SP:ers - be proud!!

by **Lolli** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 10:09 pm

Writing in a thread about owning pages etc, I wrote about whose here. Here, on Summitpost.
And thinking about it, it is amazing and the diversity of the members here is a fantastic thing.

There's such a variety on this site, from those who never get out into the real wilderness, to those who spend days and weeks to get to a remote place and climb there without support or comfort. There's hikers who stay on trails, there's those who mainly climb rock routes close to the road, there's FA seekers, there's desert rats and Arctic foxes. There's the big mountain alpinists and the solo rock climbers. There's those who only climb after having beta, there's those who create the beta. We're from all over the world. From those who have the Himalaya as back yard, to the ones who live in vast desert flat land. One cannot expect that everybody shall grasp the reality of another group's achievements. Sometimes we do, and if there's a place to learn that, it's here.

Me, I'm a wanderer in my soul. Roots in the Arctic, south and outbound.
What are you?

The following user would like to thank Lolli for this post
adventurer, Bob Sihler, CheesySciFi, chugach mtn boy, JasonH, John Duffield, kamil, mvs, Nanuls, PAROFES, Proterra, Sierra Ledge Rat

by **adventurer** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:38 am

"Life is like a book, and those who do not travel read only one page"
Augustine

"When you travel; if you reject the food, avoid the people, ignore the customs, and fear the religion, you might as well stay home"
Michener

I've never met anyone from whom I didn't learn something and I've never been anyplace that didn't fascinate me in some way. I'm a traveller.

Great subject, Lolli. Thanks.

by **lcarreau** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:57 am

Vitaliy M wrote:There is a good number of obese people and people in shape...this is awesome. This must be heaven..

"I am a big FAT (proud) DESERT RAT. Please don't give me any lip, HOMES !!!"

The following user would like to thank lcarreau for this post
chugach mtn boy, John Duffield, mrchad9

by **Noondueler** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 1:59 am

lcarreau wrote:
Vitaliy M wrote:There is a good number of obese people and people in shape...this is awesome. This must be heaven..

"I am a big FAT (proud) DESERT RAT. Please don't give me any lip, HOMES !!!"

Com'on Larry! At least you can take pictures of the desert buttes from yer car window!

by **lcarreau** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 2:36 am

Noondueler wrote:Com'on Larry! At least you can take pictures of the desert buttes from yer car window!

The following user would like to thank lcarreau for this post
mrchad9, PAROFES

by **Hotoven** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 2:47 am

I like the Mountains nice and cold. Alaska will do me fine, ahh to dream....then reality sets in....

Thanks for the post Lolli!

by **mrchad9** » Wed Oct 27, 2010 8:36 am

Lolli wrote:Writing in a thread about owning pages etc, I wrote about whose here. Here, on Summitpost.
And thinking about it, it is amazing and the diversity of the members here is a fantastic thing.

There's such a variety on this site, from those who never get out into the real wilderness, to those who spend days and weeks to get to a remote place and climb there without support or comfort. There's hikers who stay on trails, there's those who mainly climb rock routes close to the road, there's FA seekers, there's desert rats and Arctic foxes. There's the big mountain alpinists and the solo rock climbers. There's those who only climb after having beta, there's those who create the beta. We're from all over the world. From those who have the Himalaya as back yard, to the ones who live in vast desert flat land. One cannot expect that everybody shall grasp the reality of another group's achievements. Sometimes we do, and if there's a place to learn that, it's here.

Me, I'm a wanderer in my soul. Roots in the Arctic, south and outbound.
What are you?

Great OP. I'm proud of SP too. I used SP for years before signing up, probably since about 2005 when I noticed I tended to head there for the best information after a Google search. Soon I started coming straight here. It always has great information for peakbagging during weekend getaways, be it peaks in the area, route descriptions, or just an aid in deciding what might be interesting and fun. I would log onto the site, print off some pages and maps, and be ready to go.

