UKC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6666889.stm

Interesting story i thought

In reply to Carpe Diem:

That dude is a legend, have been watching his program on Discovery Channel recently, very inspiring!

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer:

He's a bullshitter with a good head for PR.

He was a guided client when he climbed Everest (never mentioned in his book 'Facing Up') and always seems to miss out the TA prefix when talking about his days in the SAS.

I'm not saying that being a member of the TA SAS or climbing Everest as a client aren't impressive achievments, they are - but I can't help thinking that he's more Custard than Mustard, if you see what I mean.

In reply to THE.WALRUS:



You live in Manchester & like wrestling Sumo ladyboys ffs!

In reply to Carpe Diem:

Yup like you say its all PR, but he makes a living from it so in a sense he's the clever one. The whole TA SAS thing is a bit wierd - I mean he can not have been involved for that long looking at his age. There are certainly lots more people who deserve to make a good living from their achievements

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer:

Come on - its absolute rubbish

In reply to Henry Iddon:

here, here. I concur. it is Pish

Was watching a program of his when he was dropped in some mountains range and had to trek out...


complete pish... couldn't stand him... all push and no poo...
It all seemed put on nonsense.

Ray Smears wouldn't have done it that way.

In reply to finkployd: Yes but Ray still hasn't learnt to take a jerry can and matches with him on his trips!

In reply to Henry Iddon:

I really used to dislike bear grylls, but now I look on it, it was because he is gentry/landed (he owns an island in north Wales ffs)

However, I can't see why he's a bullshitter at all,
would anyone of the people who slate him have the confidence and mind control to fly over everest in a jet powere bit of silk? I doubt it.

His program may be a bit tongue in cheek but surely if you're taking it too seriously thats your own fault.

In reply to Carpe Diem: I heard him on the radio the other day and he does sound like a bit of a wally - impressive achievement but never the less achieved by a wally

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer:

and I presume that this is the lowest form of humour?

In reply to Carpe Diem:

He flies over Dingboche, a village near Everest Presumably he was unable to get permission from the Chinese to fly over Everest.

In reply to mike kann: taken from his website

2007
Bear leads a team back to Mount Everest, in a bold attempt to fly powered paragliders over the roof of the world. This world record is in aid of Global Angels Charity and is sponsored by GKN.

2006
Bear helps to launch the Alpha Course initiative worldwide with cinema and bill board adverts. Click here to view the advert.

2005
Bear leads the first team ever to attempt to paramotor over the remote jungle plateaux of the Angel Falls, Venezuela, in aid of the charity 'Hope & Homes for Children'. The team were attempting to reach the highest, most remote high tepuis, made famous by Conan Doyle's 'Lost World'.

Bear breaks the world record for the highest ever open air dinner party, slung under a hot air balloon at 25,000 ft. Details of this adventure, in celebration of 50 years of The Duke of Edinburgh Award.

2003
Bear leads the first team to cross unassisted the frozen North Atlantic Ocean (view website) in an open Rigid Inflatable Boat. (In aid of the Prince's Trust.)

2002
Star of a worldwide advertising TV campaign for 'Sure for Men' Deodorant featuring Bear's ascent of Everest.

Gains a BA Hons Degree from London University (part/time) in Hispanic Studies.

Made an Ambassador for the Prince's Trust Charity, started by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales.

2001
'Facing Up' nominated for the Boardman Tasker Mountain Literature Prize

2000
Bear leads the first team to circumnavigate the UK on jetskis. (In aid of the RNLI Lifeboats.)

1998
Youngest British climber to reach the summit of Mt. Everest . (In aid of SSAFA Forces Help, the Tri-Services Charity.)

1997
Youngest British climber to reach the summit of Mt. Ama Dablam, Himalaya, (once described by Sir Edmund Hillary as 'unclimbable'.)

1994-1997
Served with the British SAS (21 SAS). Passed UK Special Forces Selection, serving as a sabre soldier, highly trained in unarmed combat, desert and winter warfare, combat survival, medics, parachuting, signals, evasive driving, climbing and explosives. Served actively in North Africa twice.

In late 1996 Bear broke his back in a free fall parachuting accident in southern Africa.

In reply to All: Anyone else got a CV like that on here?

In reply to twm.bwen:

No... of course I wouldn't do that stuff. I work for a living, have a house to look after, etc.. would I LIKE too, maybe.

