And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
"Because it's there"! That brilliant reply was voiced by George Mallory—an English climber—who was on his third attempt to climb Mt. Everest in 1924 when he perished along with his climbing partner Andrew Irvine.
Climbed a bit in my younger years...now I think it's unacceptable to leave pitons, permanent anchors, and mostly, chalk marks all up and down rock faces on "routes". Then there's the line at the top of Everest, "climbers" waiting their turn to top out...that's actually something worse than standing in line at Walmart.
Elmo, I thot the same, at first. But closer looks says elsewhere. In my treking days, I had laid out a route from Yosemite Valley (easy end) to Mt Lyell to Devils Postpile. I'd been there before. The three others soon left so I was alone.
In full agreement with what you said the other day about the magical eastern Sierra.
Alex Hannold who scaled El Capitan sans rope, has climbed one of the last unscaled rock faces sometime this past summer,
Some details here: https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/adventure/2022/08/alex-honnold-just-led-the-first-ascent-of-one-of-earths-tallest-arctic-sea-cliffs-for-science
The documentary they did of his El Cap climb was pretty good.
Why?
ReplyDelete"Because it's there"! That brilliant reply was voiced by George Mallory—an English climber—who was on his third attempt to climb Mt. Everest in 1924 when he perished along with his climbing partner Andrew Irvine.
DeleteOne of those things where if you have to ask "why" you won't understand... not my idea of fun either...
DeleteClimbed a bit in my younger years...now I think it's unacceptable to leave pitons, permanent anchors, and mostly, chalk marks all up and down rock faces on "routes". Then there's the line at the top of Everest, "climbers" waiting their turn to top out...that's actually something worse than standing in line at Walmart.
ReplyDeleteCrack climbing is a niche among mountain climbers.
ReplyDeleteNope-ity nope.
ReplyDeleteThis reminded me of Devil's Postpile near Mammoth Lakes, CA, so I had to find out where it was. The picture above is taken in Garni Gorge, Armenia.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to have visited Devil's Postpile in '73, before it became well known. The day I visited I was the only person there. Nice.
Elmo, I thot the same, at first. But closer looks says elsewhere.
DeleteIn my treking days, I had laid out a route from Yosemite Valley (easy end) to Mt Lyell to Devils Postpile. I'd been there before. The three others soon left so I was alone.
In full agreement with what you said the other day about the magical eastern Sierra.
It's a very special place. The trophy mule deer are just a plus.
DeleteAlex Hannold who scaled El Capitan sans rope, has climbed one of the last unscaled rock faces sometime this past summer,
ReplyDeleteSome details here: https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/adventure/2022/08/alex-honnold-just-led-the-first-ascent-of-one-of-earths-tallest-arctic-sea-cliffs-for-science
The documentary they did of his El Cap climb was pretty good.
Nemo