@ez

That’s pretty funny. I have been listening to Eiger Dreams (audio book) on training rides the last two days. A break from silence and/or music/podcasts.

On long solo rides to do mountain climbs, I often spool up a Krakauer audiobook (I’ve got them all). I don’t do much climbing or anything (the non-bike kind) but the tales of adventure, even his book on Pat Tillman (don’t watch sports other than cycling) connect somehow with the sense of adventure cycling brings.

Maybe.

I hope I’m misunderstanding & you aren’t freely admitting to violating Rule #62.

No, no… not at all.  I would… never… do… that… especially not in ten minutes when I step out the door.  ;-)

I had the good fortune to knock back a bunch of pints with Joe Simpson, of ‘Touching the Void’ fame, after his Vancouver slide show some years back. I highly recommend his ‘This Game of Ghosts’ book, wherein we discover his tendency to fall down things began much earlier than one might guess.

I’m highly envious of this East Maui loop. The ex was sick of it all after my Haleakala adventure, and we just drove to Hana. I did a few rides on the West side, including a solo jaunt that quickly turned V courtesy of gigantic raindrops propelled stingingly by crazy ass winds. Dodging cattle whilst blinking away sweaty raindrops was proper fun.

Personally I don’t own any carbone wheels, yet, but we could all be heading that way. If carbone wheels get less expensive then they might be good all around wheels. I don’t know, maybe they just seem cool.

In Frank’s case I badgered him into not using them because I was afraid the wheels or the tires might not hold up on the pavé. Having ridden that pavé the wheels would have been fine, the tires, maybe. The point of all this is, his Café Roubaix light weight climbing wheels could actually be pretty nice all around wheels for a lot of rides. Light and strong is hard to argue with.

This is a good subject for an article. It would generate some heated arguing mostly from people like me with no experience with carbon wheels. I should have borrowed Frank’s but changing brake pads seemed lame, my loss.

i mean, i guess i understand wanting to bring your good kit out for a special occasion.  and certainly a cogal would fall into this category.  but how common is it among velominati to use carbon wheels on an everyday basis?

@Buck Rogers

@frank

@Buck Rogers

Frahnk! Why didn’t you run the Nemesis tubs? That road looks perfect for them.

I had just brought my climbing wheels over. My plan had actually been to put the Café Roubaix CX wheels on the bike but circumstances prevented that from being practical.

By the way, I have some FMB Paris-Roubaixs which I’ll mount on those wheels and bring them along to Keepers Tour for anyone who wants to test them.

That is, if you can pry them out of my greedy little hands!

Ahh, as we say in the Army, “I’m tracking!”

What would you suggest as the ideal wheelset for that ride?

Whatever works for you; the road is rough, but not so long that it will destroy a wheelset. In retrospect, I should have ridden my lightweight wheels – I think they’d have been fine, and I could have just gone a little slower.

I actually think a semi-deep carbon tubular would be the ideal wheel for Maui – good in cross winds, good in head winds, good for climbing, and strong on bad roads.

Frank, I agree that the carbone climbing wheels would have made it around and your 8 bar 23mm tyres would have made it too. You may have eaten it in a wet corner on the way back from Hana but really, how bad could that be? So I do need some semi-deep carbon tubular wheels? Perfect Maui wheel. Oh yes please.

In fact, this reminds me of an old article I did on doping and oxygen use in mountaineering. I can’t remember what my position was on it, but its an interesting question, whether I’m right, wrong, or an idiot.

http://www.velominati.com/general/doping-the-acceptability-of-a-method/

@frank

@Buck Rogers

Frahnk! Why didn’t you run the Nemesis tubs? That road looks perfect for them.

I had just brought my climbing wheels over. My plan had actually been to put the Café Roubaix CX wheels on the bike but circumstances prevented that from being practical.

By the way, I have some FMB Paris-Roubaixs which I’ll mount on those wheels and bring them along to Keepers Tour for anyone who wants to test them.

That is, if you can pry them out of my greedy little hands!

Ahh, as we say in the Army, “I’m tracking!”

What would you suggest as the ideal wheelset for that ride?

Whatever works for you; the road is rough, but not so long that it will destroy a wheelset. In retrospect, I should have ridden my lightweight wheels – I think they’d have been fine, and I could have just gone a little slower.

I actually think a semi-deep carbon tubular would be the ideal wheel for Maui – good in cross winds, good in head winds, good for climbing, and strong on bad roads.

@Buck Rogers

Frahnk! Why didn’t you run the Nemesis tubs? That road looks perfect for them.

I had just brought my climbing wheels over. My plan had actually been to put the Café Roubaix CX wheels on the bike but circumstances prevented that from being practical.

By the way, I have some FMB Paris-Roubaixs which I’ll mount on those wheels and bring them along to Keepers Tour for anyone who wants to test them.

That is, if you can pry them out of my greedy little hands!

Ahh, as we say in the Army, “I’m tracking!”

What would you suggest as the ideal wheelset for that ride?