But look, he's promoting himself as the big cheese know it all when it comes to adventure/survival... but it just comes across as some chancer winging it and coming over as all superiour.

maybe he's just not my cup of tea... I'm not big on Smears either, but at least there seems to be some honesty there.

still pish

In reply to Carpe Diem:

I heard this on the radio this morning. Good effort.

His 'survival' shows are pure farce though
jk

He was booked to come and talk at a Wilderness Lecture in Bristol a couple of years back. This is a series of lectures held through the winter in Bristol which have featured many top names over the years e.g Al Hinkes, Doug Scott, Knox-Johnston etc etc (www.wildernesslectures.com)

Anyhow if I recall correctly BG cancelled his appearance giving about 2 days notice and no reason, leaving the organisers completely screwed. To their credit they managed to find another speaker to entertain the several hundred people who'd bought tickets to see BG.

In reply to finkployd:

I'd want Mears in a real survival situation. There's more meat on the chubster for the barbeque.

Aren't these Bear bating threads getting a bit repetative and boring? I mean, he's about as relevant to climbing and mountaineering as Annabel Bond.

In reply to Carpe Diem: I have met the bloke a few times and he is a really nice guy, the discovery programs are a bit "ham'ed up" but I guess it makes for good TV - we're all talking about it!!- we they made for US of for the UK?

As for his some of the stuff he has accomplished, this guy is tough, not matter how you look at it the achievements he has done, whether for PR of otherwise are not easy.

I say fair play to the bloke, to be honest I am a little jealous!

In reply to Glyn Jones: Congratulations on reproducing a list from his own website. Since when is a media personality's own website an objective overview of their abilities ? Given that he has proven to fudge the facts about the SAS (TA) and Everest (guided) why should we think he hasn't fudged the facts on the rest ? It's a list of assisted publicity stunts and you cut&pasting it proves nothing except your gullibility. You only have to watch a few minutes of his show to see he doesn't let the facts get in the way of a good story, to put it politely.

There's nothing in that list to show that he has actually established or created anything of any real worth. He hasn't risen to the top of a challenging field through combintions of work, skill and perseverance (eg. a surgeon) - except PR and self-promotion.

I prefer my CV. It's real.

D

In reply to finkployd:

I suppose he always has to make it exciting but its hard to buy the whole survival show.

Could he survive a freezing pish storm at 27,000 ft?

Bet not.

In reply to Carpe Diem:

the guys a star, he makes me laugh as well, when on saturday night you had, gameshows, search for the next singing sensation, or Bear, it was a no brainer, sometimes i even stayed in to watch his show

In reply to Glyn Jones:


Is that correct? There is no mention of it on the Boardman Tasker website.

http://www.boardmantasker.com/site/other_years.htm

In reply to Carpe Diem: 2000


Good to see Bear doing his bit for global warming. WTF is cool about doing this? If he'd paddled a surfboard around I'd be impressed.

In reply to Carpe Diem:

Having read "Facing Up" he makes no secret of having been guided on Everest.

In reply to diggers:
Argee.

He's gone out and done that stuff.

I sense a great deal of "green" from certain punters here.

In reply to Glyn Jones:

You say that like it's an achievement. It just means he doesn't know how to work a parachute.

He's a fanny.

M

In reply to teepee:

Quoted from his luuuurvly website

In reply to matt25:

Nope he has it on his luuuuuuuuuuurrvly website

In reply to Glyn Jones:

OK, so HE says it like it's an achievement.

Which makes him a fanny.

M

In reply to Glyn Jones:

Yes, I saw that it was from his website. The word 'nominated' caught my eye. Books are entered for the Boardman Tasker Prize and some are shortlisted, but they're not nominated. I had a look on the BT website and there's no mention of it at all.

In reply to matt25:


now whats wrong with fanny?

he's still pish

In reply to teepee:

Maybe he nominated the book himself?

And then forgot to mention it to the judging panel?

In reply to Carpe Diem:

I don't have a problem with him noting his back injury on the timeline. His recovery from that to climb Everest was impressive.

I got given the book to read after I broke my back. My injury was the result of riding my bike neatly tucked-in to the left-hand side of the road. At speed. In France. That makes me a fanny too. I worked f*cking hard to get fit again and climbed Mont Blanc to make a snowboard descent 8 months afterwards. I know what that took, so I have a lot of respect for what the guy's achieved.

He's still a fanny though. From reading the book, him and Niggle would get on well...

