UKBouldering.com

simpson vanishes... (Read 120188 times)

Baldy

Offline
  • ***
  • obsessive maniac
  • Posts: 498
  • Karma: +38/-0
  • Low Bawler
    • CBclimbing
#50 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 05:14:17 pm
I've been reading this thread for ages and that is the first vaguely informative post I have read.

I can't lie, I don't know anything about the guy and have no reason to doubt his word,
but I'm sure everyone would agree that it all stacks up in a pretty unfavourable way for him.

The New York marathon info is interesting...

I guess I don't really have anything to add to the discussion, just a thanks for trying to clear up a point really.

Stubbs

  • Guest
#51 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 05:21:06 pm
Thanks Chris

sberk4

Offline
  • *
  • newbie
  • Posts: 3
  • Karma: +0/-0
#52 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 05:42:08 pm
His choice to go out and redpoint the old school 8c's rather than the new school 9a's shows that he had his own direction away from the bright lights of 9a and beyond.


I agree with five knuckle; If Simpson was lying about his achievements, why would he go out and redpoint all those "hard for the grade" routes instead of trying ones with more inflation? For example when he did A Muerte he called it 8c+/9a instead of just taking 9a, which I doubt anyone would have questioned (http://usa.moonclimbing.com/rich-simpsons-training-diary-c-334_358.html).

Also--it looks like there's full footage of him doing Action on the Obsession video starting around minute 23. What am I missing?

Nibile

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 8046
  • Karma: +745/-4
  • Part Animal Part Machine
    • TOTOLORE
#53 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 05:46:14 pm
wow, this is both shocking and interesting to read.
I really don't know what to think. it's strange that he's surrounded by mystery, I remember another thread years ago, causing a big stir. IIRC Rich said he had evidence of all his ascents, but wanted to be asked to show that evidence by those who actually doubted him. simply put, he wanted to know the enemy. fair enough I think. I have always believed his achievements. he had the level.
the only reason that I can imagine, for him to lie, is that somehow the pressure got too high to bear, mentally. I mean, if you devote all your life to something, it could be hard to keep the necessary calm and cold blood to keep yourself at it, in front of some difficulties. BUT I HAVE NO IDEA.
as said, I've always believed him.
I know how I think (barely) but I am not in his (or anyone else's) mind.
should be quite easy, though, to track down his belayer, for those who want sure proof. I mean, AD and A muerte don't get climbed everyday no?

Sloper

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • fat and weak but with good footwork.
  • Posts: 5199
  • Karma: +130/-78
#54 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 05:53:17 pm
I think all boxers need to be registered with the ABAE and I would be very suprised if there weren't recrods of every bout if only for health and safety reasons (plus I imagine the ranking is as competitive as chess).  So it should be very easy to prove his boxing pedigree. (I would rather show my card as having got belted around the ring and admit to being a little loose with the facts than have just been on a walter mitty trip.

Similarly with the New York Marathon.  sub 2:30 would probably mean what 50 competitors most of whom will be very much darker than Mr Simpson and I am sure the finish of the race will be on you tube somewhere.  Again a doddle for Mr S to prove his athletics pedigree.

If he could nail his colours to the mast and demonstrate that he's straight here then it would give people a good reason to afford credit to his other claims.

PS I wonder if the climber in question wasn't well known how their claims would be viewed.  I am afraid that having been on the side affording credence I am now with Shark and thinking that the case for the prosecution as it were has enough behind it to go past half time and unless there's some strong evidence for the defence as it were the jury won't be out for long.

Interstingly though I seem to recall Ben Heason doing one of the Wimberry horror shows on video, perhaps it's time the tables were turned . . .

Kingy

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 1703
  • Karma: +80/-2
#55 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 07:52:14 pm
I know Rich from my Birmingham days and he has held my ropes on Mecca. I believe all his ascents without the need to ask about proof, call me naive but maybe this is from an earlier era of trust in a climber's ability. I don't question his integrity as I know how strong he was/is. I seem to remember he was going out on the grit a few years back and deliberately not telling the press about routes he had done like Careless just because he was disillusioned with the climbing media, understandable perhaps! I think the Moon site said that he had gone all 'shy' or something at the time...fair enough.


katy

Offline
  • *
  • regular
  • Posts: 44
  • Karma: +2/-0
#56 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 07:53:55 pm
Similarly with the New York Marathon.  sub 2:30 would probably mean what 50 competitors most of whom will be very much darker than Mr Simpson and I am sure the finish of the race will be on you tube somewhere.  Again a doddle for Mr S to prove his athletics pedigree.

