Archive for the ‘Tim Walther Adventures’ Category

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Tim Walther and Erick Erickson

Have you ever had an experience in which, in hind-site, you explain, but before the event took place you never could have predicted it?  Add a dramatic impact and you have the essence of the Black Swan - the highly improbable consequential event.

Those of you know me well realize that I am continuously seeking to understand the realm of Quantum Physics, ESP, the Law of Attraction, and other invisible yet powerful universal energy principles.  My great friend Ivan Huber who lives in Colorado recommended - and then gifted the Black Swan to me. I consider Ivan quite an intellectual and respectfully embraced his recommendation - explaining to myself after the fact that this book came to me for a reason.

This book, the Black Swan, has taken me to that enjoyable place of deep contemplation - philosophical meanderings of epistemology, and even the Platonic Fold - where our representation of reality ceases to apply - but we don’t know it. 

Before the discovery of Australia, people of the Old World were convinced that ALL swans were white, an unassailable belief as it seemed completely confirmed by empirical evidence. According to Taleb, a Black Swan is an event that consists of three elements: It’s a random event, outside what one might expect to occur, second, the event carries extreme impact, and third, despite that it is an outlier (and unexpected) human nature makes us concoct explanations for its occurrence after the fact, making it explainable and predictable.

The imperitive of this line of thinking makes what you don’t know more relevant than what you do know.

One of the fascinating components of the Black Swan, is that it is written in a way in which elements of risk taking and predictability are also explored in a societal context. What Taleb refers to as Mediocristan verses Extremistan -  are ways of considering two very different types of uncertainty or randomness. The former being when the sample is too large to have a significant impact on the aggregate, and the latter when a single observation can disproportionately impact the aggregate, or total. If you are understanding what I am talking about - then great - I am half way through the book - and look forward to exploring and explaining and discussing some of these concepts.  in conclusion, a couple questions come to mind. What events of your past have you experienced, and then explained in hind site with no real empirical evidence - just a “sense” as to why it occurred?   In evaluating your life-style and plan, are you banking on a highly improbable event to occur - or NOT occur - to direct your success?  If one seemingly random event took place in your job, what would be the impact? Could you recognize a BLACK SWAN if you saw one?

I will leave you with this quote from Captain EJ Smith of the Titanic from 1907.*  “But in all my experience, I have never been in any accident…of any sort worth speaking about. I have seen but one vessel in distress in all my years at sea. I never saw a wreck and never have been wrecked nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster of any sort.” * Captain Smith’s ship sank in 1912 in what has become the most talked about shipwreck in history…

Part of my training regimine has consisted of 3 days a week with Rob - at the Mountain Athlete. www.mtnathlete.com An hour of full throttle finger boards, 60 lb get-ups, step-ups, sled pushes and hanging on the the system board. Intense power and eurance workouts.  Big walls are in sight…

Kentega Ascent

One of my mentors and instructor for my Alpine Guide Course, Kevin Mahoney, (also a fellow New Hampshire-ite) along with Ben Gilmore and Freddie Wilkinson successfully climbed the north face of Kantega in Nepal last month. Kevin and Ben are both Exum Guides, and trained at Mountain Athlete last summer/fall preparing for the climb.

Wolf’s Head is one of the 50 classic climbs and has an ethereal and surreal feel to it.  It was great to be back in the mountains again and feel the pulse of the universe. Wolf’s head is the mountain in the central - back of the photo, with Pingora on the right. Amazing ridgeline traverse winding between towers.

This was the start of my climb this weekend. Well, the technical start anyway.   I took Alex Boehm and JP Huser on the climb and it was a big route for both of them. For JP - it was his first big alpine route. They both did great!  It was a bit spicy because there was snow and ice on the north sides of the route.  Those moments of self doubt - the fear that creeps up - those moments that tell you to STEP UP - are those in life to be cherished.  And of course they don’t just happen in the mountains. They happen all the time.  Our ability to harness that energy and overcome our fears every day is part of the Seeking True North journey… and one that is a beautiful part of life. 

Here’s a great fitness test. Take the challenge!

Tests of “motor fitness” developed by T.K. Cureton and reported in a Physical Fitness Workbook, copyright 1947. All tests are pass/fail. Percentages reported in parenthesis represent failure rates.

Balance

Stand with feet about 6″ apart, arms clasped behind the back. Kneel slowly, touch both knees and get up without losing your balance at any time. Feet must remain in place and arms kept behind the back. (2.8%)

Stand on toes with heels together; hold both hands horizontally forward and together as if about to dive. Hold for 20 seconds without shifting feet or hands. (3.5%)

With hands free to aid, stand flat on one foot for ten seconds, then rise up on toes and hold for ten seconds. Weighted foot must not shift. (9.8%)

Squat with arms between knees with hands on floor in front of the knees. Rock forward to balance on the hands and maintain that balanced position for ten seconds. (52%)

Do a hand stand for ten seconds. Hand walking is allowed. (95%)

Flexibility

Lying prone on the floor with fingers laced behind the neck. Partner holds down feet and hips. Attempt to raise chin 20″ off the floor. (3%)

