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wallwombat
Nov 28, 2003, 3:09 AM
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I was recently reading a book on the world's 8000m peaks and I noticed something. Every peak had at least one new route put up by a Polish team.Some peaks had more than one.
My question is, why are they so good at putting up new routes on the biggest mountains in the world? Any Ideas?
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squish
Nov 28, 2003, 3:49 AM
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Frankly, I don't know, but it's impressive. You'd think big Himalayan trips would be too expensive for these Eastern European dirtbags, but somehow they manage to scrape together a small, fast expedition and go for it. Of course, having a hotshot like Jerzy Kukuczka on the roster can't hurt.
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philbox
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Nov 28, 2003, 4:10 AM
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Methinks that they know what true suffering is all about. They have the mental fortitude to push through the suffering and achieve the goal. Quite unlike myself actually.
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philbox
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Nov 28, 2003, 4:10 AM
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philbox moved this thread from General to Alpine & Ice.
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andypro
Nov 28, 2003, 4:41 AM
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In reply to: You'd think big Himalayan trips would be too expensive for these Eastern European dirtbags....
What about being polish has anyhting to do with being a dirtbag? Poland happens to have the highest GNP of the other "dirtbag eastern european" countries, the highest economic growth of any european country, among the most educated, most fit, and youngest population (avg. age of like 25), consume less alcohol and drugs, eat well, and generally live well. Just because thier culture has an economy tha'ts not as high as the western coutnries by no means make them any less than anyone else.
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squish
Nov 28, 2003, 5:09 AM
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In reply to: What about being polish has anyhting to do with being a dirtbag?
Nothing at all, I'm not dissing the Poles. Dedicated climbers anywhere are dirtbags, though. That's often just what it takes.
I'm Czech, for what it's worth.
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squish
Nov 28, 2003, 5:14 AM
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In reply to: Poland happens to have the highest GNP of the other "dirtbag eastern european" countries, the highest economic growth of any european country, among the most educated, most fit, and youngest population (avg. age of like 25), consume less alcohol and drugs, eat well, and generally live well. Just because thier culture has an economy tha'ts not as high as the western coutnries by no means make them any less than anyone else.
Oh, and this may be true today, but not during the years of the Iron Curtain when many of these great Polish climbing feats were done.
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andypro
Nov 28, 2003, 5:45 AM
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In reply to: Nothing at all, I'm not dissing the Poles. Dedicated climbers anywhere are dirtbags, though. That's often just what it takes. I'm Czech, for what it's worth.
Sorry for getting semi-pissed like that. I'm half polish, and the side of the family I'm close to is off the boat polish. I get a bit touchy about the subject soemtimes. Even though I'm 100% born and raised american, youd be amazed the crap I get (like actual racial and personal bashing) becuase of my heritage. But it was my misunderstanding as to what ya meant. Sorry :wink:
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andypro
Nov 28, 2003, 5:51 AM
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In reply to: Oh, and this may be true today, but not during the years of the Iron Curtain when many of these great Polish climbing feats were done.
That's one of the beauties of soemthing like climbing. Hell...in the old days, mountaineers were seriously hardcore. Makes us, with our modern technology and equipment, look like wimps in comparison, and I'm jsut meaning in common terms. Like climbing everest etc, not 6000 foot baffin big walls, and the like. Goes to show what it takes is drive and ambition, not a bunch of shiney new gear.
I'd bet it took years and years of planning and squirelling away gear and suplies to pull it off, but they never lost the dream. And look what happened.
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overlord
Nov 28, 2003, 8:32 AM
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In reply to: consume less alcohol and drugs
less then who??? my info says they drink truckload of beer :P
but, then, who doesnt??? :wink:
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squish
Nov 28, 2003, 9:18 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: consume less alcohol and drugs less then who??? my info says they drink truckload of beer :P but, then, who doesnt??? :wink:
Although I think it's us Czechs who have the talent for beer, hands down. That, and all the hockey players.
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solo
Nov 28, 2003, 11:10 AM
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The Polish people and climbers especially are hardcore! I bet quite a few of their routes on 8000m peaks were done in winter. They just have this habit of not backing off, just because the conditions are "uncomfortable". :)
BTW I believe this was the case of all climbers from behind the iron curtain - it might be your only trip to the Alps, Himalaya or wherever, so you just climbed and did not give a damn about weather or other difficulties.
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tradman
Nov 28, 2003, 11:12 AM
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I second the vote for czech beer! I reckon Staropramen is probably the best drink of any type anywhere in the world!
As for the Poles' incredible climbing record, it's probably the same reason that us Scots have a fair rep - there's just a tradition here of hard climbing in worse weather being the norm, which I think has produced predictably tough climbers.
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overlord
Nov 28, 2003, 11:17 AM
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i 3rd the checz beer. they probably make and drink 1/2 of beer in europe :twisted:
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hema
Nov 28, 2003, 1:03 PM
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Yeah and the rumour is that most of polish climbers train both summer and in winter at the Tatras, which seem to offer a great deal of coldness (well more than the alps atleast).
BTW. Czech bear is great, but after extencive tests polish bear was not bad at all, Zywiec atleast was cheap and good.
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andypro
Nov 28, 2003, 6:37 PM
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For all you Naysayers :lol:
I actualily did some quick research before I posted that to amke sure Iw asn't jsut tlaking out my ass, and regurgitating "grandparent propaganda".
I appologiz for this link being so long and probably screwing everyhitng up width wise, but I dont know hwo to make HTML tags to turn it into a worded link, or whatever.
http://www3.who.int/whosis/alcohol/alcohol_survey_process.cfm?path=whosis,alcohol,alcohol_patterns,alcohol_patterns_data&language=english
Pay particular attention to the trends, age groups, and percentage of daily and/or heavy drinkers.
I cant find the place I had about drug use again. When I do, I'll post that data too.
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marcel
Nov 28, 2003, 7:18 PM
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In reply to: Methinks that they know what true suffering is all about. They have the mental fortitude to push through the suffering and achieve the goal. Quite unlike myself actually.
Right on!
I have done some extreme and remote caving with eastern block cavers. Number one the belive in teamwork. Number two, they are darn tough, putting up with much more than I can take. I have extreme respect for the eastern block people!
If the climbers are anything like the cavers I can see why they have done so well.
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capn_morgan
Dec 1, 2003, 7:13 PM
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Anyone read much about "last cry of the butterfly". R&I had a good article about that climb..soemthing to the tune of There are no climbing Epics. Alpinist had a bit about it too. Dem boys is hardy :shock:
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