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asc_climb
Feb 11, 2007, 6:05 PM
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is a bad ass. Watch first ascent and you will realize fred is one of the hardest climbers of this century. Even after his climbing exile, fred sends hard. He boulders the grades and puts up possible 15a's but no one cares cause he once chipped holds. The industry wont sponser him and have turned their shoulder on one of the best climbers in the world. True chipping holds sucks, but to give him no respect even now is weak. Fred Rouling is a bad ass who deserves a little recognition.
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primus
Feb 11, 2007, 9:02 PM
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asc_climb wrote: is a bad ass. Watch first ascent and you will realize fred is one of the hardest climbers of this century. Even after his climbing exile, fred sends hard. He boulders the grades and puts up possible 15a's but no one cares cause he once chipped holds. The industry wont sponser him and have turned their shoulder on one of the best climbers in the world. True chipping holds sucks, but to give him no respect even now is weak. Fred Rouling is a bad ass who deserves a little recognition.
I agree that Rouhling is an incredible climber. And as I understand it, he didn't chip any holds. I think the route you're referring to is Akira, and in it all he (apparently) did was reinforce some fragile holds with glue. I don't know the whole story, or if there were other routes that he indeed did chip, but that's my understanding.
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yuiruprup
Feb 12, 2007, 2:19 AM
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chipping holds is lame and unethical so it is understandable that the industry shuns him. He is still a great climber
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d1ll1gaf
Feb 12, 2007, 3:01 AM
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yuiruprup wrote: chipping holds is lame and unethical so it is understandable that the industry shuns him. He is still a great climber
I absolutely agree that chipping holds is one of the worst things a climber can do. However in Fred Rouhling's case at the time he chipped holds, there was a subset of the climbing culture in France that considered it acceptable. Since that time Rouhling has acknowledge the mistakes he made publicly stating that he regrets having ever chipped a hold.
I think that a bigger part of the reasons for Fred Rouhling being shunned by the industry is that when he put up Akira (which by the way does not have any chipped holds) he graded it 5.15b, at a time when the hardest accepted climb in the world was 5.14d. This action brought his ability to classify his hard FA's into question, and if a sponsor can't use your accomplishments for publicity they will not want any part of you.
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james_climber
Feb 12, 2007, 3:21 AM
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Well in a interview of Dany andrada , hes says that akira is not the same than before , when Rouhling sent it,. Dany has been there and tried the route .
The whole thing is the same that yuiruprup, says he claimed a 15b grade when the hardest was 14d.
Whatever hes too strong
Here is a link with akira vid
http://www.fredrouhling.com/med.htm
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asc_climb
Feb 12, 2007, 3:47 AM
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i am humbled. Rouhling does has sponsers, you just dont see him in ads i suppose. I am glad most people agree with me, I just miss seeing him in adds.
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miavzero
Feb 12, 2007, 3:56 AM
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yuiruprup wrote: chipping holds is lame and unethical so it is understandable that the industry shuns him. He is still a great climber
Tommy Caldwell is even guility of taking some tools to a few of his routes, although now he prefers to leave them filthy and sharp.
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dpinto15
Feb 12, 2007, 4:13 AM
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It is really ok to chip holds, if you do it with your fist.
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thomasribiere
Feb 12, 2007, 12:32 PM
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A few French input.
Chipping holds is still done in France, at every climbing difficulty. Unfortunately.
Fred Rouhling climbs very hard routes, but his true talent is still put in questions for many reasons (taken from current threads in French forums where other hard -or supposed hard- climbers participated) :
he has often climbed his hard routes with no serious witness ;
his filmed ascents were not single sequences ;
his routes have not been repeated generally for various reasons (closed area ; too hard? ; not enough time for potential repeaters ; very special style = extreme overhangs...) ;
he himself didn't climb the existing reference routes of the easier or equivalent levels or that what's is said.
I'm not judging (as he is still a very strong climber), but unfortunately for him and for the climbing community he remains a criticized climber.
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james_climber
Feb 12, 2007, 5:10 PM
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thomasribiere wrote: A few French input. Chipping holds is still done in France, at every climbing difficulty. Unfortunately. Fred Rouhling climbs very hard routes, but his true talent is still put in questions for many reasons (taken from current threads in French forums where other hard -or supposed hard- climbers participated) : he has often climbed his hard routes with no serious witness ; his filmed ascents were not single sequences ; his routes have not been repeated generally for various reasons (closed area ; too hard? ; not enough time for potential repeaters ; very special style = extreme overhangs...) ; he himself didn't climb the existing reference routes of the easier or equivalent levels or that what's is said. I'm not judging (as he is still a very strong climber), but unfortunately for him and for the climbing community he remains a criticized climber.
