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Climbing trivia - a fun way to learn

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

World war 2 had a HUGE impact (science/inventions/discoveries) on climbing. Name 3 "things" that we use today that can be traced back to world war 2.

ZackB · · Littleton, CO · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 0
Ryan Kempf wrote:Great thread. Alright "Stoned" Let's do this! Paul Petzoldt was the leader of the 1938 K2 expedition. Petzoldt was annoyed with Weissner because Weissner would not allow him to be included in the ascent party. Weissner also publicly opposed Petzoldt’s inclusion in the American Alpine Club after Petzoldt nabbed the FA of the north face of the Grand Teton while Weissner was sleeping (Weissner was sleeping at the base of the route planning a morning ascent).
I thought Charles Houston was the leader of the 1938 American K2 Expedition? Houston was not happy with Wiessner for taking over the next years expedition, and not using any of the information that Houston had gathered on their trip.
William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Reinhold messner free climbed the first known 5.11a in europe. What route and where in europe? What year? Who was his partner? Hint: his partner would die on a 8000m peak years later and messner would catch a lot of shit for it.

Truthfully my memory isn't perfectly clear on who his partner was, I "believe" I'm right. If I'm wrong. Oh well. Well get the truth then somehow.

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

"I thought Charles Houston was the leader of the 1938 American K2 Expedition? Houston was not happy with Wiessner for taking over the next years expedition, and not using any of the information that Houston had gathered on their trip."

You're correct. There was a lot of back and forth back then, Dr Houston won out as the leader but was not originally chosen as such. Weissner was a choice for the 1938 leader also and as you stated Dr. Houston became super suspicious of weissner thinking weissner purposely didn't go in 1938 knowing there was a trip planned for 39. Houston was right in that weissner did use the previous years beta (the famous chimney section, etc) and look how successful weissner was. Free climbing 5.7/5.8 at 28,000ft with no gloves or crampons.

That's badass and was all probably possible because Houston found out some key beta. Fritzs k2 adventure (I don't think weissner was the...fairest leader to him men however) is one reason why he is someone influental to me.

Greg Halliday · · Spanish Fork, UT · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 5

Nylon ropes for one. I think aluminum biners were mainstreamed about then too, right? RADAR was awesome too.

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Does anyone know if houston and weissner ever became friendly? On a side note/fact: houston was able to return to k2 in 1953 and was a part of the "miracle belay", so at least he was able to use weissners and others beta then for a "fair" shot at the summit.

Houston was a HUGE pioneer in high altitude medicine/understanding if I remember correctly. He was an ivy league doctor who had a fascination with the effects of high altitude on the human body.

Am i correct in stating this? Anyone?

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

I see your post greg and I want to see if someone else can get more...

drock3 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 13
The Stoned Master wrote:What is the speed record, car to car, to climb Wallface Mountain, Adirondacks? What route did Ray Jardine climb in Yosemite with his new camming units that caught everyones attention and threw cams into the mainstream? Hint: it was the hardest route ever free climbed in the valley at the time.
I'm pretty sure it was the Phoenix. The story i've heard is that he graded it like 5.11, then when someone finally repeated it they upgraded it to 13a. I've also heard that what Ray called climbing a route would today probably be called hang dogging a route.
William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Which of these summits are climbers asked NOT to fully ascend. That's is they have to stop x feet below the summit proper. Why?

Changabang, cho oyu, latok 1, nanga parbat or kangchenjunga?

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Drock3: I believe you are correct. That's the story I was also told. I wasn't there though so all I have is info from books, "borrowed knowledge".

Brian · · North Kingstown, RI · Joined Sep 2001 · Points: 804

Where was the Yosemite Decimal System developed and first applied?

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Brian asked: Where was the Yosemite Decimal System developed and first applied?

Good one dude! We all use it daily so it'd be nice to know more about it. I don't know the answer and I'm not going to google.

ZackB · · Littleton, CO · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 0
The Stoned Master wrote:Does anyone know if houston and weissner ever became friendly? On a side note/fact: houston was able to return to k2 in 1953 and was a part of the "miracle belay", so at least he was able to use weissners and others beta then for a "fair" shot at the summit. Houston was a HUGE pioneer in high altitude medicine/understanding if I remember correctly. He was an ivy league doctor who had a fascination with the effects of high altitude on the human body. Am i correct in stating this? Anyone?
Correct. He used several hyperbaric chambers to induce the effects of altitude on people, and would have them do vigorous excercise while in there. It was originally used in the military, mostly, but become a huge deal for acclimatization on bigger peaks.

Interestingly, he also worked on an artifical heart that would pump blood and function like a normal heart. The results never fared well, and several dogs died from the work, but he did have one dog live for several minutes on the artifical heart.
William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Brian asked: Where was the Yosemite Decimal System developed and first applied?

Hopefully this won't steal your questions thunder Brian.

Where does the term "redpoint" come from? Who and where? Why?

Onsight?
Pink point?
Hangdogging?
Yo-yoing?

Eric Engberg · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 0
The Stoned Master wrote:Brian asked: Where was the Yosemite Decimal System developed and first applied? Good one dude! We all use it daily so it'd be nice to know more about it. I don't know the answer and I'm not going to google.
Tahquitz is usually the answer. There was probably some "prototyping" done at Stony Point

Who were the Harvard 5?

From what world class climber did a young imexperienced HMC crew scoop the first ascent of Huntington from?
Em Cos · · Boulder, CO · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 5

Here's one: What is the past tense of "lead"?

As in: "I am going to lead this climb today. I _____ that climb yesterday."

Brian · · North Kingstown, RI · Joined Sep 2001 · Points: 804

Yup Tahquitz. It's amazing how soft climbs have gotten compared to testpieces at Tahquitz but that is a whole different discussion.

From Wikipeida:
The system was initially developed as the Sierra Club grading system in the 1930s to classify hikes and climbs in the Sierra Nevada.
The original intention was that the classes would be subdivided decimally, so that a class 4.5 route would be a climb halfway between 4 and 5. Class 5 was subdivided in the 1950s. Initially it was based on ten climbs of Tahquitz Rock in Idyllwild, California, and ranged from the "Trough" at 5.0, a relatively modest technical climb, to the "Open Book" at 5.9, considered at the time the most difficult unaided climb humanly possible. This system was developed by members of the Rock Climbing Section of the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club.[4]

Brian · · North Kingstown, RI · Joined Sep 2001 · Points: 804
Em Cos wrote:Here's one: What is the past tense of "lead"? As in: "I am going to lead this climb today. I _____ that climb yesterday."
That is basic English grammer. Nothing to do with climbing. "Led."

grammarpartyblog.com/2011/0…
Tom-onator · · trollfreesociety · Joined Feb 2010 · Points: 790
The Stoned Master wrote:Reinhold messner free climbed the first known 5.11a in europe. What route and where in europe? What year? Who was his partner? Hint: his partner would die on a 8000m peak years later and messner would catch a lot of shit for it. Truthfully my memory isn't perfectly clear on who his partner was, I "believe" I'm right. If I'm wrong. Oh well. Well get the truth then somehow.
Messner had just climbed the Rupal face of Nanga Parbat with his younger brother Gunter who died during the descent.

Minus 148 Degrees refers to what, where, & whom?
Eric Engberg · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 0
Tom-o Erectus wrote: Messner had just climbed the Rupal face of Nanga Parbat with his younger brother Gunter who died during the decent. Minus 148 Degrees refers to what, where, & whom?
Limit on the wind chill charts at the time of the first winter ascent of Denali. Also the title of the book cronicalling that ascent in ~1967
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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