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russman
Oct 22, 2001, 9:43 PM
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That post in the jokes is just what I thought of when reading that:) But seriously, pidgons are a big problem around my local crags. A buddy came over and was wonderin' what that noise was in the rocks...I said, O just the damn pidgons. They are pretty much a permanent fixture. Along with many other flying nesting creatures. Certain times of the year, climbing can be real interesting around there.
(don't worry jhundrup, I won't tell eveyone it was you I was climbing with:)
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kriso9tails
Oct 22, 2001, 9:48 PM
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I've run into snakes en route but only on easy routes free soloing over water. I had my first rattlesnake encounter at the crag, but not while climbing.
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pollux
Oct 22, 2001, 9:59 PM
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I had brought my shoes and chalk on a trip for some bouldering. I drove by this small gorge, probably 30 feet or so. So i decided to pull over and climb it, almost to the top I stick my hand in a small crack. As I pulled my self up i see something moving, Nice wasp nest. About pissed my self
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munckee
Oct 22, 2001, 10:25 PM
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I was at the top of a ~120 foot lead this summer and climbed just above a large flake that sat about 2inches off the main slab. I had been hearing sounds from above throughout the climb, but couldn't place the noise. Then, as I was about to get onto the flake, about a half dozen BATS flew out. Scared the hell outa me!
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fiend
Oct 22, 2001, 10:39 PM
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Back in the day.... I was working this crappy 5.12 and got to the section where you have to throw to a stacked 3 finger pocket. Inside the pocket was one of those big hairy spiders, so I decided to just sit on the rope and try to scare him out. I got someone to toss a stick up to me and I proceeded to try and swat the little bastard outta there, yet only succeeded in driving him further into the pocket.
By this point I knew he wasn't going anywhere so I tried to find away around the move but that wasn't gonna go. I could barely do the climb with the proper moves and I wasn't going to be doing an eliminate around a key hold.
After 15min of fooling around with the spider I set out on the climb again, took a deep breath and threw for the pocket.
Spider guts squooshed out of the pocket and around my fingers but I stuck it and moved on to the next clip where I could take again and clean my hands off.
Haven't been back on the climb since
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ratstar
Oct 22, 2001, 10:44 PM
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My partner and I were bouldering up Little Cottonwood and we found a small lizard and he climbed with us for a while. He stuck so good. he was only like 4 inches long.
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woodse
Oct 25, 2001, 3:57 PM
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Well here I've only been startled by wasps, and the occasional bat. Guess so far I'm just lucky.
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woodse
Oct 25, 2001, 3:59 PM
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dscrow:
are you sure it was a grizzly?? What section of the rockies were you in??
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hardcoredana
Oct 25, 2001, 8:10 PM
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Xeno, tyraidbp, and all others who frequent Devil's Lake in Wis, beware the chipmunks!
They are masterminds at stealing food from climbers' packs. They wait for you to get on the climb, and then they assault your pack and steal the food. They are very intelligent and use strategies impressive for animals of their brain size. They chew through one or two of the plastic teeth on the zippers. It all seems harmless and funny, until you are about to leave the crag, and you find that none of your packs zip up, and you have to carry all your gear in your arms. You curse the damn animals while they sit there laughing at your sorry bum as you leave behind a trail of Clifbars and climbing gear.
Not that I have any experience with this phenomenon. . .
[ This Message was edited by: hardcoredana on 2001-12-15 23:22 ]
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kagunkie
Oct 26, 2001, 12:34 AM
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On a trip to Cannon Cliff in NH we arived late at night so we bivyed near the cars. We did this all the time since the drive from NY takes six or seven hours and we usually arrived late. In the morning I opened my eyes to a clear blue sky and just layed there motionless for a few minutes breathing in the crisp clean air and thinking of the day ahead. When I did begin to stir I was suprised by the explosive burst of speed when a small red squirll flew from somewhere down below my feet and bounced off my sleeping bag and then used my forehead for a spring board to leap to the safety of nearby trees. Now I didnt mean to scare him but he shure scared the hell out of me. I thought he was an attack squirll guarding a nearby cash of acorns or something!