Funny how we got from Maui to mountaineering.

@Gianni, I didn’t even know a “road” went all the way around Maui. Awesome.

As far as one road goes, its got it covered: twisting climbs, twisting descents, long straight climbs, long straight descents, Mauian Pavé, endurance gravel riding, cornering, switchbacks, sun, rain, heat, we even had cold at 6am at Grandma’s waiting to start the ride.

Frahnk! Why didn’t you run the Nemesis tubs? That road looks perfect for them.

I had just brought my climbing wheels over. My plan had actually been to put the Café Roubaix CX wheels on the bike but circumstances prevented that from being practical.

By the way, I have some FMB Paris-Roubaixs which I’ll mount on those wheels and bring them along to Keepers Tour for anyone who wants to test them.

That is, if you can pry them out of my greedy little hands!

That’s pretty funny. I have been listening to Eiger Dreams (audio book) on training rides the last two days. A break from silence and/or music/podcasts.

On long solo rides to do mountain climbs, I often spool up a Krakauer audiobook (I’ve got them all). I don’t do much climbing or anything (the non-bike kind) but the tales of adventure, even his book on Pat Tillman (don’t watch sports other than cycling) connect somehow with the sense of adventure cycling brings.

Maybe.

I hope I’m misunderstanding & you aren’t freely admitting to violating Rule 62.

But then I’ve mostly been into clipping bolts and smoking cigarettes while belaying, which I guess is the climbing equivalent of riding a fixie in tight pants with my ass-crack showing.  Damn…

Mountaineering and cycling aren’t really so different. The boys(and Velominatis, sorry……) even did it on this Cogal. The definition in Merriam-Webster says:

1: a native or inhabitant of a mountainous region

2: a person who climbs mountains for sport

 

I love going uphill on anything really.

@Winnipeg CycleChick

@Gianni I never mind being the token female on a ride. (Especially if I am in Maui. Or Belgium.) Usually don’t even notice.

And I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that one does not “ponder” Rule #5. You simply put on your big girl pants and do that shit.

Cheers, G! Loved the video, by the way. Not jealous at all.

You are right, pondering is for pussies. Glad you enjoyed the video. In the end those goofy movies are more fun than a photo album but usually the best scenery is not shot riding with one hand on the bars. And maybe I should not curse so damn much on these videos? I have an outdated “Flip” video camera that easily whips in and out of a rear pocket so it’s good for riding and shooting and if it fell in a giant puddle, it would not be a huge loss.

Yeah, not like you should be thinking about it if you are cycling in the ‘Peg this time of year….

@Gianni Quite the display of guns. Mine are still pasty white, with an ever so faint line from the bib-knicks.

her and my late father used to do quotes from The Ascent of Rum Doodle in the same way us sadsters get off on Python and the Hitchhiker’s Guide.

Just had to circle back to say that this would have been fucking cool.

Never too much of a climber myself, rock that is. However, living in Boulder Colorado a good number if my cycling friends also enjoyed climbing and running to the higher altitudes. A fave of two friends was….. leave Boulder (5,400″² elevation) at dark thirty, ride 40+ miles to the base of Longs Peak (8,500 > 9,000″² or so?), RUN to the top (14,259″²) and back down, and make it back to Boulder in time for beer:30 at the Old Watering Hole (OWH). The trail up is difficult but not THAT difficult. Problems that people typically encounter are weather and heart attacks. If you’re from the lowlands and packing a few extra kilos it’s probably not a good idea.

I worked in Durango for a few months a few years ago. Flew in from PDX (elevation 9M) at 2200hrs. Was at the job site at 3400M at 0630 the next morning. Headaches and nausea all around. However, returning to PDX after hard physical labor at that altitude, I felt pretty unstoppable.

ironically Hornbein was emeritus when I was training. He did for us a slide presentation on his route/experience. It was surreal. Of course later it was faculty who brought up the famous (paraphrased) quote from the Unsoeld book “he’d walk over you with his crampons on if he thought you would get in the way of his getting to the summit!”

I never got beyond hiking on snowfields, mountaineering eluded me while I devoured some of the literature. Then Alex Lowe died, found it hard to garner enthusiasm to go down that road. I’ll stick to reading about others’ suffring…

@Gianni @ Frank and @Winnipeg and all others. Well done cogal, the media footage told the story. After the first few post i needed to go back and re-read it, just to make sure i did not miss anything. All of sudden it turned into a climbing post WTF i said to myself. Then it quickly hit me passion is what drives us and makes us who we are. Which also makes this site what it is. Keep it coming !

I’d postulate that it’s OK to talk mountaineering (especially this time of year, what with only the TDU and whatnot to chat about) on this site. Both sports involve huge helpings of The V and VV and how much suffering you can take physically/ mentally. Really, they’re mirror images of each other. Examples:

3 Point System? Check.

Casually Deliberate? Check.

I could wax poetic for hours about this, but this is THE cycling site, so carry on………..

