21 September 2010

Speed freeclimbing

6 comments:

  1. That's Dan Osman climbing Lover's Leap in California, near Lake Tahoe.

    My friends have climbed it, using the traditional methods of "ropes" and it takes all day. It is an "easy" climb as rated by climbers - 5.7, but it isn't safe to climb without ropes.

    Dan Osman died in a climbing accident, but not because he slipped -- his rope melted due to friction when he purposely jumped from a cliff.

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  2. It was more of a "falling" accident than a climbing accident. He started to get his thrills by setting up rope systems so he could jump and free fall. (I don't know what was wrong with bungee jumping).

    It was tragic, but I can't say I feel too sorry for him.

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  3. I am in agreement with Ross that it was tragic, tragic for his daughter who was 12 at the time.

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  4. Sorry to hear of Dan Osman's death. I originally came to the comments here to say something to the effect that it's only a matter of time before he has an accident. You can't live on the edge like that and stay lucky forever.

    I actually tried free climbing once many years ago. It was one of the most terrifying things I've ever done, and I only climbed a cliff that was about 40 feet high. I think I made it to the top in 10 to 15 minutes. My buddy wasn't so lucky. He fell from about 3/4 of the way to the top. Fortunately for him, there was a scree pile that spread out about 30 feet from the base at a 45 degree angle so when he landed he kind of slid and bounced rather than going splat because where he landed it was mostly gravel and small stones. A few feet to the left or right would have been much hairier with jagged rocks and boulders to 'break' his fall. He was pretty bruised and scraped up but was able to walk away from it.

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  5. well, Big Boppa, then you weren't 'freeclimbing', but 'free soloing'.

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  6. I am sorry to known this person is dead now.
    But seeing the video, for the fist time, i thought it was a very good athlete WOMAN:

    Kinda looks like Linda Hamilton in Terminator !

    Sorry, but guys with long hair looks lie ugly women from behind!

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