[ This Message was edited by: kagunkie on 2001-10-25 17:36 ]
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metoliusmunchkin
Oct 26, 2001, 1:44 AM
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One time, I was just topping out on my climbing wall (which, keep in mind, is surrounded by a grouping of large cedar tress) and my energy was running very, very low. Suddenly, whilst my energy was running out, a squirrel ran accross a near by tree branch and lept onto me! Because I was on the section of the route that overhangs, the squirrel landed on my lap, and then ran up my arm to my shoulder only to jump off to the ground in haste.
At this point, scared to death and adrenaline running low, I had to fall, though I was reminded of my dog Kona that was right near the base of the route. I quickly yelled to my spotter that he had to get the dog out of the way but it was too late and I fell, missing the dog by what seemed like a hair. Very close! Two animal encounters! One is enough for me!
P.a.t.
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vaness
Oct 26, 2001, 2:22 AM
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i found a newt on the path to a climb once. my sister nambed it bob. and one time i steped on a snake and screamed really loud. it was really funny cuz my dad ran away cuz he was scared.
vanessa
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alternativekudzu
Feb 11, 2002, 6:15 AM
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i've had a few unexpected lizards freak me out a couple of times...although i have a pretty bad fear of snakes and one day i just know i'll pull myself over a ledge and WHAM...but..um, i guess thats just MY fear
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maculated
Feb 11, 2002, 6:30 AM
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I think the swallows came back today, because at least 500 of them were flying up a storm around our rock.
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jmlangford
Feb 11, 2002, 6:53 AM
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I was at a place called Graveyard Lakes in the Sierras doing some climbing-it's about 8 miles into the wilderness. There were coyotes wailing off in the distance quite a ways so I didn't pay them much attention. That night, I started having a dream about the level of the lake coming up and it came up until the water was lapping at the back of my hand. I woke up, and, I kid you not, there was a coyote licking the back of my hand. (I was sleeping with my arms out in front of me out of my sleeping bag). As soon as I moved my still intact hand, the coyote went running off.
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kahuna3602
Feb 11, 2002, 9:24 AM
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I was bouldering a little used area I had found. My partner and I had found what we thought was a popular spot since the vegetation was gone and the ground smoothed out just in front of the long overhang leading into a cave. After trying several attempts we were getting bothered by the flies that kept coming out of the cave. A quick look into the darkness and we spotted several sets of eyes looking back at us. Needless to say we quickly and quietly left the area. My guess is coyotes but I never went back to find out.
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daggerx
Feb 12, 2002, 2:50 AM
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I have incounters with Birds/nests, wasps, hornets and once I fell from a broblem and landed on a rattle snake< I almost had a BM in my pants scrambling to get away from it.
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gilthanass
Feb 12, 2002, 3:47 AM
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I agree with a lot of the posters here, chipmunks are spawns of satan! When I was camping once, all day they were attacking our food back, we had to stand gaurd over the bah with sticks. Sometimes, one would make a noice in the bush to distact us, while the other would have a run for the bag! crafty little devils them. Then at night, we could see then bouncing from tree to tree, and one even attacked me! Well, when we woke up the next morning, we found a big hole in the food bag (that had been hung up in a tree). Damned chipmunks, I will never look at them the same again.
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jmlangford
Feb 14, 2002, 5:24 AM
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gilthanass...go climbing in the wilderness areas-with a .22 pistol. Those little critters make great target practice!
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upfreak
Feb 18, 2002, 3:27 AM
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Lizards, insects, Birds... anything that belongs on the wall.
BUT the WORST... LOADS OF BIRD SHIT!
