Kedrowski: 2017 Dr. Jon Kedrowski is teaching a class through REI...

[pmeadco]

and what he did was harder than anything anyone else in the 14er community has ever done.

I don't know why you bother posting your actual route data -- all you had to do is say that you rode around the state, scaling centennials, and doing it unassisted. I mean, actually doing it would be too hard, and you shouldn't have to climb if there is no daylight...

[highpilgrim]

I know nothing about ski mountaineering aside from what I've read on this site mostly.

But what seems to be in play here is a general problem that I've been thinking about.

If kedrowski had done this 20, or even maybe 10 years ago, he would quickly have been identified as a fraud and a liar, and that would have been the end of it. The reason this is so is that the community of ski mountaineers is a small and tightly knit one and had he done this that he would have been called on his bulls**t. It would have ended then with his humiliation. Unfortunately, with access to the internet, cheats and liars can market to a much larger audience, bypassing the very group the profess to represent. There, they can make up any lie, corrupt any story and effectively invent themselves as who they are not and the wider audience, ignorant of the nuances of what they claim, accepts them as the real deal.

Sad, but true.

And worse, it works at any level, from bulls**t ski mountaineer to leader of the free world.

[tmahon]

I should follow up with this:

I don’t think he began his 14erskrecord.com goal intent on applying such loose standards or being controversial. I think he wanted to do it properly.

But he’s not a very skilled skier and he wasn’t he wasn’t comfortable taking on the harder summits so he kept pushing them off until later. As the season started winding down and the routes melted out he was left with a list of challenging peaks and less and less snow. But he was determined to succeed and he was intent on being the ski mountaineer he envisions himself to be. So he rewrote the rules to fit what he was able to do, after the fact. Where he didn’t ski or where he down climbed he excused himself in various ways. He justified everything, he framed people who questioned him as haters. He built a wall around himself in his head to protect everything.

He has thoroughly assured himself that what he did was legit. He truly believes it. That becomes clear when you talk to him about it.

It’s unfortunate. It starts to feel more like a psychological case study than a debate about ski mountaineering.

[highpilgrim]

He has thoroughly assured himself that what he did was legit. He truly believes it. That becomes clear when you talk to him about it.

It’s unfortunate. It starts to feel more like a psychological case study than a debate about ski mountaineering.

It's good to know that he started out in the right place. But that doesn't change my point: he's now marketing to a broader audience that can't discern his half-truths and lies. He is a "reality" ski mountaineer and we all know what that means.

[AnnaG22]

He has thoroughly assured himself that what he did was legit. He truly believes it. That becomes clear when you talk to him about it.

It’s unfortunate. It starts to feel more like a psychological case study than a debate about ski mountaineering.

This.

[gb]

Thanks Ted. That's amazing that he still thinks that not only did he legitimately skied the 14ers, he even raised the bar when he did so. And now he's trying to further legitimize himself with a book and book tour. No question about it, it's frustrating for anyone who has ever put the time in to do something the right way.

[Sean Nunn]

Thanks Ted. That's amazing that he still thinks that not only did he legitimately skied the 14ers, he even raised the bar when he did so. And now he's trying to further legitimize himself with a book and book tour. No question about it, it's frustrating for anyone who has ever put the time in to do something the right way.

Never discount the moral compromises people are willing to make when they can make money from it.

[mtn_hound]

To quote George Costanza: Jerry, just remember. It's not a lie, if you believe it.

https://youtu.be/vn_PSJsl0LQ

[susanjoypaul]

Never discount the moral compromises people are willing to make when they can make money from it.

This has nothing to do with money. The only people who make money off book tours are those who already have a massive following. This is why I seldom do book signings: they're time intensive and there is no money to be made. The rare times I do them it's for charity.

All that aside, it's obvious this guy doesn't have to worry about money (people who worry about money spend a lot of time working for it, not doing presentations and book signings) and isn't in it for the money. I'm not a psychologist but I would guess this is all about celebrity. People will make utter fools out of themselves these days to get famous.

See Facebook, YouTube, and reality television. I've never seen so many lonely, desperate, starving-for-attention people in my life than I have in the past ten years. This guy is a symptom of a much bigger problem in our society. Everybody wants to be a star.

[AnnaG22]

I'm not a psychologist but I would guess this is all about celebrity. People will make utter fools out of themselves these days to get famous.

See Facebook, YouTube, and reality television. I've never seen so many lonely, desperate, starving-for-attention people in my life than I have in the past ten years. This guy is a symptom of a much bigger problem in our society. Everybody wants to be a star.

I think the celebrity aspect is part of it, but when I mentioned narcissism earlier, I was referring to the actual diagnosis. I feel bad for the dude. I think he could benefit from help. I think he legitimately doesn't understand why people are criticizing him.

[FireOnTheMountain]

This guy is a symptom of a much bigger problem in our society. Everybody wants to be a star.

More so that everyone wants to live the infamous dirtbag lifestyle and not have a "real" job. Back in the day, you really had to work hard to do that, now you just spray hard online....although I still know of some low key badasses who fly under the radar and get out a ton and crush....

[Matt]

This has nothing to do with money. The only people who make money off book tours are those who already have a massive following. This is why I seldom do book signings: they're time intensive and there is no money to be made. The rare times I do them it's for charity.
All that aside, it's obvious this guy doesn't have to worry about money (people who worry about money spend a lot of time working for it, not doing presentations and book signings) and isn't in it for the money. I'm not a psychologist but I would guess this is all about celebrity. People will make utter fools out of themselves these days to get famous.
See Facebook, YouTube, and reality television. I've never seen so many lonely, desperate, starving-for-attention people in my life than I have in the past ten years. This guy is a symptom of a much bigger problem in our society. Everybody wants to be a star.

I miss your perspective around here, SJP. It helps that I agree with everything you just said, knowing how hard you have worked to establish yourself.