Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 10:27 am
wow. thanks for posting.
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Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 11:28 am
stuff like nuts falling off the harness isnt toooooo weird, ive climbed with someone who unclipped a pair of shoes from his harness at the second pitch of a climb, but his harness fell off?? skeeeetchy
Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 11:41 am
Great story. We can all take something from this one...choose your partners carefully.
Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 11:43 am
reminds me of a couple folks i know... or knew... not sure what happened to them.
Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 12:05 pm
I just about spit my ice tea on my screen when i read the nipple ring part. You're a saint, epic Mike would still be up there if I would have been his unfortunate partner.
Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 2:17 pm
i couldn't stop laughing when i read "This guy had better not play any Russian Roulette, because he'd lose with NO BULLETS in the gun." 
mark - thanks for sharing your story.
mark - thanks for sharing your story.
Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 3:40 pm
It's this kind of stuff that lead me to realize that while a few of my best climbing experiences were with pick up partners, ALL OF MY WORST experiences were with same. It just isn't worth it.
The first time I climbed in Eldorado Canyon, we were relative beginners, and felt like we were ready for the challenge of the Bastille Crack (5.7). We were about half way up the route, and looked across to Redgarden Wall. There were two guys on The Bulge. The leader was above the namesake bulge, way run out, and seemed to be kind of stuck at a crux move. I could see his belayer far below, clipped in to the belay, but without any attachment to the lead rope what-so-ever. The rope ran down over the bulge, then hung out in space, with the end of it just swinging in the breeze. The belayer, who hadn't uttered a peep about his predicament, was leaning way out from the anchor, trying to catch the rope each time it swung by. Meanwhile, far above, the leader's body language told that he was trying to screw up his courage for a desperate lunge at the next hold.
I thought I was going to puke.
Finally the belayer manages to catch the rope, ties in, and gets the leader back on belay, just as he shakes through the move. I used to wonder if the belayer ever told on himself.
The first time I climbed in Eldorado Canyon, we were relative beginners, and felt like we were ready for the challenge of the Bastille Crack (5.7). We were about half way up the route, and looked across to Redgarden Wall. There were two guys on The Bulge. The leader was above the namesake bulge, way run out, and seemed to be kind of stuck at a crux move. I could see his belayer far below, clipped in to the belay, but without any attachment to the lead rope what-so-ever. The rope ran down over the bulge, then hung out in space, with the end of it just swinging in the breeze. The belayer, who hadn't uttered a peep about his predicament, was leaning way out from the anchor, trying to catch the rope each time it swung by. Meanwhile, far above, the leader's body language told that he was trying to screw up his courage for a desperate lunge at the next hold.
I thought I was going to puke.
Finally the belayer manages to catch the rope, ties in, and gets the leader back on belay, just as he shakes through the move. I used to wonder if the belayer ever told on himself.
Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 4:55 pm
Double Damn!
Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:07 pm
Epic approaches always make for good stories too... 
Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 10:03 pm
Epic approaches? Does anyone know who ynot is talking about? 