In reply to Carpe Diem:

I think the Born Survivor series was incredibly hammed up which is fatal for what is (I assume), marketed as some kind of extreme/serious adventure program.

I have watched three of Bore's programs and each one left me feeling rather patronised. Unlike Bore's TV output I never come away from a Fatty Mears program thinking I have been in any way deceived, and in fact, often feel that I have been informed.

When you are watching a supposedly factual program and you spot that it is hammed up, how can you come to any other conclusion that there is deception involved and the whole thing is a bit shit?

Having said that, some of his achievements are impressive - and the link in the OP is, I find, quite interesting. However this article too is subject to a bit of hamming.

Cordoza says "It felt weird just hanging off a few strings with an engine on your back that produces more power than a truck.". Now when Joe Public hears the term "string", s/he is thinking of a wee bit of thread used to tie up parcels with a breaking strain of a kilo. As climbers, we know that something 10mm wide can hold tonnes. They KNOW what they are doing when they put such images of danger in to the public mind, where the danger factor is actually ZERO. I mean when was the last time a paraglider fell to his/her death due to the 'few strings' connecting him to his/her canopy failed?

Credit where it is due, but purleez don't confuse criticism of the shite that is 'Born Survivor' with envy.

In reply to stevomcd:

Hey, don't sell yourself short mate. You need to 'Bore Up' this story. Try this:

"My life threatening injury was the result of piloting my sspecially built racing-bike tucked-in to the left-hand side of the tarmac express way only a few meters wide. I was travelling at break-neck speed across France with only a few wires holding the hub of the wheel from the rim.

Doctors said I would never walk again but I worked f*cking hard to get fit again and climbed the feared Mont Blanc, (Europes highest peak, tackled by only the best climbers), to make an extreme racing-snowboard descent only a few months afterwards."

In reply to Shani:
Every generation needs a "Bear Grylls". My generation had Hempleman-Adams (described by his own literature as "probably the worlds greatest living explorer"). They are so alike that the former could be the secret love-child of the latter. I admire the ability of both to make (what seems to be)a comfortable living without having to do a 9 to 5 like most people, but in my own (maybe limited) experience, real achievers are rather more modest about it.

In reply to everyone:

Does it matter that he's on tv doing shows? Does it matter that he was assisted or guided?

Personally, reading the comments on here I spot several factors.

1. If you cant beat them, ridicule them.
2. If it sounds inplausible, then it definately must be.
3. You dont like tv.

All said and done, this guy - guided, assisted, blagged or bluffed - has done a LOT of things that you armchair biggots would only ever dream of.

This guy deserves respect because regardless of how he's done his stunts, he's done them none the less. You lot should remember that he almost certainly has a wife and family that he wants to come home to each and every night. Therefore, if he wants to go up everest, why in gods name should he do it unassisted, guided or whatever just to make him "hard as"? If it were me, and I had the desire to do something, I'd do the human thing and to do it as easily and safely as possible.

Before you go dishing the dirt, you should take a long hard look inwards first to really consider if you are in a position to comment.

In reply to Barrington: Wonder how successful he'd have been using his real first name?

Edward the adventurer?

In reply to Chris_Collins:


Being a professional stuntman I feel fully qualified to comment on this guy and I have come to the conclusion that he is a complete tw*t.........

If he clears 16 London Buses on a Honda 125 I might respect him.

In reply to Chris_Collins:

That would be top roping then?

In reply to Simon22:


And I'd respect you if you cleared 16 Honda 125's on a London Bus

In reply to Glyn Jones: Or "real" achievements? so much just doesn't stack up.

In reply to Glyn Jones:


lol!

In reply to All:

I'd only previously seen this chap in his series about the foreign legion which I thought was impressive. The only episode I've caught of this is him parachuting into a mountain top lake in nevada, I think.

So we start with camera shot from inside plane, circling a potential landing spot, then a few helmet mounted camera shots of the descent. Then splashdown.

...then a nice stable shot from the side of the lakeside of him staggering out, wet and knackered.

It's the staged-ness of it all that disappointed me. I'm assuming he landed, sorted himself out, eventually the rest of the camera crew arrived and assembled, then Bear climbs back into the lake, shouts "ACTION" and then proceeds to stagger out as if he had just touched down.

Not knocking what he does at all - hundred times more than I'll ever hope to do. It's the 'reconstruction' angle that made me turn over.


