Yosemite half dome for the first time

I think it can be damn intimidating first time ....even if you climb well within your limits

reboot wrote:I did alright on Astroman the first day I walked into the valley (in 100 degree summer heat). Adam Ondra sent the hardest valley route on his first trip (and he's not the only euro who crushed w/o prior experience in the valley)... So, whatever. The mystique of the valley is way overblown.

I can't comment intelligently about the Valley mystique, but I've seen you climb.
You are an outlier!

reboot wrote:I did alright on Astroman the first day I walked into the valley (in 100 degree summer heat). Adam Ondra sent the hardest valley route on his first trip (and he's not the only euro who crushed w/o prior experience in the valley)... So, whatever. The mystique of the valley is way overblown.

C'mon man LOL. Adam Ondra onsights 5.14c and considered the best rock climber currently on the Planet...

Are you seriously gonna hold that up as your "debunking" of the Valley Mystique a guy who redpoints 5.15C and spent a month projecting Dawn Wall and was amazed by the experience unmatched anywhere on the Planet? How about Henry Barber? Jerry Moffat? Patrick Edlinger? Wolfgang Gullich? All outsiders that did extremely well their first time in the Valley. And are legends.

yea dude, literally the world's best of their generations on this Earth have come from outside and done well in the Valley.

My friend Chris who got humbled in his teens happened to also put up some of the world's hardest sport climbs. Maybe you have heard of him and "Necessary Evil" (at 14) or "Realization" or "La Dura Dura"?

I just call him Chris because I belayed him when he was 12.

#valleyoverrated

ps. Stoked for you on Astroman. Still a Testpiece at 5.11c...shouldn't that be pretty easy for you (5.14a tick on your resume)? I'm thinking it more likely is the most bad ass 5.11c you will ever do.

Michael Schneider wrote: a.I . . . . . . ? Would you give your sisters seventeen year old son the same blind advice?

Advise them to go and have their own adventure? If it was what they wanted to do, emphatically yes. If the drive is really there,they will go notwithstanding the good intentioned advice of the old folks.
17 years old is old enough to be given a weapon and sent to fight the nations enemies, 17 is certainly old enough to make their own adventures in the silly sport of rock climbing.

a.l. wrote: Advise them to go and have their own adventure? If it was what they wanted to do, emphatically yes. If the drive is really there,they will go notwithstanding the good intentioned advice of the old folks. 17 years old is old enough to be given a weapon and sent to fight the nations enemies, 17 is certainly old enough to make their own adventures in the silly sport of rock climbing.

OK, just so we are clear you are an idiot lol. Adults don't send Children under the Law to go do whatever they want. You see, you are then liable for their safety and the safety of others they may harm. Its called Child Endangerment.

17yos were sent as literal bullet sponges to fight many wars. Not that they had the judgment to know that they literally were meat being sent to die.

Wow, forums do really get all types.

King Tut wrote:I just call him Chris because I belayed him when he was 12.

Name drop much?

Jason Kim wrote: Name drop much?

As often as necessary to make my point and it references an earlier post.

King Tut wrote:Sure bro. Just think a little deeper next time when you give a 17 yo advice..

Get over yourself.
People will give,need or heed advice as they see fit-not to accommodate your wishes.

You're old I,m betting. I'm sliding over the hill, that I know. They're young-it's their time to play. Better to say nothing than try to sound like an old playground lady.

"You youngins a'stop that runnin now ya hear! You'll break yer arm fer sure!"

a.l. wrote: Get over yourself. People will give,need or heed advice as they see fit-not to accommodate your wishes. You're old I,m betting. I'm sliding over the hill, that I know. They're young-it's their time to play. Better to say nothing than try to sound like an old playground lady. "You youngins a'stop that runnin now ya hear! You'll break yer arm fer sure!"

No my friend, better to say something than deal with the tragedies you see in the ER (I am an MD).

Fools like you that have never seen the consequences talk a lot of shit.

King Tut wrote: OK, just so we are clear you are an idiot lol. Adults don't send Children under the Law to go do whatever they want. You see, you are then liable for their safety and the safety of others they may harm. 17yos were sent as literal bullet sponges to fight many wars. Not that they had the judgment to know that they literally were meat being sent to die. Wow, forums do really get all types.

My father went to war in the pacific theater at 17-if you had ever had the privilege of meeting him, I'm guessing you wouldn't have called him a bullet sponge-at least not to his face.

And I'm the idiot? Well, o.k.,coming from you I'll take that as a compliment.

King Tut wrote: I am an MD

Hmm, wouldn't have guessed that

King Tut wrote: No my friend, better to say something than deal with the tragedies you see in the ER (I am an MD).

Name dropped Chris Sharma and now the fact that you are an MD in a matter of minutes.

Many of us have dealt with tragedy in life or in climbing. MD or not.

Jason Kim wrote: Name dropped Chris Sharma and now the fact that you are an MD in a matter of minutes. Many of us have dealt with tragedy in life or in climbing. MD or not.