Thanks Thomas
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wzrdgandalf
Feb 12, 2007, 5:55 PM
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I am suprised that no hard climbers have repeated Akira as of yet. It seems like all the hard climbers want to discredit him as being the first man to climb 15b but they dont sack up themselves to climb his route. Fred doesnt feel obligated to repeat all the other hard routes around the world so that he can be respected enough so that he is believed when he grades something. He doesnt want to be the big shot in the climbing world so he doesnt really care about his exposure to mass media, but I have to say that I get a little pissed when people downplay his achievements and he doesnt get the respect he deserves. There have been a few pro climbers to look at Akira and all of them have said that it looks extremely hard. Fred has repeadetly done the harder sections of his climb for spectators so I dont think his sending ability should be in question. His overall attitude over the years have shown that he is not the type to lie about a send for applause.
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bler
Feb 12, 2007, 6:14 PM
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did anyone consider that he does not climb for everyone else to analyze his climbs, maybe he climbs for himself and has nothing to prove to everyone?
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sungam
Feb 12, 2007, 6:24 PM
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The fact that "Akira" was not shot in one sequance is crushed by the fact that several individual moves have never been repeated!
What a beast. Have you seen the video where he clips while hanging completely off a mega shallow 2 finger pocket? He wasn't even spazzing, complete control!
Bad-ass is right!!
-Magnus
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christophe
Feb 12, 2007, 6:26 PM
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I was fortunate enough to meet Fred in France at the crag near Angouleme (les eaux claires). I saw him climbed some hard stuff there. That was more than 10 years ago when He had already climbed routes as hard as 9a.
Recently, I came across his web site where He posted quite a few video and photos.
Maybe some people do not like him because He seems to have so much fun climbing with his friends and family:)
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asc_climb
Feb 12, 2007, 9:45 PM
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thomasribiere wrote: he has often climbed his hard routes with no serious witness ; his filmed ascents were not single sequences ;
The film "first ascent" shows an entire sequence of a possible 15a
Fred climbing just for climbing makes me respect the man even more, Climbing hard and not even caring makes me want to send him a big check so he can continue that lifestyle without the worries of money.(of course i dont have that much money)
I think akira could be a 9b, and sharma, graham, andrada, and yugi should project it like they did La Rambla Direct.
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bler
Feb 13, 2007, 1:03 AM
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I just watched a bunch of his videos.. and GOD, do his feet EVER stay on the rock ? ;)
he is f'ing strong as fuck
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rjtrials
Feb 14, 2007, 5:20 AM
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bler wrote: I just watched a bunch of his videos.. and GOD, do his feet EVER stay on the rock ? ;) he is f'ing strong as fuck
The vids of Hugh and especially L'autre Cote du Ciel were awe-inspiring..
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musicman1586
Feb 14, 2007, 5:54 AM
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Ya'll might enjoy this article, sheds some light into the real Fred, not the media shunned, make-believe Fred Rouhling that is often talked badly about here on these forums and elsewhere.
http://www.climbing.com/current/fredrouhling/
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sevrdhed
Feb 14, 2007, 3:02 PM
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Why is this posted in "Bouldering"?
Everyone knows there's no boulders in france. Duh.
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unrooted
Feb 14, 2007, 3:50 PM
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james_climber wrote: Here is a link with akira vid http://www.fredrouhling.com/med.htm
That is sick, I would love to have half that strength!
About chipping and sponsorship, can you name a big time late 80s/early 90's sport climber who did not chip, or 'enhance'? I'm not saying that it is or was ethical, just that let the past be the past, try to learn from it. (although there are instances where I don't have a problem with chipping).
(This post was edited by unrooted on Feb 14, 2007, 6:38 PM)
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asc_climb
Feb 14, 2007, 5:03 PM
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sevrdhed wrote: Why is this posted in "Bouldering"? Everyone knows there's no boulders in france. Duh.
ohhh but there is.
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sevrdhed
Feb 14, 2007, 5:38 PM
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Totally untrue. Not only are there no boulders in france, the people that claim TO boulder there use pof. So weak, with the sauce. It's like chipping, but more accepted.
Invalid!
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asc_climb
Feb 14, 2007, 9:31 PM
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sevrdhed wrote: Totally untrue. Not only are there no boulders in france, the people that claim TO boulder there use pof. So weak, with the sauce. It's like chipping, but more accepted. Invalid!
the font's not bouldering???
anyways thats not the point...the point is fred boulders in france... and is a badass.
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bako_prc
Feb 16, 2007, 12:53 AM
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if you love him so much why dont you marry him?
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