From all your amazing trip reports, one would have never known your fear of heights. This report gives me hope and encouragement. Looking to push my boundaries and take on much more challenging mountains. Thanks for posting.
My pleasure. I felt it was worth writing a TR to illustrate the idea that just because you have a fear of heights doesn't mean you'll always be limited by it!
I still remain stubborn about avoiding my fear of falling, though :-P
And a good read. I never climbed anything 1/10 as scary and challenging as this stuff but I wasn't really afraid of anything I did climb until out of the blue I did develop constant fear while climbing; of falling; of being on the rock up high. As I tell people today, I realized that the constant fear while climbing was no longer outweighed by the thrill of accomplishment or being on top so I stopped climbing and then I had a child ending my freedom to climb anyway!
Yep, it's hard to find that balance, and where that balance is seems to change over time. Hopefully You can at least get out for some hill hiking! The Appalachians/Adirondacks seemed pretty good for that :-)
Dang. Well one of these days we should either meet up at the Creek or for some C0 14er climbing. I see a number of nice traverses and technical routes to do there!
You've come a long way since our first epic on the W ridge of Conness, Mark. To see you overcome your (at the time) obvious difficulty with exposure is inspiring, as is your marked improvement in climbing. Given your determination, constant pushing yourself, & implicit knack for overcoming technical difficulties (not to mention your current free-climbing standards), I think you'll kick ass when you finally jump off the deep end into the big-wall game. We'll have to get on one together in the not-too-distant future.
Thanks for the kind words. Now that I'm getting up to a moderate climbing standard, we should have some more shared goals again. Have you done WFoLT, The Prow, or Skull Queen yet?
What a great TR! I appreciate you spending the time making this and explaining the process. The pictures are also just amazing to study! Thank you again. – Aaron
And congratulations on your climb. As Alex Lowe once said, "The best climber in the world is the one having the most fun". Seems like you're having your share.
I also started climbing for the same reason: I came to terms with my fear or heights in my teens atop the Twin Towers. First time I made it up a gym wall, I couldn't wait to be lowered. 3 years later, I found myself on exposed ridges in the Sierra with 1000s of ft of drop either side, and actually enjoying it. I think this one of the things that makes climbing so rewarding. What seems impossible comes within your reach, and you end up a different person in the end, having overcome your own challenges.
It's been awhile since a TR grabbed my attention, but yours had me with the introduction and then wowed me with the great photos! I suddenly developed an intense fear of heights when I was about eleven. There is no event that I can tie to the sudden desire I had to cling to the inside of trails, even on mellow mountains like Lassen. Over time, my love of mountains has pushed me to overcome my fear and take on peaks, scrambles, and brief climbs that would have petrified me in the past, but my hands begin to sweat imagining taking on the challenges you have. It is inspiring to see someone take fears head on and conquer them.
okworldwide - Nov 19, 2011 10:57 am - Hasn't voted
Krank
Your creativity and ambition are in"spiring"! Super impressive.
Thanks.
Kevin
Alex Wood - Nov 7, 2011 3:07 am - Voted 10/10
Simply Awesomegreat read! great work on the trip report! All the photos are amazing!
PellucidWombat - Nov 7, 2011 11:52 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Simply AwesomeThanks!
Garfimi - Nov 7, 2011 12:26 pm - Voted 10/10
Good StuffFrom all your amazing trip reports, one would have never known your fear of heights. This report gives me hope and encouragement. Looking to push my boundaries and take on much more challenging mountains. Thanks for posting.
PellucidWombat - Nov 7, 2011 3:49 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Good StuffMy pleasure. I felt it was worth writing a TR to illustrate the idea that just because you have a fear of heights doesn't mean you'll always be limited by it!