@Gianni @ Frank and @Winnipeg and all others. Well done cogal, the media footage told the story. After the first few post i needed to go back and re-read it, just to make sure i did not miss anything. All of sudden it turned into a climbing post WTF i said to myself. Then it quickly hit me passion is what drives us and makes us who we are. Which also makes this site what it is. Keep it coming !

That is EXACTLY what I was just thinking

On long solo rides to do mountain climbs, I often spool up a Krakauer audiobook (I’ve got them all).  I don’t do much climbing or anything (the non-bike kind) but the tales of adventure, even his book on Pat Tillman (don’t watch sports other than cycling) connect somehow with the sense of adventure cycling brings.

Maybe.

@strathlubnaig

@the Engine

@PeakInTwoYears

The Ascent of Rum Doodle made me wet myself.

Read a lot of mountaineering literature when I was in my teens and thought (briefly) that I wanted to be an alpinist. (D-/)Evolved into a pussy sport climber. And sufferer of Seasonal Affective Lassitude.

I could get used to riding in Hawaii.

In late breaking news – famous cycling website run by obsessives for obsessives causes man in Scotland to buy a copy of a satirical book about mountaineering written before he was born – the power of the interweb

‘kin heck, I could have lent you my copy ! However, Imustreccomend One Man’s Mountains by the late great Tom Patey for maximum climbing entertainment, all of it true as well. I shall LEND you my copy soon.

Hey, lets quit hijacking the east maui loop cogal report with scottish climbing dits eh ?

Agreed ready Tom Patey’s stuff thirty years back and will now read again.

Back to cycling – got the Giordana back today – cycling porn although slight Steerectile Dysfunction caused by making my stem fit where the quill previously went – picture tomorrow if it stops raining.

The word “dits” reminds me Sailor Andrew must be home shortly

Dark Summit by Nick Heil – Worth reading twice!

Back on topic, I am now ceasing all mountaineering references, you a right, although it is off season this is overshadowing the keepers write up!

@the Engine

@PeakInTwoYears

The Ascent of Rum Doodle made me wet myself.

Read a lot of mountaineering literature when I was in my teens and thought (briefly) that I wanted to be an alpinist. (D-/)Evolved into a pussy sport climber. And sufferer of Seasonal Affective Lassitude.

I could get used to riding in Hawaii.

In late breaking news – famous cycling website run by obsessives for obsessives causes man in Scotland to buy a copy of a satirical book about mountaineering written before he was born – the power of the interweb

‘kin heck, I could have lent you my copy ! However, Imustreccomend One Man’s Mountains by the late great Tom Patey for maximum climbing entertainment, all of it true as well. I shall LEND you my copy soon.

Hey, lets quit hijacking the east maui loop cogal report with scottish climbing dits eh ?

Agreed ready Tom Patey’s stuff thirty years back and will now read again.

Back to cycling – got the Giordana back today – cycling porn although slight steerectile dysfunction caused by making my stem fit where the quill previously went – picture tomorrow if it stops raining.

The word “dits” reminds me Sailor Andrew must be home shortly

@PeakInTwoYears

The Ascent of Rum Doodle made me wet myself.

Read a lot of mountaineering literature when I was in my teens and thought (briefly) that I wanted to be an alpinist. (D-/)Evolved into a pussy sport climber. And sufferer of Seasonal Affective Lassitude.

I could get used to riding in Hawaii.

In late breaking news – famous cycling website run by obsessives for obsessives causes man in Scotland to buy a copy of a satirical book about mountaineering written before he was born – the power of the interweb

‘kin heck, I could have lent you my copy ! However, Imustreccomend One Man’s Mountains by the late great Tom Patey for maximum climbing entertainment, all of it true as well. I shall LEND you my copy soon.

Hey, lets quit hijacking the east maui loop cogal report with scottish climbing dits eh ?

The Ascent of Rum Doodle made me wet myself.

Read a lot of mountaineering literature when I was in my teens and thought (briefly) that I wanted to be an alpinist. (D-/)Evolved into a pussy sport climber. And sufferer of Seasonal Affective Lassitude.

I could get used to riding in Hawaii.

In late breaking news – famous cycling website run by obsessives for obsessives causes man in Scotland to buy a copy of a satirical book about mountaineering written before he was born – the power of the interweb

@Gianni I never mind being the token female on a ride. (Especially if I am in Maui. Or Belgium.) Usually don’t even notice.

And I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that one does not “ponder” Rule #5. You simply put on your big girl pants and do that shit.

Cheers, G! Loved the video, by the way. Not jealous at all.

You are right, pondering is for pussies. Glad you enjoyed the video. In the end those goofy movies are more fun than a photo album but usually the best scenery is not shot riding with one hand on the bars. And maybe I should not curse so damn much on these videos? I have an outdated “Flip” video camera that easily whips in and out of a rear pocket so it’s good for riding and shooting and if it fell in a giant puddle, it would not be a huge loss.

@Gianni, I didn’t even know a “road” went all the way around Maui.  Awesome.

