The dare-devils who can relax at high altitudes with nothing but a thin sheet of nylon protecting them from death have always fascinated me. After finding this picture of a camper leisurely playing a guitar like a gust of wind couldn't destroy him got me thinking: how can this possibly work?
My first discovery is that hammocks are not usually the go-to for climbers. When camping on the side of a cliff, climbers use what they affectionately refer to as a 'portoledge.' A portoledge looks more like a tent, and serves the same purpose, it's just not on solid ground. You can brew coffee, read a book, and take pictures… pictures of yourself suspended a hundred feet off the ground in a portoledge. Just don't tell your mom. Today, portoledges come in many different shapes, sizes, and brands, and include the hammock style I stumbled upon.
The climber is not completely free in the portoledge, but always in a harness attached to a different anchor than the tent. The platform of the ledge is essentially a cot, then a rainfly is attached to complete the tent. The ledge itself is suspended via a central anchor, and then six others serve as additional support.
Make sense? No? Ya I don't get it either.... Ok, here's another crazy picture:
No part of this explanation makes me want to get into vertical climbing. First of all I have neither the strength, nor the expertise to break into the sport. That being said, even if my fairy god mother could bless me with the skill, or I had the money, I doubt I would ever have the hutzpah to get a good night's sleep on the face of a cliff.
Plus I hear you can't get 4G that high up...
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