SummitPost.org

Yikes. Pics?

cp0915 wrote:Yikes. Pics?

Your wish is my command:

And the ledge went? Nice!

cp0915 wrote:And the ledge went? Nice!

Well, two of them did.

http://www.summitpost.org/route/545645/ ... eacon.html

We thought it was very cool. However, people had been to the summit but no evidence that they had climbed there.

You can't prove you were first.

So, is there a first ascent and a first visit?

Also:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/threa ... #msg938401

Hotoven wrote:I try to let it as the same as when I first arrived. I'm sure someone else will come along and think they were the first person to get there. In my mind, its not a big deal. As long as I have fun doing what I do, I could care less about being the first person on top.

I agree. Although, if I'd been the first person to climb a major Himalayan or Andean peak, I suppose I might feel a bit differently.

AS for the OP, I have no doubt I did many FA's in my younger days along the Illawarra escarpment above the city of Wollongong, NSW. Back then, it never occurred to us to worry about whether it was an FA or not. We just did it for fun. A lot of the places we climbed though, had no sign of previous visits. THis is actually no big deal since the escarpment is probably about 40km long so there's still a lot of room for FA's even today. Smatterofact, some of my old climbs on Mt Kiera actually fell off last year, so there's a few more FA's going begging right there.

dadndave wrote:

Hotoven wrote:I try to let it as the same as when I first arrived. I'm sure someone else will come along and think they were the first person to get there. In my mind, its not a big deal. As long as I have fun doing what I do, I could care less about being the first person on top.

I agree. Although, if I'd been the first person to climb a major Himalayan or Andean peak, I suppose I might feel a bit differently.

In a lot of ways, that's the crux of it. While I applaud Hotoven and folks like him for sacrificing possible notoriety so that others can feel good, it seems like the difficulty or reputation or, hell, even the look of the peak often makes a big difference too.

If I go climb some frightening peak that no one I know could do, almost kill myself getting there, and have an epic climb... well, it's a little harder to be altruistic in such a situation.

Speaking of, I'm heading down south to check out another sick, ugly summit tomorrow. Surely I'll be patching up injuries when I next check this thread. Happy climbing to y'all....

How'd it go, Walter? You still alive?

Yeah, banged out a few more this week. I've got cuts over my cuts. Don't worry though, there are still a few to climb if you make it out this winter or spring....

I'm gonna try (and I have a 4-day trip in your neck o' the woods over Thanksgiving), though it's GC canyoneering-focused. Maybe you care to join us?

Personally most of the times I don't care if its a first ascent or a second or a third or....

According to a guidebook on one route we did, Hugo and I and Shell did a second ascent about 2 weeks before the first but I really doubt that I was even the first....

While on route I'll look for signs for previous ascents (slings, fixed gear.....).

I'll check the guidebook, ask around, especially guides and the authors of the local guidebooks. Then I'll ask why it hasn't been done. A couple of my FA's I know why they hadn't been done (one involved a 120ft run out and the other a 190ft run out (I'm not bold, just stupid enough to get tricked into thinking I can get gear just above me).

CClaude wrote:(I'm not bold, just stupid enough to get tricked into thinking I can get gear just above me).

For an entire pitch? I'd say you're selling yourself way short.