I think the last photo represents the Velominati pretty well. Serious enough to get it right, yet childish enough to roll the Lycra up to crotch level and ask our VMH to take a photo

Did you notice your bottles on my bike? Chapeau my friend. And yes, we are a childish bunch. Frank and I spent most of our time here giggling like teenagers and our better halves rolling their eyes and shaking their heads. It’s all we know.

@the Engine

@Deakus

@the Engine

@Buck Rogers

@the Engine That’s the Nordwand, aka Mordwand of the Eiger in the background isn’t it?

Man, The White Spider is one of my all time favorite reads.

@scaler911

@the Engine: Fan-f’n-tastic. I love climbing as much as I love cycling. Such majesty. Chapeau!

When I was a teenager I read everything I could about rock climbing and tried a few classic Scottish routes. As I have the climbing ability of something that has no climbing ability whatsoever (Cavendouche?) this was in the category of “I’ll do it to prove that I can and that’ll do me adventures” – a bit like visiting New Jersey perhaps.

Anyway until I’d never seen the Eiger let alone the Nordwand but after ten minutes #3 Engine was showing signs of advanced boredom and early hypothermia as a told him tales of the White Spider and the Hinterstoißer Traverse and even Clint Eastwood. Man – I knew every lump on that piece of rock from reading about it 30 years ago.

The Eiger is now added to the TdF, New York, The Great Pyramids and the Grand Canyon in the list of things that haven’t disappointed me when I’ve seen them for real.

Tower Buttress? (The Ben), or did you ever stray to the Buchaille?

East Coast for me mostly – Lochnagar, the Cairngorms with one big (for me) West Coast route on the Triple Buttress of Beinn Eighe – still with bits of Lancaster wedged in it. @strathlubnaig would consider most of what I did mild scrambling at best but they were suitably scary for me.

ah yes, Fuselage Gully, a fine Gr II winter traipse, nice one !

I did one in the Cairngorms which was both epic and easy – a narrow quartz band that runs through Vatican Steps – there’s a few centimetres of relatively easy climbing in a three of four pitch vertical staircase surrounded by a lot of smooth vertical granite. Wish I could recall exactly where it was…

@Buck Rogers

@Deakus

@the Engine

@scaler911

Man, I had better stop talking about climbing and get back on the subject of bikes or Frahnk will kick my ass. Although it is Gianni’s fault with leading off with a climbing quote! Isn’t Mark Twight a member here as well? Seems like he posted a few times a while back.

Mark Twight is a scary man hero – fuck he posts on here and reads this shit – I’m going to have a lie down in a dark room and will never mention that I’m overweight and delusional on here ever again as he might send a training programme over to my house with someone who doesn’t exist to enforce it.

I say again, fuuuuuuuck.

Ha! I forgot Mark Twight may have commented on this site. He was Jon Krakauer’s gung ho young climbing partner on that failed Eiger bid. We don’t want to have him telling us to HTFU, he is not fooling around. He is Mr HTFU.

@the Engine

@Deakus

@the Engine

@Buck Rogers

@the Engine That’s the Nordwand, aka Mordwand of the Eiger in the background isn’t it?

Man, The White Spider is one of my all time favorite reads.

@scaler911

@the Engine: Fan-f’n-tastic. I love climbing as much as I love cycling. Such majesty. Chapeau!

When I was a teenager I read everything I could about rock climbing and tried a few classic Scottish routes. As I have the climbing ability of something that has no climbing ability whatsoever (Cavendouche?) this was in the category of “I’ll do it to prove that I can and that’ll do me adventures” – a bit like visiting New Jersey perhaps.

Anyway until I’d never seen the Eiger let alone the Nordwand but after ten minutes #3 Engine was showing signs of advanced boredom and early hypothermia as a told him tales of the White Spider and the Hinterstoißer Traverse and even Clint Eastwood. Man – I knew every lump on that piece of rock from reading about it 30 years ago.

The Eiger is now added to the TdF, New York, The Great Pyramids and the Grand Canyon in the list of things that haven’t disappointed me when I’ve seen them for real.

Tower Buttress? (The Ben), or did you ever stray to the Buchaille?

East Coast for me mostly – Lochnagar, the Cairngorms with one big (for me) West Coast route on the Triple Buttress of Beinn Eighe – still with bits of Lancaster wedged in it. @strathlubnaig would consider most of what I did mild scrambling at best but they were suitably scary for me.

I did my winter mountaineering course in the Cairngorms….fell on a Grade 1 gully 70ft (Corrie An-Lochan just round the east side of Cairngorm). Broke left tibula and had a 7 hr rescue (no choppers flying out of lossimouth that day) on foot/stretcher. The instructor was gutted, he had been doing it since the 80″²s and I was his first ever casualty. The secret….don’t kneel on the slope when only the points of your crampons are in….it tends to relieve the weight…and off you gooooooooooo!