It's a common televisual trick though, innit? the set up door-step interviews, where the interviewer knocks on unsuspecting residents door, introduces himself and then is invited in...then we suddenly switch to a camera angle from inside the house showing him entering...

In reply to Glyn Jones:
>2003 Bear leads the first team to cross unassisted the frozen North Atlantic Ocean (view website) in an open Rigid Inflatable Boat. (In aid of the Prince's Trust.)

I don't know about the rest of his claims but this one is a bit suspect. His attempt was no less assisted than the previous (successful) attempt (basically both boats picked up fuel)

So that would make his the second team I guess.

Steve D

In reply to Barrington: Aye, there are a lot of forums noting alleged errors in his filming like a harness appearing when abbing down things, life jackets spotted hidden when shooting rapids.

But as someone said earlier - he's earning a living preaching to the masses that like him so he is rather clever!

In reply to stevomcd:

Well done on your recovery mate but what the hell did you do up there for 8 months! Could Bear do that I ask ya?

In reply to Chris_Collins:

I have had a long hard look at myself. I am in a position to comment.

He's a fanny.

M

In reply to Simon22:

"If he clears 16 London Buses on a Honda 125 I might respect him"

Why? Does this require some modicum of skill I'm not aware of?

In reply to Glyn Jones: The guy milks everything for all it's worth. Starting at the begining - boy did he pack a lot into his 2 years in the TA getting "highly trained" in everything you can think of. The xeplosives bit is a giggle cos it takes 9 months FULL time to do that if you wear green, doesn't leave much time for the rest of it all. I s'pose it just depends on your definition of "highly trained". If he's ever been fishing, I bet he caught an absolute whopper - first cast!

In reply to Chris_Collins:
No, of course not.

>Does it matter that he was assisted or guided?
If he portrays it otherwise, yes. It's called lying. He makes himself out to be adventurer and being helped up Everest hasn't been considered truly adventurous for decades.

Or, if you know they're a load of crap, ridicule them because that's what they deserve. And how do you know that some people on here can't beat them ? That's quite an assumption.

From him, yes. He has a history of fudging the truth so this is a completely understandable reaction.

What ?

Rubbish. I dream of doing not one thing on that list and I bet plenty of others feel the same.

Again, rubbish. He deserves our disrespect because he misrepresents his 'feats' and misrepresentation of such (climbing/mountain-related) activities in the mainstream eventually harms us all.

>I'd do the human thing and to do it as easily and safely >as possible.
If everyone felt like you do then 'climbing' would not exist. We'd just take the road up the back of the cliff. Alpine-style would not exist. There would only be one route on every mountain and no routes at all on the hard ones.

>Before you go dishing the dirt, you should take a long >hard look inwards first to really consider if you are in >a position to comment.
And you should take your own advice.

D

In reply to Damo:



Ah, but by your own logic, we've only got YOUR word that it's real.

In reply to wizz walker:

and your point is....?

I wonder if he's reading this? Doubt it somehhow.

In reply to Niall:

Yes, quite true, but I'm not splashing it about a website trying to impress people how intwepid I am.

Have I ever lied to you Niall - that you know of ? No
Has Edward Grylls - that you know of ? Yes

See, I'm ahead already

D

In reply to Damo:

Then again, I haven't actually seen your CV. Maybe you claim to have soloed Rhapsody?

In reply to hang 'em high:

Isn't it a waste of electrons even discussing this guy?

In reply to Carpe Diem:
having read the BBC article, would i be correct in saying that our man didn't actual;ly fly over everest, as intimated, but flew to an altitude just over that of everest? The man is should see if he can get a job on that tv program about the confidence tricksters if you ask me. Actually, no, i would feel getted if he managed to pull that blonde bird in it

In reply to Wibble Wibble:

Aw c'mon, Bear Grylls threads are always hilarious!

M

In reply to twm.bwen:

Loads, and give me Evil Kineval over any 'survival' ponce anyday of the week. These sort of men are real hero's......

In reply to Chris_Collins:

You know Chris, I have a sneaking suspicion that you KNOW Bear personally!




There are a lot of guys on UKC who regularly risk SERIOUS injury by pushing their own standards of climbing. They push their own standards for personal reasons and for personal gain. They don't need to ham up the risk they take as they do not have sponsors or an audience to play up to. Some of these people take REAL risks with REAL consequences. To compare this to the 'risks' Bore portrays to take (particularly in Bored Survivor) is an insult to they who truly push their boundaries.


