Lost: Skis on Torrey's Peak/Ski Recovery Mission

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Brian Kimball
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Re: Lost: Skis on Torrey's Peak/Ski Recovery Mission

Post by Brian Kimball »

Yo Thin>
Hummm I don't know...just because soloing Astroman and Rostrum overwhelms you and Katie Brown does not make it elite. In terms of free soloing 5.11 is certainly not elite these days...considering Alex Huber and that other guys free solos of 5.14a and 5.14b. Katie Brown is not really known for being bold either so of course she would want a rope for those pitches because she does not free solo. Just because Peter Croft and Honnold are the only two guys to go ropeless on those two routes in a day does that mean it is elite when there are literally thousands of people both mentally and physically capable of doing the same solos?

Yeah I would agree with Alpinist that his solo of Moonlight was one of the most impressive free solos ever achieved but like Alex says all the time and I quote 'it REALLY was NO BIG DEAL-Moonlight feels like 5.9 and it is TOTALLY LOCKER fingers the whole way'. TRUST ME...he thinks its a walk in the park REALLY. It was not overhanging 5.13 or 5.14 on slopers and micro crimpers like many other free solos have been. Believe me, you-me and the rest of the world feel that it is mind boggling to think that in Alex's head those free solos were 'NO BIG DEAL' but I guarantee you that is the case.

More impressive I think is Half Dome because it is more than 2 times the size of Moonlight with a monster approach to wear you out too. Also it is way less secure because of the many 5.11+ dime edge slab friction pitches and moves near the top of the route.

I don't have to call him to ask him personally because I have already heard him say it a hundred times..."those free solos were a joke" in direct reference to Moonlight and ESPECIALLY Astroman/Rostrum. I mean he literally was not scared or even borderline pumped/fatigued in the least bit-like not even for a second. I think that is pretty impressive. Now he never said that Half Dome was such a cake walk...hummm I am pretty sure that is 'Elite' right along with Moonlight but this Astro-Rostrum thing NOOO WAYYY.

Have you read the article by Chris Weidner in the new Climbing? He thinks its a joke see...he says "anyone could go solo Astroman/Rostrum-they are only 5.11".

Sorry for the rant and I know it is hard to grasp the fact that he thinks these things are easy-not scary and not in the least bit exhausting but that appears to be the case.
Brian Kimball
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Re: Lost: Skis on Torrey's Peak/Ski Recovery Mission

Post by Brian Kimball »

See what I mean...you read Dav's trip report on the Dog in Feb. of 06 and its like (yeahhh dug a pit...looked really bad...dropped in with some chick and a dude...got the first foot of windloaded snow that was on top of the dust layer from hell to move a bit...ripped some turns...yada yada-yep it was pretty cool...NO BIG DEAL). These people are SICK!!! :D
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cheeseburglar
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Re: Lost: Skis on Torrey's Peak/Ski Recovery Mission

Post by cheeseburglar »

Brian Kimball wrote:See what I mean...you read Dav's trip report on the Dog in Feb. of 06 and its like (yeahhh dug a pit...looked really bad...dropped in with some chick and a dude...got the first foot of windloaded snow that was on top of the dust layer from hell to move a bit...ripped some turns...yada yada-yep it was pretty cool...NO BIG DEAL). These people are SICK!!! :D
And that was before the avalung and super duper multi person rescue avy beacon!
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RoanMtnMan
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Re: Lost: Skis on Torrey's Peak/Ski Recovery Mission

Post by RoanMtnMan »

Always follow the 7 P's. Proper Planning & Preparation, Prevents Piss-Poor Performance.

"An adventure is misery and discomfort, relived in the safety of reminiscence.” --Marco Polo

http://www.CalebWrayPhotography.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
McClelland
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Re: Lost: Skis on Torrey's Peak/Ski Recovery Mission

Post by McClelland »

I stand by what I said earlier. I am really psyched that everything worked out.

The OP said "Lock me up and keep me away from society, I'm just an absolutely terrible person." I have never met you b/4 but I doubt it. However, I would encourage you to re-evaluate the way you make choices in the bc. Goals are good but try having a goal of just enjoying being out there. Who cares what you did. What matters more is that you get to go home and drink beer.

There has been lots of chatter about Alex, Tommy, and Beth. Why? Alex was an awesome person besides being talented in the cardiovascular department. But he's dead...Let me remind you that he died in an avalanche. I knew him and miss his laugh. I have never met Tommy or Beth.

