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What are the qualities of a good mountaineer?

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 pepperpot 22 Nov 2010
What are the personal qualities of being a good mountaineer?

Start things off...

1) Self reliance
2) Caution
3) Sense of humour
4) A love of real ale

Any more?
 Tall Clare 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:

5) decent beard, or at least ability to grow one.
 Reach>Talent 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:
6) Not Snoring!!!!
Irishonthewirral 22 Nov 2010
In reply to Tall Clare: + 1

8) chest hair out at the top of coire cas in a winter gale
In reply to pepperpot: 6) Perfect sphincter control under duress. Others may wish for the same after number 4 too.

T.
 Tall Clare 22 Nov 2010
In reply to Irishonthewirral:

9) thousand-yard stare when in flat lands.
 mypyrex 22 Nov 2010
In reply to Reach>Talent:
> (In reply to pepperpot)
> 6) Not Snoring!!!!
Don't agree with that

 Tall Clare 22 Nov 2010
In reply to Tall Clare:

except that's a characteristic rather than a quality.

9) ability to weather adversity with aplomb.
 Reach>Talent 22 Nov 2010
In reply to mypyrex:
Not snoring has been shown in countless studies to improve your chances at sucess in the mountains as it reduces the chances of being rolled out of the tent in a blizzard and being beaten to death.

 mypyrex 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot: The ability to maximise a fart without sh*tting oneself
 nightmonkeyuk 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:
The ability to get dressed while lying down.
 fionn 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:

10) a hilti drill and a bag of bolts
 Tdubs 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:
Understanding that while you may be scared, you may be tired, you may be hungry, there is absolutely sod-all point in complaining about it.
 Tdubs 22 Nov 2010
In reply to Tdubs:
Oh and most of all the ability to perform as many of the necessary tasks as possible, shy of actually climbing the mountain, before leaving your sleeping bag.
 Yanchik 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:

Considerable patience.

Enough imagination to want to do the routes, but not much more than that.

Y
 victorclimber 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot: always to come back safe ..
 The Ivanator 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot: Luck!
 chris wyatt 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:

A degree of insanity
 Yanchik 22 Nov 2010
In reply to chris wyatt:

Strength of a carthorse, speed of a racehorse, brains of a rockinghorse ?

Y
OP pepperpot 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:

I have to say this is surpassing my expectations, keep it coming. Some hilarious ones!
 fried 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:

11) Ability to make rollies wearing gloves.
 nniff 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:

An uncanny ability to:

a) avoid hidden crevasses in the dark,
b) not squeal but instead nod sagely as though this was what you expected to happen when you do fall in, and
c) admire the view whilst dangling by your armpits and considering how best to restore normal service.
 nniff 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:

Plus, the ability to stand nonchalantly on steep ice with one axe, pied a troisieme, whilst the person for whom you are waiting is gripped, shaking and getting pumped stupid
 Iwan 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:

The ability to piss into a narrow necked bottle at -10C in total darkness without spilling a drop yet being completely unable take a piss at home without hitting the lino/carpet surrounding the pissoir.
seaofdreams 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:

the sixth sense of nigh time scottish winter grey/white out navigation.

never leaving key kit behind (head torch) because its only a mile up the track.

feet and hands made of cold and wear/tear proof material that NASA would be proud of.
 abr1966 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot: Rolling a fag one handed with numb fingers. Minimal expression in the face of any adversity. Always getting down and straight to the pub no matter what time (and drinking ale not tea and a lemonade).
Leather hands, pain tolerence, endurance, fatalism, piss take humour....a distaste of bouldering....
 leeangell 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:

Thinking it normal when turning over in your sleeping bag first thing in the morning to find your climbing partner cuddling his still warm p*ss bottle!

Knowing when the right time to 'spoon' is!
ccmm 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot: The ability to stay awake on the drive home.
 ill_bill 22 Nov 2010
In reply to abr1966:
The one essential quality of a good mountaineer is to get to the pub for a pint before closing time.
Nothing else matters!
 Cú Chullain 22 Nov 2010
The ability to knock out a michelin star quality meal in a tent doorway at 15,000ft using a coleman stove, a single pan, a tin of tuna, some cheese and a tube of chilie sauce.
Removed User 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:
Survive in Mountains not through luck but through experience, confidence and good judgment of the situation no matter what mountain throws at him.
 chris fox 22 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:

Strength to peel 2 week old undies off the tent liner and not gag at the stench.
 fionn 23 Nov 2010
In reply to Tall Clare:
> (In reply to pepperpot)
>
> 5) decent beard

definately!!!

 thomm 23 Nov 2010
In reply to pepperpot:
The mountaineer must be EITHER someone who gets up at the agreed time OR someone who gets ready quickly. If neither, he will cause much misery; if both, he will suffer it.
 nniff 23 Nov 2010
In reply to thomm:
> (In reply to pepperpot)
> The mountaineer must be EITHER someone who gets up at the agreed time OR someone who gets ready quickly. If neither, he will cause much misery; if both, he will suffer it.


Of all the qualities to which I might lay claim, why does it have to be those two? It does explain a lot, mind,
 Conf#2 23 Nov 2010
In reply to thomm:

Ooh. When they do neither... Grr.

OP: ability to suffer,
Ability to forget pain..

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