The point is that you likely don't deal with the tragedies teenagers experience on a daily basis.

That tends to make one "an old woman" when giving advice to them when they are going to be risking their lives (yes, all roped climbing is risking your life).

You seem to have trouble discerning the difference between dropping names and establishing credentials for a point of view.

Someone "drops names" to attempt to establish credibility where none exists.

Others, that have that credibility use real world examples of their experience and training and that of others they personally know to make a cogent point.

a.l. wrote: And I'm the idiot? Well, o.k.,coming from you I'll take that as a compliment.

Yes, you are an idiot for advocating other 17yo's do the same.

I would apologize to him on behalf of his superiors for sending him to be a bullet sponge ostensibly so that fools like you would not learn the lesson. Yes, I would.

The best way to honor him is not to send more 17yo's off to war.

Wow, this kid got everyone all hopped up.

I think the bottom line is, that the OP is 17 and though he has done a fair amount of rock climbing and wouldn't necessarily die in the valley, it might be good to get some more experience before heading there so as to increase the chance of success.

Just climb a lot of trad and do some aid and jugging so you know what's going on there. Get lots of gear changeovers and anchor building under your belt and you'll be set.

17 doesn't mean you can't do it, lots have shown otherwise, but they also had lots and lots of experience leading hard trad routes before they sent the big stone.

Mark E Dixon wrote: Hmm, wouldn't have guessed that

I know right?

My grandfather used to say derisively "you're smarter than a barn full of owls..."

King Tut wrote: I would apologize to him on behalf of his superiors for sending him to be a bullet sponge ostensibly so that fools like you would not learn the lesson...

You would apologize to my father, a veteran of WW2, on behalf of his superiors, for volunteering to fight for his country?

I can guarantee you wouldn't have had the stones to say such a bloody damn jackassical thing to his face.

I will never understand, nor desire to understand, the way your mind works because frankly I think that your little world sucks. Mine is much more fun.

Good luck and keep braying on the internet old fart, I'm sure that you'll continue to earn the all the respect you so richly deserve.

A.L.

King Tut wrote: others like my old friend Chris find it very humbling despite being 5.14 climbers when they first experience Yosemite.

King Tut wrote: Adam Ondra onsights 5.14c and considered the best rock climber currently on the Planet...

So you are going to use Chris Sharma as an example a strong climber that got humbled in the valley but discounts Adam Ondra as a climber that's too talented? And seriously, your name dropping is quite embarrassing.

King Tut wrote: Absolutely, and the sky is the limit for any young climber after extended time spent living in the Valley like Ron and Bachar had by the time they did Astroman.

After the way the American climbers got their asses handed to them by the Euros over the past year in the valley, I think it's safe to file this under "myth".

joe sakel wrote:Thanks cjdrover for the input, I agree that I still need a lot of experience, but you get that from climbing. I was planning on spending more than a week in the valley getting used to the grading and big wall climbing. If you look Adam Ondra had done very little big wall when he first came to the valley to do the nose. I by no means claim to have near the leading experience as him. But I do think that it is absurd to say your going to die, such as Michael Schneider because I have never climbed in the valley. I have done a 5 pitch 5.9 and while I understand that the RWNF is a beast I feel that with some major learning in aiding, I could safely complete the climb. If I attack it as a multipitch climb.

I encourage you to take caution anytime a significant mass of folks attempt to preemptively manage your risk for you via internet. In the same breath, I encourage you to not be just another tick mark for the ole' YOSAR folks to get some good training practice with. That said, the mountains are a place for you to make your decisions.

It's easy for people to flame and hate and troll on MP and other world wide web places - because the internet lends itself to this type of unbridled bullying/criticism. It's easy for all of us to "hide" behind an internet profile.

Do whatever you're going to do - seek advice as you are.... and you're the only one who will know if you've prepared enough prior to engaging with the route.

Maybe all of us chumpwagons out here can wrap our heads around this:
sportgevity.com/article/cha…

Why you trying to shame people? CTFO. CULTUE OF SHAMING ARTICLE

King Tut wrote: The point is that you don't deal with the tragedies teenagers experience on a daily basis. That tends to make one "an old woman" when giving advice to them when they are going to be risking their lives. You seem to have trouble discerning the difference between dropping names and establishing credentials for a point of view. Someone "drops names" to attempt to establish credibility where none exists. Others, that have that credibility use real world examples of their experience and training and that of others they personally know to make a cogent point.

Well, you don't really know what I or most others on this basically anonymous forum do on a daily basis, so maybe you shouldn't assume?

I see the point you are trying to make and mostly agree with you. It's a little exaggerated to say that he is risking his life and all that. Yeah, he could kill himself up there, but more likely he just bails after a couple of pitches, once reality sinks in.

I don't really follow you on the credibility thing. Posting photos of yourself on the route and sharing your experiences in the valley establishes credibility. That you belayed Chris Sharma when he was 12 or that you know him on a first-name basis, not so much. That's just douchey name dropping, if you ask me.