Guts and Bravery or just Crazyness?

Kwonryu DragonFist · Post by **Kwonryu DragonFist** » January 4, 2004, 5:41 am

Asheran Mojomaster · Post by **Asheran Mojomaster** » January 4, 2004, 6:33 am

Absolute insanity.

m4yh3m · Post by **m4yh3m** » January 4, 2004, 7:58 am

Freeclimbers are nuts. My brother did it for a while and I was glad to see him at least stop that. Of course this is the same brother that bought a $16k Suzuki Crotch rocket 1 year after having a motorcycle accident on Angeles Crest Highway that seperated his pelvis, almost tore off his testicles (they left a nice crease in the gas tank of the bike), broke his elbow and wrist, and required a helicopter airlift.

Maybe my brother isn't such a good example

Akaran_D · Post by **Akaran_D** » January 4, 2004, 11:37 am

...his testicles made a crease in the gas tank?
Balls of steel man.

Animale · Post by **Animale** » January 4, 2004, 1:06 pm

Freeclimbers pretty much only die one way... falling. Usually on pretty easy climbs, where they lose focus because its so easy for them. But that's the nature of freeclimbing, one mistake and bye bye you.

Animale

Salis · Post by **Salis** » January 4, 2004, 1:24 pm

Totally insane... There have been quite a few deaths in recent years in the UK climbing scene because of free climbing. It's frowned upon in general in the community, and imo should be totally banned (although hard to enforce). It's the equivalent of starting a racing circuit with cars going 250mph and having zero safety features!

Ransure · Post by **Ransure** » January 4, 2004, 1:39 pm

wasnt one of those pics the guy in Chicago last year that freeclimbed up like 20 stories then just jumped?

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » January 4, 2004, 1:47 pm

Freeclimbing is an amazing feeling, very VERY addicting. I refrain from doing any large climbs because, well, simply put, I am a 10d climber at best. Few turned ankles from 20' falls is all I have ever done. Climbing with ropes is absolutely nothing like freeclimbing, for those who have parachuted, compare freefall to tadem or static line. Just can't come close

Salis · Post by **Salis** » January 4, 2004, 2:01 pm

Bouldering/small scale free climbing is fine, climbing up UK 7c's and sky scrapers without ropes is fucking stupid. I'd say there's a line where a sport crosses over the limit of risk/reward, and I think the stuff shown above is far far over.

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » January 4, 2004, 2:31 pm

To be honest, those are straight crack and corner climbs, tests of endurance yes (those are big freakin climbs) but skill, ummmm no. Watch those guys on rock sometime when they are traversing a 5-12c or some such 200' above the ground, that is nuts, this just looks crazy, they can do a straight crack climb/corner climb on steel (which is wonderfully stable unlike rock) in their sleep

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » January 5, 2004, 11:30 am

Bravery is doing something you fear because it HAS to be done.

Stupidity is doing shit for the sake of doing it

Deneve · Post by **Deneve** » January 6, 2004, 4:41 pm

i dunno if anyone has ever been the "Garden of the Gods" in CO Springs area, but that is some of the best free-climb/boulding stuff i have seen around, there are almost always climbers there at any given hour on a few different rocks...personally i just ghetto-climb with borrowed climbing shoes and just see how high i can get up before one of the real-climbers notices me and informs me that i should probably get down if i haven't checked in with the guest services building...bah...

Wulfran · Post by **Wulfran** » January 6, 2004, 6:12 pm

Bravery is doing something you fear because it HAS to be done.

Stupidity is doing shit for the sake of doing it

/agree