I hope lots of people learn from this close call. I need to check out the CAIC report. There are lots of "easy 14'ers" but remember they are still in the mountains. They are not "tick" lists. They are all real places. The settings stay the same but conditions change. In winter, conditions change a lot.
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Re: Lost: Skis on Torrey's Peak/Ski Recovery Mission

Post by cheeseburglar »

Same TR as he put up here, I wonder if the comments will be different.
Now, for something completely different. The way us mortals who don't climb above 5.4 without a rope should ski:
http://www.skiingthebackcountry.com/elk ... skiing.php
This is how I've heard it should be done in the winter in Colorado.
The video is pretty sweet.
And skiers, don't worry about the snowboader on the glam shot, it's mostly skiing!
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RoanMtnMan
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Re: Lost: Skis on Torrey's Peak/Ski Recovery Mission

Post by RoanMtnMan »

cheeseburglar wrote:Same TR as he put up here, I wonder if the comments will be different.
Now, for something completely different. The way us mortals who don't climb above 5.4 without a rope should ski:
http://www.skiingthebackcountry.com/elk ... skiing.php
This is how I've heard it should be done in the winter in Colorado.
The video is pretty sweet.
And skiers, don't worry about the snowboader on the glam shot, it's mostly skiing!

You are right, my mistake. But oh will the comments be different. A more direct environment over there. BTW, sick POV footage. I could feel my face getting cold in the best way.
Last edited by RoanMtnMan on Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Always follow the 7 P's. Proper Planning & Preparation, Prevents Piss-Poor Performance.

"An adventure is misery and discomfort, relived in the safety of reminiscence.” --Marco Polo

http://www.CalebWrayPhotography.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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larkinrx2
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Re: Lost: Skis on Torrey's Peak/Ski Recovery Mission

Post by larkinrx2 »

^^^^
"All those haters over at 14ers dont get it. I've studied the nomenclature for snowpits, so I know what I'm doing.

Sure I lost my s**t and s**t my pants, but that goes hand in hand with a manly sport like b/c skiing.

I learned a lesson - I've got to study better the difference between the quality of shears in a snow pit." sir jongalot




nice #-o
What do you think I'm some kind of a jerk or something! - That's all I need the ashtray, the remote control, the paddle game, and this magazine, and the chair and I don't need one other thing, except my dog.
[Shithead growls at him]
I don't need my dog.
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BaronVonBergschrund
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Re: Lost: Skis on Torrey's Peak/Ski Recovery Mission

Post by BaronVonBergschrund »

McClelland wrote:There has been lots of chatter about Alex, Tommy, and Beth. Why? Alex was an awesome person besides being talented in the cardiovascular department. But he's dead...Let me remind you that he died in an avalanche. I knew him and miss his laugh. I have never met Tommy or Beth.
Not Alex Lowe, Alex Honnold.
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brett.t.burch
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Re: Lost: Skis on Torrey's Peak/Ski Recovery Mission

Post by brett.t.burch »

Mrwaffles989 wrote:...I didn't abandon him on some ridge. He turned around a 12000 where it was still entirely flat. ...... Other people have scorned me, which is fine, but gave me advice at the same time. You gave nothing.
Here's some advice, and I don't care if you've read it 100 times already. Never ever ascend 2200' by yourself in February again... and I might recommend not in July either in your case. Hell, I don't really have any interest in doing that in July. [A rock comes down in the Trough and smacks you into oblivion... all the sudden nobody knows who that guy was that just lost his face... some Good Samaritan has to end their day and pick up the pieces... you just never know.] Last April I turned around at 13,900 on Quandary's east ridge because 1 of 3 in the group froze and bonked. I'm not saying I'm better than you, but you have to use your brain or next time you'll be your gear, brah.
Brian Kimball
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Re: Lost: Skis on Torrey's Peak/Ski Recovery Mission

Post by Brian Kimball »

[-o< ohhhh dear God this is worse than I thought. He was on the main headwall skiers left of the Dog...ohhhh man that slide would have pushed him straight down the mountian and not down that fluffly little halfpipe called the Dead Dog. That is definately a place you do not want to double eject or fall in the spring and certainly a place you don't want to get caught in a slide because it would push you over several big rocky cliff bands. There is almost no doubt that MR. WAFFLES would have been TOAST before he even had a chance to get buried in all that debris 1,500' below. This is a VERY SERIOUS near death experience FOR SURE!!!

KID you had some angels watchin over you that day there is NO DOUBT about that. God must love you because from what I can see you were about 6" from the 10 second 1,500' T to B over those big rocks. Im pretty sure you would have had a "1st winter descent" and definitely "first winter figure 11 descent" of that line and if you would have stuck it with cameras rolling then you probably could have scored some new skis I am sure.

We are all lucky and blessed to be alive right now...you-your just REALLY LUCKY. Thank freakin God-praise JAH for you are aliveeeee man ooowwwwiieeeee!!!

Now next time don't ski that stuff without a full camera crew, full motorcross gear...dam maybe even a BASE rig and a wing suit.
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Re: Lost: Skis on Torrey's Peak/Ski Recovery Mission

Post by BillMiddlebrook »

Well, the comments over on TGR were pretty much the same.

Phil, I hope you were being sarcastic when you said this: "So what if 2 out of 3 of my trips turned into SAR calls, who hasn't had a few SAR callouts?"
"When I go out, I become more alive. I just love skiing. The gravitational pull. When you ski steep terrain... you can almost get a feeling of flying." -Doug Coombs
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