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I bet without having to clip bolts that thing is 13+ tops!

Follow up interview...

http://bostonrockgym.wordpress.com/2009 ... ing-curve/

all climbers should read that...hit the nail on the head.

sorta like when you downclimb v2 instead of finishing the 15 foot topout pigsteak

Sco brought it to my attention that I have yet to top out a warmup at the bouldering area.

Taylor has been working on his film SICK: Climbing in New England for the past year, and I was anxious to get more footage this weekend that we could use. It was definitely intriguing to think that I could get such an ascent on film, after all, this would have been one of the hardest free solos to have ever been done! It was at this thought that my judgment began to get clouded.

(emphasis added)

i never would have guessed that ego and a quest for fame would cloud a climber's judgment.

Josephine wrote: i never would have guessed that ego and a quest for fame would cloud a climber's judgment.

And just how many near misses / injuries have you had? Are those because of your quest for fame / ego? I have seen far more gumbies put themselves in bad places due to over eagerness then I have really strong climbers let their ego get them in trouble.

The free solos / highballs that I have done were not nearly as sketchy as some of the stuff I did back when I was getting started and just didn't know any better, or let my eagerness get the better of my judgment.

It is easy to blame ego's, but the truth is more then that.

From the comments below the story, "Max, what’s the prog on your foot? I had a bouldering accident 22 months ago and had an open wound fracture of tib, fib and discloated my ankle. I’ve had 7 surgeries in the last 22 months and was on crutches for 14 of them. I haven’t been able to walk normally and am still struggling to just get back to normal – i.e. not walk like a retard. The pain is overwhelming and it hasn’t gotten better. I know exactly what you mean, I’ve said the very same things. If I ever boulder or lead again and fall on my ankle, I can kiss it goodbye and get a prosthetic. This has been the hardest thing to accept – that I was once a hardcore climber pushing the grades, and now I’m at best, a top-roper"

Josie is making sense. Sure there are inherent risks with starting out, but why should one try to keep risk a constant (or increase it) as one gains experience by climbing unprotected or high balling?

caribe wrote:Josie is making sense. Sure there are inherent risks with starting out, but why should one try to keep risk a constant (or increase it) as one gains experience by climbing unprotected or high balling?

Risk and consequences are not the same thing. So, free soloing might have higher consequences, the risk might be less then a gumbie leading a trad line.