wma204 wrote:

Alpinist wrote:Mt Hood is a great winter climb for a beginner. It's relatively easy, close to the city of Portland, and the weather is mild all year round. No experience necessary.

(Psst - just kidding.)

If you're looking for something easier to start out with, there's a mini SP gathering planned for Feb to climb Eagle Mtn in MN. You're welcome to join.

I'm actually going to have to respectfully disagree with this. Hood, although not a very technically difficult climb, is a mountain nonetheless. She has taken the lives of a number of climbers and even right now there is a search and rescue effort for two "experienced" climbers. The weather has been known to be poor on Hood this time of year. I would always recommend learning from an experienced climber. Their wisdom from years of experience is priceless. I'm not sure where you're from but if there are climbing stores in your area, the people that work there tend to be a wealth of information and can often point you in the right direction of someone willing to take you under their wing. Happy climbing!

i changed my name to stormflap!

i agree a winter climb is definitely not a good idea for a beginner. but i think the poster was just being ironic or something... i hope

stormflap wrote:

wma204 wrote:

Alpinist wrote:Mt Hood is a great winter climb for a beginner. It's relatively easy, close to the city of Portland, and the weather is mild all year round. No experience necessary.

(Psst - just kidding.)

If you're looking for something easier to start out with, there's a mini SP gathering planned for Feb to climb Eagle Mtn in MN. You're welcome to join.

I'm actually going to have to respectfully disagree with this. Hood, although not a very technically difficult climb, is a mountain nonetheless. She has taken the lives of a number of climbers and even right now there is a search and rescue effort for two "experienced" climbers. The weather has been known to be poor on Hood this time of year. I would always recommend learning from an experienced climber. Their wisdom from years of experience is priceless. I'm not sure where you're from but if there are climbing stores in your area, the people that work there tend to be a wealth of information and can often point you in the right direction of someone willing to take you under their wing. Happy climbing!

i changed my name to stormflap!

i agree a winter climb is definitely not a good idea for a beginner. but i think the poster was just being ironic or something... i hope

Oops...yeah just saw the "just kidding". That's what I get for trying to multi-task during class.

wma204 wrote:

stormflap wrote:

wma204 wrote:

Alpinist wrote:Mt Hood is a great winter climb for a beginner. It's relatively easy, close to the city of Portland, and the weather is mild all year round. No experience necessary.

(Psst - just kidding.)

If you're looking for something easier to start out with, there's a mini SP gathering planned for Feb to climb Eagle Mtn in MN. You're welcome to join.

I'm actually going to have to respectfully disagree with this. Hood, although not a very technically difficult climb, is a mountain nonetheless. She has taken the lives of a number of climbers and even right now there is a search and rescue effort for two "experienced" climbers. The weather has been known to be poor on Hood this time of year. I would always recommend learning from an experienced climber. Their wisdom from years of experience is priceless. I'm not sure where you're from but if there are climbing stores in your area, the people that work there tend to be a wealth of information and can often point you in the right direction of someone willing to take you under their wing. Happy climbing!

i changed my name to stormflap!

i agree a winter climb is definitely not a good idea for a beginner. but i think the poster was just being ironic or something... i hope

Oops...yeah just saw the "just kidding". That's what I get for trying to multi-task during class.

i see it too! i just noticed it. its soo tiny

Dingus Milktoast wrote:I say throw caution into the wind! If you are destined to climb mountains then you will bloody by god find a way to climb mountains. If you are just wanking your e-penis on a climbing forum about all the craps you WILL SOMEDAY DO... it makes no difference. You can't die on Mt Hood while sitting in Chicago, or on a beach in Galveston.

Its true, to a degree. I would wait till your more of an accomplished outdoors person until you start getting risky though. You learn twice as fast when you take risk, but the gamble is, it could be fatal, then you just look stupid, and your dead, but if you make it, your bad ass and have one hell of a story to tell and remember.

Take it easy for a few years, then your mad gambles with nature will be more mature, and those craze ideas you had when you were young, will be more do able once your more of a developed person and climber.

(I'm just saying, some of us need a little more excitement then just hiking and following the beaten path... )

completely off topic, but back to the initial subject of the post:

dude i sent you a PM about climbing in chicago. check it.

MarthaP wrote: At your age your prefrontal lobe is still developing and your concept of logic and mortality is non-existent.

AHHHH So true.

This is why you need to go climbing now.... right now, and use this immaturity to your benefit.

Take up rock climbing, these are strengths not weakness.

But look out in the mountains, they are a different world, with dangers you can't imagine.

Just be sure to have some fun.

stormflap wrote: by the way MarthaP i am aware of the mt.hood rescue efforts. even tho its all over cnn.. i keep up with climbing news. the subject of mortality in this sport is not new to me. i finished reading my everest story when i was twelve years old. two years later i called mark pfetzer on the land line and went down a list of questions i had about the 1996 tragedy. we talked about scott fischer as well. being aware of those events at such a young age makes a difference. it always has. this isnt something i decided to do last week. if i had the money when i was twelve i would have started then

Ah, so you're an ARMCHAIR mountaineer without a fully developed prefrontal lobe.