Ouch – however good to know that its not only me who manages to have catastrophes that instructors have never seen before

@Deakus

@the Engine

@Buck Rogers

@the Engine That’s the Nordwand, aka Mordwand of the Eiger in the background isn’t it?

Man, The White Spider is one of my all time favorite reads.

@scaler911

@the Engine: Fan-f’n-tastic. I love climbing as much as I love cycling. Such majesty. Chapeau!

When I was a teenager I read everything I could about rock climbing and tried a few classic Scottish routes. As I have the climbing ability of something that has no climbing ability whatsoever (Cavendouche?) this was in the category of “I’ll do it to prove that I can and that’ll do me adventures” – a bit like visiting New Jersey perhaps.

Anyway until I’d never seen the Eiger let alone the Nordwand but after ten minutes #3 Engine was showing signs of advanced boredom and early hypothermia as a told him tales of the White Spider and the Hinterstoißer Traverse and even Clint Eastwood. Man – I knew every lump on that piece of rock from reading about it 30 years ago.

The Eiger is now added to the TdF, New York, The Great Pyramids and the Grand Canyon in the list of things that haven’t disappointed me when I’ve seen them for real.

Tower Buttress? (The Ben), or did you ever stray to the Buchaille?

East Coast for me mostly – Lochnagar, the Cairngorms with one big (for me) West Coast route on the Triple Buttress of Beinn Eighe – still with bits of Lancaster wedged in it. @strathlubnaig would consider most of what I did mild scrambling at best but they were suitably scary for me.

I did my winter mountaineering course in the Cairngorms….fell on a Grade 1 gully 70ft (Corrie An-Lochan just round the east side of Cairngorm).  Broke left tibula and had a 7 hr rescue (no choppers flying out of lossimouth that day) on foot/stretcher.  The instructor was gutted, he had been doing it since the 80’s and I was his first ever casualty.  The secret….don’t kneel on the slope when only the points of your crampons are in….it tends to relieve the weight…and off you gooooooooooo!

@Deakus

@the Engine

@Buck Rogers

@the Engine That’s the Nordwand, aka Mordwand of the Eiger in the background isn’t it?

Man, The White Spider is one of my all time favorite reads.

@scaler911

@the Engine: Fan-f’n-tastic. I love climbing as much as I love cycling. Such majesty. Chapeau!

When I was a teenager I read everything I could about rock climbing and tried a few classic Scottish routes. As I have the climbing ability of something that has no climbing ability whatsoever (Cavendouche?) this was in the category of “I’ll do it to prove that I can and that’ll do me adventures” – a bit like visiting New Jersey perhaps.

Anyway until I’d never seen the Eiger let alone the Nordwand but after ten minutes #3 Engine was showing signs of advanced boredom and early hypothermia as a told him tales of the White Spider and the Hinterstoißer Traverse and even Clint Eastwood. Man – I knew every lump on that piece of rock from reading about it 30 years ago.

The Eiger is now added to the TdF, New York, The Great Pyramids and the Grand Canyon in the list of things that haven’t disappointed me when I’ve seen them for real.

Tower Buttress? (The Ben), or did you ever stray to the Buchaille?

East Coast for me mostly – Lochnagar, the Cairngorms with one big (for me) West Coast route on the Triple Buttress of Beinn Eighe – still with bits of Lancaster wedged in it. @strathlubnaig would consider most of what I did mild scrambling at best but they were suitably scary for me.

ah yes, Fuselage Gully, a fine Gr II winter traipse, nice one !

@Deakus

@the Engine

@scaler911

Man, I had better stop talking about climbing and get back on the subject of bikes or Frahnk will kick my ass. Although it is Gianni’s fault with leading off with a climbing quote! Isn’t Mark Twight a member here as well? Seems like he posted a few times a while back.

Mark Twight is a scary man hero – fuck he posts on here and reads this shit – I’m going to have a lie down in a dark room and will never mention that I’m overweight and delusional on here ever again as he might send a training programme over to my house with someone who doesn’t exist to enforce it.

I say again, fuuuuuuuck.

@the Engine

@Buck Rogers

@the Engine That’s the Nordwand, aka Mordwand of the Eiger in the background isn’t it?

Man, The White Spider is one of my all time favorite reads.

@scaler911

@the Engine: Fan-f’n-tastic. I love climbing as much as I love cycling. Such majesty. Chapeau!

When I was a teenager I read everything I could about rock climbing and tried a few classic Scottish routes. As I have the climbing ability of something that has no climbing ability whatsoever (Cavendouche?) this was in the category of “I’ll do it to prove that I can and that’ll do me adventures” – a bit like visiting New Jersey perhaps.

Anyway until I’d never seen the Eiger let alone the Nordwand but after ten minutes #3 Engine was showing signs of advanced boredom and early hypothermia as a told him tales of the White Spider and the Hinterstoißer Traverse and even Clint Eastwood. Man – I knew every lump on that piece of rock from reading about it 30 years ago.

The Eiger is now added to the TdF, New York, The Great Pyramids and the Grand Canyon in the list of things that haven’t disappointed me when I’ve seen them for real.

Tower Buttress? (The Ben), or did you ever stray to the Buchaille?

East Coast for me mostly – Lochnagar, the Cairngorms with one big (for me) West Coast route on the Triple Buttress of Beinn Eighe – still with bits of Lancaster wedged in it. @strathlubnaig would consider most of what I did mild scrambling at best but they were suitably scary for me.

@Buck Rogers

@Deakus

@Deakus and I meant to put a pic of Changabang in…….fingers moving faster than brain as usual!

NICE about the First edition. What a book. Right up there with Herzog’s Annapurna as the most classic in climbing literature in my opinion. I have a signed first edition of K2: The Savage Mountain by Bates and Houston. Charlie Houston was a med prof emeritus at my med school and as I was the climbing club president, I had him come and give a super talk. He brought old reel-to-reel films from when he was on expeditions with Shipton and Tilman. He was their Doc on the Nandi Devi expedition in ’36, even though he was a 23 year old Columbia med student. The tales that guy told and to be with him was just amazing. Really cool and humble guy.

There is however one book that beats them all. If you cannot find it in book shops I think it is on ebooks…short and hilarious!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ascent_of_Rum_Doodle

Ha – my mum was with us at Kleine Scheidegg and this reminds me that her and my late father used to do quotes from The Ascent of Rum Doodle in the same way us sadsters get off on Python and the Hitchhiker’s Guide.

And I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that one does not “ponder” Rule #5. You simply put on your big girl pants and do that shit.

Cheers, G! Loved the video, by the way. Not jealous at all.

@the Engine

@Buck Rogers

@the Engine That’s the Nordwand, aka Mordwand of the Eiger in the background isn’t it?

Man, The White Spider is one of my all time favorite reads.

@scaler911

@the Engine: Fan-f’n-tastic. I love climbing as much as I love cycling. Such majesty. Chapeau!

When I was a teenager I read everything I could about rock climbing and tried a few classic Scottish routes. As I have the climbing ability of something that has no climbing ability whatsoever (Cavendouche?) this was in the category of “I’ll do it to prove that I can and that’ll do me adventures” – a bit like visiting New Jersey perhaps.

Anyway until I’d never seen the Eiger let alone the Nordwand but after ten minutes #3 Engine was showing signs of advanced boredom and early hypothermia as a told him tales of the White Spider and the Hinterstoißer Traverse and even Clint Eastwood. Man – I knew every lump on that piece of rock from reading about it 30 years ago.

The Eiger is now added to the TdF, New York, The Great Pyramids and the Grand Canyon in the list of things that haven’t disappointed me when I’ve seen them for real.

Tower Buttress? (The Ben), or did you ever stray to the Buchaille?

Here’s a wee photo of the Buachaille near Glen Coe, cracking climbing on the face there, including Shibboleth (mentioned earlier) and a nearby tavern. Good wee cycle from Ballachulish at sealevel a few miles down the road, stop for a coffee at the ski centre near this hill too.

My missus had been to Hawaii when she was a teenager and sometimes said she would like to visit again, I was pretty neutral on this, it is such a trek ! However, having seen the cogal report and also Franks adventure I am maybe going to start saving.

Read a lot of mountaineering literature when I was in my teens and thought (briefly) that I wanted to be an alpinist. (D-/)Evolved into a pussy sport climber. And sufferer of Seasonal Affective Lassitude.

I could get used to riding in Hawaii.

@Deakus I thought that Tasker and Boardman were the first guys to do Changabang? I have their climbing “Omnibus” and they talk about their trip in it. Actually not a very entertaining read but good for the history of climbing.

Yup I have the omibus…The Shining Mountain.  Yes they were…but they did not do the North Face, they did the West Wall.  That omnibus is awesome, I must reread it sometime!

everytime there is a cogal: i dip into a guilty state of mind, wanting to join up, but have my priorities all screwed up with work.  Besides, i am not sure i deserve something so beautiful

BTW: nice Serotta!

@the Engine

@scaler911

Man, I had better stop talking about climbing and get back on the subject of bikes or Frahnk will kick my ass.  Although it is Gianni’s fault with leading off with a climbing quote!   Isn’t Mark Twight a member here as well?  Seems like he posted a few times a while back.

@Buck Rogers Bravo!

Ha!  I actually found that book in a used book sotre in Thamel in the Spring of 2000.  I was on a climbing trip there and I remember reading it in “The Third Eye” resturant there.  Such a SUPER restaurant.   Esp for a broke dude there climbing with his wife with him!

It provides me with a degree of comfort that even a Keeper has to relearn this from time to time. I know it too, but I’ve also ignored it. With similar results.

Great photos, looks “fun.”

@Buck Rogers

@Deakus

@Deakus and I meant to put a pic of Changabang in…….fingers moving faster than brain as usual!

NICE about the First edition. What a book. Right up there with Herzog’s Annapurna as the most classic in climbing literature in my opinion. I have a signed first edition of K2: The Savage Mountain by Bates and Houston. Charlie Houston was a med prof emeritus at my med school and as I was the climbing club president, I had him come and give a super talk. He brought old reel-to-reel films from when he was on expeditions with Shipton and Tilman. He was their Doc on the Nandi Devi expedition in ’36, even though he was a 23 year old Columbia med student. The tales that guy told and to be with him was just amazing. Really cool and humble guy.

There is however one book that beats them all. If you cannot find it in book shops I think it is on ebooks…short and hilarious!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ascent_of_Rum_Doodle

I often find that Glacial Lasissitude strikes me even at work.  Thank God I do not have to try to scale a 41,500 foot peak!!!

@Buck Rogers

@the Engine That’s the Nordwand, aka Mordwand of the Eiger in the background isn’t it?

Man, The White Spider is one of my all time favorite reads.

@scaler911

@the Engine: Fan-f’n-tastic. I love climbing as much as I love cycling. Such majesty. Chapeau!

When I was a teenager I read everything I could about rock climbing and tried a few classic Scottish routes. As I have the climbing ability of something that has no climbing ability whatsoever (Cavendouche?) this was in the category of “I’ll do it to prove that I can and that’ll do me adventures” – a bit like visiting New Jersey perhaps.

Anyway until I’d never seen the Eiger let alone the Nordwand but after ten minutes #3 Engine was showing signs of advanced boredom and early hypothermia as a told him tales of the White Spider and the Hinterstoißer Traverse and even Clint Eastwood. Man – I knew every lump on that piece of rock from reading about it 30 years ago.

The Eiger is now added to the TdF, New York, The Great Pyramids and the Grand Canyon in the list of things that haven’t disappointed me when I’ve seen them for real.

Tower Buttress? (The Ben), or did you ever stray to the Buchaille?

@Deakus

@Deakus and I meant to put a pic of Changabang in…….fingers moving faster than brain as usual!

NICE about the First edition. What a book. Right up there with Herzog’s Annapurna as the most classic in climbing literature in my opinion. I have a signed first edition of K2: The Savage Mountain by Bates and Houston. Charlie Houston was a med prof emeritus at my med school and as I was the climbing club president, I had him come and give a super talk. He brought old reel-to-reel films from when he was on expeditions with Shipton and Tilman. He was their Doc on the Nandi Devi expedition in ’36, even though he was a 23 year old Columbia med student. The tales that guy told and to be with him was just amazing. Really cool and humble guy.

There is however one book that beats them all.  If you cannot find it in book shops I think it is on ebooks…short and hilarious!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ascent_of_Rum_Doodle

@Deakus and I meant to put a pic of Changabang in…….fingers moving faster than brain as usual!

NICE about the First edition.  What a book.  Right up there with Herzog’s Annapurna as the most classic in climbing literature in my opinion.  I have a signed first edition of K2: The Savage Mountain by Bates and Houston.   Charlie Houston was a med prof emeritus at my med school and as I was the climbing club president, I had him come and give a super talk.  He brought old reel-to-reel films from when he was on expeditions with Shipton and Tilman.  He was their Doc on the Nandi Devi expedition in ’36, even though he was a 23 year old Columbia med student.  The tales that guy told and to be with him was just amazing.  Really cool and humble guy.

@Gianni

@scaler911

@the Engine

There are probably a few hard climbers on the face in that photo. A nice winter ascent of the Eiger? I’ll stick with a winter East Maui Loop.

As I recall the one’s that don’t get to the top and expire are left in situ until they can be safely removed – they don’t even do that on the Tourmalet

In the case of the Eiger this happened because one of Kurz party was suspended from ropes and could not be reached in the conditions.  He was fetched down soon after.

At higher altitudes they do sometimes leave them there because they are too exhausted to do anything of worth to get them down and in some cases it is seen as a burial site.  Why move them…where to…what is better than being interned somewhere close to 8000m above all the shit the earth has to offer.

Probably one of the best known amongst mountaineers is Green Boots (best to read the link to explain)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Boots

@the Engine

Nothing useful to add but here’s a picture of the youngest Engine looking at me with the Eiger behind him taken on Saturday when I probably should have been out on my bike…

I am guessing that was taken at the hotel in Grindelwald where the whole saga of Angerer, Hinterstoisser and Tony Kurz unfolded. Amazing place I would love to visit, by all accounts you can walk to the bottom of the Nordwand (as long as you can dodge the Bergshrund).

My personal favourite though (as a reader of mountaineering literature, having only once donned crampons above 3000m) is the north face of Changabang. Andy Cave book Learning to Breathe is epic.

I also treated myself some years ago…back when the world economy was not in its knees, to a first a edition of The White Spider. Its sits proudly on my bookshelf as an inspiration to me as to what dedication and focus can achieve! (them climing it, not me saving up to buy it!)

