most climbers, including myself, feel that if someone who's famous, which 99% of the time has alot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$, will just buy their way to climb, while everybody else, earns it....those first few years of learning and obsessing is our right of passage and we feel violated when some yuppie buys their way through

IMaybe he should hook up with the "Mentors" from the "Weekend in Hell" TR. :D

That's really cool that Jack O climbed el cap...but if you do it without drugs thats kinda lame.
-JR

This is getting framed and going on the mantle.

Anything that anybody ON THE GROUND spewing in CAMP 4 has to say about anybody who is ON THE CAPTAIN and LEADING isn't worth a damn.

Good for the guy for sending on the sharp end,...but huge congratulations to him for getting his life together.

-Kate.

I don't disrespect the friends of mine who like to party -- I know plenty of climbers who consider themselves Valley locals or regulars who party with verve and ferocity. I wouldn't pretend to want or need to take that away from them for a minute.

But, frankly, you have no idea what it may feel like to overcome some serious personal challenges, take your life in a completely different direction, and realize how powerful a rush it is to be sober -- all of your wits about you -- and enjoying life for the first time in a mighty damn long time. You can't possibly understand what it's like to be out there on the sharp end, thousands of feet above the ground, and fully aware and in charge of your senses when only months before all you knew was the misery, isolation, desperation, and monotony of not caring if you even lived another day.

I'll take my climbing sober, thank you. There's nothing more exhillerating that being up on the wall, fully aware of your predicament, responsible for your choices, and entirely accountable for the outcome. I plan to spend the rest of my days sucking the marrow out of life instead of sucking on a bong crawling into a bottle.

Ed

butt friends just have to trust you.

I don't disrespect the friends of mine who like to party -- I know plenty of climbers who consider themselves Valley locals or regulars who party with verve and ferocity. I wouldn't pretend to want or need to take that away from them for a minute.

But, frankly, you have no idea what it may feel like to overcome some serious personal challenges, take your life in a completely different direction, and realize how powerful a rush it is to be sober -- all of your wits about you -- and enjoying life for the first time in a mighty damn long time. You can't possibly understand what it's like to be out there on the sharp end, thousands of feet above the ground, and fully aware and in charge of your senses when only months before all you knew was the misery, isolation, desperation, and monotony of not caring if you even lived another day.

I'll take my climbing sober, thank you. There's nothing more exhillerating that being up on the wall, fully aware of your predicament, responsible for your choices, and entirely accountable for the outcome. I plan to spend the rest of my days sucking the marrow out of life instead of sucking on a bong or crawling into a bottle.

Ed

Personally I have a few parameters to be concerned with before I can just meet the president if I want. Dig.

Way to go Jack.

I heard an interview with Ozzy a few weeks ago and he stated how proud he was of Jack to have cleaned up his act on his own accord and pursuing things Ozzy would have never dreamed of doing. You could really hear the pride in that fathers voice.

Sounds like a ton of people are jealous of someone equally determined as (most of) us but with the financial recources and time to persue his dreams.

Ed,
Nothing contradictory about it. I still have a (warped) sense of humor and I find his statement hilarious amongst all the seriousness (like farting during a sermon).