RESPECT is earned and easily lost. I respect him for climbing Everest but do I respect him for the hyped up TV wank-fest that is Bored Survivor? Nope.


Same here, that is why my trad and soloing exploits are now more carefully weighed up before I embark upon them - and at no point will I be in a position where I need to pretend to a wider aucience that I am taking risks when I am not.

In reply to Shani:

I would just like to add, when I am leading I am tied "to a few woven strings attached to a simple material harness wrapped around my waist and legs", with only some rubber soled slippers on my feet. At times I may be a hundred feet above the ground!

Check me out! Grrrrrrrr!

In reply to Bear Shani: well done, eat a raw fish!

In reply to Glyn Jones:

FM! I have a new found respect for Bore having found out that "Bear was [approached] to star in a ‘Sure For Men' deodorant TV commercial (Rexona, worldwide). This featured the story of Bear's Everest climb and what makes him most nervous! The advert was awarded campaign of the week on its release. "

How dearly I would love to win "campaign of the week".

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer:

The bloke is a leg end alright...a 3rd leg end!

In reply to Rob Naylor: Now Robert, don't say nasty things about our Edward!

In reply to Glyn Jones:

Post-dating by almost 30 years the 1976 crossing of the same area in an *un-powered*, leather boat waterproofed with sheep lanolin by Tim Severin et al. So what's new? He had an engine!

In reply to Rob Naylor:

And that is forward planning by Bear, Ray Mears keeps forgetting his boat and having to construct one in the wilderness - the silly pork chop!

In reply to Shani:

There's more!

"In June 2005, Bear broke another world record. This time, for the highest open-air formal dinner. Dressed in full naval uniform, he ate a three-course meal, at a table suspended below a hot air balloon at 7395 metres! For afters he saluted the Queen and skydived to Earth."

David Sterling would be right impressed.

In reply to Shani: you'd have thought he' have learnt from his back breaking accident!

In reply to Chris_Collins:

Actually, I know that several of the people you diss as "armchair bigots" on here have done things that'd make your nuts shrivel up and hide.

In reply to Rob Naylor:

Full Monty?

In reply to Shani:

And more from the Channel 4 website .....AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!

"Bear and fellow pilot Giles Cardozo plan to strap themselves to extremely flimsy looking flying machines called paramotors, which essentially consist of a large parachute and a tiny motor in a backpack.

The pair will wait for a momentary lapse in the hurricane-force winds that whirl around Everest, and then they will hurl themselves off the mountain at 4000 metres with only 54 kilogrammes of survival kit on their backs."

What the hell do they mean "extremely flimsy looking flying machines" - flimsy as in climbing ropes look flimsy yet will hold several tonnes?

'Hurling' themselves off Everest during a 'omentary lapse in the hurricane-force winds'. WTF! Could it be written with a more emotive style?

And how far up Everest is 4000 meters? I thought Everest base camp was at 5600m?

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

<takes deep breath/>

In reply to Glyn Jones:


Try comparing Bore to real adventurers like Scott of the Antarctic. Scott took a real risk that brought him fame. Bore seems attracted to 'stunts' that bring him celebrity.

Can you imagine if, instead of the tragic adventure that secured his fame, Scott thought "F*ck it, I'll nip down Maccy D's during a snow storm instead of going to the south pole"

Highest formal dinner my arse!

In reply to Wibble Wibble:

Nah, the electrons are there anyway (or maybe they're over there.....or maybe not!): may as well have some fun with them at least.

In reply to Rob Naylor:

Are you positive?

In reply to Wibble Wibble:

Attractively so, I'm told.

This alone is enough to confirm all my worst prejudices.

In reply to Eskdale massive, and everyone else who was quick to criticise:

Not in the slightest.

I am in admiration of nnyone with the imagination and determination to do what Grylls has done in his life time.

People who criticise others so unnecissarily, on the other hand, are impossible to admire.

In reply to Dux:

Oooh you're linking this to other threads...nice touch. Let me assist by suggesting that Bear probably couldn't lead TPS nor top rop an E0.

In reply to Shani:

There is no such thing as E0.

In reply to Shani:



David Stirling, however, would have thought he was a fanny.

M

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer:

Are you sure (for men)?

Ithangyou...

In reply to Carpe Diem:

It has to be a Bore imposter. I can't see any mud on his face in the photo.

In reply to Glyn Jones:


Oh, dear God. Where's Coel when you need him?

