# Scaling a mountainside without ropes, climbing tools (Incredible 60 Minutes feature) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 5, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-a-mountainside-without-ropes-climbing-tools-incredible-60-minutes-feature/608525 "2012-01-05T18:18:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-a-mountainside-without-ropes-climbing-tools-incredible-60-minutes-feature/608525/21 "2012-01-06T19:57:22Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I suppose it’s possible to consider anything an achievement. If I sit in a chair for six straight hours, I’ve spent six hours doing something. > > So I’ll concede that climbing a rock is an achievement in that sense - Bachar did something. But as far as achieving anything that was useful or productive or worthwhile, he might as well have been sitting in the chair. Wow. Threadshitting and a stupid point of view, all in the same post. Congratulations. ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-a-mountainside-without-ropes-climbing-tools-incredible-60-minutes-feature/608525/22 "2012-01-06T20:00:22Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > So I’ll concede that climbing a rock is an achievement in that sense - Bachar did something. But as far as achieving anything that was useful or productive or worthwhile, he might as well have been sitting in the chair. But you could say the same thing about almost anyone, depending on what you consider worthwhile. For example, Dick Cheney will certainly have a much longer entry in “Who’s Who,” but I would take a rock climber over him any day. Stepping back from unspeakable evil for a moment, even ordinary people, insurance salesmen or whatever, don’t exactly change the world. So what’s wrong with doing something that makes people gasp in awe? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-a-mountainside-without-ropes-climbing-tools-incredible-60-minutes-feature/608525/23 "2012-01-06T20:00:30Z")
> [@brocks](#): > > Now look at that rock climber. He doesn’t just do something better than the average guy, he does things that the average guy couldn’t even attempt. If the show was right, he’s done climbs that nobody else, ever, has done. So not only can the average guy not do what he does, but the second best guy in the world can’t do what he does. And unless he can get an endorsement from Nike or something, he doesn’t make as much money as a 7-11 clerk. Yea, but overpaid athletes aren’t overpaid just because of their talent, they’re overpaid because they’re talented at something people like to watch and pay big bucks to watch. Essentially paid entertainers. Free climbing just needs the right PR people to market it and make it profitable. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-a-mountainside-without-ropes-climbing-tools-incredible-60-minutes-feature/608525/24 "2012-01-06T20:10:55Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Yea, but overpaid athletes aren’t overpaid just because of their talent, they’re overpaid because they’re talented at something people like to watch and pay big bucks to watch. Essentially paid entertainers. > Free climbing just needs the right PR people to market it and make it profitable. It already can be, for the elite climbers. Lots of them make good money from sponsorship deals and speaking fees. This guy is sponsored by The North Face. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-a-mountainside-without-ropes-climbing-tools-incredible-60-minutes-feature/608525/25 "2012-01-07T09:56:37Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > He climbed up a rock. Just because something is difficult and dangerous doesn’t make it an achievement. I’d be more impressed if Bachar had put the same amount of effort into doing something useful with his life. Such as - playing golf? ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-a-mountainside-without-ropes-climbing-tools-incredible-60-minutes-feature/608525/26 "2012-01-07T16:02:55Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Free climbing just needs the right PR people to market it and make it profitable. See, that’s their problem right there. If they want to start making money they need change over to Fee Climbing. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-a-mountainside-without-ropes-climbing-tools-incredible-60-minutes-feature/608525/27 "2012-01-07T16:31:53Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Wow. Threadshitting and a stupid point of view, all in the same post. Congratulations. I don’t think my opinion that risking your life to climb rocks is a waste of time qualifies as a stupid point of view. Quite the opposite in fact. So the question is whether or not I was threadshitting. If the topic is “what do you think about Alex Honnold?” then my posts were appropriate. If the topic is “let’s all talk about how great Alex Honnold is” then I suppose it wasn’t right for me to express negative opinions in a fan thread. Other people had expressed negative opinions before me, so I felt this was the former not the latter. But at this point, having posted what I have to say on the subject, there’s no reason for me to stick around and argue the point. If this is a fan thread, I’m not a fan so I’ll withdraw. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-a-mountainside-without-ropes-climbing-tools-incredible-60-minutes-feature/608525.md?page=1)