That's even scarier than your first post!

Big difference between talkin' the talk and walkin' the walk. See you on CNN.

MarthaP wrote:

stormflap wrote: by the way MarthaP i am aware of the mt.hood rescue efforts. even tho its all over cnn.. i keep up with climbing news. the subject of mortality in this sport is not new to me. i finished reading my everest story when i was twelve years old. two years later i called mark pfetzer on the land line and went down a list of questions i had about the 1996 tragedy. we talked about scott fischer as well. being aware of those events at such a young age makes a difference. it always has. this isnt something i decided to do last week. if i had the money when i was twelve i would have started then

Ah, so you're an ARMCHAIR mountaineer without a fully developed prefrontal lobe.

That's even scarier than your first post!

Big difference between talkin' the talk and walkin' the walk. See you on CNN.

yea when i was twelve i enjoyed reading books about the mountains and i still do. so i guess anyone who reads books beforehand to gain perspective and wants to hire a guide to learn skills will end up on cnn. ok.

anyway...aside from all of that i still hear what ur saying on the positive side. but i still dont understand your negative reaction to my wanting to hire a guide to learn. sorry

Its cool dude, MarthaP just doesn't want you to get hurt.

If you want to climb Rainier, you should work your way up to it. Climb some 10k peaks, then some 12k, and work your way up. Your experience in the outdoors gives you more common sense. Get into rock climbing so you know ropes and knots, then backpacking so you can efficiently travel with big loads, take a class on crevasse Rescue. Then maybe do Mt. Adams, or Mt. Hood so you learn how to do snow and alpine climbing with all the gear you will need on Rainier. Its almost the same minus the glacier travel and a few thousand feet.

When you go for the guided climb, IMHO, you should be able to do it yourself, or you shouldn't' be there at all. I will never put my 100% trust in any guide. So when I climb denali, I want to be able to do it on my own strength and ability. Even if I get a guide who knows the Mountain really good, I still want enough skill to get me through on my own. Its just playing on the safe side. You live only once!

Hotoven wrote:Its cool dude, MarthaP just doesn't want you to get hurt.

If you want to climb Rainier, you should work your way up to it. Climb some 10k peaks, then some 12k, and work your way up. Your experience in the outdoors gives you more common sense. Get into rock climbing so you know ropes and knots, then backpacking so you can efficiently travel with big loads, take a class on crevasse Rescue. Then maybe do Mt. Adams, or Mt. Hood so you learn how to do snow and alpine climbing with all the gear you will need on Rainier. Its almost the same minus the glacier travel and a few thousand feet.

When you go for the guided climb, IMHO, you should be able to do it yourself, or you shouldn't' be there at all. I will never put my 100% trust in any guide. So when I climb denali, I want to be able to do it on my own strength and ability. Even if I get a guide who knows the Mountain really good, I still want enough skill to get me through on my own. Its just playing on the safe side. You live only once!

yea ive been thinking about mt.borah in idaho. at 12,668 its class 3 climbing with a very small bit of extra exposure close to the summit. ive already been to the top during the summer. but ive been thinking about doing an early spring climb up there before rainier so i can learn to walk on the ice and snow. but things like that are what i would have learned in the skills course with rmi either way.. i know the knots already. ive been practicing those for years. i try to get out for atlease a of week backpacking every year as well. im considering some lower less technical peaks before rainier. it was an idea i had for a long time but ive been sooo eager to see rainier i feel i can learn in the same fashion either way. what you say abt climbing minus the glacier travel is something ill consider for sure.

I read all the books when I was 13 to.

I have a good friend who is from Michigan, his dream was El Cap. He learned Big Wall stuff from Tree and Building climbing...... Most folks thought he was nuts.

Got his ass out here and UP El Cap..... NO SMALL FEAT AT ALL.

Now he lives out here, climbs all the time.

So all I can say is this: Go For It.

see where it leads, death should be the least of your fears.

Guyzo wrote:I read all the books when I was 13 to.

I have a good friend who is from Michigan, his dream was El Cap. He learned Big Wall stuff from Tree and Building climbing...... Most folks thought he was nuts.

Got his ass out here and UP El Cap..... NO SMALL FEAT AT ALL.

Now he lives out here, climbs all the time.

So all I can say is this: Go For It.

see where it leads, death should be the least of your fears.

Good inspiration!

+1.5

Kudos to stormflap for taking the time to PM this critic and talk directly about his experience and dreams.

That alone speaks volumes - it takes a courageous soul and level head to write someone who could likely bite his head off. And speaks about someone who is more interested in the mountains than his own ego.

I apologize for causing you any unnecessary trepidation, Dan. As hotoven says I'm simply concerned for your safety.

Take copious notes, share your learning ('cause we can all learn something new) and happy trails.

Martha

im glad to get knocked around a little to see things from a different point of view. thanks