Forums > Social Chat > The Story behind Fire on the Spires

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QuestHBRONZE Member
stranger
8 posts
Location: USA


Posted:
Since I am currently living at the base of some of the tallest sport climbing peaks in the world (El Potrero Chico, Mexico), I figured I had the advantage when I discovered the contest asking competitors to take a photo from an "extreme/obscure location". The other night I set out on the most dangerous and stupid stunt of my life. I gathered several climbing and photography groups to assist me. I climbed to the 3rd pitch of the Spires (over 200 feet), just as the full moon made its crest. From there, I untied my rope, attempted to set up some sort of illusion of safety for the sake of my mind, and freeclimbed to the tip of the Spire. I was expecting some sort of a platform where I could stabilize myself, but instead all I found was unstable and loose rocks on a razor sharp ridge. I sat down, too scared to weight my feet on the unsolid terrain in the face of unrelenting gusts of wind. All I could do was straddle the rock for my life as I grabbed my bottle of gasoline with shaking hands. I doused my poi in fuel and lit them on fire. I struggled to maintain my balance as I spun my poi in a 3-beat forward weave. Managing my weight was nearly impossible with the shifting required to avoid the flame and the constant force of the heavy winds of the evening. I attempted to quiet my mind and focus. I stared straight ahead seeing nothing, slowly counting to 10 and back to 1 to keep me from panicking and doing something stupid. One of the photography groups was on the 2nd pitch of the other spire snapping pictures, while the second group was at the base. Afterwards we repelled in the dark to find several locals waiting for us with beers at the base.

Special thanks to Hexar Anderson for the Belay, Nyssa Knarvik, Richard Wilson (left photo photographer), and Dan Ancog (right photo photographer)

Please vote for me! I plan on using the gift certificate to start a Fire Academy in Central America

https://www.homeofpoi.com/competition/view_all_entries.php/22_556


Thank you everyone and thank you to HomeofPoi for creating this opportunity for us thrill seekers :-)

Respectfully,
Quest Henkart

Mr MajestikSILVER Member
coming to a country near you
4,696 posts
Location: home of the tiney toothy bear, Australia


Posted:
thats some effort smile i voted for you

ps glad you survived.

"but have you considered there is more to life than your eyelids?"

jointly owned by Fire_Spinning_Angel and Blu_Valley


QuestHBRONZE Member
stranger
8 posts
Location: USA


Posted:
Thank you guys! I cannot express enough appreciation for your support!

Seaspraystranger by the day
924 posts
Location: At the Back of the North Wind


Posted:
whoa... not just awesome, but pretty too

Just a dancer in the dark


FireMikeZLaguna dude
1,438 posts
Location: Laguna, California, US


Posted:
Fantastic! Wikipedia's got a couple decent daytime shots of El Potrero Chico in its article on the the place, so you can see its rock form in a better light, including specifically "The 2 Spires":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potrero_Chico

and here are 2 other pics of The Spires I found:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/patrickcadieux/143076482/

https://www.potrerochicoclimbing.com/directions.htm
https://www.potrerochicoclimbing.com/el%20potero%20chico/spires%20-%20el%20potrero%20chico%20%28Small%29.jpg

Quest Henkart, your posing session and expedition could be worthy of a magazine article or two! Are you going to write one?

molten cheers,

~ FireMike

FireMikeZ@yahoo.com (personal messages welcome, no promo spam, please!)
Laguna, California, US


EmmCeeeFFBRONZE Member
member
145 posts
Location: High Wycombe, England (UK)


Posted:
Got my vote... Very inspiring (ignore the pun)

If i had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isnt. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldnt be. And what it wouldnt be, it would. You see?


QuestHBRONZE Member
stranger
8 posts
Location: USA


Posted:
Wow firemikez. Thankyou for the support and compliment. If a magazine was interested in my story. I would be more than happy to write something. I wouldn't even know where to start to make the contact though.

QuestHBRONZE Member
stranger
8 posts
Location: USA


Posted:
Apparently i wasnt extreme Or obscure enough...

Mr MajestikSILVER Member
coming to a country near you
4,696 posts
Location: home of the tiney toothy bear, Australia


Posted:
Originally Posted By: QuestHApparently i wasnt extreme Or obscure enough...

frown robbed

"but have you considered there is more to life than your eyelids?"

jointly owned by Fire_Spinning_Angel and Blu_Valley



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