In reply to finkployd:
I agree, I mean the guys obviously pretty hardcore, but some of the ways he went about things were just plain stupid...the best example was when he was digging in snow with his bare hands!

In reply to Pffff02:

throwing stones at a tree to dislodge a single pine cone, from which he then tried to eat the seeds...

ace tip that one.


pish

In reply to finkployd: better than falling out of the tree yourself and gives good practise for throwing stones at neds when you return!

In reply to finkployd:

Erm...thats were you are wrong. If we were both lost out in the Sierra Nevada whilst you were starving I would be lobbing stones at a tree and subsequently settling down to a pine cone feast whilst you looked on enviously.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

In reply to Shani: Nah, kill him off and eat him with a nice pine seed side dish!

In reply to Glyn Jones: funnily enough, whenever I see his name it makes me want a barbeque

In reply to Shani:

I'd be saving my energy finding something else to eat/drink.

Effort to reward ratio far to high to seriously be considered unless desparate, he'd only been there a night, during which time he was freezing cold, burning up vital energy shivering.

He tried foraging for grubs in one stump, found none and gave up...

Liked the rabbit killing throwing stick technology he employed though... although I note the camera shots of him sneaking up were clear, all we heard was a 'thunk' and then he was roasting it on a fire...

pish of the highest calibre

In reply to THE.WALRUS:

I don't have an issue with someone fullfilling their dreams, and it's obviously an achievement. The only thing I feel a bit uncomfortable about is that there is no mention of Richard Meredith-Hardy and Angelo d'Arrigo, who flew a microlight and a hang glider over Everest in 2004. I appreciate that these aircraft are different, but I do think it would have been nice if there had been some tribute to their pioneering work.

In reply to Carpe Diem: There are some bitter, angry wee men on here, that would do well to get off the keyboards and get out their doing, instead of dreaming and criticising others who have the drive and ambition to succeed.

In reply to Carpe Diem: Anybody mention Les Stroud...Canadian Survivorman...sometimes on Discovery here (UK).... he's a bit more down to earth and does not try to show off...you always learn something useful too when you watch his shows...

In reply to THE.WALRUS: The SAS TA had nearly as many in the Gulf wars as the reg.SAS.

Nick

In reply to TWINKLETOES:

Always the same cop-out comments about "armchair critics" when someone is criticised, eh?

I have no issue wih the success of people. I've enjoyed seeing people like Ranulf Fiennes, Ray Mears, Lofty Wiseman and even Chris Ryan "doing their stuff" on TV. They tend to be unassuming about what they know/ do, and just get on with it without it all being "me, me, me".

I'm afraid Mr Naturist Barbecue is just on an ego trip, though, and the "survival" stuff he does on TV is just a joke....if not downright dangerous in some instances, were people to try and emulate it. On the "Everest after breaking back" scenario, I know of 4 people who've broken their backs, and one who broke his neck, and got back into climbing and mountaineering at a high level within a short space of time, so I don't think the fact that BG did it is particularly unique.

I have a lot more respect for my mate who's crossed Greenland on foot, unsupported; traversed Svalbard by the "high" route, unsupported; lived with the Inuit for months at a time learning their customes and hunting with them; canoed the Mackenzie River and is now just about to start a kayak traverse of the North West Passage than I have for the CV-exaggerating poseur who seems to be clogging up the meeja ad the moment.

In reply to alan wilson:

Has anybody mentioned Dog - Bounty Hunter?

In reply :

Not all critics are in armchairs:

http://www.mounteverest.net/news.php?news=15998

D

In reply to Damo:

Yep. Particularly liked:

QUOTE
As I walked along the trail traversing the edge of the Pheriche plateau, I saw a parachute coming down out of the corner of my eye, and a person sitting in a chair hanging from it. I noticed the motor was switched off, and I said to myself, ‘Thank heavens, that racket is over,’ and continued along my way. I kept going and then, before I knew it, this parachute was coming directly at me, and then suddenly it hit me. Luckily the chair thing missed me by 15 feet or so, but the strings and canopy of the chute partially enveloped me.”

‘I did it, I did it!’ - ‘what did you do?’

As soon as he did, he shouted in English, ‘I did it, I did it!’ I replied to him, ‘what did you do?’ He said, ‘I flew as high as Everest.’ I thought to myself at the time, I am not sure how high you flew, but, you didn’t fly over Everest, because you never left the area above the Pheriche plateau, as far as I could tell, and anyway, I already saw someone do that, very loudly, in 2004,” Dan said. “Then, the pilot asked me if I would please get out from under his parachute.”
UNQUOTE

Edward over-egging his pudding again?