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sizzlechest
Feb 18, 2002, 4:44 AM
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woodse, yes it was a grizzly we have tonnes of blacks and grizzlies here in the Canadian Rockies, I see them all the time, they aren't extinct here like they are in the U.S.
cheers
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uhighfreak
Feb 18, 2002, 6:19 AM
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Birds and bees have been problems for me. Just random encounters. Hands reaching for a hold and a bird flies out or on a climb and a couple a bees are attracted to me for some reason. To the question about grizzlies in the rockies, I was in Rocky Mountain National Park on Longs Peak and my friends and I saw a grizzly. We thought it was weird so we asked a ranger about it when we got down. He told us that they have always been around but most of the time they stay way up in the Mountain valleys that not alot of people visit
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kaptk
Feb 18, 2002, 6:21 AM
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Fortunately I haven't run into any while I was climbing, but I have had a few encounters. One of them that made me jump was when a bird crapped on my shoulder. It landed with some force and caught me totally off gaurd. Everyone around tried to tell me that it was good luck. I was pissed that a bird crapped on my shoulder. Fiend had me laughing with his "spider guts". Very vidid imagery.
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clymber
Feb 24, 2002, 1:59 AM
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I wasnt climbing but had a squirel jump off of a tree and it went between my leg and the frame of my mnt bike. Talk about a real shocker I nearly ran into a tree
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climberchic
Feb 24, 2002, 5:02 AM
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I was bouldering some roof problems up in Flagstaff. The particular roof we were on at the time was named the "Bat Cave" for obvious reasons. Guano-everywhere. I reach for a pocket and my spotter says "Wait! I think there is something in there!" I come off the problem to take a closer look. Just as I get really close to the pocket, she decides to stick her finger in the thing and out it flys, right into my face. Turns out it was just a massive moth, but by the way I was screaming, it could have been Dracula
This is one of the strangest things that has happened to me. One time, I was driving thru Zion late at night with a friend. I look up at the stars and decide to show him what the sky is supposed to look like without all of the light pollution (city boy). I pull over, turn off all the lights and we get out an look up. He is speechless and we walk away from the car to get a better view. Suddenly we hear a rustling and very heavy hooves walking on the pavement. It is pitch dark out and we can't even see each other but we both freeze. So does the animal. Suddenly, it snorts and starts charging us. We both scream and run for the car. I swear I could feel the vibration of it's hooves on the pavement as it got closer. Just like in a nightmare, it felt like we couldn't get the car door open and inside fast enough. I locked the door (just in case the giant beast felt like opening it ) and braced myself for the impact.
Nothing. I was scared to open my eyes thinking it would be staring at me through my window. I finally open my eyes. Nothing. We waited. I cracked my window to listen. No sounds, no rustling... I turned on my headlights expecting to see it in front of my car. Nothing.
The thing just up and disappeared on us without a trace! We made a 360 with the car to see in all directions but never saw what the dang thing was. Very strange. To this day we call it the "Buffalo Ghost Incident"
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jmlangford
Feb 24, 2002, 6:41 AM
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Climberchic...sounds like you need to be interviewed on Art Bell's radio show
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climberchic
Feb 24, 2002, 6:48 AM
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Who's Art Bell? Sounds like someone on NPR.
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apollodorus
Feb 24, 2002, 6:55 AM
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My partner and I hiked water, food and gear to the base of Half Dome to do the regular NW route. We climbed up on a 20 ft boulder at the bottom, and put our food there for the night. A bear somehow climbed up the 5.8 friction, got our bags, and took them down the hill toward Mirror Lake. We found them, emptied, the next day.
On a lighter note, I was climbing the local rock in Cambria and saw a little hole in the middle of a blank face. Around dusk, bats started coming out of the thing.
[ This Message was edited by: apollodorus on 2002-02-28 00:53 ]
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clymber
Feb 24, 2002, 6:57 AM
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sounds like to me climberchick was experimenting with some illeagal stuff
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climberchic
Feb 24, 2002, 7:00 AM
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Hey!
That was perfectly legal stuff!
...in Amsterdam.
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gekolimit
Feb 24, 2002, 8:16 AM
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Leading Edge brought a stinging bee along on our first 2-pitch climb...That was nice of him...haha
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rockandbold
Feb 24, 2002, 5:56 PM
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Mainly small little creatures but after reading all this I decided to bring some firecracker and bb gun.
