OT: Chang Kong Cliff Road

[William]

That's a long way down just for the fun of it......but I would do it!


...These vertigo-inducing pictures show tourists navigating an extremely narrow and treacherous walkway along cliffs at a scenic mountain in China's Shaanxi Province.
The precipitous Chang Kong Cliff Road on Haushan mountain was built more than 700 years ago by hermits seeking ‘immortals’ they thought were living deep in the mountains.
The walkway is only a foot width wide and has been built clinging to the absolutely vertical cliff. One misstep would send pilgrims plunging thousands of feet down into the valley.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2332642/Chang-Kong-Cliff-Road-Tourist-trek-thousands-feet-Chinese-mountain-700-year-old-wooden-boards.html










William

[gasman]

Looks cool !

No biggie for me.

Mrs. Gasman couldn't even look at the photo without cringing.

[Louis]

How do you get from where the picture was taken to the other side? Hang from the ropes?

My house is built on a slope. At one end the roof is 1 to 1.5 stories off the ground. At the other it's 2 to 2.5 stories up. I'm amazed how differently my body / brain behave when I'm working at each end. On the low side there's no problem at all - I could dance a jig. At the high side it's as if I'm involuntarily starting too loose control of my body - I have to force myself to go to edge. Clearly there's a part of our brains over which we have only partial control.

[Matt-H]

Meh. Hans Rey would ride it...

[pbarry]

Those planks are scarier than the wall. Some trad climbing gear and good shoes are in order if you go, William. :)

[Louis]

Meh. Hans Rey would ride it...

Ha ! He'd have to chop of one side of the handlebars. (or use a unicycle)

[Louis]

I looked at the article - they use safety harness and are clipped in 100% of the time, so that takes away nearly all of the risk.

[alessandro]

Meh. Hans Rey would ride it...

Exactly. Call me back when Danny MacAskill rides it.

[professerr]

I'll place my own protection, thank you. Accident waiting to happen, that is.

[Louis]

I'll place my own protection, thank you. Accident waiting to happen, that is.

Rotten 700 year old boards not good enough for you?

[gasman]

I'll place my own protection, thank you. Accident waiting to happen, that is.
Bolts ?
Not much in the way of natural pro from the photo.

[William]

I looked at the article - they use safety harness and are clipped in 100% of the time, so that takes away nearly all of the risk.

Actually if you watch some of the youtube vids, they actually have to unclip the carabiners when they hit a stop and then clip back in on the next one so you are unclipped at many points. Holding the chain with one hand while you move the carabiner with the other. Apparently there are fatalities every year but they keep it open.






William

[Louis]

Free solo, or go home.

http://joytripproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/AlexHonnold21.jpg

[Louis]

Actually if you watch some of the youtube vids, they actually have to unclip the carabiners when they hit a stop and then clip back in on the next one so you are unclipped at many points.

I didn't watch the video, but in the pics it looks as if they have two ropes and two carabiners, which would allow them to unclip one but have the other clipped in as they shift to the other side of the cable. (still way, way scary)

[William]

Free solo, or go home.



Meh. Speed solo, or go home!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5NoSZ0J5GY







William

[William]

I didn't watch the video, but in the pics it looks as if they have two ropes and two carabiners, which would allow them to unclip one but have the other clipped in as they shift to the other side of the cable. (still way, way scary)

You're probably right, I just noticed one person in one video with a single carabiner.






William

[Louis]

Meh. Speed solo, or go home!!

In the time it took him to do that I could have made it to maybe 5 feet off the ground...

[Peter B]

Actually if you watch some of the youtube vids, they actually have to unclip the carabiners when they hit a stop and then clip back in on the next one so you are unclipped at many points. Holding the chain with one hand while you move the carabiner with the other. Apparently there are fatalities every year but they keep it open.






William

Easy enough to have two runners and clip around.

As for FS, see John Bachar and Dan Osman.

[Louis]

As for FS, see John Bachar and Dan Osman.

How much adrenaline does one person need to feel like life is worth living?

(Although my car-driving neighbors tell me all the time they they would never ride on the roads I use because it's so dangerous, which of course it isn't. But at least I don't do it for the thrill of having a landscaping trailer go by with a 6" margin.)

[gasman]

Easy enough to have two runners and clip around.

As for FS, see John Bachar and Dan Osman.

I've met both. Dan was a wild man, John was driven and calculating.
More than once I'd top out on a climb ( roped) and they would arrive with just shoes and a chalk bag. I always in awe.
Both are no longer with us. RIP

[Louis]

Of course they knew that what they were doing was super-high risk. How did they justify it to themselves?

I've met both. Dan was a wild man, John was driven and calculating.
More than once I'd top out on a climb ( roped) and they would arrive with just shoes and a chalk bag. I always in awe.
Both are no longer with us. RIP

[BumbleBeeDave]

Meh. Hans Rey would ride it...

And pop a few wheelies for good measure.

BBD

[verticaldoug]

They have double cable runners so you can use standard via ferrata gear. The big chains are just there for your hands.

All the bolts and planks are checked at regular intervals.

I suspect it is more dangerous to walk down the ice slope after the tunnel in Aiguille du Midi than climb this.

Fatalities are probably the out of shape man who smokes 2 packs a day and drank a little too much Jiu for lunch.

[AgilisMerlin]

Actually if you watch some of the youtube vids, they actually have to unclip the carabiners when they hit a stop and then clip back in on the next one so you are unclipped at many points. Holding the chain with one hand while you move the carabiner with the other. Apparently there are fatalities every year but they keep it open.






William

years ago, I had a doctor leave, when starting treatment. He travelled to the foothills of Everest, climbed some minor mountain, unclipped on a snow bridge - bridge collapsed and he fell, something like a thousand feet. Had two other people close to me die that week. sad

[gasman]

Of course they knew that what they were doing was super-high risk. How did they justify it to themselves?

They know it's risky but the thrill and freedom of moving over stone becomes addictive I think. They have such confidence in their ability that they don't believe anything will happen.
It's not for most climbers. I did it a couple times then said "No more"
This is a common reaction for us slightly more sane climbers.

[Louis]

They know it's risky but the thrill and freedom of moving over stone becomes addictive I think. They have such confidence in their ability that they don't believe anything will happen.

Interesting. I suppose one difference for roadies is that we realize that even if one has the greatest bike handling skills in the world, if a texting teen is going to take you out, there's very little you'll be able to do about it.

[kbrown]

There must be a great noodle house just out of site around the corner