The world’s most mediocre climbers have discovered a dangerous new way to defy gravity — free soloing above a lake, which sometimes has swell from passing motorboats, which makes it really extreme, and totally hardcore.

I’ve just seen the future of climbing. It’s not on Everest, or a wind-lashed Patagonian spire, nor is it on some gargantuan wall in Yosemite Valley. It’s in West Virginia, on some sandstone cliffs above Summersville Lake.

I insinuated myself into a clan of cragrats, practitioners of a new mode of climbing called “deepwater soloing.” I was bobbing in the swell from passing speedboats at the mouth of a gaping cavern, watching the 31-year-old American phenomenon Terence ‘Vegas’ Kudo perform on an as yet unclimbed route he was calling ‘Vegas in a Blender’.

…. back to what you were doing people, there’s nothing to see here.

Oh, and we did things on dry land too. I’m not sure why. Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun … to play in a suntrap.

Today’s title brought to your courtesy of a random quote from johnnyb. Today’s images brought to you courtesy of the EOFSO – Equal Opportunities for Stalkers Organisation, as well as Vegas (first image, and squad of ninjas), Boer (second image, sound effects and staff twirling skills).

They went out deep water soloing at Summersville without me. Of course. Took me to Hawkes Nest Dam where it was horrible and hot. But I did get to play with that young lad Vegas.

Niles stands around nonchalontly enjoying the view…. does some stretches… then makes the jump.

(click on the image for the larger version)

Deep water soloing at Summersville Lake. Was fun. More coherent comments and some more pictures may be on their way, but I should really do some work now (more pictures under the clicky link thingo).

Hoards swarming over the rock

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Although a large portion of this weekend will be spent deep water soloing at Summersville Lake, WV, another significant portion will be spent trying to balance on bits of tape tied between two trees. Slacklining. What’s that you say? Why, of course it’s a valid sport, and a perfectly normal way to spend time.

Todays random posting is brought to you by a close-up of a waterfall in Dolly Sods Wilderness, part of the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia.

Wildlife sighted over the weekend: some Whitetail Deer, a Chipmunk, and a Groundhog. Chipmunks are a lot smaller than I would have thought. Also, they don’t seem to sing in high pitched voices as often as I’d assumed. They do try and steal your food though, and chew through your slackline.

Well, after an arduous 3 hours at UPS (and don’t let me even get started on the jungle I had to hack my way through to get there, and the wild boars that were attacking, and the poisonous snakes that were hunting me down), I collected the latest in a series of parcels of gear (from US online gear stores) that people have been sending my way (the plan being that I parcel the gear together, and post it home to Australia as ‘gifts’ ). This one was special though. This one had a present for me, in return for all of my efforts. A shiny shiny Black Diamond C4.

With the help of Vegas, I proceeded to scratch it up by placing it in the hand cracks at the climbing gym. I feel I’ve sullied an innocent cam. Will it be forever tainted? Only time will tell.