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rockunderfoot
Feb 28, 2002, 2:03 AM
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Always fun to stick your hand in a crack and have a bunch of wasps come flying out. Luckily they haven't bit me yet
And it's always fun to watch them ants stroll right up the wall on the V23+ route right next to the V4 you're working on. Wish I had that kind of strength
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graniteboy
Feb 28, 2002, 4:43 AM
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Once I was free soloing at the last resort cliff in the Valley. I pulled up ona ledge and realized there was a great horned owl nest there, with a chick in it. I got the hell outta there B4 Mom appeared to claw me.
Another time, we were tracked by a small Grizz in Denali park while doing a range traverse. No fun whatsoever. He wanted to take my sled, while it was attached to me. Good thing my partner was almost as big as the bear...we scared him off. Anyway, we had run outta food the day B4, so it wasn't like he was gonna score a feast...just beat the hell outta us.
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achilles
Feb 28, 2002, 8:41 AM
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My animal encounter was nerve wracking but not scary. I was bouldering up a 15ft crag in the Magaliesberge, SA when I encountered a rockrabbit on a ledge. It was sitting very quietly and was just looking at me with its big brown eyes. After having received a good jolt I just eased on up to the top. I would however not like to meet a slithery animal up top.
Rock-a-bye!
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apollodorus
Feb 28, 2002, 9:01 AM
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Oh, yeah. I forgot about the rattlesnake. My partner and I top out on Royal Arches (and I'd just met this guy the day before) and we come across a rattlesnake. The snake tries to go down into a hole, but this gung ho Marine I'm with grabs the tail, pulls it out and starts swinging it around his head! After about half a minute of this, he whips it full strength onto a big rock to blast its brains out.
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rastalizard
Feb 28, 2002, 11:41 AM
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The first time I went trad climbing I had an interesting experience with baboons.
A troop had been watching us climb for most of the evening from across the gorge.
As it starting getting dark they came down into the gorge to sleep.
Unfortunatley we were belaying from one of their sleeping areas and were all hurriedly forced onto the face,by a large aggressive male.
By the time I started climbing it was almost fully dark and I fell on the crux move.
Without prusik loops I had to be lowered off to a little ledge to sit in the dark,with the barking baboons.A large Hex providing protection of a different sort.
Eventually the others finished the climb and returned with people and torches.
It was quite an introduction to the adventures of trad climbing.
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mightymucklebunk
Mar 4, 2002, 1:56 AM
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Well, At the end of a long climb out of a cave I got chased away by a swarm of killer bees. That really sucked. Then I had to go back down through the cave and out the lower entrance. Have you ever climbed with multiple stings to your face, its kinda hard.
[ This Message was edited by: mightymucklebunk on 2002-03-03 17:59 ]
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trailrat
Apr 8, 2002, 6:27 PM
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I was cleaning some holds on a new boulder this weekend... Found a bat up in one hold, left it where it was and didn't climb it... I know, I hate to be bothered when I'm sleeping... Trailrat
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radistrad
Apr 8, 2002, 6:42 PM
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I posted a similar topic http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=7480&forum=23&30
talks about what is living in the cracks.
I was in Yosemite this weekend, and hiking around Church bowl after the sun set there were lots of black of Centipedes cruising around. I've seen them a lot in the park this year, but not in the quantity as I saw at the base of Bishops Terrace.
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crap
Apr 8, 2002, 8:43 PM
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A Dingo stole my baby
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chitterz
Apr 8, 2002, 11:07 PM
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I heard on Newenglandbouldering.com of a guy who got to the top of a boulder problem only to plumit back to earth screaming "The leeches! The leeches!" (From the topic it was posted in, I gather he made it up to cover that fact that he couldn't pull the top-out, but it's still pretty funny)
As for me: two friends and I were working this V2 crack traverse when one of my friends pulled through the crux only to fall off from laughing. When he could breath again: "There's a cricket in there! And it's LAUGHING at us!" It's not so funny posted in a forum, but at the time... (The route has since been dubbed Cricket's Last Laugh.)
[ This Message was edited by: chitterz on 2002-04-08 18:14 ]
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sirxan
Apr 9, 2002, 12:26 AM
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ok just outta curiousity and I know a few are gonna laff at Me lol, but what bout other types of animals ones that arent easily explained? like say uhhh ummmmm
bigfoots? anyone run into any while out climbing?