Those that contributed pages built up this site and drew me to it, and continue to do so. Sharing information with others, be they hikers, rock climbers, winter mountaineering, cross country skiing, canyoneers, or anything else is a rewarding experience. I finally signed up after years of using SP after one particular page was very helpful in its route description. I wanted to vote on this person's page so they new that it was appreciated, and maybe even give something back to the site. It's always a satisfying feeling, whether standing on a summit enjoying the view after a long or difficult route, or helping another do so either because they are new, you have been there, or maybe you just know the latest snow conditions.

I love so many outdoor activities, and it's encouraging to see many other like minded people from different backgrounds sharing, getting out, and enjoying all the outdoors have to offer.

The following user would like to thank mrchad9 for this post
Bob Sihler, PAROFES

by **Bob Sihler** » Wed Oct 27, 2010 12:03 pm

Good post above, and good thread. (Maybe more like these would be good for us all.)

Me, I found this site back in 2003 or 2004 when I was looking for info on Mount Elbert. The Colorado hiking guide I owned had nothing on it, but I wanted to know if the way to the top of the highest peak in the Rockies was a hike, climb or whatever. So I did a search that took me to GORP, and there I found some link that ultimately took me to SP.

I joined in 2004 and made a couple pages (not very good at first, and I eventually deleted and resubmitted them), was inactive for a long time, and came back in late 2006 to the new SP, and that's when I became a regular contributor.

Oh, and that summer I did use Fred Spicker's pages about two Glacier National Park peaks to help plan and complete successful climbs. His page on the north face/east couloir of Reynolds was especially helpful.

As far as climbing itself goes, I don't know what to call myself really. I'm not a peakbagger even though I climb as many peaks as I can during my trips; I associate peakbagging with tick lists, and I don't keep those. I'm not a rock climber by any means even though I do some rock climbing. And I like to work with the axe and crampons, but I'm not a true alpinist, taking on mixed routes on big peaks.

Similar to the OP, I am a wanderer. And an explorer, I guess. I love to study maps and plan attempts on peaks that have no information about them out there. One year's photo subjects become next year's objectives. The thrill of finding my own way up, be it a hike or a climb with some technical spots, really motivates me. So do solitude and wilderness. My absolute favorite peaks are the "uncharted" ones that have no cairns or registers because I can get the feeling, however illusory, that no one else has ever been there. The best days are ones that turn into roaming ridges and drainages for hours, visiting different summits and just seeing what there is to see.

I like to share those experiences on SP and try my best to convey my feelings about them in my pages. That's part of why I'm so against a wiki approach here; I put feeling into my pages, not just the cold, hard facts.

But SP or no SP, I am every day so glad I pursue outdoor interests. I roamed the woods and streams when I was a kid, got away from those things in college when drinking and decadence seemed more important, and rediscovered them in a drunken moment late at night in the mountains that was like an epiphany. And it has enriched my life immeasurably, maybe even saved it, for I was on a bad track before I met the mountains (and my wife).

by NW » Wed Oct 27, 2010 12:27 pm

I found this site about 2 1/2 years ago when looking up some information. Then when I was trying to arrange a trip to a remote mountain in northern labrador this was one of the few places that actually had any info on the mountain itself, there was even a trip report! So now if I want any info I come here first and foremost. It's easy to get a good idea of what a trip will entail and the personal experiences make it so much better then as stated above just the facts. Plus there are always really great photos here to enjoy! The mountains gave me something to think and focus on besides the sometimes mundanity that surrounds day to day life. Something to plan for and get my kids excited about when they come with me. I enjoy every aspect of pursuing these adventures and thanks to this site have easy access to let my lust for adventure and new places run free. My poor husband may not be as thankful as he has to hear about me go on and on about our upcoming trip and potential future trip details but hey, it gets him there doesn't it? A big thanks to all the people who put effort into making this site great, whether it be from interest in helping people plan, trip reports, phots etc. It all takes time to put up so it's nice to see so many people taking the time. Or maybe it's just that here we can find people that are as crazy as ourselves.....

by **PAROFES** » Wed Oct 27, 2010 1:39 pm

Lolli wrote:Writing in a thread about owning pages etc, I wrote about whose here. Here, on Summitpost.
And thinking about it, it is amazing and the diversity of the members here is a fantastic thing.