In reply to Carpe Diem:

Hmm I think anyone who gripes on about how he's not really "all that" should take note of the "it's not the critic who counts; not the man . .. etc etc" bit of Roosvelt's Citizenship in the Republic speech. See below.

http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/research/speech%20arena.htm

scroll down to the bold bit.

In reply to Shani:

Lol,

But in reply to your question. There never has been, and never will be any need for E0.

In reply to pepperpot:

But when the critic is also a "doer" (as perhaps is Dan in the Everest link), it's perhaps a different matter.

There is carping criticism of truly great endeavours (successful or not) by unassuming people who don't over-blow their achievements.

And there is justified criticism of people who puff themselves up to be someting they're not. The fact that some of these people *have* done things worthy of praise makes their need to over-egg their achievements all the more sad.

You seem to be suggesting that no-one should be criticised if they've actually attempted something that pushes their comfort boundaries, even if they're found to have exaggerated or lied about their attempts/ success.

Now someone like Ranulf Fiennes I can respect: he doesn't exaggerate his achievements, highlights his weaknesses and is open about his compromises and failures. Grylls, though, to me, is more like the woman who skipped the middle section of the New York marathon and rejoined near the end to a "triumphant" record finishing time. No, I probably couldn't run as fast or as far as her, but I think I'm perfectly justified in criticising her for her dishonesty in the race.

In reply to Rob Naylor:

All these people are making good business of mountaineering: selling a film to broacast on the BBC gets you between £300-400K. I bet Ranulf Fiennes gets at least £30K per speaking engagement. Plus all their costs are covered by sponsors. Plus proceeds of book sales.

I feel like I am missing something. Maybe there is market niche for a mountaineering film of anti heroes, all those who don't quite make it to the top....at least we could make some money!

In reply to francoisecall:

How much do ITV pay?

In reply to francoisecall:

No, Ranulph Fiennes gets around £ 4,000 as a motivational speaker. That's gone up considerably in the last year. You could get him for just over £ 1,000 about 18 months ago.

But so what? I have friends as I mentioned above who do really "adventurous" stuff...they get limited, if any, sponsorship, cover the costs out of their own resources and charge little or nothing for the few speaking engagements they do.

The point isn't who/ how much gets paid for something, but the integrity of the person. My arctic exploring mate has *integrity*...he doesn't exaggerate his achievements. I believe that Fiennes has integrity, too. OK, he makes a living from it, but again, I don't see that he's exaggerated or lied about what he's done anywhere.

Grylls, OTOH, when you look properly into something he's done, often appears to exaggerate his accomplishment or make it seem harder than it was. ie, what's the point in claiming a first *powered* paraglider flight above Everest (though not actually above Everest for fear of the Chinese and possibly not even to the height claimed if eyewitnesses are correct) when an unpowered flight right over the top was verifiably done by an Italian in 2004?


What you're missing is the difference between people who, whether they succeed or fail at something, have the integrity not to exaggerate what they've done, and people who puff themselves up to the max.

In reply to Rob Naylor:

Was just reading the obituary to Angelo d'Arrigo; the Italian who flew over in 2004.

http://www.mounteverest.net/news.php?id=1755

What an extraordinary guy.

In reply to Rob Naylor:

Please don't mention Chris Ryan in the same breath as Ranulph Fiennes, or Lofty.

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer:

Having read some of the stuff above, I am more than sure that Bear has both found and climbed an E0. If E0 does not exist then I reckon we can count on this 'first' appearing on his CV any time now.

In reply to Anonymous:

The only man who has ever climbed an E0 is Jack Bauer. And he invented 'Friends', he gave the idea to Ray Jardine to avoid blowing his own cover as he was infiltrating a bunch of rock-climbing terrorists at the time.

In reply to Anonymous:

Why are you posting anonymously? I'm afraid I cannot take you seriously.

In reply to Niall:

Did he ever catch 'em? Or are those no-good perps still out there, hoggin' 'n doggin'??

Mick

In reply to Mick Ward:

He's still on their trail. They were last seen toproping on TPS. The b*****ds.

In reply to Carpe Diem:

His PR gets him eeverywhere!!!!!

http://snowheads.com/

In reply to Carpe Diem: whats he done on grit?