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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

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Angel of Pain, Castle Hill 15-Nov-2007 At 1:31:32 AM taliman

Message

Well first of all congratulations to Derek, great job. It's nice for me, to hear that someone climbed one of my favourite routes after so many years.

But thats not really the reason I decided to write. Since the last couple of years I've been looking in to the activities of NZ and especially Angel of Pain. And it makes me sad that some of you find it necessary to accuse someone you dont even know, of things none of you have facts about. It's amazing that some of you have the courage and arrogance to openly call me unhonest, a lyar, and of chipping holds, but none of you have the courage to contact me and find out the truth. Oh, and the excuse that you don't know how to contact me is quite week. How about entering "Phonebook Switzerland" into Google and then entering my name. Or even easyer ask Derek for my email.
I give my thanks to cragrat, who can at least put one and one together. "The mantle could have been easily modified if he had wanted to and didn't.". For those of you who know the route, it should be clear, that the bottom part of the route with the pockets is not the problem. I dont spend years looking for special climbing lines to afterwards modify them so they suit me. I wouldn't have had to spend 13 years in "Im Reich des Shogun", I could have just chipped a small hold and get it over with.

I would be lying if I said that I never chipped a hold in my life, but I can't recall any case of trying to make the route esyer, only to make it harder. If you call breaking off the sharp edges of a pocket so they don't slice my fingers "chipping", then yes, I did chipp Angel of pain, but other then that no.

For your history: When I discovered the route, the three finger pocket was a one finger pocket too. What a perfect line! But unfortunately, after a whiles of work on the route, it first broke open to a two finger pocket and then to a three finger pocket. But certainly not to my delight, cause I could do the move with a one finger pocket too.

And another thing to the ethics I had and still have. I do use Sika to glue on a hold that I think might break off, and to answer a coming question, Yes, the holds sometimes do get better then they were before.

It was not my intention to attack anybody in person, but to give you some missing facts. And I am open to any questions you might have.

By the way if you want to see all the Photos I have of Angel of Pain and also others, go to: http://www.pixagogo.com/etalmadge

Greetings Eric