Thread: Are these people crazy?!

  1. #1
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    Are these people crazy?!

    http://www.rockclimbing.com/athlete/

    Scroll through that page, down until you get to the pictures. For some of the people, it says "first free ascent of ......."

    I hope this doesn't mean climbing up a huge rock with no ropes! That would be a DEATH WISH! Somebody correct me if I'm wrong....

    What is free ascent?

  2. #2
    and the hat of int overfl Salem's Avatar
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    Yup, that's what free ascent is

  3. #3
    Toaster Zach L.'s Avatar
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    Bah... I don't know about that rock climbing stuff.
    Now, tell me who's got the bigger adrenaline rush in this photo: http://fba.base-jump.org/fr/affphoto.php?Id=121

    The word rap as it applies to music is the result of a peculiar phonological rule which has stripped the word of its initial voiceless velar stop.

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    Mayor of Awesometown Govtcheez's Avatar
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    Rock climbing is so cool - I haven't been in years, though. There's a pretty big group of people that do it near my parents' house, since there are some pretty good sized sandstone ledges.

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    Quote Originally Posted by holden

    What is free ascent?
    What a friend of mine would describe as "balls that clank".

  6. #6
    Climber spoon_'s Avatar
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    Actually, a free ascent is climbing with ropes. When they say "first free ascent of...", they mean they climbed it without pulling on gear (aid climbing, look it up). Free solo is climbing without protection.

    Free climbing includes:
    -sport climbing
    -traditional climbing
    {RTFM, KISS}

  7. #7
    Toaster Zach L.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by exluddite
    What a friend of mine would describe as "balls that clank".
    I'll buy that definition.
    The word rap as it applies to music is the result of a peculiar phonological rule which has stripped the word of its initial voiceless velar stop.

  8. #8
    Registered User axon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by exluddite
    What a friend of mine would describe as "balls that clank".
    I'm not sure which smily to use; or, or,

    some entropy with that sink? entropysink.com

    there are two cardinal sins from which all others spring: Impatience and Laziness. - franz kafka

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    "Actually, a free ascent is climbing with ropes. When they say "first free ascent of...", they mean they climbed it without pulling on gear (aid climbing, look it up). Free solo is climbing without protection."

    When they say 'free ascent' do they still do that thing where they pin those keyhole things into the rocks, and put the rope through it? I mean, how does the rope benefit them otherwise?

    And if it's not free climbing, what other aids do they use when climbing up a big rock?

  10. #10
    Mayor of Awesometown Govtcheez's Avatar
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    Jet boots.

  11. #11
    chococoder
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    freeclimbing generally uses no ropes.
    Else it wouldn't be freeclimbing

    From what I've seen (I don't do it) all most will use is a bag of chalk or something to keep their hands dry, some light shoes (to get a good feel for the rock (I guess) instead of boots, and maybe thin gloves.
    A helmet is optional

  12. #12
    It's full of stars adrianxw's Avatar
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    >>> Free solo is climbing without protection.

    So pregnancy is always a risk.
    Wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity unto the dream.

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  14. #14
    Climber spoon_'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by holden
    "Actually, a free ascent is climbing with ropes. When they say "first free ascent of...", they mean they climbed it without pulling on gear (aid climbing, look it up). Free solo is climbing without protection."

    When they say 'free ascent' do they still do that thing where they pin those keyhole things into the rocks, and put the rope through it? I mean, how does the rope benefit them otherwise?

    And if it's not free climbing, what other aids do they use when climbing up a big rock?
    Those are called pitons - a technique for aid climbing. Free climbing is climbing up WITHOUT pulling on gear. You can put a spring loaded cam into the rock, clip in to it, and continue to climb without putting your weight on it, that is FREE CLIMBING.

    freeclimbing generally uses no ropes.
    Else it wouldn't be freeclimbing

    From what I've seen (I don't do it) all most will use is a bag of chalk or something to keep their hands dry, some light shoes (to get a good feel for the rock (I guess) instead of boots, and maybe thin gloves.
    A helmet is optional
    That's right, you don't do it, and you're wrong. I do it almost everyday of my life. Why do people insist on commenting about things they know nothing about?
    {RTFM, KISS}

  15. #15
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    Spoon, I've been trying to figure out how this works.

    How does the protection system work with what you called the 'spring loaded cams'? Like if you were to fall...

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