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missmolly
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03/02/2019 08:40AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I just watched "Free Solo," the story of Alex Honnold's unroped, solo ascent of El Cap. In the film, they show Alex in an MRI, as they try to determine if he's wired differently.

He is. Alex was shown a series of images and they captured images of his brain with each viewing. A typical amygdala, which regulates fear, would light up/respond to many of those images. Alex's barely responded, suggesting it takes much more to provoke his brain than the average person. So, he doesn't feel alive unless he's dangling over his grave.

On a scale of 1-10, it takes the 10+ of El Cap without ropes for Alex to be thrilled. On a scale of 1-10, what does it take to light up your amygdala?

I'm a 1. I'm happy sitting in the woods, gardening, and paddling a still lake. I do violently bounce down logging roads, with some danger, but that's not the end activity for me. It's the means to the end, the lonely, lovely lake at the end of the road.
 
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03/02/2019 09:46AM  
The last time we were in Portland OR, my daughter took us to see that documentary. It was really good. Because I live near Yosemite, for years I have watched climbers scale El Cap. All had used ropes. To watch someone climb it without rope was unreal.

I thought about your question, and to be honest I can't put a number on it. I live on a cattle ranch so there isn't much to get my heart pumping. Every once in a while, we might come face to face with a rattlesnake while crawling through the brush trying to fix fence, but I don't think that is long term enough.

While I was still working (firefighter, mostly wild land), there were times when things got pretty exciting. One instance kind of made me think. I was a division supervisor on a very long backfire operation. Because of the length of time it was going to take us to complete the job, I knew we didn't have enough backfire torch fuel. I ordered more fuel right away.

About 12:30 at night, here came a guy in a Toyota 4x4 pickup with two 55 gallon drums of fuel. I thought he would follow us as long as he could, very rough country. His reply was, "get those cans out of my truck, I'm getting out of here. You guys are crazy".

I will admit, we were really lighting up the night sky, but not much adrenaline flowed. I guess its what you are trained to do that might make the difference. The guy that delivered the fuel worked at a gas station. He was scared to death. If I had any extra people that were not inmates, I would have had them drive this guy out.

Climbing El Cap with or without ropes makes anything I've done seem pretty small.
 
03/02/2019 10:57AM  
I don't look both ways when I cross the street anymore....
 
03/02/2019 12:18PM  
I wouldn't say he only feels alive dangling over his grave, there are plenty of action junkies who get thrills with danger. As I understand it, they have different responses than most of us, too. It sounds more like Alex has the muted response. Both are trained into us by environment or choice. Most of us have the usual alarm response, it is how the rest of the brain responds to that initial outburst from the amygdala.
I tend to have an initial startle but then kick into coping until the event is over. Then I shake like a leaf and cold sweats and such can occur. That doesn't last long. I wouldn't call it fun.
 
hobbydog
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03/02/2019 12:33PM  
You could probably come up with a simple test.

1. Do you filter your water?
2. Do you wear a life jacket?
3. Do noises outside the tent at night keep you awake?
4. Do you like to solo?
5. Do you carry bear spray?
6. Do you paddle at night? Alone?
7. Do you like to cliff jump in the BWCA?
8. Do you travel with a ditch kit?
9. Cross big water on a breezy day?
10. Do you whitewater canoe?

 
missmolly
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03/02/2019 02:09PM  
hobbydog: "You could probably come up with a simple test.


1. Do you filter your water?
2. Do you wear a life jacket?
3. Do noises outside the tent at night keep you awake?
4. Do you like to solo?
5. Do you carry bear spray?
6. Do you paddle at night? Alone?
7. Do you like to cliff jump in the BWCA?
8. Do you travel with a ditch kit?
9. Cross big water on a breezy day?
10. Do you whitewater canoe?


"


Good test. However, a few of the questions have to be reworded. I've done that. Each YES counts as a point, taking you closer to Alex. If an answer is "under certain circumstances, count that as a half point:

1. Do you drink unfiltered water?
2. Do you not wear a life jacket?
3. Are you indifferent to noises outside the tent at night?
4. Do you like to solo?
5. Do you not carry bear spray?
6. Do you paddle at night?
7. Do you like to cliff jump in the BWCA?
8. Do you ditch a ditch kit?
9. Do you cross big water on a breezy day?
10. Do you whitewater canoe?