There's such a variety on this site, from those who never get out into the real wilderness, to those who spend days and weeks to get to a remote place and climb there without support or comfort. There's hikers who stay on trails, there's those who mainly climb rock routes close to the road, there's FA seekers, there's desert rats and Arctic foxes. There's the big mountain alpinists and the solo rock climbers. There's those who only climb after having beta, there's those who create the beta. We're from all over the world. From those who have the Himalaya as back yard, to the ones who live in vast desert flat land. One cannot expect that everybody shall grasp the reality of another group's achievements. Sometimes we do, and if there's a place to learn that, it's here.

Me, I'm a wanderer in my soul. Roots in the Arctic, south and outbound.
What are you?

I know i don't write here as much as i should as one of the most active brazilian SPers, but sometimes when i see threads like this one, i just can't keep my mouth shut (or my fingers to type hehehe). What an amazing insight you had Lolli!

So: If we have to put an lable on ourselves, i think i would be the one who seeks the most remote mountains and places. For instance, i have a questionable first brazilian ascent on a big volcano at Atacama (Aucanquilcha - 20262 ft), and another one i am positive sure i was the first brazilian (San Pedro volcano - 20161 ft). And i did solo, without any hot food (i left my cooking stove at San Pedro de Atacama), without my tent (bivouac at 4.480 m. and at 5.300 m.), eating just canned tuna fish and pringles, and drinking just isotonics, almost froze my hands. 4 days (summit at 3rd day).
That way, the adventure speaks for itself!

Got myself a profile at SP back in oct 2008, but did not use too much, uploaded some photos but that's it. Who told me to improve my pages was my friend EricChu. So around jan or feb 2009 i started to improve and access more and more SP. I am here to share and admire!

Cheers!

Paulo

by **PAROFES** » Wed Oct 27, 2010 1:41 pm

lcarreau wrote:
Noondueler wrote:Com'on Larry! At least you can take pictures of the desert buttes from yer car window!

Ahahaha Noon, you see?! He has one already!

by **Charles** » Wed Oct 27, 2010 2:06 pm

PAROFES wrote:
I know i don't write here as much as i should as one of the most active brazilian SPers, but sometimes when i see threads like this one, i just can't keep my mouth shut (or my fingers to type hehehe). What an amazing insight you had Lolli!

So: If we have to put an lable on ourselves, i think i would be the one who seeks the most remote mountains and places. For instance, i have a questionable first brazilian ascent on a big volcano at Atacama (Aucanquilcha - 20262 ft), and another one i am positive sure i was the first brazilian (San Pedro volcano - 20161 ft). And i did solo, without any hot food (i left my cooking stove at San Pedro de Atacama), without my tent (bivouac at 4.480 m. and at 5.300 m.), eating just canned tuna fish and pringles, and drinking just isotonics, almost froze my hands. 4 days (summit at 3rd day).
That way, the adventure speaks for itself!

Got myself a profile at SP back in oct 2008, but did not use too much, uploaded some photos but that's it. Who told me to improve my pages was my friend EricChu. So around jan or feb 2009 i started to improve and access more and more SP. I am here to share and admire!

Cheers!

Paulo

I think if I put a lable on myself it would be "50% off whilst stocks last".

by **kamil** » Wed Oct 27, 2010 6:10 pm

Nice thread Lolli - thanks!

I joined SP in 2005 looking for info before a trip to Balkan mountains. We joined forces with two Czech guys going to the same place, they were friends of one SP-er. He was supposed to join us too but sadly he died in an accident in another mountain range in the Balkans a few weeks before the planned meeting...
Since then SP is my main beta source for all trips and I try to share what I know in return.

My path in the mountains is more or less the same as Bob's and Paulo's. I'm a bit of each - mountaineer, hiker, trad and sport climber, depending on the moment in my life. I especially like exploring the most obscure peaks in the middle of nowhere, sometimes looking for FA's.

by **Augie Medina** » Wed Oct 27, 2010 6:43 pm

Nice to have a "wholesome" thread

Thanks Lolli. Yes, I agree there's good reason to have pride in SP. It's a wonderful place, vitriolic threads excepted (but even that has its place I suppose). In life's daily journey, I enjoy making a stop here to see what's on people's minds and the latest contributions.

Augie

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