Other Sports

[dkst0426]

Did a couple of (much) smaller climbs and bouldering with some friends out at Yosemite almost 20 years ago. We ended up going about 100 ft up El Cap just to say we did, and it's a pretty terrifying challenge. What that guy did is out of this world, let alone in less than 4 hours from start to summit.

 

[sivartrenrag]

Climbers have been speculating for years about a possible free solo of El Capitan, but there have only been two other people who have publicly said they seriously considered it. One was Michael Reardon, a free soloist who drowned in 2007 after being swept from a ledge below a sea cliff in Ireland. The other was Dean Potter, who died in a base jumping accident in Yosemite in 2015.

John Bachar, the greatest free soloist of the 1970s, who died while climbing un-roped in 2009 at age 52, never considered it. When Bachar was in his prime, El Capitan had still never been free climbed. Peter Croft, 58, who completed the landmark free solo of the 1980s—Yosemite’s 1,000-foot Astroman—never seriously contemplated El Capitan, but he knew somebody would eventually do it.

Dead, dead, dead. I would avoid.

 

[ZackM]

Climbers have been speculating for years about a possible free solo of El Capitan, but there have only been two other people who have publicly said they seriously considered it. One was Michael Reardon, a free soloist who drowned in 2007 after being swept from a ledge below a sea cliff in Ireland. The other was Dean Potter, who died in a base jumping accident in Yosemite in 2015.

John Bachar, the greatest free soloist of the 1970s, who died while climbing un-roped in 2009 at age 52, never considered it. When Bachar was in his prime, El Capitan had still never been free climbed. Peter Croft, 58, who completed the landmark free solo of the 1980s—Yosemite’s 1,000-foot Astroman—never seriously contemplated El Capitan, but he knew somebody would eventually do it.

Dead, dead, dead. I would avoid.

Yeah, no thanks.

 

[bdotling]

my palms are sweating just reading this thread

 

[deeyoukayeee]

Watch the 60 minutes on this dude if you want sweaty palms:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR1jwwagtaQ

More than the incomprehensible physical prowess required, the psychological aspect is mind-bending. He apparently can totally shut down his amygdala and literally become 'fearless'. It will be sad when he dies, but he is so calmly lucid about it that you can almost understand his point. The video of the El Capitan ascent will be insane.

 

[ZackM]

The thing that makes me uneasy while watching that isn't the immediate danger with each move, it's imagining the absolute dread if you become too weak to continue and have to just sit helplessly until you accept your fate and fall to your death.

 

[deeyoukayeee]

While that is likely true of almost anyone who tries what he did, and even some of the best alpine guys who are more prone to get stuck in horrific situations for days on end, I don't think it is a risk with what he does. There are vids/interviews out there where he climbs at much lower heights or roped up for 16 hours at a time. All indications are that he is immaculately prepared for these things - makes sense - and that failure would almost have to be accidental. Unfortunately, accidents will almost certainly happen at some point.

 

[dkst0426]

The "good" thing about El Cap is the type of face and rock that it is isn't too prone to a loose rock or piece just giving way, so you have a stable crag and a guy with otherworldly levels of technical ability AND confidence/lunacy, and there's your combination for success.

 

[dkst0426]

Short clip:

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/170606-alex-honnold-el-capitan-vin-spd

 

[physicsfactor]

I always want those guys to fall. I know that's horrible, but it's what I think every time I see someone doing something so stupid.

 

[Topher]

Natural selection doesn't strike often enough imo

 

[deepdarkblue]

I always want those guys to fall. I know that's horrible, but it's what I think every time I see someone doing something so stupid.

"Gravity, asshole. It's the fucking LAW!"

 

[bdotling]

3 on 3 basketball coming to the Olympics

 

[DurhamSon]

 

[SeanMayTriedToEatMe]

Those seem off to me. Why would people think this is a 90/10 or 80/20 fight? They are around the same weight and reach. Mayweather won't be touched by an unskilled boxer. The thinking must be that Mayweather won't even train for this fight out of arrogance, whereas McGregor will approach this like a king-making fight, the biggest event of his life.

 

[torontoduke]

I would assume there is a previous example of an MMA fighter turning to boxing exclusively, or vice versa. How did that work out?

 

[rhfarmer]

What do those odds even mean?

 

[SeanMayTriedToEatMe]

Floyd Mayweather does not have enough cash/investments to pay his taxes.
http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/1 ... y-reprieve

This may be the foremost reason to be a Republican. The government is going to force us to pay for this destitute man's welfare and Medicaid payments in a few years. He has made $700 million in his career.

 

[deepdarkblue]

 

[torontoduke]

I love that the opposing players gave him a high 5. Wow.