Most runs are split into the pro's, club and then fun runners with the fun runners being split on PBs. Getting through the gates can take forever though. (look how long people take to start the London marathon, getting through the gates is epic, and they have two starts) If Rich was running under someone else's name then he would be under their PB and starting with fun runners instead maybe his watch timing for his run was 2.30 but the recorded time, with heavy traffic is slower? I doubt he would find a place under the pro's or club runners in a pseudonym, people would recognise he wasn't who he said he was. he'd be in the fun runners.

SA Chris

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 29596
  • Karma: +643/-12
    • http://groups.msn.com/ChrisClix
#57 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 07:58:33 pm
As it appears to be the basis for this thread and the (quite frankly, sordid) speculation, does anyone know that he has been dropped by his sponsors or if they have actually agreed to part ways due to him studying full time for at least 3 years?

Percy B

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 1293
  • Karma: +95/-2
    • www.climbingworks.com
#58 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 08:03:27 pm
My last post on this thread - its all based on pure conjecture and will no doubt rumble on for a while yet, but I'm out.

I can't say i've seen him do something hard cos i haven't

And nor have I. And nor have a lot of other people. I don't doubt Rich is/was a training monster and was more than capable of climbing AD, and all the other routes he claims. The point is that no-one has actually seen him dispatch any of these routes, or if they have they have been sworn to a vow of secrecy that remains unbroken to this day. If Rich is as bright as his A-levels and Oxbridge studies would suggest, he might like to show somebody (eg: his sponsors) some or all of the evidence that he has been keeping to himself and restore a little confidence in the achievements which put him right up there as one of British climbers best.

Unfortunately climbing is a frustrating sport, and often it is possible to be fit and strong enough to do a climb but for it to take a long time to happen (witness the multi-year redpoint seiges of many of the great and good - Ben Moon on Northern Lights is one that stands out). Now if Ben had told everyone he'd done Northern Lights out of frustration at being more than strong enough but just not quite finishing it off,  there might have been little doubt given his previous pedigree.
Is it not possible that Rich might have done this on more than one occasion, and relied on his form in the school to back up his claims (as opposed to producing a climbing buddy to back him up)?


Percy B

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 1293
  • Karma: +95/-2
    • www.climbingworks.com
#59 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 08:45:04 pm
As it appears to be the basis for this thread and the (quite frankly, sordid) speculation, does anyone know that he has been dropped by his sponsors or if they have actually agreed to part ways due to him studying full time for at least 3 years?

Bloody hell - this really is my last post. One quick phone call informs me that RS has been dropped by one sponsor and he has resigned from his other sponsorship contracts (before they binned him too one would think). He didn't produce the proof that they wanted to validate his ascents. His recent blog posts had ascents on them that a lot of people found hard to believe (these blogs have all now been removed unfortunately) but included achievements such as rope-soloing the Brandler-Hasse in the Dolomites in well under 2 hours. I think Alex Huber took 4 hours 20 minutes to free solo this route - unsuprising as it is one of the loosest 16 pitch complex limestone E5's you will find anywhere. Imagine doing it in less than half the time and having the faff of a rope. Needs a bit of backing up, a claim like that.
Hope this helps - I really am out now.

SA Chris

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 29596
  • Karma: +643/-12
    • http://groups.msn.com/ChrisClix
#60 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 08:58:19 pm
Fairy nuff.

