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Dean Potter and Graham Hunt won't be down......

Simply put...It's not the fall the gets you.:no: It's the sudden stop....:rolling:
 
Waste of rescue/recovery resources.
 
RIP Dean & Graham

It was only a matter of time,
they were avid climbers & base jumpers...

There was a special "Valley Uprising" on one of the Discovery networks channels,
chronicling a lot of these people, a while back...
I know a few of the people in that special, from years ago, that hung out with that crowd...

I can't say I'm surprised, it's only 50 miles as the crow fly's away from here,
the sport, thrill seeking, forms of "free climbing" {no ropes} & base jumping off
{use to be a band of Hippies for decades, it became more sport oriented in recent years, a bunch of usually derelict people living in camp 4, they had to actually make rules for how many days (7 per year) you could stay in the park to get them all finally out, for the most part}
Yosemite's El Capitan & Half Dome, took another 2 lives...
 
Budnicks, that documentary was incredible. I sat there watching it and simultaneously googling all the people in it. The one climber, perhaps the best ever fell not many years ago and died from a low height on a rock. I will get his name in a minute...
 
Although it's not for me I completely understand the search for the next thrill. I've been mountain biking and skateboarding for years. This is probably the closest I'll come to wingsuit flying...and it very comfortable from my living room!
May these two daredevils rest in peace. They died doing what they loved...which we can all only hope for.

http://youtu.be/TWfph3iNC-k
 
Budnicks, that documentary was incredible. I sat there watching it and simultaneously googling all the people in it. The one climber, perhaps the best ever (John Bachar)fell not many years ago and died from a low height on a rock. It it amazing someonecan climb a rockface 3000 feet with nothing but fingers and feet. Not me baby. I will stick to safe-by-comparison scuba diving.
 
I just joined your blog from a search that landed me on this thread. I've had everything from American muscle cars to 50's customs and SCCA road racing cars. But this is not why I'm joining. I was desperately trying to search for more info on my friend, Graham Hunt and came across the ugly comments written by people of this blog. As an old friend of Graham's I can tell you that he was a man of his word, never had a bad word to say about anyone and he had a quiet confidence that drew people near him and looked toward him as a leader. He was a superb athlete and at the top of his sport skill wise whether it was downhill mountain biking, mountain climbing, BASE jumping, wakeboard ing or riding dirtbikes. In his short life he achieved more and saw more than 10 human's lifetimes. He left behind a father, mother and a sister and he will be sorely missed by everyone that knew him. I just wanted to take the time to briefly let you all know who he was, just like some took the time out of your day to mock his death from behind the anonymity of the web. RIP my friend, there is something admirable in loving something so much you are willing to put it all on the line for it. The rest of us will never know as we sit on couches and behind our computers. Godspeed, you will live on in Yosemite Valley forever
 
Too bad, but nobody's commenting on his character. What's admirable to me that someone is willing to put it all on the line, is to run into a burning building to save another's life. Not jumping off a cliff for jollies.
 
Why a Hero? At least a law-breaker. Worst waste of taxpayer $$$ for recovery.
 
I admire guys like this, because they take chances in a world that wants to make everything risk-free and safe, at all costs. They don't want to stay wrapped in the social safety cocoon that society thinks everyone needs to be in. Good for them!

And for you that think this was a "waste of taxpayer money" for their recovery...remember, they paid taxes, too; and have every right to the same services that you that do NOT take chances, have. Would you want to live to be 80 and never have taken a risk (or risks), and regret never having experienced that FUN and excitement that that risk entails? Or, would you rather live life to its fullest, and take a chance of dying at 30 or 40 or 50 while doing so? I'd rather live life, take my chances and have few or no regrets.
 
patrick66 said:
I admire guys like this, because they take chances in a world that wants to make everything risk-free and safe, at all costs. They don't want to stay wrapped in the social safety cocoon that society thinks everyone needs to be in. Good for them!
Click to expand...

Taking chances in life and cheating death are two different things. Starting your own business is taking a chance. Donning a flying squirrel suit and jumping off a cliff is cheating death, and when one constantly want to cheat death, occasionally one will loose.

He might have been a nice guy, but in this case, simply, Darwin claims another.
 
Gotta wonder how he paid taxes. He lived in Yosemite. Must have worked at the concession stand. As a taxpayer in California I got a buck that says I paid more in taxes this year than his entire run. Not bragging by any means, just an observation. As said above, two different things.
 
That's fine to do your thing, whatever that is, but if you put yourself in extraordinarily dangerous places, I don't see why the families of these people shouldn't be responsible fro scraping them off the rocks. Sending out other peoples fathers and brothers to look for people like your friend who likes to flirt with death is not ok in my book.
I jumped out of planes at one time in my life but it was in the service of the USMC and many many safety precautions were taken. Even in combat you never jump into places like this.....because you can get killed....DUH
 
Many people get their jollies in different ways. Some firemen get their jollies by running into burning buildings but at least they are also offering a service to mankind. Many cheat death in different ways. I used to surf until I figured out that I was in a different world of animal life. Sharks for one. Got tired of being taste tested by whatever and went on to something more safer like drag racing lol. To each his own. I'd rather waste my tax dollars on someone that's base jumping than someone that's on welfare and looting private businesses.
 
Richard Cranium said:
Taking chances in life and cheating death are two different things.
Click to expand...

Richard Cranium said:
Taking chances in life and cheating death are two different things.
Click to expand...

No, they are not, certainly not always. When you "cheat Death", you are, by definition, taking a chance. You are actively pursuing something that can end your life; whether it be wearing a batsuit, parachuting, driving a drag boat or a race car. Hell, you are "cheating Death" walking across a parking lot, drinking a beer, or waking up in the morning, if you really get down to the nuts and bolts of it.

However, you take many chances daily without cheating Death. Am I gonna hit the trifecta big on the fourth at Santa Anita? Is my new software upgrade I coded going to fix the server problems?
Is this house I just purchased really a good deal? Those are all chances one takes without endangering one's self or anyone else.
 
That's it. I'm getting a job at the Yosemite Souvenir stand. Beautiful location to reside too. Don't
have to pay the $20 entry fee every day.
 
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