It was taken from the cafe balcony at Kleine Scheidegg Herr Doktor Deakus. The ambiance of the immediate vicinity is somewhat spoiled by a high douchebag ratio owning to the large numbers of pretentious/wealthy types sliding ostentatiously downhill. I’m more a solitary wilderness type of guy.

Nothing useful to add but here’s a picture of the youngest Engine looking at me with the Eiger behind him taken on Saturday when I probably should have been out on my bike…

I am guessing that was taken at the hotel in Grindelwald where the whole saga of Angerer, Hinterstoisser and Tony Kurz unfolded.  Amazing place I would love to visit, by all accounts you can walk to the bottom of the Nordwand (as long as you can dodge the Bergshrund).

My personal favourite though (as a reader of mountaineering literature, having only once donned crampons above 3000m) is the north face of Changabang.  Andy Cave book Learning to Breathe is epic.

I also treated myself some years ago…back when the world economy was not in its knees, to a first a edition of The White Spider.  Its sits proudly on my bookshelf as an inspiration to me as to what dedication and focus can achieve! (them climing it, not me saving up to buy it!)

@scaler911

@the Engine

There are probably a few hard climbers on the face in that photo. A nice winter ascent of the Eiger? I’ll stick with a winter East Maui Loop.

As I recall the one’s that don’t get to the top and expire are left in situ until they can be safely removed – they don’t even do that on the Tourmalet

@the Engine That’s the Nordwand, aka Mordwand of the Eiger in the background isn’t it?

Man, The White Spider is one of my all time favorite reads.

@scaler911

@the Engine: Fan-f’n-tastic. I love climbing as much as I love cycling. Such majesty. Chapeau!

When I was a teenager I read everything I could about rock climbing and tried a few classic Scottish routes. As I have the climbing ability of something that has no climbing ability whatsoever (Cavendouche?) this was in the category of “I’ll do it to prove that I can and that’ll do me adventures” – a bit like visiting New Jersey perhaps.

Anyway until I’d never seen the Eiger let alone the Nordwand but after ten minutes #3 Engine was showing signs of advanced boredom and early hypothermia as a told him tales of the White Spider and the Hinterstoißer Traverse and even Clint Eastwood. Man – I knew every lump on that piece of rock from reading about it 30 years ago.

The Eiger is now added to the TdF, New York, The Great Pyramids and the Grand Canyon in the list of things that haven’t disappointed me when I’ve seen them for real.

@the Engine

There are probably a few hard climbers on the face in that photo. A nice winter ascent of the Eiger?  I’ll stick with a winter East Maui Loop.

Awesome. I must do this. Not might. Must. You have been warned.

Bring it! It really is an amazing route and a must do ride. I’ve already started to ponder a more Rule #5 riding life so it will be more pleasurable next time. Pondering…is there a equivocal word out there?

@Winnipeg CycleChick

Awesome. I must do this. Not might. Must. You have been warned.

I know, look at those roads, unbelievable!

And kuddos to the Cogal and Kathleen! We need more women to show up for these Cogals. I know that one showed for an Aussie Cogal and now one for a Hawiaiannan one (how the FUCK do you spell Hawaiiaananaan anyways???).

Strong work!!!

Kathleen was told another woman was doing the ride, Frank’s Michelle. She was rather annoyed with us all that she was the only woman there. Of course she was bombproof, she dropped me in Hana and I never saw her again.

Man, The White Spider is one of my all time favorite reads.

Awesome. I must do this. Not might. Must. You have been warned.

I know, look at those roads, unbelievable! 

And kuddos to the Cogal and Kathleen!  We need more women to show up for these Cogals.  I know that one showed for an Aussie Cogal and now one for a Hawiaiannan one (how the FUCK do you spell Hawaiiaananaan anyways???).

Strong work!!!

And what a great opening quote.  So true of many things in life!  As for the book, totally agree with Scaler, unless you were there, one needs to reserve judgement.  I climbed with Neil Beidelman about two years after this event and he had his side as well.

And yes, nothing new on race day. 

Great write up gentlemen!

Is there something you’d like to say? Perhaps a new Keepers’ Tour giveaway?

@frahnk, mebbe new tubes?

@girl

Thanks for editing. Glad you liked it.

@scaler911

I hope that is an endorsement of JK. I like his work but one of my climbing friends does not. My friend was a friend of Anatoli Boukreev and didn’t like JK’s portrayal of him in Into Thin Air.

It was an endorsement. I’ve read both (and all the other ones about that day) and understand that side too. But unless you’ve actually been up there in those conditions, in that state of mind, who knows how you’d interpret those events. They don’t even know. That’s my take as a climber anyway.

I wish I could ride in SS and bibs………..

Cogals are so fun. Really looking forward to more.

@Frank: maybe the VMH’s Z404s are due for an upgrade to tubeless? :-)

Thanks for editing. Glad you liked it.

@scaler911

I hope that is an endorsement of JK. I like his work but one of my climbing friends does not. My friend was a friend of Anatoli Boukreev and didn’t like JK’s portrayal of him in Into Thin Air.