Baron

Offline
  • ***
  • obsessive maniac
  • Posts: 419
  • Karma: +21/-1
#61 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 09:05:38 pm
The pinky perky clip has an edit.

carlisle slapper

Offline
  • **
  • menacing presence
  • Posts: 192
  • Karma: +114/-3
#62 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 09:50:47 pm
Firstly what is wrong with asking a few questions? Sponsors should be the first to do this, if you sponsor a liar your company looks a bit shit.
Percy has got a bit off a barracking here of people that are uniformed and speaking purely out of the confidence of ignorance (obviously the likes of Doyle couldn't be better informed really).

So Action, I've belayed a few people on this route now for a long time (last 3 years). And have seen alot of people on it first hand (Felix knaub, Manuel Brunn (sp?) Fabi, jonas baumann, Andre (strong polish peast)). I was even lucky enough to be there when Adam pustelnik did it.
From belaying Ben and Ryan on it i have seen them both do bigger links than simpson in obsession, with Ryan doing it in 2 save for the clip in the middle (which was often wet) And Ben almost doing it in 2 around the mono. Both of them looked as solid if not more solid than simpson when they were on it. And Pustelnik looked a whole other level above that (total legend), infact his warm up involved doing the route in 2 like it was pretty easy. Watching pustelnik on the route was amazing seeing how hard he had to try. Manuel Brunn is also able to lap the route save for the initial jump (simpsons sequence is whack only windisch uses one similar and he hasn't done it yet (even though I've seen Windisch do moves i could only dream of)) If Ryan or Ben had snuck out on me when i had been belaying them alot i'd feel a bit miffed, but then they didn't because they're mates, they'd certainly have told me the name and where abouts of who bleayed them. And like i say both got very close but didn't do it. (i can go on about Jonas being a beast on it etc but i hope my point is made.

Edited footage is just that 8b climbers can do all the moves on this route (i know a few) and leaving your mates on the day of your ascent when they are there making a film about you climbing it (whilst youve been falling off the route ALOT and making alot of audible excuses in previous days) and when you havent been that close (or even had a half decent redpoint from the floor) i saw felix fall on the last moves and he hasnt done it yet).

Adding all that up on the worlds most famous route is it not ok to say, hey rich can you name your belayer (preferably someone of sound mind and body who is known to other climbers) and let your company get in touch, especially when your photo is in the guide book on it.

Ditto for Liquid, Hubble, Ascents in Buoux (i have aussie mates who were on this trip who have previously expressed similar doubts and disappointment for not being with rich on the day of the send.

As for his grit ascents they were pretty fast and ground breaking in style. I can see why no one would be there (not like you need a belayer on careless) but why claim to have a video of things like careless and not show it? (its enough of a ball ache to turn your camera on and off repeatedly, so if you have footage you'd show someone)

I used to fully believe rich and be a big fan (he was almost up there with malc mcclure and gaskins etc) then he started claiming things like a sub 4 min mile and sub 2.30 marathon. I flat out think this is bollocks. My unkle mike is a semi professional runner (profile here http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=3835) whilst his power of 10 is incomplete you can see he's pretty fast for an old man. in his hayday he could run sub 2.30 marathons. I know how much training he does and how skinny and light he is. To say you've done these things in running and have no proof (UKC thread on this was genius) whilst spelling the name of the stadium wrong where you supposedly ran your 4 minute mile in IN A RACE and having no record is taking the fucking piss. Runners dont stand for that, they have Omega timing and results for a reason. Science.

In climbing we just have rosey eyed faith. I don't know enough about boxing to comment (so i wont) and if you put huber under the brandler hasse ropeless after practice and simpson with a rope (slower!) after doing the route once, and told me to put 400 quid on who'd top out first i know who i'd back.

I'm happy to believe his climbing claims with a bit of proof, it'd take a lot of proof for the running ones (like an offical results sheet from an independent party with his name and time on, god they're hard to come by arent they after you've raced!!), 10 years of watching my uncle in local and national races has taught me that much.

Doing your a levels isn't that hard chris! my sister got 4A/ stars (and a B in an extra one) and went to cambridge and got a first (you could say she was pretty motivated) but she struggles to do a 10km under 50minutes  with her little wobble legs (she can hang a 15mm campus rung nay bother but she doesn't claim to have climbed the worlds most famous route without a credible witness) basically its unrelated, Its an awesome effort getting into top level academia but it is a world away from professional sporting claims.

