Posted on 08/15/2016 6:49:43 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Canada’s Baffin Island is home to the highest concentration of unclimbed cliff faces on Earth. Naturally, the remote island has become a mecca for elite mountain climbers, known as alpinists. The pilgrimage is often made from Yosemite National Park in the United States, since the two attract a similar cadre of adventurers looking for a challenge. From the Yosemite mountaineering community, alpinists Cheyne Lempe and Dave Allfrey made one particular mountain the target of their climbing crosshairs: the Great Pillar. Even for a pair who are part of a young generation rising through the ranks quickly, a climb like the Great Pillar is deeply formidable. Beyond this, the two chose one of the most difficult routes, or “lines,” up the cliff face. Since the Canadian island straddles the Arctic Circle, heavy snow is possible any point, even in July, and the average temperature hovers below 15 degrees Fahrenheit. This climate is also ripe for polar bears. The more time spent on the ground, the more likely one is to come across them. It’s highly important to get on the cliff face as quickly as possible and stay there. This means sleeping while hanging from the side of the cliff. (Happily, this is something alpinists are fairly used to.)
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearlife.com ...
Have you ever read Norman Collie’s biography?
Mentioning Whymper made me think of it.
Hum. Looks good. Is it on Netflix?
She did not have to confess. I was born and raised in Florida so what else would explain it? I have done some time as a climbing instructor here in Colorado. The hardest and highest climbs I have done were when I lived in Florida. Hardest was the Eiger in Switzerland with many avalanches. Highest was Cerro Aconcagua in Argentina which is almost 23,000 ft elevation and 2nd in prominence behind Everest. We climbed Aconcagua as a team of 10 by the difficult Polish Glacier route. It took 3 weeks beginning to end. Very heavy loads starting at about 80 lbs and gradually reduced as we used food and fuel and left stashes for when we would be on the way out.The 80 lbs was with two load carries to establish each camp. We tried for 175 lbs total gear weight per person, but some of the women members could not carry as much so initially I carried more.
I still do some climbing and instruction here in Colorado, but nothing as dangerous as the Eiger. I have a wife now you know.
I am so scared of heights that even watching part of the video made me anxious. I know there are people who revel in it. Happy for them!
Sounds like one helluva lot of hard work. Hope you had a good time.
I too was born and raised in Florida. As a matter of fact, in Walton County which has the highest elevation in the state.
I know it is less than 400 feet. As a matter of fact, while driving to DeFuniak Springs I pass several places well over 300 feet. That is according to my Garmin.
Ii doubt if I could breathe above 10,000.
I have not read of Norman Collie.I have met many famous climbers doing the slide show thing or just because they live in occupied Boulder, CO just north of me. I have books autographed by many: (High in the Cold Thin Air - Edmund Hillary), (Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer wishing me well on upcoming trip to Cho Oyu), (The Ascent of Everest - John Hunt), (Lost Lhassa, the movie was 7 Years in Tibet - Heinrich Harrer), (All 14 Eightthousanders - Reinhold Messner).
LOL, I think you guys are whacked, but...my view is, it is your life...spend it as you see fit!
Obviously, dangling on a rope thousands of feet up a mountain isn’t something you are going to find in Room 101!
I was born in Lake County, FL...Clermont. Another state higer point.
Top Gear show where 2 guys climb a 1,200 foot cliff in about 2 hours free hand.
I’d rather drive the car Jeremy Clarkson is in.
Audi RS4 Vs Speed Mountain Climber (HQ) - Top Gear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKLsBk5CijQ
One of my cars is an Audi S6. Zero-60 in 3.7 seconds!
Don’t know about Netflix, youtube has it for 3.99 plus it’s on one of the Showtime channels in a few days.
Such a remote location
Thanks
“Freedom. Try it sometime. Why the discontent w/ other peoples business?”
Its only “other peoples’ business” until a helicopter rescue team risks their lives for them and their great accomplishment . . which was . . . what exactly?
The Ten Most Expensive Car Crashes Ever
http://jalopnik.com/the-ten-most-expensive-car-crashes-ever-1714810055
J. Norman Collie was a Scottish chemistry professor and as I gather one of the great climbers around the turn of the 20th century.
Some folks think he was the inspiration for Conan Doyle’s Sherlock
Holmes character. I know that he looked like Holmes :<}
I read a book called The Snows of Yesteryear about him.
I would think the #2 crash of 14 F1 cars would be most expensive if valued on today's collector car market. More than one Ferrari 250 GTO I bet. I have seen some expensive cars wreck. Several Porsche 962's. One in Sebring hit the wall in the last turn and went over the fence and landed about 10 ft from my Porsche in the Porsche Paddock. In one race at Daytona two BMW M1s burned from fuel leaks. Also saw a Porsche 962 in Daytona qualifying that spun in the oval turn 4 and went high into the air...probably at 200 mph. It landed upside down and the rear engine split from the front of the car. Driver walked away.
“until a helicopter rescue team risks their lives for them and their great accomplishment “
Yes, because rescue helicopter pilots are drafted and despise their work. They resent being called out.
When I climbed Cerro Aconcagua and attempted Cho Oyu there was no helicopter rescue. Helicopters cannot fly nearly that high.
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