I'm a 3, as I like to solo, like whitewater, and sometimes cross big water on a breezy day and sometimes paddle at night.
 
straighthairedcurly
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03/02/2019 04:27PM  
1. Do you drink unfiltered water? YES, I seem to be blessed with an iron gut.
2. Do you not wear a life jacket? In certain circumstances.
3. Are you indifferent to noises outside the tent at night? YES
4. Do you like to solo? I want to try it...thinking about doing it next year.
5. Do you not carry bear spray? YES, never carried it.
6. Do you paddle at night? I swim in a lake alone at night...wouldn't have a problem paddling at night, just never had a reason to.
7. Do you like to cliff jump in the BWCA? No, though I have gone off cliffs on the St. Louis River in a whitewater kayak.
8. Do you ditch a ditch kit? YES
9. Do you cross big water on a breezy day? Happily! I've paddled across big water in very large waves with a fully loaded canoe...bailing was required.
10. Do you whitewater canoe? Yes. I have whitewater canoed in Manitoba and Ontario. I also did whitewater kayaking, including being the first woman to ever kayak over Iilgen Falls on the North Shore back in the nineties. I also competed for years in slalom kayak, C1, and C2.

With my half points I guess I am about a 7 or 8. I have never been scared of much. Sensible about danger, though...I always got proper training for whatever "crazy" activities I tried. And I don't do something if I don't feel I have the necessary skill level. People at work think I am nuts, though. Fortunately, my husband doesn't :)

 
RetiredDave
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03/02/2019 05:25PM  
My amygdala is a 1, thanks for asking. Except after a couple of beers, then my amygdala needle points to "stupid". Like the time nineteen years ago when I followed my nephew down that steep hill on our bikes. THAT didn't turn out so good.

Dave

PS I'm even too scared to see that solo climb movie!
 
03/02/2019 06:43PM  
missmolly: "I just watched "Free Solo," the story of Alex Honnold's unroped, solo ascent of El Cap. In the film, they show Alex in an MRI, as they try to determine if he's wired differently.

He is. Alex was shown a series of images and they captured images of his brain with each viewing. A typical amygdala, which regulates fear, would light up/respond to many of those images. Alex's barely responded, suggesting it takes much more to provoke his brain than the average person. So, he doesn't feel alive unless he's dangling over his grave.

On a scale of 1-10, it takes the 10+ of El Cap without ropes for Alex to be thrilled. On a scale of 1-10, what does it take to light up your amygdala?

I'm a 1. I'm happy sitting in the woods, gardening, and paddling a still lake. I do violently bounce down logging roads, with some danger, but that's not the end activity for me. It's the means to the end, the lonely, lovely lake at the end of the road. "


That is on tonight on our National geographic channel.
 
03/02/2019 07:47PM  
Hmmm..what does it take to thrill me?

Got home from a business trip last night and got a good 5 minutes of hugs and kisses from the family. About all I need.

Other than that...

1. Do you drink unfiltered water? Nope
2. Do you not wear a life jacket? Almost always. Sitting at the kitchen island in one right now :)
3. Are you indifferent to noises outside the tent at night? Yes. Noises inside the tent are another story
4. Do you like to solo? Yes I do
5. Do you not carry bear spray? No
6. Do you paddle at night? Yes
7. Do you like to cliff jump in the BWCA? Not recently, but have in the past
8. Do you ditch a ditch kit? Depends on if I remember it. Usually have one
9. Do you cross big water on a breezy day? Yes, it has been some of the most exciting canoe county memories I have had.
10. Do you whitewater canoe? No
 
lundojam
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03/02/2019 09:37PM  
My wife and I like to joke about the BWCA being "soft adventure." That's why we like it. It's exciting, but not truly dangerous in the way that mountain climbing or backcountry camping in truly remote Alaska is, for example.

I challenge myself with the NYT crossword puzzle.
i'm a 1.
 
jhb8426
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03/03/2019 12:16AM  
I've done rock climbing in the Black Hills with ropes. A couple of those climbs got my knees shaking pretty good at one point until I got it together a bit. (Don't look down.)
 
03/03/2019 06:06AM  
2 1/2 and going down as I get older; I'm sure it would have been higher when I was younger.
 
03/03/2019 07:11AM  
No
I do normal stuff like downhill ski, go up to the bdub & Quetico, ice fish, hike in the mountains, grey water canoe ( close to white water but not quite), etc. I also don't always go to normal vacation places i.e. all inclusive resorts, Vegas, Hawaii etc.
The weird thing is that most the people I work with think I'm crazy!
I personally think free soloing El Capitan is nucking futs!!!
 
riverrunner
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03/03/2019 07:16AM  
There is common sense.

There realistic safety measures.

I have come close to being killed and dying

I have ended up in the ER more then I would have liked

I have had life flight haul me out of the woods.

When in the out doors I have knife and matches or other gear depending how far away the road.

I have hunted armed felons that would have shot me if they were given the chance. Always had my body armor on.

I have driven down rural country roads at very high rates of speeds. Always wore my seat belt

I have hunted large wounded bears and finished them off at very very close range. Nothing like a 500 pounder turning towards you with that look in his eye.

I have rock climbed and repelled off of some fairly high cliffs. always made sure my ropes, gear and tie down points were good.

I paddled in high winds. always have my PFD on.

