Jim Ernst Avatar...

[mikemill]

Be careful once you come to the DIR side, you're forever changed. Make your choice carefully.

 

[kathydee]

Kathy

of course your always welcome to hang with us.
long hose or short. its all good.

Thanks Ron!

I agree!

 

[kathydee]

Mike you're scaring me!!

You wouldn't know it from my cold water dive skills yet, but I can certainly hold my own in warm water.

Found myself pushing the rec limits which is really pretty scary. Based on my rock climbing history, I know there is no way I will stick to rec limits for long so decided to get proper training before going beyond. To be honest DIR training is much less scary than pushing limits without proper training.

Ok it's time for a little show & tell. Here I am in a past life as a technical rock climber. I've always loved my gear !

 

[mikemill]

Heh I just wanted an excuse to post the "He choose ... poorly" clip

 

[Jim Ernst]

Mike you're scaring me!!

You wouldn't know it from my cold water dive skills yet, but I can certainly hold my own in warm water.

Found myself pushing the rec limits which is really pretty scary. Based on my rock climbing history, I know there is no way I will stick to rec limits for long so decided to get proper training before going beyond. To be honest DIR training is much less scary than pushing limits without proper training.

Ok it's time for a little show & tell. Here I am in a past life as a technical rock climber. I've always loved my gear !

You got more guts then I do...

There is NO WAY IN HELL......I would do that!:shocked2:

And I was not bad mouthing DIR, I don't care one way or another!

 

[Anti-Hero]

Doing Essentials with Don first - think it's the gentlest entry - anyway he has been mentoring me since last May so it makes sense.

A friend of mine recently took Essentials with Don, he really enjoyed the class. From what I hear he's a great instructor and it's a super fun class.

 

[kathydee]

A friend of mine recently took Essentials with Don, he really enjoyed the class. From what I hear he's a great instructor and it's a super fun class.

Don's a sweetheart and a good friend. He's so humble and kind - but also so beautiful in the water. I'm really looking forward to his class

 

[kathydee]

You got more guts then I do...

There is NO WAY IN HELL......I would do that!:shocked2:

!

This is the stuff I can teach. Just like diving, you'd be amazed what you can do if you take it a step at a time !

And I was not bad mouthing DIR, I don't care one way or another

Glad to hear it !

 

[Jim Ernst]

This is the stuff I can teach. Just like diving, you'd be amazed what you can do if you take it a step at a time !



No way, I am sorry, But that is one thing I am afraid of!!

I love to climb the Fake rock walls with a Bailie But that is as far as I think I could ever go, Just looking at that picture of yours showing the straight down drop gives me the creeps!!

 

[kathydee]

This is the stuff I can teach. Just like diving, you'd be amazed what you can do if you take it a step at a time !

No way, I am sorry, But that is one thing I am afraid of!!

I love to climb the Fake rock walls with a Bailie But that is as far as I think I could ever go, Just looking at that picture of yours showing the straight down drop gives me the creeps!!

You'd be amazed what the mind can do. As long as the walls are vertical - it's as though that's your ground and you dont' feel very high at all. Problem is when you hit a ledge where you can stand after days with nothing under your feet, you really feel "up there", or when you drop something and remember gravity and you are reoriented back the "right way" - your new vertical reality becomes unseated & you get a sense of your height.

I loved 300-2,000 ft high climbs, actually I have to admit I was naturally more comfortable there, than in water. I loved the exposure - no fear unless the moves got really tricky or weather rolled in.

But one time I felt dizzy vertigo while climbing on day 7 of a 10 day wall when we hit ledges after 5 days of smooth slightly overhanging wall. It was pretty hard to climb while fighting the feeling that came from gazing down the slightly overhanging walls of El Cap in Yosemite which stretched out 2,500 - 3,000 ft below (that's over 1/2 a mile!).

It was kind of a crazy expereince. But not really that different from dropping down to mild narc depths in the deep bottomless blue next to a steep underwater wall .