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31
news / Re: significant repeats
« Last post by teestub on Yesterday at 04:57:44 pm »
From her insta story, looks like Michaela Kiersch has done Dreamtime 💪
32
news / Re: significant repeats
« Last post by edshakey on Yesterday at 03:17:44 pm »
All hail blue name remus :bow:
33
music, art and culture / Re: Books...
« Last post by Davo on Yesterday at 01:11:27 pm »
The Sleepwalkers - How Europe Went To War In 1914 by Christopher Clark

I've been going through a bit of a history reading phase and this is the second of two books about the beginning of WW1 that I have read recently with the first being Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August. This one is probably more niche than the Guns of August and I think you would need a reasonable level of interest in the detail of why Europe ended up in a state of war in 1914 to enjoy it. I read this after hearing it recommended on the Rest is History Podcast about the origins of WW1 where they quoted from it a great deal but also made the point that Clark has been criticised for being too soft on Germany.

Overall, I thought it was a brilliant study in depth of the origins of WW1, it is enormously detailed and gives a superb overview of the countries involved, the decision makers and how power is devolved to each of them. Clark is explicit at the start that he is not going to allocate blame and that he thinks this is a false premise from the start and that instead he wants to look at the structures and the ways in which alliances influenced how each country behaved. On this basis it is brilliant and after reading it I feel I have improved my limited grasp of the origins of WW1. I found the beginning 1/3rd of the book hard going and possibly I didn't need to know in detail so much Serbian history but if you already know a lot about WW1 then it is probably good for you. The last half of the book is amazing and really leads the reader through the run up to war.

However, even though I'm not a professional historian nor expert on WW1, I did really begin to struggle with the way in which he treats Germany and especially in the last few weeks of the crisis and the run up to war. It is almost as if he treats Germany's decision to mobilise and then immediately to invade Belgium as being out of their hands and solely being due to the Russian mobilisation and that Germany and its leaders had no responsibility for their actions. To say the least Barbara Tuchman has a very different view of this and points out in her book that Germany and its leaders (military and political) used the doctrine of “military necessity” to justify declaring war and their subsequent invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg and then France. Clark never engages with this idea and ends the book before really addressing it.
Hopefully this epic review helps anyone thinking of reading The Sleepwalkers.

Cheers Dave
34
news / Re: significant repeats
« Last post by remus on Yesterday at 12:23:26 pm »
Could have missed an ascent, but looks like Fred Nicole's 8C pocket problem Le Boa has had a second ascent from Patrick Vonbrül. Had a bit of attention form Giuliano Cameroni previously so don't expect it's a pushover.

Some footage of the man himself doing the start (about 8B to here apparently).

https://youtu.be/dQW3v7-pYXk?t=302

Correction: Fabian Buhl made the second ascent in 2017.

https://www.lacrux.com/en/bouldern/fabian-buhl-repeats-first-the-8c-boulder-le-boa/
35
conditions reports (isitgreasy on twitter) / Re: Eastern Edges Today
« Last post by Duncan campbell on Yesterday at 11:47:15 am »
Cheers Mark! Always a reliable cons reporter
36
get involved: access, environment, BMC / Re: Climate Change
« Last post by MischaHY on Yesterday at 11:38:58 am »
Somehow this feels like an appropriate time to mention that margarine was invented because Napoleon wanted cheaper butter for the Franco-Prussian war.
37
diet, training and injuries / Re: How I fixed my Wrist injury (TFCC Ulnar)
« Last post by Wellsy on Yesterday at 11:17:04 am »
I think a lot of climbers could do with doing general strengthening work, I think it'd help them when it comes to both avoiding and dealing with injuries, as Grimer says it's all holistic
38
conditions reports (isitgreasy on twitter) / Re: Eastern Edges Today
« Last post by mark20 on Yesterday at 11:12:53 am »
A few spots of drizzle on the windscreen as I drove round the back of Gardoms. Dry grit around Matlock area but no wind and feels greasy. I’ll probably bail to Stoney
39
get involved: access, environment, BMC / Re: Climate Change
« Last post by Fultonius on Yesterday at 10:26:03 am »
I don't want to speak for Matt, he can do that plenty well himself....but I guess one arguable positive about this sort of development is a bit like F1 racing - yes, it's a bonkers waste of resources, but the grand scheme of things the benefits outweigh the costs (materials, tech development etc.).

Still, it's 140 tonnes of diesel THAT DOESN'T NEED BURNT. If all that funding, brain power and motivation was targeted at actually solving the issues we face we would get to a better place much quicker than by "trickle down" theory.

That's 325 tonnes of c02, or about 160 x the annual allowance, per person, that we need to get back to a sensible level of C02 emissions.

So yeah, great that you've developed the tech. Now publish the designs and tech online, for free, and don't build the yachts. Only then will I give you praise for doing something that helps climate change....  Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it kind of sickens me that there are people so wealthy, and so blind to the excess that they are willing to consume so much more than their fair share, all the while we constantly juggle seeing family who live in other countries, forgoing holidays as we want to fly less. I know I'm still consuming more than my share, so we're all complicit in this mess.

Just put some bloody sails on it!

E.g. https://www.sail-world.com/news/270282/Vela-Code-update
40
conditions reports (isitgreasy on twitter) / Re: Eastern Edges Today
« Last post by Duncan campbell on Yesterday at 10:07:32 am »
Anyone wanting to take a bet on best locations today? Or anyone out in the peak with a solid report?
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