I always carry a dump kit on spring and fall trips.

I suba dive but I make sure my equipment is up and working properly.

The list can go on.

I am some what of an adrenal junkie .

Climbing El Cap free solo is unhinged.
 
DrBobDerrig
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03/03/2019 07:49AM  
I see some things done routinely that give me scary thoughts if I had to do it.
Setting up a new silo unloader tripod and all.
Replacing a silo cap
Climbing over barn roofs.
Guys putting up cell towers
routine stuff like that seems above my pay grade...

cow doc...I look both ways when crossing the street.
dr bob
 
nooneuno
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03/03/2019 08:50AM  
DrBobDerrig: "I see some things done routinely that give me scary thoughts if I had to do it.
Setting up a new silo unloader tripod and all.
Replacing a silo cap
Climbing over barn roofs.
Guys putting up cell towers
routine stuff like that seems above my pay grade...
cow doc...I look both ways when crossing the street.
dr bob"


Perhaps I see things a little differently, everything you listed actually carries a fairly low level of risk based on one's experiences, similar to the free solo climb, his level of fear is tempered by his experience, physical strength and self reliance. He believes he can do it based on his skill level, contrast this to the guy in MM's post (Class V in a Coleman Ram-X 15 canoe is for sissies) who makes his quest based not on skill but on pure dumb luck and no skill or talent whatsoever. That and maybe too much red bull and video games.....
 
03/03/2019 10:33AM  
Guessing at the hieght of my firefighting career I was a 7, the feeling I got at the end of, and after an adrenaline dump was addicting.
I'm terrified of heights so what did I do one time?
I jumped out of a perfectly good ariplane, at around 10,000 feet AGL.
 
03/03/2019 11:51AM  
Quote: "cow doc...I look both ways when crossing the street.
dr bob "
I got a kick out of this in England: they have signs warning us Yanks,
'cause the traffic is coming from the other direction in respective lanes...
 
BearBurrito
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03/04/2019 12:20PM  
I'm a 6
 
03/04/2019 12:42PM  
I did some skydiving, free fall, not the wimpy static line jumps.
Whitewater canoeing and rafting
Scuba diving
Rock climbing and repelling, nothing like El Capitan though
Paddled big water waves with a PFD on
Chased bears(black) out of camp sites without a weapon in my hand. I have never owned bear spray
Snowmobiled way past safe speeds and conditions
Driven cars at 140+ mph
Drove from SE Minnesota to Seattle, 1700 miles in 21 hours. including all stops.
I even hiked in Alaska to the falls on the Russian river without any spray or weapon. I didn't really think anything about it until I passed a guy with a 44 revolver in his hand. Then I though either I'm a fool or he is paranoid or both.
I have never carried a ditch kit and never wish I had one. I do carry a PLB though. I have only dumped once in 1986 and was close to shore
I have even approached a few pretty girls in my day
I have had more broken bones and big cuts than the average person from it all
Some other crazy stuff I'd rather not own or freely admit to people I don't really know.
Some of these were when I was young, dumb and full of you know what. Alcohol and other party favors may have contributed to a few as well I must admit. As I get older I look back on all of it with fond memories and a swipe of hand across the brow. I am so happy I grew up in a time when all of the crazy stuff we did was fairly acceptable and not that illegal if at all. Now it would inevitably end up being filmed by someone and judged by all.

I have learned a lot from doing all the crazy stuff, mostly to quit while I'm ahead. I barely will go on a roof anymore or stand on the top rung of a ladder.
I don't do too many crazy things anymore. I may paddle water when I shouldn't be, but not very often. I still Scuba on occasion. I wouldn't hesitate to chase a black bear out of camp if it was trying to get my food or paddle familiar water at night.

I watched the video and people that do stuff like this are amazing and probably wacko. They all get a tip of the hat from me and I hope they live long and don't lose their minds to dementia so they can look back and smile in their rocking chairs!



 
03/04/2019 12:51PM  
-1
 
thebotanyguy
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03/04/2019 02:51PM  
It has changed over the years. I certainly did like the adrenaline pumping activities in my teens and twenties, and I have some broken bones to prove it. Truth be told, at times I was a dumbass and took risks that should not have been taken.

Now I am in my 60's and having survived my youthful stupidity, I am much more risk averse. Although there are times when in was in my 50's and still working as a field researcher, I can look back on some dangerous situations (mostly having to do with frozen ponds and streams) and say to myself,"That was dumb!"
 
deepdish71
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03/04/2019 08:09PM  
RetiredDave: "My amygdala is a 1, thanks for asking. Except after a couple of beers, then my amygdala needle points to "stupid". Like the time nineteen years ago when I followed my nephew down that steep hill on our bikes. THAT didn't turn out so good.


Dave


PS I'm even too scared to see that solo climb movie!"

I agree with all of what you have said.
 
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