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Josh Wharton - Black Canyon - NO HELMET

reboot · · . · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 125
Rob T wrote: The same line of thinking could be used to discourage films showing soloing, runout leads, loose rock or skipped clips.
Not even in the same ball park. There is inherent danger in climbing, and that gets elevated when you choose to do it in a particular style. I have no issue with that what-so-ever. But sensationalize danger on film is pretty stupid (I hate seeing artificial run out, for instance), since a large part of climbing is risk mitigation.

Normally, I'd say not my business. But this is a commercial film, I'm the target audience (for those that say mind your own business, guess what, BD obviously wants your business), and the content do make me scratch my head a little. Yes, helmet won't matter w/ a 2 ton block, but it also tend to send down a bunch of smaller chunks.
Michael Brady · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 1,316
reboot wrote: Normally, I'd say not my business. But this is a commercial film, I'm the target audience, and the content do make me scratch my head a little. .
huh...sooo...censorship?
reboot · · . · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 125
Mike Brady wrote: huh...sooo...censorship?
Nobody said that, but people who are not pleased obviously has the right to express their displeasure to BD.
Michael Brady · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 1,316

Next thing you know the boulder under White Rasta is going to move.

Tony B · · Around Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 24,705
Bill M wrote: Helmets are light, comfortable, and I think everyone should wear them.
There are no FACTS in this statement. Only opinions.
Sam Lightner, Jr. · · Lander, WY · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 2,732

Josh Wharton is so bad ass rocks fall away from him, not towards him.
Chuck Norris says "sir" to Josh Wharton.

Limpingcrab DJ · · Middle of CA · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 1,055

I don't really understand why someone wouldn't wear a helmet? Most are adjustable and quite comfortable.

The only thing I can think of is looks, which I don't understand while climbing either. Oh well.

Once I forgot mine on the ground. Once.

Tony B · · Around Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 24,705
Tim Lutz wrote: I have hit trees and ice hard with my head several times. If a rock hits your head hard you will be disoriented, maybe spinning in the air as I was...
'Yer totally going to end up getting quoted on that every time you get in an argument from now on, you know...
Eric Engberg · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 0
limpingcrab wrote:I don't really understand why someone wouldn't wear a helmet? Most are adjustable and quite comfortable. The only thing I can think of is looks, which I don't understand while climbing either. Oh well. Once I forgot mine on the ground. Once.
A helmeted head is hotter, heavier, more limited in visibility and less able to fit through small spaces. Maybe not by much but in some situations 1% in any of those parameters might make the difference.
Michael Brady · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 1,316

I heard Josh likes to climb walls ice with spikey things!! Sounds very dangerous. We should call Patagonia and let them know we will not stand for this kind of silly behavior. Someone needs to call Josh's parent and let them kinow what he is upto!!

Tony B · · Around Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 24,705
limpingcrab wrote: The only thing I can think of is looks, which I don't understand while climbing either.
Let me help you with that, since it appears you lack imagination and/or are eager to attempt to belittle people with a different point of view.

"Comfortable" is an opinion, and subjective, and yours. Not all of us share it.

My opinion is 'uncomfortable' though I wear one anyway when climbing in a place I feel risk is high, IE Alpine climbing, in crowds, etc...
You are entitled to not share my opinion.

I find that heat, generally and at points of contact are issues, and when climbing OW, just turning my head becomes an issue. Under cramped roof scrunch problems, the extra 1-2" oc clearance matters, as I feel as if I am further restricted, beat about the head, and distracted. I had a little fit about that just this weekend, cussing my helmet on a new pitch in the park. I was wearing it, but it was definitely NOT comfortable to me where I was.

And anyone who has ever climbed with or around me knows I don't concern myself with looks. Joseffa's niece once asked her and her sister if I was 'a hobo' because of the clothes I was wearing. It's hard to explain to a 5 year old:
"No honey, he just doesn't give a F(@%."
M Sprague · · New England · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 5,090
john strand · · southern colo · Joined May 2008 · Points: 1,640
Eric Engberg wrote: A helmeted head is hotter, heavier, more limited in visibility and less able to fit through small spaces. Maybe not by much but in some situations 1% in any of those parameters might make the difference.
True..I'm noy a good looking guy, BUT I DON'T WANT TO WEAR A HELMET ..why does it matter to anyone else ?

My wife of many years says"if you wear a helmet, I don't like were your going"

AKA..your willingly entering a dangerous area and the helmet will make you safe---guess what ? it won't

How dare you preach to me how I should climb?
M Sprague · · New England · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 5,090
john strand wrote: True..I'm noy a good looking guy, BUT I DON'T WANT TO WEAR A HELMET ..why does it matter to anyone else ? My wife of many years says"if you wear a helmet, I don't like were your going" AKA..your willingly entering a dangerous area and the helmet will make you safe---guess what ? it won't How dare you preach to me how I should climb?
You need one of these, John. I think Petzl makes them.

Tim Kuss · · Durango, CO · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 198

I would say mind yer own freakin bizness. It doesn't matter what you or "the climbing community" thinks. I don't know why but I find this queery to be rather offensive, sorry. Maybe it's the all caps NO HELMET, as if some rule has been broken. He didn't wear a helmet because he didn't need one. That's all.

My personal experience in The Black is that the rock is reasonably solid and isn't going to just fall off from above you and hit you. The Black isn't an alpine zone where there's freeze thaw or anything like that. I've done maybe 25 routes there and never wore a helmet. My choice.

Mikey Schaefer · · Reno, NV · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 233
Jim Turner wrote:It seems likely that a pro climbers sponsor would ask them to remove their helmet during a photo shoot.
This is definitely not true or correct. I've shot photos with Josh many times and this is never something I'd ask him to do.
JPVallone · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2004 · Points: 195

I don't wear a helmet when I ski, Mostly because helmets are just plain dangerous.

If you don't believe me then look at what happened when I did some testing.

I used a rock about 1 kilo in size, maybe the size of a softball and I dropped it from a height of 10 meters directly onto 10 different helmets. I used the same height and rock to control the variables in my tests.

All 10 helmets cracked on impact and were damaged every time. Most of them couldn't be used again and needed to be retired.

I decided to try the same tests with 10 different hats. Baseball caps and regular knit ski hats.
I used the same rock on the hats that I used on the helmets and dropped from the same height.

Unbelievable, but none of the hats were damaged, cracked, or even scratched for that matter. I was blown away, but from now on I only ski with hats. I have never scratched a hat either, and they are much cheaper then helmets.

Just curious, Is Josh a Cliff Bar athlete? I hope not, I heard Cliff bar was going to drop all of it's athletes that don't wear helmets when climbing. ;-)

Tim Kuss · · Durango, CO · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 198
Greg Petliski wrote: On a geologic time scale, the time youve spent on those 25 routes is nil. Solid as any rock may be, its still rock, it still falls from high places. Again, I would liken it to auto seatbelts. Minor inconvenience, but highly valuable in the event of an accident.
Exactly! Speed is safety. We don't spend enough time in one place to be a target in the geologic time frame. And just think, on quite a few of the pitches on those routes, I probly placed very little or no pro. It's our own choice, our own judgement which is all part of a skill set. "In the event of an accident" there is a near infinite number of "minor inconveniences" that we could go with, but we choose not to for our own reasons.
Roots · · Wherever I am · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 20

I see people wearing helmets when TR'ing now.....

Alexey Dynkin · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Oct 2014 · Points: 0
Roots wrote:I see people wearing helmets when TR'ing now.....
And? Does the gravitational acceleration of flying objects somehow change because you're on TR?

Nearly everyone TRs at Ouray, should they not wear a helmet either?

It's not about the type of climbing, it's about how likely the rock (or other climbing media) is to break off and fall on your head!
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Colorado
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