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crap
Apr 9, 2002, 12:37 AM
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I run into the abomnibal long armed bastard all the time, no wait, that's my partner.
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trailrat
Apr 10, 2002, 6:08 PM
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The only bigfoots I've seen in the woods, are of hikers... Some scare me all the same...
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ryhawk
Apr 15, 2002, 2:51 PM
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i've only been climbing for about a month now but i've already had my first encounter of the hissing kind. i was doing some bouldering out on a little ledge in the woods behind my house. i was about 15ft up with one move left to finish and when i looked directly to my right there was a snake about one foot away starring me right in the face! talk about an adrenaline rush! i about pissed my pants! i just hung on and tried not to make any sudden moves, finally he slithered back in his little hole and i had to climb right over him to finish my route.
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shilo
Apr 15, 2002, 8:08 PM
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I live in the UK so I dong get encounters with bares (fortunatly i guess) But i have been atacked by Seagulls (Blackbacks and Herring guls) I have also had a go at by crows and Jackdoors.
I sometimes meet soem deer in the woods on the way to Highcliffe, but you usualy just see there asses (just flashes of white) I have seen then really good when I go with my Mum on the horse, I guess they arent as scared when they see a horse.
Se Ya
NIck
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ryhawk
Apr 17, 2002, 6:55 PM
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beavers are viscious dude!
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hang_man
Apr 18, 2002, 1:49 PM
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oh man, I was bouldering near my home and half way thru a stupid bird shited onto my arm........my arm was right in front of my face and it was warm!! damn it... haha
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justgoupfromthere
Jun 3, 2002, 6:45 PM
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We were in El Dorado Canyon I was belaying when my friend that was climbing started yelling. We couldn't figure out what he was saying. Later we discovered he was screaming at us to turn around and get the chipmunk that was stealing food from our packs! He sure was a cute lil' thing.
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orngave
Jun 7, 2002, 1:51 PM
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I went night bouldering last night, and too my lantern. I went down under this over hand and was there for a while, when a giant rat ran right by my foot. So I of course jump up and when I did, about 6 came scurrying out from behind a crack, but apparently there are a lot of bottles back there and it sounded like someone was coming, and I was by myself, in the middle of this gorge. It weirded me out till I finally figured out it was the rats.
E.B.
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stewbabby
Jun 7, 2002, 3:23 PM
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Since no one lese mentioned it I guess this isn’t a problem elsewhere. Here the buzzards (the necks call them turkey vultures, I don’t know what they are really) nest and chill on the ledges of the higher cliff lines. There is nothing better than pulling a ledge and facing a 3 foot tall bird staring you in the face. And also realizing this bird could kick your a$$ right now if it wanted to.
Stewart
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rocknpowda
Jun 7, 2002, 3:42 PM
Post #53 of 64
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Registered: Apr 16, 2002
Posts: 418
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While climbing a 5.10 finger crack at the City of Rocks, I was kind of cruxing out and went to put a cam in the crack when I realized I was looking eye to vampire-istic eye with a bat squeezed up in the crack. I screamed like a girl, tried to place the cam without disturbing the flying rodent and got the hell out of there.
I also had a flock of pigeons hurtle out of a crack at me once in the City as well. Apparently that place is for the birds! (sorry about the cheesy pun, it was irresistable)
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justgoupfromthere
Jun 8, 2002, 10:42 PM
Post #54 of 64
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Registered: May 20, 2002
Posts: 50
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Recently while searching for boulering areas I scared a deer. And there are wild horses that hang around one of the crags that I climb at.
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erica44
Jun 9, 2002, 2:32 AM
Post #55 of 64
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Registered: Jun 7, 2002
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a group of friends and I went to the Gilas for Spring break a couple years back, and I was in the shitty tent that barely stood up and fit two people. In the middle of the night I felt something brushing up against my back. Instantly my insides traded places and played musical chairs. I couldn't move. I soon realized it was just some animal looking for food, but my stupid tent mate started making noise and hitting the tent. What did she have to lose I was between her and the animal, sure she could sacrifice me. needless, to say it scared the s--- out of me (not literally). That week I had other plenty of animal encounters not to mention a cactus encounter but this one sticks out the most.
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timpanogos
Jun 9, 2002, 3:40 AM
Post #56 of 64
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Registered: May 17, 2002
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I did the west slabs of Olympus with AlpineRocket today. After topping the slabs we scambled towards the north summit. Mid step, I hear this buzzing sound right where the old foot was headed - a nasty rattler was really irritated that AlpineRocket had woke him up (he was ahead of me by about 5 yards and had just gone right over it without seeing it). We were lucky neither of us got bitten.
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traide
Jun 9, 2002, 6:37 AM
Post #57 of 64
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Registered: Apr 13, 2001
Posts: 95
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I was in ophir canyon once, (about 50 miles as the crow flies from salt lake city) on a route called mr poopy pants. I never understood where the name came from until one evening last fall.
I had just gotten through the crux, and was standing on a ledge. I wasn't quite to the next bolt yet, but was resting a bit on the ledge. All of a sudden a bat comes flying straight at me from inside a crack in front of me. scared me so bad i almost fell.
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mightymucklebunk
Jun 22, 2002, 4:44 PM
Post #58 of 64
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Registered: Sep 20, 2001
Posts: 129
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I was just caving in the guads and we had to remove a rattler from the first entrance, real fun.
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dyno2acrimper
Jul 1, 2002, 1:29 AM
Post #59 of 64
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Registered: Jun 21, 2002
Posts: 18
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I was climbing the flake route at Rock Rimmon last autumn with some friends...i was about half way up the route when i put my hand into a pocket and felt something squishy...lifted myself up a little to find out that i had almost killed a toad...actually i think it was a tree frog...but i was kind of surprised to see it up that high in the rocks...
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blindslap
Jul 8, 2002, 5:19 AM
Post #60 of 64
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Registered: May 9, 2002
Posts: 174
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i was climbing crecent crack in Little cotonwood and had a little lizard follow me up half the pitch. He would climb up ahead of me and look down like he was saying "what, you can't do this"
then he'd haul up another two feet and look back again.
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apollodorus
Jul 8, 2002, 5:23 AM
Post #61 of 64
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Registered: Feb 18, 2002
Posts: 2157
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What are those little weird rat things that live high on up on El Capitan? They don't look like normal rats, but sort of like a ferret or mink or something. I should have taken a picture of one when I was up there.
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wildtrail
Jul 8, 2002, 6:00 AM
Post #62 of 64
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Registered: Jul 6, 2002
Posts: 11063
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How about the bear that ran off with my backpack while I hung from my belay anchors in Gunnison? Does that one work for you?
Yup. Lost my pack, briefly. Found it in the woods about 100 yards from its original position. It was okay, but somehow (don't ask me how), the bear managed to open the top pocket without ripping it and devour my box of Cliff Bars.
I named that bear "Cliff". A bear who seemed to follow me for a week while we were in that area. I saw him five times. Yes. It was the same bear as it had the same markings.
Not my first encounter with bears. Been charged once, too. However, that was the first time I heard something while hanging from a rock and looked down to find a bear with my pack in its mouth.
Steve
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climber_chick
Jul 11, 2002, 6:55 AM
Post #63 of 64
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Registered: Jun 30, 2001
Posts: 278
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all i have really encountered were bugs and spiders. woohoo. i know that my knees have encountered the rock quite a bit. couple scars here and there, but no flying squirrels.
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rocknalaska
Jul 19, 2002, 11:06 PM
Post #64 of 64
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Registered: Jul 19, 2002
Posts: 129
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I've had several experiences here in AK with moose and Bears, but the oddest was definitely between my dog and a beaver. Somehow my dog was in the lake with the beaver on shore, and they wouldn't let each other in. My dog wanted on shore, but was afriad of the beaver, and the beaver wanted in the water, but was afriad of my dog. Stand-off. Oh, yeah, getting trapped on top of a boulder by a moose was my own oddest experience. Seen several bears while exploring for new crags.
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