I know several climbers who make rich look weak on a board, especially Leo when he's on top form :), and even on pockets. people have done 1 armers off 1 pad monos infront of my friends eyes. but they haven't claimed an unbelievable (no pun intended) polysport ticklist ever amassed without a single bit of uncut footage or definite belayers on the actual ascent.

Its a bit disrespectful to top end climbers and peers (especially in the running world) to say you are above questioning (aka  a scientific mind) and that you must have Faith and faith alone. Only in climbing can you do this and i'd like to be one who asks for some proof. In a nice way.

(if anyone wants to seriously question any of my ascents btw feel free, just state the climb and ascent style i've claimed)
I did unfamiliar ground up last weekend in really thick mist so you couldnt film, no video just photos, oh fuck ryan pasquill belayed me and nige kershaw was there. Err i did queen kong with no witnesses 5.5 years ago after recovering from pneumonia (pretty unlikely!!) oh fuck i went back 2 days later and did it with springer and got a full vid for the county.

ok enough. if you dont know all the names on that action list consider yourself fairly uninformed about the route and its recent history.

i'd prefer to be hustled and humiliated than lied too.

Good effort to scarpa and wild country for DOING THEIR JOB and trying to make sure they're credible.

Cheers Dan Varian.
« Last Edit: November 07, 2010, 09:59:47 pm by carlisle slapper »

measles23

Offline
  • ***
  • stalker
  • Posts: 264
  • Karma: +45/-1
#63 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 10:05:36 pm
Pinky perky is my 2nd fave psyche video ever, after splinter..

But that might just be because its YouTube suggestions list introduced me to Zuzana in "Hardest Pushups Ever"  :) my psyche got a little distracted after that..

Paul B

Online
  • *****
  • Global Moderator
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 9788
  • Karma: +269/-4
#64 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 10:09:01 pm
I have to say Dan your A levels comment comes across as nothing short of ignorant

shark

Offline
  • *****
  • Administrator
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 8789
  • Karma: +651/-18
  • insect overlord #1
#65 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 10:20:13 pm
I have to say Dan your A levels comment comes across as nothing short of ignorant

In the context of everything else you pick up on that !!!! FFS

In his position it is commendable that Varian puts his cock on the block.   :bow:

Tom de Gay

Offline
  • ***
  • stalker
  • Posts: 288
  • Karma: +45/-0
#66 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 10:23:32 pm

Boy, has this been an edifying spectacle.

shark

Offline
  • *****
  • Administrator
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 8789
  • Karma: +651/-18
  • insect overlord #1
#67 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 10:24:12 pm
But that might just be because its YouTube suggestions list introduced me to Zuzana in "Hardest Pushups Ever"  :) my psyche got a little distracted after that..

 :o


measles23

Offline
  • ***
  • stalker
  • Posts: 264
  • Karma: +45/-1
#68 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 10:40:12 pm
Don't want to distract too much from the biatching, but I think we have a lot to learn from Zuzana - For instance "Dive Bomber Pushups" must do more for your core than yoga...



katy

Offline
  • *
  • regular
  • Posts: 44
  • Karma: +2/-0
#69 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 10:41:34 pm
I know several climbers who make rich look weak on a board, especially Leo when he's on top form :), and even on pockets. people have done 1 armers off 1 pad monos infront of my friends eyes. but they haven't claimed an unbelievable (no pun intended) polysport ticklist ever amassed without a single bit of uncut footage or definite belayers on the actual ascent.

I aint no board beast but rich is the most impressive guy i have seen on a board! he was down at the mill and had not climbed for 6months and was flashing all the hard projects and making them look piss. Maybe some stuff that he says seen far fetched but he is a very motivated guy and very driven to achieve.

Ioan Doyle
« Last Edit: November 07, 2010, 10:57:17 pm by Bubba, Reason: corrected quote »

carlisle slapper

Offline
  • **
  • menacing presence
  • Posts: 192
  • Karma: +114/-3
#70 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 11:19:39 pm
Cheers paul, I thought it was pretty flippant to use A levels and university entry acceptance to cambridge as evidence of being able to run a sub 4 minute mile, climb 9a and a reason for full blown sponsorship.
As a phd student yourself i'm sure your aware of evidence in context and relevant citations, apologies if i offended you. It was a first hand real life example used to illustrate a point, hundreds of people go to top flight universities every year. Barely anyone officially runs under 4minute miles without proof.