From a standing position (with feet 12″ apart), bend forward from the waist and touch the floor with finger tips, keeping legs absolutely straight throughout. Maintain position for ten seconds. (11.5%)

Sit on the floor, legs straight with heels 18″ apart, fingers laced behind neck. Bend trunk forward until forehead is 8″ from the floor. Maintain 2 seconds. (18.4%)

Lying prone on floor with arms extended straight overhead and with fists clenched, raise fists 8″ off the floor, keeping chin to the floor. Maintain 2 seconds. (24.7%)

Agility

From kneeling position, swing arms, jump to feet and maintain balance, (do not shift feet after landing.) (13.2%)

Hold toe or tip of shoe and jump through the loop formed without releasing toe or shoe. (39.1%)

Facing a stout bar, hold with two hands and vault over the bar without touching the bar with any part of the body. Horizontal bar is positioned at 4′ 6″. Bar must be cleared in a continuous move. (54%)

Strength

Lie supine on floor, hands on thighs, and push up to a head bridge. Hold head bridge for 60 seconds. (3.5%)

Grasp the high bar, draw legs up into a tuck then go through the arms and back to start; as in “skin the cat.” (70.7%)

Lying prone on floor with arms extended straight upward from shoulders, palms on the floor, press body (torso) up, lifting stomach 4″ off the floor. Elbows or forearms may not touch the floor. (78.2%)

Power

Standing broad jump your own height plus one foot.. (37.3%)

Medicine Ball put. With one arm, put a 6-7 pound medicine ball 35′. (43.2%)

Climb a 20″ rope using hands and feet in less than 20 seconds. (56.9%)

Vertical jump 19″ using the reach and touch technique. (61.5%)

Endurance

Lying supine on floor or mat with fingers laced behind neck. Alternate lifting legs straight over head and doing a sit up; 20 leg raises, 20 sit ups with no rest between. (21.8%)

Sitting on floor with hands on hips, hold legs rigidly straight off the floor no more than 20″ high. Maintain position for 60 seconds. (32.2%)

Perform ten chin ups (palms toward the performer). (46%)

Run a mile in seven minutes (67.8%)

Run in place for 120 seconds at 180 steps per minute, then take one deep breath and hold        that breath for 30 seconds. (94.1%)

Remember, these were physically fit people who were taking these tests back in 1947. I have a feeling the general population today is no where near as fit as they were back then. Thanks to Karl Rohnke for sharing this with me.

Tim

Last weekend was a stellar Jackson Hole Weekend. Saturday I made it back into GTNP after a long wait letting my ankle heal.  My ankle is feeling better, and this moderate route in the Tetons was perfect.  

They call it disappointment peak because it looks like it is part of the Grand Teton. When you head for the summit, you realize that there is a massive gap between the mountain you are on and the Grand Teton! 

 Yes - the BEAR!  Always fun to see our little furry friend along the way.

Adrian Foreman was my climbing partner and it was great to connect with him.   I am always happy to spend time with Adrian. He’s intelligent, insightful, adventuresome and goes with the flow. Climbing in the mountains allows you to bond and connect with people like nothing else. The nature, the walking and achieving a goal together is a great wayt o connect.

Our conversation flowed as did the entire day. This was a beautiful pitch right on the ridge. 

This climb reminded me about the concept of the false summit. Lots of times in life you charge off seeking some big goal, and you think you are on the right path. Hard work and lots of time and energy invested sometimes results in a big “disappointment.”  These things happen in life - so what can we do about it?

Consider acceptance, the reframe, and engaging the now (all found on the forum) as three tools for experiencing success in the midst of disappointment. Overall - I am happy to be back climbing again - and Disappointment peak, even though it’s not the Grand Teton, offers a stellar day in the mountains.

The Box - in Spanish - has been fueling much of my musical passion since my return from Spain in January. The cajon was invented in Peru and introduced to Spain.  The first time I saw this awesome box drum was in El Churro - in the mountains of Souther Spain, just north of Malaga.  It just so happend that the first day there, Ryan and I rolled in on the one night of the month that live music came to the mountains of El Churro. I was mesmerized and two months later, after climbing through Morocco and Spain, I had completed my search for the perfect Cajón. I bought one in Barcelona and carried it with me across the globe to share the love!  I have been playing with Tom Turiano and Valerie Seaberg, along with other special musical guests, out at various gigs.  The box drum is sweet because it has full bass sounds combined with snare action at the top-front of the box created from snare strings on the inside of the box.  The sounds are sweet!

Live music has found its way back into my life and I am loving it. I have been playing my full drum kit with another rock band - Wounded Knee - a couple nights a week as well.  Drumming fills my passion and for me is one of the many parts of the rhythm of life. When i play I experience a flow state where the sense and sounds flows through a fraction of a second before I play it, yet I play in the present moment. in a way, drimming is almost like one continuous deja vu!  Visualizing what is coming just a fraction before it does and then, boom, the synchronistic musical conjunction. I love the metaphor for being “in tune”, anticipating and realizing the flow in the creation of music.

I wonder what ways people experience the same things in life?

Tim