Youngest on El Cap

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Pinkelephant 18 Jun 2019

Really? She is not even climbing it properly , but jugging it on on jumars, ok, nice enough, well done,  but ... there are many many youngsters climbing lots of routes or being active in the hills. Why do they need to promote this on the BBC? Is it 'Facebook/Twitter/or Instagramiti-s?"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-48680177/selah-schneiter-ten-...

Post edited at 23:04
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 Blue Straggler 18 Jun 2019
In reply to Pinkelephant:

Would you prefer that this not be reported at all? 

7
 tjdodd 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Pinkelephant:

Because, whatever the style, this is pretty damn impressive for a 10 year old.  El Capitan is probably the most famous big wall for climbing in the world.  El Capitan is particularly in the public imagination at the moment after Free Solo.  Because it is good to have good news stories in the news for once.  Because, whilst it is great that lots of kids are out there climbing and being active in the hills, doing routes at Stanage will never get on the BBC.  Youngsters doing really hardcore routes will rarely get on the news as the public will struggle to understand what doing an 8c vs 9a really means.

Because it is a really inspiring good news story and hopefully motivates and excites others kids to get out there, be active and challenge themselves.  When Ella Kirkpatrick did it they made a tv programme for CBBC which hopefully excited lots of kids. 

11
Deadeye 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Pinkelephant:

You do realise that fewer than a dozen people have freed it?

3
 gravy 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Blue Straggler:

Would you prefer that this not be reported at all? 

Yes, I would prefer it not to be reported at all. No doubt it is an adventure but what is it with everyone's obsession with sharing their adventures?

17
 Tom Valentine 19 Jun 2019
In reply to gravy:

I would rather the kid's age was regarded as an irrelevance. There are probably plans afoot to out-do this ascent already by dragging a five year old up the route.

5
 Kemics 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Pinkelephant:

Pretty sure she led some pitches. I saw a picture of her on the boot flake pitch. Which is legit! Cam hooking off the bolt ladder has the odd sketch move...especially for a 10 year old!

Edit pic - http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web19s/newswire-10-year-old-selah-schneiter-sum...

Post edited at 09:44
1
 Blue Straggler 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Kemics:

Very good article which I think addresses all the criticisms on the thread so far, and possibly any future ones! Thanks

1
 Michael Hood 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Kemics:

Love the headstand photo

1
 Darron 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Pinkelephant:

If the best climber is the one having the most fun Selah seems to be doing ok.

6
 overdrawnboy 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Darron:

> If the best climber is the one having the most fun Selah seems to be doing ok.

What we  need is some  new cliches.

 nikoid 19 Jun 2019
In reply to gravy:

I don't object too much to people sharing their adventures, what really gets me is people sharing the utterly banal. For example my wife's friend thought (via Facebook) she needed to know about how they were spending their Sunday clearing out the garage. Complete with photo of all the crap on the drive! Yes really. She also occasionally sends us photos of their meals. What's that all about?

 EdS 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Pinkelephant:

Beats sitting behind a screen like we are all doing

1
 Milesy 19 Jun 2019
In reply to EdS:

Aye, but whit has she done on grit?

2
 sbc23 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Pinkelephant:

> Why do they need to promote this on the BBC? Is it 'Facebook/Twitter/or Instagramiti-s?"

If it inspires another 10, 20 or 30 year old to be less fat then I'm all for it. I bet Boris couldn't jug it. 

Post edited at 14:13
2
 Pete Dangerous 19 Jun 2019
In reply to sbc23:

> I bet Boris couldn't jug it. 

But I bet you he'd tell you he could, and by the 31st of October.

 profitofdoom 19 Jun 2019
In reply to gravy:

> ..............what is it with everyone's obsession with sharing their adventures?

Various reasons I suppose, e.g. some to get recognition, some because they're excited about their doings and just want to share, some as part of learning to write (they might want feedback), some for current or future career advancement, some to gain sponsorship or satisfy current sponsors

2
 Blue Straggler 19 Jun 2019
In reply to gravy:

> what is it with everyone's obsession with sharing their adventures?

Did you read the Alpinist article linked downthread?

 Milesy 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Blue Straggler:

> Did you read the Alpinist article linked downthread?

