VanillaSkyGirl

Bwahahaaa!!!

Hey Lisa Marie, whose bum is in your avatar? Is that Typical Fish? Flyinchicken ~ You do look like Angelina Jolie in those pics, but you are even more attractive because you jump and climb! Very cool! P.S. My 1st and only rig was a used Reflex. Karrigirl~ Hi Karri!

I think that all of us felt the magic, even when reading about it online.

Mar, I'm so happy for you all! Congratulations!!!

Thank you for volunteering, Mr. Yak. ***yeh the belayer is really important,you should feel proud,it's like your first step to climbing greatness. Yes, it is a very important job, so we'll be nice and let you have that job. You don't even have to pay to belay us. The ladies of DZ.com will let you belay us for free. You just have to make sure that you can give good beta, if needed. Refill our chalk bags, when we run out and massage our forearms, when they get stiff. Believe it or not, I personally have never owned my own rack (That sounds so wrong.) I just have couple of carabiners, various shoes and a couple of harnesses) because everyone that I know has quite extensive gear, so you'll have to let us use your rack, too. Hehehe. To any other belay bitch volunteers, just make sure that you can pass a lead belay safety check test, and it's all good...

Huh? I've never heard that from people who both jump and climb. The bond between climbers is amazingly similar to the bond between skydivers, imho. Both communities are like extended family.

Argh...I was hoping that Wildblue was pulling our leg, and that the ladies did get it. Oh well, there is always the next jump. Let's keep our fingers crossed! So, how many more jumps do they have scheduled today? Also, it's sad to hear of all the injuries.

Swedishcelt, I don't necessarily like cats, but that is one cool looking kitty. Please post pics after bringing your baby home.

I love it! Congratulations Grue, my fellow blue/black/white!

I remember Gia telling me the blue thong story. That's funny!

Surgery? Uh... my commitment to this is waning... No worries there, Ryan. There is no way that you could ever look like me, or that I could ever look like you. Lol. (Don't mind Nick. You know that he can be a mischievous, knuckleheaded frog.)

Trust me, I've been there! "Stay calm...visualize." It's hard, but those are the moments when you somehow pull out as much strength and inner drive as you can, that you didn't know that you had, from somewhere deep inside. Still, I think that since I only have 200 jumps and wasn't so comfortable with my landings, at times, that I had more fear of skydiving. The fears in climbing, skydiving and scuba diving can be subjective to each person, depending on how far to your limits, that you take each sport. All three can be terrifying or relaxing from one moment to the next. Like I said, with climbing I would get lost in the climb and climb by instinct. I went wherever my body wanted to take me as it felt the rock, and how to groove my body into it...like dancing on the rock. It was when and if I stopped to think about taking a bad fall and hitting rock, that I have felt fear creep in. I tried to just climb & be in the moment...and to think later! I'd also agree with some of the others, that scuba diving can be more frightening/dangerous, than either rockclimbing or skydiving. All three are dangerous activities, yet they are all beautiful and relaxing in their own way.

Hola Nico.

That is exactly how I feel about BOTH skydiving and rockclimbing. I have always found climbing outdoors to be so peaceful and spiritual. Ok, lead climbing overhung routes is a lot less scary for me. If you take a whipper on an well overhung route, you will freefall into the air and swing a bit. You will not hit anything. If you lead a vertical route and fall, your body will be swung back into the rock. Think about that one. Climbing felt much less scary to me than skydiving, at first. Then again, I'm not scared of heights, and I've never felt more natural, than when climbing. I get lost in the moment and in the climb. I can say similar things of skydiving, but then again, I am usually trying to accomplish something (turn various pts.) in a short period of time. ***(also climbers have better bodies, generally speaking.) I'd have to agree. The most beautifully fit bodies that I've ever seen are from hardcore climbers.

There were so many winners. I thought that I'd have a chance, at least. I WAS happy when Bill sent me the winners names, and I saw your name on the list of winners. I had meant to send you a PM back then, but I thought that you already knew. You suck. I haven't flown at all for three months. Still...I am honestly happy for you, Ev. I know that if I won, you'd be so happy for me.

I, on the other hand, have been diligently becoming pallid and wan. Should any women be in need of portable contrast, I will be on the scene. Woohoo...stand next to me, and we can take a BEFORE and AFTER style picture!

I was so sad when I found out that I lost the tunnel raffle. Damn you all to hell!!!! I mean, "Congratulations Evelyn!" (Seriously, have fun, girl.)

I don't think that I've ever met anyone who considered themselves intermediate climbers, who climbed at 5.9 level. Still, maybe I was wrong in calling it beginner, if you two view 5.9 as intermediate. Btw, what kind of climbing are we talking about lead, trad, crack, or all of the above? It makes a difference, I think. Who is that?

Exactly what I was gonna say! You could combine all three elements... skydiving, rock climbing, and BASE jumping! That sounds AMAZING!!!

Why would you say that? I love to Austrailian rappel and doing it from an overhang cliff that is 150 foot down to the bottom is just plain fun. Granted it could be a little harder on the rope than just creeping down but where is the thrill in that. LOL Other than that it is just as safe as any other type of rappel except you brake in front of you instead of behind you. Granted it is not a rappel for beginners because you need to commit and do the rappel in one move from the top of the overhang to the bottom of the cliff or you will do a flip on the rope but many good rappellers whether going frontwards or backwards do it in one bound just for kicks and grins. Of course I agree its stupid to try and do it dwon a rock wall even though I have seen it as I'm sure you have. Exactly. I've rappeled (feet first, of couse) several times when climbing to get down from multi-pitches or to get down faster or safer than hiking down, but I wouldn't rush into Aussie rappeling, if I were going to try it. I'm not even an adrenaline junkie at all, but I know fellow climbers who have done it and know how to do it safely. Edited for typos.

It's fun, but uncomfortable and dangerous because you can't see your equipment. Read up on the fatality from aussie rappeling with a locking carabiner and a figure-8. Derek Thanks for the info, Derek!

Scary! Maybe I'll rappel in. Aussie rappel. Oooo...I've never rappeled head first, have you? I want to try it.

Sorry for not using the right terms. Like I said, I used to climb (mostly leading sport routes and some trad, too), but I've never freeSOLOed.

You are sweet, but there are plenty of pictures of me on DZ.com, already.

Does rc.com have a bablefish type translator? Ok, nobody else is doing this, so I'll try to help. 5.9, 5.12A = It's a rating for a level of difficulty. 5.9, in particular, is beginner level/not very difficult. It progresses with the numbers after the decimal. (very easy 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 5.10.5.11. 5.12+ (more difficult) 5.12 is for someone quite advanced. You also have letters after numbers, like 5.12A, once again to show the level of difficulty. flashed = to lead a climb without falling and without previous attempts Ripoff = the name of a climb (Climbs have names and ratings.) soloed = free climbed by oneself with no rope