Cecilrhodes wrote:Anyone at all annoyed by Marmaduke - who has done and still does virtually nowt - taking to task Dow Williams, who is arguably SP's greatest contributor? Even though Dow's work is way beyond my abilities - and I am unlikely to ever do trad - I always enjoy reading his submissions. Outstanding reports and photographs.
Marmaduke, you need to tear yourself away from the keyboard and actually DO something outside, per Vitaly (who has come on in massive leaps and bounds since embarking on his outdoor adventures), before you argue the toss with folk whose carabiners you are unworthy to lick.
And Chapter 11 - congrats on your Seven Summits, a wonderful achievement by any stretch. However, I think what got people's goat here is your "retiring from mountaineering" remarks. To the real outdoorsmen here like Dow, Vitaly, Moapa, Chief, getting out in the mountains is almost a spiritual quest, a lifelong passion - like the passion of a surfer for the wave. To simply tick the boxes and then jettison the hallowed calling seems tantamount to sacrilege!
Cecil, be annoyed. I don't give a shit. Viatliy in part is just trying to get under my skin, and the fact that he has esculated his climbing so quickly is a wonderful acheivment and I have said that to him. I'm not taking Dow to task and I have had many correspondence with Dow. He's given me advice on mountains in Banff and I respect his climbing. But it is a reasonable question. I don't agree with you all that want to beat up on Chpater 11. Dow has tended to side with that point of view. So it's a good question, if he doen't like or agree with that type of "climber", will he still take his money as a guide?
Chapter 11 went out to climb with his Dad and he has those memories. And a lot of you are assuming that is ALL he was out to do. That he doesn't hike otr love the mountains.
As to what I have hiked, I have said from the outset I will not hike anything technical. Class 3 will be it and if you don't think I can have an opinion because I don't climb 5.7 or 5.12c walls, tough shit. I hike because I truly love the mountains, I wish I could have discovered this earlier in life. Why don't you go to the elitest thread where more of your type hang out
Have a nice day Cecil.