Looks like I can't find the server in the wonderful wilderness of greater Metro San Francisco. I had not expected ST to ever die of lack of money, so I imagine they paid their bills. However its been several hours so far since I noticed its being Offline.

If I have any luck at all, they have been reported to Anonymous and have been taken off the internet for the crimes against the republic and its principles of internet (and national) freedom and decency that is not shared by the ST management.


I fully expect they will get the doghouse back online.

But thats too bad in its way, They portray themselves as "running the wildest forum for the wild-wild west" or some such fanciful tripe, yet are intellectually dishonest as only a very few caredfully scripted writers are allowed to post up anything but the most stupid and foolish politically correct propaganda. You'd think Ignorant B. S. was a degree from a Cali University.

Their wild-wild west forum is as tame as the California theme parks and about as deep as the upper Merced. Disneyland claims to have a wild-wild west exhibit too. .burly as anything ST has offered in years. The forum is under the control of fallen climbers now. They can (some of them) climb over 5.8 but thats about it and frankly, they ain't the caliber I grew used to. They are the very epitome of wankers, all worried about people getting their feelings hurt or some shithead who verily deserves being condemned might actually hear a discouraging word. Emotionally cowards, willing to risk their lives (or especially others lives), but not ever risk shedding a tear.

ST jumped the shark, even as a vehicle for promoting sales of greatly overwritten guides to a Federal Park. Due to his role in an illegal event, a violation of Park rules that led directly to the death of a young woman, he was "banned" for a while, but thats a handslap where proximate causes of death are involved. These guys aren't delicate or especially perfect nice either, someone should have been arrested and jailed in a Federal facility, not banned from the park. Leading another to their death while encouraging them to violate existing law on the way appears to be manslaughter at least.

And I really don't like the Supertopo guides, they are hugely overwritten and are a form of cheating to my eye. Of course, I never expect Cali trust-funders and fatcats to understand how leaving mystery intact and allowing the mountain a chance could ever be good for climbing.

Darn I miss Bachar. Chickenshit forever-aid climbers and "sport" climbers have overwhelmed the decent and honorable game in my sport, sport climbing and wall-rat camping hold the glamour.



Really, this is how I see the last 15 years. A very few brilliant skyrockets launched out of the mud that climbing has been driven into by hacks and commercialized interests who dominate now with a screaming chorus of fanboys who fail to see their mediocracy. I see few guys out in the field with any courage doing the big leads and a lot of whiners with mechanized bolt drills demanding heir right to drill the face of one more unmemorable big-wall or sport route somewhere where the rich kids can be made to feel important. Preferably someplace where servants can be gotten cheap near a resort with good 4G service.

F'em'all. Lets hear from those who climb alone or with a small group and who try and avoid the paparazzi surrounding the self-promoted, self-financed globe-trotting pretenders who claim to be the leadership of this sport.

I rather talk with guys that refuse to name new routes, publish route lists or "claim" FA's. I know they exist, I read about a guy in Southern Arizona who doesn't self-promote, there has got to be others. People who make gear for their own use, don't join the local SAR, Don't idolize 20 foot 5.13's and think about the wasted money spent when they see climbing magazines full of wealthy guys travelling tens of thousands of miles pursuing bolders rediculously far away.

"Standard Greetings" to You too, Poser.