Climbing Has a Rocky Past With The Truth || Climbing Gold Podcast w/Alex Honnold
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2024
- A climber's word is sacred. Climber's don't lie about their ascents. Or do they? Our community often harbors a slight superiority complex - why would we be immune to liars and cheaters? Alex Honnold, Fitz Cahall, and Jonathan Siegrist discuss when it's time to call BS on a climber's claim.
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John Gaskins is the UKs version of this - stories of reporting a hard boulder FA then being unable to pull on when returning with a photographer
Not to mention the fact that his claimed ascents are all unfathomably hard. The most famous example being Shadowplay, which is likely in the V17/V18 range. Or Karma of the trees sit, which he claimed at V12 but actually goes at V15
The belayer was his brother in law who had never climbed before.
And some elite climbers were there and told Matt Hoch and myself about the climb and that they couldn't get off the ground. It was very tricky beta for Matt; who could also do a one finger pull up.
I had a broken neck so couldn't try anything; but Matt got to the second bolt just bouldering; but he said he saw no way to clip the bolts.
I know the purported liar; and he has climbed 5.14 since then; and he has chipped holds onto routes and boulder problems; so it is not like I am a buddy who would just stick up for him.
I have wondered if the bolts were either stick clipped or clipped from the very close to it's side route; and then done in one of those I don't know how I did it climbs. ( I have experienced that on occasion)
So I think Louie could have done it; but if there was a partial TR: could the brother in law have given a bit of helpful tension ( which I grilled my belayer about when I downclimbed something improbable; then climbed back up it. He denied any assist; I still wonder.
Is it not reasonable for climbers, as a community, to agree that whenever someone attempts something significant - even solo - they set up some kind of filming?
Reminds me of the Hans Niemann controversy in chess. He was ousted by Magnus Carlsen without solid evidence and it became a thing.
Given the backstory of Niemann, Magnus' prior interactions with him, and of course Magnus' dominance, I completely get where Magnus is coming from. Niemann is a shady fuck as it is which doesn't help things. I'd never try to argue it's fair lol, but I'd be willing to bet anything that Magnus was on to something even if he couldn't prove it.