevents you from taking the messy end of game ‘splat’ at the bottom (yes, presuming all the gear and your belayer do their job properly )

Its nice to have the safety of them being there … it’s a bit like wearing a lid/leathers … I don’t want to crash, but I might …

Yes K you are a hippie , but I can see how you can be ‘at one’ with the rock … it’s the same when you lead a climb … the further you are from the last clip-in point the further you have to fall … you can still easily take a 20-30ft drop if you fall off at the wrong point … its very focusing Also when you are using ropes, you need to 'clip-in' ... believe me there are times where taking a hand off the rock and moving your body about on the other hand to do all that is a bit sphincter threatening too

oh and yes, soz .22 it wasn't a small cannon

Another lunchtime conversation “If you were a pilot, what would you fly?”

People saying F16, Tornado, Eurfoghter, stealth bomber etc etc …

This dude … “A chipmunk” …

For those that don’t know anything about aeroplanes, a chipmunk was designed/used as a RAF 2 seater training aircraft … it’s not exactly exciting in any way shape of form … http://www.arc-duxford.co.uk/chipmunk.htm

I mean this guy could fly anything and he chooses a chipmunk … something like a spitfire coz of its history, would have been fine … but a chipmunk … I mean a chipmunk!!!! LAME!!! {this dude}

p.s. I have actually flown a few chipmunks!

I've done parachute jumping, trained with the "Para's" and fired a few "big" guns too. Obviously riding the bike is good for the adrenalin.

However, believe it or not, being in "sales" can give you a big rush... Closing that deal you've been chasing for months, you know, the one that's bigger than anything the company has done before, the one where the commission cheque is more than some people earn a year.. Closing that deal gives me a hell of a rush (after I get out of the customers office of course).

My other hobby is fishing, and when you catch something that's the size of a big dog it's a pretty good buzz, especially after all the waiting. If you've actually stalked the fish it's even better. But only those that have done it would understand...

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Originally Posted by Jelster

My other hobby is fishing, and when you catch something that's the size of a big dog it's a pretty good buzz, especially after all the waiting. If you've actually stalked the fish it's even better. But only those that have done it would understand...

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Why am I now thinking of some seaweed covered gilly-suit, spear in hand, veeeery veeeeeerrrryy slowly wading along the bank of a river?

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

Another lunchtime conversation “If you were a pilot, what would you fly?”

People saying F16, Tornado, Eurfoghter, stealth bomber etc etc …

This dude … “A chipmunk” …

For those that don’t know anything about aeroplanes, a chipmunk was designed/used as a RAF 2 seater training aircraft … it’s not exactly exciting in any way shape of form … http://www.arc-duxford.co.uk/chipmunk.htm

I mean this guy could fly anything and he chooses a chipmunk … something like a spitfire coz of its history, would have been fine … but a chipmunk … I mean a chipmunk!!!! LAME!!! {this dude}

p.s. I have actually flown a few chipmunks!

He might have point there you know state of the art fighter versus antique, underpowered, not guaranteed to get up, down or home at all vintage aircraft, still think Id go something like a P51 mustang.

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

p.s. I have actually flown a few chipmunks!

Me too, did aerobatics in one as well. That gets the heart going