The Off Topic... Topic :)

[jonsidneyb]

You never know with those Aussies!

Are you saying Aussies are nuts?

 

[anotheralias]

Are you saying Aussies are nuts?

No no no - just very athletic!

And a teeny bit nuts, but in a good way.

 

[Anthony Parsons]

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?img...HDQ&esq=2&page=2&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:30

As long as you have a nice vertical cliff... then its fun as hell. Once your over the edge and steady, you just hold the rope right out to the side and run... find the right mix on basically none to little brake, and the running pace you can maintain. Excellent fun when you have it right.

 

[jonsidneyb]

No no no - just very athletic!

And a teeny bit nuts, but in a good way.

Ok....but I still think sliding down somethings on your abs is not a good thing.

 

[Anthony Parsons]

Ok....but I still think sliding down somethings on your abs is not a good thing.

Have you ever tried a piece of cardboard, some wax and a massive sanddune? Excellent fun... easier getting back to the top than abseiling / rappelling... no climbing involved.

 

[anotheralias]

Ok....but I still think sliding down somethings on your abs is not a good thing.

But it would really impress a crowd.

 

[anotheralias]

Have you ever tried a piece of cardboard, some wax and a massive sanddune? Excellent fun... easier getting back to the top than abseiling / rappelling... no climbing involved.

OH yes, only on snow not sand. It's great fun.

 

[jonsidneyb]

Anthony, Look into the Australian Speleological Federation.

I think you might find it fun and educational. It brings together geology, biology, preservation, mapping, hard climbing and crawling into one activity.

 

[jonsidneyb]

Have you ever tried a piece of cardboard, some wax and a massive sanddune? Excellent fun... easier getting back to the top than abseiling / rappelling... no climbing involved.

But that could involve going off the next ledge and taking a very long free fall.

 

[CFodder]

Are you saying Aussies are nuts?

I can categorically say that yes most of them are!!!

 

[Kim]

Love the pic Jon... excellent off-topic conversation.

Just finished putting the second coat of oil into our Merbau front fence... will suffice for another year now until the next double coat.

Nice fence! you must be a multi millionaire Merbau is expensive timber

 

[Kim]

This is from a cave in Mexico. I have never seen crystals of this size but I hope I can one day.

Is that for real

 

[jonsidneyb]

Is that for real

Yes it is. There are a small number of caves in Mexico with huge crystals growing in them. We have crystals that grow maybe to the size of a christmas tree in the USA but there are nothing like the crystals that can be found in caves in Mexico.

 

[Kim]

Yes it is. There are a small number of caves in Mexico with huge crystals growing in them. We have crystals that grow maybe to the size of a christmas tree in the USA but there are nothing like the crystals that can be found in caves in Mexico.

Wow, I have never seen anything like that before, it looks like a photoshop job

Wowsers!

 

[jonsidneyb]

Try this link.

http://www.crystalinks.com/mexicocrystals.html

 

[jonsidneyb]

Wow, I have never seen anything like that before, it looks like a photoshop job

Wowsers!

This is from National Geographic

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/11/crystal-giants/shea-text

 

[Kim]

This is from National Geographic

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/11/crystal-giants/shea-text

Holy schmoley! That is just amazing

 

[Jethro]

What if I stay on topic? (Hey, it could happen.)

post reported for staying on topic in an off topic thread.

 

[jonsidneyb]

Ok....how is this. We don't map caves barefoot. Too many sharp things.

 

[jonsidneyb]

Holy schmoley! That is just amazing

You have some really nice caves and new ones being found all the time in Oz. Why don't you gear up and go underground there, what you can find underground is amazing.

On some mapping trips people are under months at a time.