OT: Free Climbers conquer Yosemite

[firerescuefin]

I know nothing of the sport, but these guys are studs.

Planning, Training, Logistics, Execution......Mind boggling.

Big Ups....literally and figuratively.

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/1...-yosemite-feat

[katematt]

I was surprised not to see this up earlier as I am sure like me many followed this amazing story. 7-8 years of planning and preparation in addition to the suffering and resilience they showed on the wall. It will take them a while to get that super glue off their fingers.

While the live feed yesterday was almost like watching metal rust, knowing half the story made it engaging.

[ericssonboi]

I saw this on the news yesterday. Kind of mind-boggling if you've done any sort of rock climbing / bouldering / free climb before. This is definitely tough stuff. To be able to be up there for that many days and be such determined... big to them!

[MattTuck]

I haven't been following the story. What is unique about their attempt?

Is it the route they took? That no one had ever taken that route before? or that no one had taken that route before in its entirety, but people had been climbing parts of the route? or that they did it all using their own strength, and others had used other techniques for getting past certain sections?

[firerescuefin]

Originally Posted by MattTuck

I haven't been following the story. What is unique about their attempt?

Is it the route they took? That no one had ever taken that route before? or that no one had taken that route before in its entirety, but people had been climbing parts of the route? or that they did it all using their own strength, and others had used other techniques for getting past certain sections?

Cmon Matt...you could at least try reading the linked story.

[katematt]

They're calling it the most difficult climb in the world.

Originally Posted by MattTuck

I haven't been following the story. What is unique about their attempt?

Is it the route they took? That no one had ever taken that route before? or that no one had taken that route before in its entirety, but people had been climbing parts of the route? or that they did it all using their own strength, and others had used other techniques for getting past certain sections?

[MattTuck]

Originally Posted by firerescuefin

Cmon Matt...you could at least try reading the linked story.

Haha, I did read the story, but only down to the first twitter message, and I watched the video. Went back and read the whole story, and understand it now.

[Uncle Jam's Army]

I imagine Alex Honnold will free solos it next with no rope. After all, ropes are aid.

Tommy Caldwell has been "The Man" for quite a while now. Awesome achievement.

[Kevan]

Broadcasted on this morning's NPR: the father of one of the young men stated (paraphrasing), "He has no idea what he has accomplished."

What a fatherly-pride thing to say.

[PQJ]

It's crazy stuff. My hands start sweating just reading the article. I have no idea how they do it.

[ericssonboi]

I watched this video before they reached the top.. it better explains what they accomplished..

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30808356

[gasman]

Pretty amazing. I'll be interested to see what the pitches are rated- some really, really hard climbing .Caldwell and others have been doing some amazing things for years. Slightly puzzled why this made as much press as it did, not to take away from what they did but the limits have been pushed for years.

[Jgrooms]

Yes pretty amazing. Then I was curious about waste. This led to reading how its a real problem on Y. Hey just, literally, throw your crap down the mtn and don't bother picking it up or just leave a bag on a ledge.

[Dead Man]

I hate to be "that guy," but, as a climber...

It was an accomplishment, but not for anyone outside of the big-wall culture in Yosemite Valley.

The media could have, and still could, latch on to any number of huge, bold, committed, adventurous climbs going on in the world... but because this one was setting some records that sound impressive, and because of the phenomenally good access and digital documentation of this climb, and because they just happened to need a human interest story to balance out all of the despotism they usually chose to report on, the Dawn Wall First Free Ascent got it's couple weeks of fame. All of those reasons that non-climbers think this climb was epic... the size of the wall, the style of climbing, sleeping on portaledges, methods for gear hauling, etc.... these are all big-wall climbing 101 stuff. The ONLY thing that sets this climb apart from any other big wall climb is the technical grade of the climb, which is extremely subjective with regard to "difficulty."

I definitely can't abide it being called the "most difficult climb ever done." That's a complete load. It was an undertaking few would have any desire to take on, or possess the technical grade climbing ability to do. Big props to those guys for that. HOWEVER, "difficulty" isn't just sustained 5.14+ climbing for 30, 40 pitches.

In mountaineering (which some will, and some will not, include big-wall climbing), overall "difficulty" is established by a number of factors, not limited to: Commitment level (can we retreat once we start, and where exactly is the point of no return?); overall objective hazard (rock fall, avalanche, weather, crevasse, etc); protectability (does the route offer a means to safely belay the technical pitches?); technical demands (what grades in which climbing disciplines do we expect to encounter?); and more.

The Dawn Wall First Free-Ascent carries none of these criteria except technical grade climbing ability. Yes, these boys have a huge technical grade climbing ability, but that's not what non-climbers think it is. You either possess the ability to climb a 5.14 or you don't, and if you do, it's really not that hard.... so how "difficult" is it?

Let me demonstrate like this: Two other free (versus "direct-aid") rock climbing disciplines are "sport," and "trad." 5.11 is a climbing grade in both sport and trad climbing, and means the same thing. But leading sport is easier than leading trad, so trad climbers generally climb at lower grade levels than sport climbers. There are 5.11 sport climbers who can't lead 5.9 trad routes. I can't lead 5.11 sport routes, but I can lead 5.9 trad routes all day long. That's not hard for me, but for most of the climbing world, it would actually be impossible, because trad is still a fairly unique skillset that most don't possess. So which is the "harder" or most "difficult" climb? The 5.9 trad route, or the 5.11 sport route? It's completely subjective to skillset of the dude standing at the bottom of it, looking up.

5.14+ climbing is impossible, for probably 99% of climbers. But for people who can climb at that level, it's just going up. Determination can't do it. Fearlessness can't do it. Nothing can make up for a lack of technical climbing ability.... so even though that's "hard," it doesn't make it any more adventurous or bold.

The whole thing was fully supported. They were resupplied the whole way up. They were in constant contact with their support team and had help literally 15 minutes away at all times. They lived on portaledges, which are actually very comfortable, relative to pretty much all other climbing bivy methods, etc. In other words... this climb was actually better supported, safer, carried less risk to the climbers, than MOST big-wall ascents, which are going on all the time, especially in Yosemite Valley.

That's my take. Take it or leave it.

[Uncle Jam's Army]

Portaledges are aid.