UKC

Do they exist / are they used?
Would it matter?

In reply to JLS:

Oxygen?

In reply to Trangia:

>"Oxygen?"

I'm sure something strong will have been tried!

In reply to JLS:

I think there may have been one or two threads on this over the last month or two - might be worth a search?

In reply to JLS:

.. presumably something that'll get you high?

In reply to JLS:

I use caffiene in the morning to neutralise the after effects of alcohol - the ultimate performance reducing drug.

In reply to JLS:


Light and bitter was always the traditional one... I expect youngsters have moved on to something harder these days though.

In reply to JLS:

If by drugs you mean illegal steriods then I'd be surprised. There are very few climbers who train at such a level that taking illegal drugs would be the logical next step. Most people could improve by training a bit harder whereas professional athletes who take steroids are probably already training full time so the only way to improve for them might be illegally.

That said I do know a fair few people who take protein drinks after training to aid recovery.

In reply to Rob Hannah:

>"I think there may have been one or two threads on this over the last month or two - might be worth a search?"

Can you suggest search criteria? I've since had a search but haven't come up with anything about the performance enhancing type other than in the Tour de France.

In reply to Tyler: I seem to remember stevie haston hinting about some of the american guys a few years ago and steroids!!

In reply to JLS:
Where can I get them?

In reply to Tyler:

>"so the only way to improve for them might be illegally"

It's along thoughs lines I'm thinking. Here in the UK climbing culture is such that performance retarding drugs are more likely to be used but I'm not sure that attitude is universal.

In reply to JLS:

Apparently Tom Patey was addicted to amphetamines. I have no idea whether that started to help his climbing or was related to something else.

In reply to Tyler:

>"That said I do know a fair few people who take protein drinks after training to aid recovery."

How about testsoterone patches?

In reply to tony: I read that his amphetamine use was to keep him awake when returning home to Ullapool after climbing trips to the other end of the UK.

In reply to tony:

>"Apparently Tom Patey was addicted to amphetamines."

He didn't mension that in his book!!!

In reply to JLS:
all those lads out in hueco late 80s/90s use to have regular sojourns over the border for various types of drugs. dont know if they were steroids tho, i remember an awful lot of ephidrine fuelled sessions, and people cranking on tinies till they bled, then shoving themselves chocka on ibuprofen.

training on ephidrine use to be crazy, use to crank like a bastard, then felt like i was dying when i finished a session.

retrospectively: bad and unwholesome.

In reply to JLS:

Look at his eyes in the photos.Dead giveaway.

In reply to tony:


It was standard practice to have a few amphetamines in your medical pack on expeditions, "just in case". For people unused to them they are very potent, just one little red tablet used to keep me awake all night... slept like a log after though... I never used them when actually on a climbing trip though.

In reply to Bruce Hooker: Somewhere in Mountain magazine there's an account by Alex MacIntyre of an early repeat of a route on the Grand Piller d’ Angle with mentions of certain 'sweeties' to keep going - if the article is to believed Alex ate the whole packet rather than just taking one

I led my first extreme after a pint of strong cider - not sure if that's a performance enhancing or a fear removing drug