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climbing general trip reports

Then the storm would pass, and they would go back to their primitive lives, chasing rabbits and impregnating their womenfolk.

The world’s most mediocre climbers have discovered a dangerous new way to defy gravity — free soloing above a lake, which sometimes has swell from passing motorboats, which makes it really extreme, and totally hardcore.

I’ve just seen the future of climbing. It’s not on Everest, or a wind-lashed Patagonian spire, nor is it on some gargantuan wall in Yosemite Valley. It’s in West Virginia, on some sandstone cliffs above Summersville Lake.

I insinuated myself into a clan of cragrats, practitioners of a new mode of climbing called “deepwater soloing.” I was bobbing in the swell from passing speedboats at the mouth of a gaping cavern, watching the 31-year-old American phenomenon Terence ‘Vegas’ Kudo perform on an as yet unclimbed route he was calling ‘Vegas in a Blender’.

…. back to what you were doing people, there’s nothing to see here.

deep water soloing

 

deep water soloing

Oh, and we did things on dry land too. I’m not sure why. Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun … to play in a suntrap.

hawks nest dam

Today’s title brought to your courtesy of a random quote from johnnyb. Today’s images brought to you courtesy of the EOFSO – Equal Opportunities for Stalkers Organisation, as well as Vegas (first image, and squad of ninjas), Boer (second image, sound effects and staff twirling skills).

3 replies on “Then the storm would pass, and they would go back to their primitive lives, chasing rabbits and impregnating their womenfolk.”

deep soloing you say….the next Olympic sport! *bites back for getting bites from Alex for not inviting you to C-Club* :) unless you’re going to be in Melbourne this weekend???

Hey, don’t bite me, I didn’t bite you! And no, I can safely say I will not be in Melbourne this weekend. Unless they decide to deport me…

Hmm, that can be arranged. I hear you’re about to be party to an attempt to defraud customs here! ;)

Deep water soloing? Oh dear, what next, trad jumping?! ;) I’ve just watched Dan Osman’s segment in Masters of Stone V – and am now having flashbacks to him jumping on people to dislodge them from their deep water solo .. (amongst other less funny antics.)

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