Clearly  "Its an awesome effort getting into top level academia" wasn't being nice enough. If Stu tried to claim a ground up ascent of careless and used his university professor status as proof of ambition/ capability you'd think it a little strange. even though that took many more years of hard graft than his A levels ever did. There are alot of climbers on here who have awesome academic CVs my point is, is that it has nothing inherently to do with sporting ability, look at chris eubank. Or Hawking on the vice versa.

How else could i make that point without taking up a massive amount of page space?







hairich

Offline
  • ***
  • obsessive maniac
  • Posts: 374
  • Karma: +13/-2
#71 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 07, 2010, 11:25:45 pm
a levels are piss

Doylo

Online
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 6694
  • Karma: +442/-7
#72 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 08, 2010, 12:13:35 am
How many people leave school with no qualifications then years later teach themselves a levels in a library get straight a s then get into cambridge? I wasn t trying to make a big thing about it but was merely trying to show that he s a driven guy. Thats all. Anyway i ve got nought else to add, im away and my phones shit for internet. I ll leave the sheffield maffia to it....

turnipturned

Offline
  • ****
  • forum abuser
  • Posts: 721
  • Karma: +108/-1
#73 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 08, 2010, 12:57:21 am
No wonder more and more people don't publicize there achievements! Seems a real shame there is so much negativity and disbelief in climbing!

petejh

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 5884
  • Karma: +639/-36
#74 Re: simpson vanishes...
November 08, 2010, 01:14:55 am
I'm intrigued by this shit-show, even more so because I climbed with Rich a couple of months ago and would be quite dismayed to find out he was lying about all those achievements I admired. He wanted to do some drytooling to train for his plan of trying to do speed ascents of the 6 classic N.Faces in the alps so I arranged to meet up for a climb. He told me about his 2.30 solo of the Brandler-Hasse and also told me how he doesn't climb hard any more but 'keeps his eye in' by doing one F8c per year which he's managed for 'the last few years'. I'd put him in the same category as a few other driven people I've met or spent time with, he was obviously highly charged and good company. He didn't particularly impress with his climbing on the tools - even Jack Geldard o/s'd the route that Rich didn't quite get so it can't be that hard  ;) But that doesn't mean he was/isn't a beast on the rock, however it did surprise me.

After reading this thread and the stuff on the ukc 4 minute mile thing, and seeing the clips of Rich performing various feats of indoor beastliness, the main thing that seems obvious to me is to just compare the evidence of Rich's claims against the evidence of the other climbers operating at the same level - I've never seen any clips of Ste Mac doing loads of one armers or crazy hard school-room stuff like that but he somehow manages to knock out 9a+'s. Same goes for Dave Mac, Birkett (if we're talking about people capable of E9 onsights). Never seen footage of Sharma doing any of that indoor stuff either but I'm probably wrong. Don't remember seeing Pete R doing loads of one armers and mono pullups, just immense dedication, hard work and application. Which says to me that one armers and mono pull-ups aren't a pre-requisite for climbing F8c+ and even F9a+ sport routes.
Which climbers at the same level haven't been able to have a belayer or witness to verify ascents of Liquid Ambar, Hubble, Action Directe, (other foriegn 8c/+ routes), first ever O/S of an E8 or E9, 2.30hr solo of Brandler-Hasse, for their sponsors if no-one else.
Add to that a sub 4 minute mile, sub 2.30 marathon, 16 undefeated fights (not in the same league but it most certainly would be recorded and verifiable unless Rich is into bare knuckle for cash).
The last point I'm reminded about from our day climbing is that Rich said he was on the British Olympic boxing team for the 2012 London olympics, and that unfortunately he didn't make the final cut because he had to have an operation. This must be verifiable with Sport England etc and would go some way to proving or disproving his knockers.

I hope he's the real deal  :please:

 

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal