Open this up, Miranda Fengel, New Book coming SOON, Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, I’m very proud of you ❤️

Time to finish one chapter of my life before I begin another, and I'm marking the occasion! Thank you to all those who helped with this story over the last three years, especially if I interviewed you for this book. It's been a wild and completely unexpected ride. The story followed soon after the death of my father and was also an incredibly personal journey through grief for me. Thanks to Matt Samet for being an amazingly talented and patient editor. A perfect fit for this story that weaves in and out of the subject of climbing. Thanks to Dean Fidelman for the title idea! Thanks to the badass climbing community for standing up for what is right! Climbing demands nothing if not the truth. 

The story began when I was reporting for Climbing Magazine about Rand Abbott's attempt to become the first paraplegic to lead climb the Nose on El Capitan. On the night before the climb was set to finally begin, as I sat across from him at the campfire, the story took a dark turn when I witnessed the impossible. I killed the story and left Yosemite Valley before dawn the next morning with a rock in the pit of my stomach.

Admin has consistently deleted any post that has been critical of Rand, for years.

I fully expect MP to remove this. I address this behavior by Mountain Project thoroughly in my book, when it comes to Abbott, Charlie Barrett, and the system that allows them to continue. MP Does not allow the truth if it isn't perpetuating the narrative they have decided defines the climbing community. 

So where do we get a copy of the book?

....On the night before the climb was set to finally begin, as I sat across from him at the campfire, the story took a dark turn when I witnessed the impossible....

can you give us the cliff's notes on this statement?

slim wrote:

can you give us the cliff's notes on this statement?

I wrote about it in the book.

Miranda Fengel wrote:

I wrote about it in the book.

I tried searching the book but came up empty. Can you share details on ordering?

slim wrote:

can you give us the cliff's notes on this statement?

I'm assuming this is the "hook." Gotta buy the book to find out what they saw.

Probably best practice to support your community and buy the book if you have legitimate interest of the story. 

Miranda thank you for the investigative reporting. I will buy your book when it becomes available.

Saved to Wayback Machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/20250423150420/ mountainproject.com/forum/t…

https://tinyurl.com/3j9rt9ta

Mountain Project moderators here, joining the conversation. We’ve taken limited action in this thread that we’ll explain now. While we may not comment here again, you can always contact us directly with questions and feedback at support@mountainproject.com. 

Moderating warnings or public service announcements about individuals in the climbing community presents some real challenges, and we tend to hear from dissatisfied Mountain Project members when we act on a post and when we do not act on a post. 

Our moderation policies have not changed since 2017. When moderating, we adhere to the forum guidelines which state that personal attacks, bullying, harassment, and incitement of violence are not permitted. When threads head this way, we remove the more egregious posts and lock the thread. That said, warnings and accounts of personal experiences are generally not removed until or unless the individual named in the post contacts us to request removal of content that they describe as defamatory.

Calling attention to content outside of Mountain Project like articles, case proceedings, and books is usually permissible so we do not plan to remove this thread. We may still remove posts that violate forum guidelines, lock threads that are snowballing into questionable territory, or remove content flagged as defamatory.

Facebook Discussion

MP Moderators wrote:

Calling attention to content outside of Mountain Project like articles, case proceedings, and books is usually permissible so we do not plan to remove this thread. We may still remove posts that violate forum guidelines, lock threads that are snowballing into questionable territory, or remove content flagged as defamatory.

Thanks for weighing in here, Mods. My own experience with MP moderators has been largely positive and I know how difficult it can be.

I'm wondering if you can explain specifically the part I highlighted above, "remove content flagged as defamatory." The "flagged as" bit concerns me. Anyone can flag anything here. I could flag your post as defamatory, even though it isn't. Is it a MP policy to remove posts that ARE defamatory? Or simply that someone FLAGS as defamatory?

Here's a good, clear, legal definition of defamation from Lexis-Nexis, the legal information service:

A defamatory statement is one which is untrue and which tends either (a) to lower a person in the estimation of right thinking members of society generally; or (b) to expose a person to hatred ridicule or contempt; or (c) to disparage a person in his or her office, profession, calling, trade or business.

 I highlighted the "which is untrue" part, because the central fact demonstrated in the linked video, seems irrefutably true. And it seems to render almost everything we've been led to believe about the history and condition of the person in the video  mostly untrue. 

MP Moderators wrote:

Mountain Project moderators here, joining the conversation. We’ve taken limited action in this thread that we’ll explain now. While we may not comment here again, you can always contact us directly with questions and feedback at support@mountainproject.com. 

Moderating warnings or public service announcements about individuals in the climbing community presents some real challenges, and we tend to hear from dissatisfied Mountain Project members when we act on a post and when we do not act on a post. 

Our moderation policies have not changed since 2017. When moderating, we adhere to the forum guidelines which state that personal attacks, bullying, harassment, and incitement of violence are not permitted. When threads head this way, we remove the more egregious posts and lock the thread. That said, warnings and accounts of personal experiences are generally not removed until or unless the individual named in the post contacts us to request removal of content that they describe as defamatory.

Calling attention to content outside of Mountain Project like articles, case proceedings, and books is usually permissible so we do not plan to remove this thread. We may still remove posts that violate forum guidelines, lock threads that are snowballing into questionable territory, or remove content flagged as defamatory.

Thank you for chiming in. I am adding new information that has come to light to my manuscript and would be happy to add these insights from MP admins. This is why open dialogue is important. 

Looking forward to your book when it's released!!!

Have Gavin contact me if you want more info. 

Mark Foster wrote:

BRO YOU COULDA BEEN NORMAL STEPPING ALL ALONG! What a dick. Can't wait to read yer book

Dude could have been two-stepping. 

We've removed some content today following the framework we described earlier in the thread and have locked the thread to avoid a cycle of comments being posted and then disputed. This course of action may not be satisfying to everyone in the thread, but it's not our intent to decide who's right or wrong in their facts or opinions.

Very disappointed with the action taken

MP Moderators wrote:

We've removed some content today following the framework we described earlier in the thread and have locked the thread to avoid a cycle of comments being posted and then disputed. This course of action may not be satisfying to everyone in the thread, but it's not our intent to decide who's right or wrong in their facts or opinions.

Upthread you stated you would remove posts that were “defamatory,” as determined by….who the heck knows what metric(s). Yet, right above here, you say “it’s not our intent to decide who’s right or wrong…” 

umm, so, which is it? Are you removing stuff b/c it‘s untrue (defamation, by definition, is untrue statements) or are you not “decide(ing) who’s right and wrong?”

Can’t have it both ways, mods….