I still remain stubborn about avoiding my fear of falling, though :-P
silversummit - Nov 7, 2011 12:56 pm - Voted 10/10
Amazing pictures!And a good read. I never climbed anything 1/10 as scary and challenging as this stuff but I wasn't really afraid of anything I did climb until out of the blue I did develop constant fear while climbing; of falling; of being on the rock up high. As I tell people today, I realized that the constant fear while climbing was no longer outweighed by the thrill of accomplishment or being on top so I stopped climbing and then I had a child ending my freedom to climb anyway!
PellucidWombat - Nov 7, 2011 8:36 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Amazing pictures!Yep, it's hard to find that balance, and where that balance is seems to change over time. Hopefully You can at least get out for some hill hiking! The Appalachians/Adirondacks seemed pretty good for that :-)
PellucidWombat - Nov 9, 2011 1:10 am - Hasn't voted
Re: nice mark!Thanks! It was an amazing climb.
So I can't tempt you out to IC this November? :-)
PellucidWombat - Nov 10, 2011 2:41 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: nice mark!Dang. Well one of these days we should either meet up at the Creek or for some C0 14er climbing. I see a number of nice traverses and technical routes to do there!
Diggler - Nov 9, 2011 3:51 pm - Voted 10/10
CongratsYou've come a long way since our first epic on the W ridge of Conness, Mark. To see you overcome your (at the time) obvious difficulty with exposure is inspiring, as is your marked improvement in climbing. Given your determination, constant pushing yourself, & implicit knack for overcoming technical difficulties (not to mention your current free-climbing standards), I think you'll kick ass when you finally jump off the deep end into the big-wall game. We'll have to get on one together in the not-too-distant future.
PellucidWombat - Nov 10, 2011 2:44 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: CongratsThanks for the kind words. Now that I'm getting up to a moderate climbing standard, we should have some more shared goals again. Have you done WFoLT, The Prow, or Skull Queen yet?
RayMondo - Nov 13, 2011 5:40 am - Voted 10/10
Real informativeViews that I've neither seen for real or in photos. Darn awesome.
MoapaPk - Nov 13, 2011 11:54 am - Voted 10/10
wowI rarely vote on anything these days, but you had my heart pumping.
Bascuela - Nov 13, 2011 1:37 pm - Hasn't voted
Great TRWhat a great TR! I appreciate you spending the time making this and explaining the process. The pictures are also just amazing to study! Thank you again. – Aaron
Bob Burd - Nov 13, 2011 2:56 pm - Voted 10/10
Impressive!Wonderful photos and descriptions Mark. Thanks for sharing this.
ElGreco - Nov 14, 2011 2:36 am - Voted 10/10
Great read!And congratulations on your climb. As Alex Lowe once said, "The best climber in the world is the one having the most fun". Seems like you're having your share.
I also started climbing for the same reason: I came to terms with my fear or heights in my teens atop the Twin Towers. First time I made it up a gym wall, I couldn't wait to be lowered. 3 years later, I found myself on exposed ridges in the Sierra with 1000s of ft of drop either side, and actually enjoying it. I think this one of the things that makes climbing so rewarding. What seems impossible comes within your reach, and you end up a different person in the end, having overcome your own challenges.
Good luck on your big wall quest!
sharperblue - Nov 14, 2011 12:21 pm - Voted 10/10
kewl!Just echoing the sentiments above: great write-up, Wombat, and congrats on the climb!
colinr - Nov 15, 2011 3:40 am - Voted 10/10
Outstanding!It's been awhile since a TR grabbed my attention, but yours had me with the introduction and then wowed me with the great photos! I suddenly developed an intense fear of heights when I was about eleven. There is no event that I can tie to the sudden desire I had to cling to the inside of trails, even on mellow mountains like Lassen. Over time, my love of mountains has pushed me to overcome my fear and take on peaks, scrambles, and brief climbs that would have petrified me in the past, but my hands begin to sweat imagining taking on the challenges you have. It is inspiring to see someone take fears head on and conquer them.
okworldwide - Nov 19, 2011 10:57 am - Hasn't voted
KrankYour creativity and ambition are in"spiring"! Super impressive.
Thanks.
Kevin