Got a link?

Its the constant barrage of people being groomed into "professional athlete" - I don't like it in football, and I don't like it in climbing. You have kids, teens and then into young adults being touted as "professional athletes". If you're living a climbing lifestyle mainly off you parents' bank accounts, are you really? I don't feel sour or anything, but when the BMC and MCOfS are spending so much time (and my subscription) being the bell ringers for these people, I get a bit sick of it.

12
 tjdodd 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Milesy:

Try reading the Alpinist article linked above.  It is pretty much the complete opposite of what you are saying.  It is a kid that wanted to have an adventure and was lucky enough to have a father who could climb El Cap.  Basically a five day version of a family afternoon at the local crag.

 EdS 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Milesy:

Grit is soooooo last generation - granite and limestone is where the cool kids are these days.

All about the bolts, innit

 Blue Straggler 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Milesy:

> Got a link?

I assume you are taking the mickey. 

 WaterMonkey 19 Jun 2019
In reply to gravy:

> Yes, I would prefer it not to be reported at all. No doubt it is an adventure but what is it with everyone's obsession with sharing their adventures?

I assume you don’t read magazines, books or watch documentaries then?

Post edited at 17:05
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 full stottie 19 Jun 2019
In reply to overdrawnboy:

> What we  need is some  new cliches.

The climber having the most fun is usually crap.

1
 Tom Valentine 19 Jun 2019
In reply to tjdodd:

>   Basically a five day version of a family afternoon at the local crag.

Yes, all very prosaic sounding, but if that were really the case it wouldn't have been boosted up to international headline status.

In reply to Tom Valentine:

These days people don't need to shout about what they've done. News spreads fast and the family will likely have been contacted by outlets before they'd had a chance to do it themselves. I contacted the father about Selah writing a Humans of Climbing piece rather than us reporting it as news as it feels like a more appropriate way to share her story. 

4
 Tom Valentine 19 Jun 2019
In reply to Natalie Berry - UKC:

I wasn't getting at UKC - I first heard about it on my wife's tablet's  BBC news feed.

In reply to Tom Valentine:

I know you weren't - sorry if it read that way.

 gravy 19 Jun 2019
In reply to WaterMonkey:

You assume (more or less) correct when it comes to climbing

 ChrisClark1 19 Jun 2019
In reply to full stottie:

> The climber having the most fun is usually crap.

Didn't realise you'd been watching me at the crag...

Post edited at 23:44
 Enty 20 Jun 2019
In reply to Kemics:

> Pretty sure she led some pitches. I saw a picture of her on the boot flake pitch. Which is legit! Cam hooking off the bolt ladder has the odd sketch move...especially for a 10 year old!


I'm surprised more people aren't commenting on this. This is the overiding part of this whole story and makes her ascent 100% legit in climbing terms. I wonder if she led any more pitches?

I'd be interested to know whether she set up the belay and prepared everything else including the haul when she got to the top of The Boot. Or was the third member of the team already there and they pulled the ropes for her to lead on his gear?

I'd also be astonished if she used cam-hooks once she reached the flake.

Enty

 beardy mike 20 Jun 2019
In reply to overdrawnboy:

Yeah but whats she done on grit?

> What we  need is some  new cliches.

 PaulJepson 20 Jun 2019
In reply to Enty:

The article mentions her leading Pine Line, the bolt ladder, and the scramble at the top.

She's wearing jamming gloves though, so the assent is illegitimate either way. 

 Blue Straggler 20 Jun 2019
In reply to Enty:

> I'm surprised more people aren't commenting on this.

If Milesy's post is representative, people are actually now unable to identify a link in a thread even after many people have referred to that link as being something well worth reading before commenting. 

 Timmd 20 Jun 2019
In reply to PaulJepson:

> The article mentions her leading Pine Line, the bolt ladder, and the scramble at the top.

> She's wearing jamming gloves though, so the assent is illegitimate either way. 

Why do you say that?

 SenzuBean 21 Jun 2019
In reply to Timmd:

> Why do you say that?


Because it’s a joke :p

 PaulJepson 21 Jun 2019
In reply to Timmd:

Some people just want to watch the world burn.


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