UKC

I was watching running wild and there’s an episode with national treasure rainn Wilson. And he sets up rappelling from a shrub of all things. 

i read on ukc everyone bashing him for not being a proper climbing and I took it with a pinch of salt until I saw him (leader of the scouts) very stupidly show people it was okay! Please tell me if I’m wrong… I do climb and have set up and few anchors and such but nothing compared to anything some of you will have done. 

I have abseiled from all manner of plant life, many shrubs included. But doing so without the knowledge and experience to assess and test them beforehand would be foolish and dangerous. Giving the impression to viewers that that is what you've just done and got away with it would be completely irresponsible.

I did once, years ago abseil from what was equivalent to sturdy rose bush (and nothing else), in a very desperate situation and **** myself all the way down and getting sweaty palms even thinking about it now. 

I wouldn't worry, given previous episodes his producer probably had them on several bolts well hidden and a second safety rope edited out post production.

I greatly respect his voluntary work for the scouts, but very suspicious of the production honesty of the programs he's in

I've abseiled from a shrub twice, but confess I'm not really a fan, but when there is no alternative make sure it's a sturdy bush!

I've abbed and topped roped off small shrubs, foolishly inspired by Mick Fowler's abseiling into some tottery sea cliff by the same technique. I wouldn't necessarily do it now though.

None of this has got anything to do with whether or not Bare Girls is a massive charlatan.

Is anyone else thinking of the Knights who say "Ni"?

'Bear' Grylls is an utter phoney. (Just google for evidence.) So - what do you expect?

Funny way to spell w@nker

Don't get carried away...

Why...?

I think there's another show he's done where he abseils from an old antler!

(Apparently)

It's very rare to find a sturdy bush these days 

Another Bear thread.  Whoopee!

Very true unfortunately.

You can abseil from all kinds of stuff.

I’ve seen an episode where he purportedly abseiling from a small dead tree branch because in his words ‘there’s nothing else’. I know the spot, what they didn’t show were the 3 glue in bolts round the corner, one if which is giant 50kn petzl Collinox... no way did he ab off a bush. It’s all for show. Hopefully everyone realises this and doesn’t try and do what he apparently does...

Yes and to the point that it's become a bit of a niche category on certain websites... 

It's a hoary old chestnut this, but it's been a while so what the hell..

I can see how you could argue that his high profile is good for the scouts. 
(Though personally I don't believe any publicity is good publicity, and would argue that having an arch bullshitter as chief scout is not a good look for them.)

But could you elaborate on what voluntary work he actually does for them?  Other than being the titular Chief Scout and turning up to gurn at the odd photo opportunity now and then?

There is no honesty, the excuse is that his programmes are entertainment only and are not presented as factual but that too is bollocks, they clearly are presented as factual.  But even as a sort of fictional representation of himself, he's no kind of a role model.  It's a small thing but indicative of his character - he never wears a helmet because he doesn't think it looks cool, even for activities that most of us normally would (and scouts certainly would).  Even when the celeb he is pretending to be guiding in his later programmes is.

Compare/contrast Grylls to, say, Steve Backshall.  It's not a comparison that does him a lot of favours is it? 

(Also have a look at Anna McNuff maybe, a Girl Guiding 'ambassador' with a much lower public profile than those two.  Eg: https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/about-us/press-releases/the-barefoot-adventu... )

PS:
The obligatory "Masters of Movement" video: youtube.com/watch?v=5t0mJ63Y8WM&

(It's interesting to compare & contrast that to the other "Masters of Movement" vid on youtube, same presentation style flogging the same product but slightly less waffle and no top rope:  youtube.com/watch?v=phkyp2umOhY& )

Like part of a child's trampoline found in a skip?

Exactly.

It has just occurred to me that no-one has taken you to task over your use of 'rappelling' rather than 'abseiling.'  I'm all for the gratuitous use of French words whenver possible but in UK climbing (the culture not the website) it's abseiling and absolutely not rappelling, because that's what Americans say and it is clearly wrong.

Oh grow up.  If the state of UK climbing is so fragile that it's threatened by borrowed nominclature then perhaps the "culture" should be allowed to die a death.

Ja, abseil (ab seil, down rope) is totally English. Let's not use these foreign words like rappelling, although it amuses me when spell correct changes it to repelling 

It becomes English when we mispronounce it.

I really don't know why Bear gets such a hard time, I know for a fact he holds the BASAAPL2 award and has done for many years now

I've nothing against Mr Grylls but I did register an abseil he set up for Anthony Joshua the boxer. He placed one Friend to in what looked like an ok crack and I am nearly sure that is all they went from. I hope I am mistaken but why would anyone go off a single piece when several are available, I mean lives are actually at stake. As I say I might be mistaken but if not then he needs some advice.

They're really not fortunately, that's the upside of the fakery.  The completely bombproof anchor (set up by somebody else) is off-camera, like the nice hotel and the catering truck.

Well, maybe I should clarify a bit.. human lives aren't really at stake.  Maiming and killing some of the wildlife is ok though if he thinks it'll make good telly.

Very old news now, but the infamous "bat tennis" sequence from Man vs Wild is on youtube:
(He evidently thinks its hilarious, but a warning to sensitive souls - this is actually quite upsetting.)
youtube.com/watch?v=84HE0MHGbKw&

There will be a 3mm steel cable painted the same colour as rock, grass, sand, snow, wood etc.. some careful camera angles, editing, don't presume it's shot in one go either, every time a view changes from close up/ distance/ faces/ ropes/ gear they could be from several takes over the day. It's a tv show, not a presentation of outdoors sports.

I'd love to see them have a genuine climb-off!

Yeah okay I'm persuaded. I've always been impressed by boxers though and was gripped by thinking that Joshua could come to harm because of some careless tv work. I'll file it in the overflowing drawer marked naiive.

We all know that it's all a bit of a farce to big up Bear Grylls and the TV show he presents.
However, the celebrity involved must also be in on the act to a certain (large) degree as they must be fully aware of all the additional stuff going on when the camera isn't rolling to make it all look like they're taking massive risks by abbing off the pretend belays set up by Grylls. 

Of course the celebs are in on it, they don't go on to look bad. It's scripted to a degree, they want to come across well on both sides. 

Maybe this site isn’t for you if you can’t spot a tongue in cheek post. Or maybe it is. Anyway, do carry on.

Rom never did have a sense of humour,  never held him back.

Agressive posting and a humour bypass seem to define that poster.

I feel he should be encouraged to abseil from increasingly more and more dangerous anchors.

BG rappelling responsibly (with son): youtube.com/watch?v=HFzGrc0hJhk&

i'm sure UKC can criticise it tho

You're probably right.  I was hoping it was a site for climbers, not a boys club for middle-aged punters.  To be fair, I hadn't associated your past posts with a Mark Twain like wit, so failed in making the association.  Apologies.  Carry on trying to be funny.  You might get there in the end.

or celebrity ninja warrior

Well, that’s me told.

You must be a famous young hotshot who’s done it all. Link to your insta and sponsored athlete page please.

There may or may not be one or several unflushable pop-up trolls on here but I don’t believe any of them are Rom of a few years ago. Rom had a brain and was always up for a good argument, whether or not you agreed with him, (and I mostly did). None of the trolls who have been called out as Rom have a smidgen of his intelligence and articulation. 

"or celebrity ninja warrior"

I think I'd far rather prefer to see Mr Grylls on Celebrity Deathmatch instead ta.

In all seriousness though, don't use french words please.

It's unpatriotic and it supports french elitism.

Beef, veil, pork etc. All fancy French words. Common plebs used words like cows, Bambi and piggies. I suggest we all stick to the plebian terms.

Now I do have a confession, my surname is French. It arrived in England about 80 after the Norman invasion. I feel the shame everyday. Hopefully the shame is enough to counter the treachery. 

Farage, perchance?

Now you're just being rude!

perchance (adv.)

"perhaps, possibly, maybe," mid-14c., parchaunce, from Old French par cheance, literally "by chance." With Latin per substituted c. 1400 for French cognate par. See per + chance (n.).

He came across quite well on Hot Ones - pleasantly so in fact.