What has the (liberal) media has influenced you to climb?
Crotch Robbins
El Capitan at the Pacific Film Archive. Not knowing anything about
the climb, but what I saw on the screen, I remember thinking that I
would climb tha route one day. The footage of the pendulum into the
Stovelegs and the King Swing absolutely blew me away. After 6 years,
the images in that film are just as powerful to me as they were the
first tiime. I just bought a copy on video, and by zeus, I will climb
that beautiful line.
Then there's Galen Rowell's Vertical World of Yosemite. I found this
at Moe's Books for $9.95 back in '96, and picked it up. Never heard
of that Rowell guy, but damn did he ever put together a nice piece of
climbing porn. Reading about Harding's ascent of the Leaning Tower
put my climb of it into perspective, and I thought about Warren
standing in stirrups, hammering hole after hole after hole.... and
all the jugging done with prussics. I don't see myself climbing the
South Face of Watkins with only wine and cigarettes, but there are so
many lines that are interesting to me simply because I read about them
in that book and got turned on. The Steck Salathe, Lost Arrow, RNWF
of Half Dome, Salathe.
I just finished reading _Deborah, A Wilderness Narrative_ and
_Mountain of My Fear_ and all of a sudden a cold, snowy adventure in
the middle of nowhere is sounding really good.
So what have books, videos, or stories inspired you to climb, and how
did they change your perspective of the climb?
Crotch
Clint Cummins
on some routes, and helped keep me off of others (Lost Arrow Chimney,
Watkins, NA Wall, Tis-sa-ack), I like "Yosemite Climber" better (photo book
by George Meyers). I think I eventually tried most of the routes it
shows, and have used the beta at times :-) . I didn't come close
to freeing the Chouinard-Herbert, and I bailed off the P.O. Wall,
but the book has made those very interesting, so I may have to keep trying.
Is that photo of Elaine Upton on Lunatic Fringe the reason I keep going
back? (Nah, my small hands just fit the jams too well - it's no
testpiece for me, especially with all those rests).
Clint Cummins
Melissa
cro...@pobox.com (Crotch Robbins) wrote:
>So what have books, videos, or stories inspired you to climb, and
>how
>did they change your perspective of the climb?
Bev Johnson's biography.
Lynn Hill's autobiography.
The tribute montage to Dan Osman in Masters of Stone V.
A TR about a parapalegic woman named Beth Coates who jugged Zodiac a short
time after a fall ended her carreer as an elite mountain biker.
Russ Walling
wrote on 2/28/03 3:45 PM:
> cro...@pobox.com (Crotch Robbins) wrote:
>> So what have books, videos, or stories inspired you to climb, and
>> how did they change your perspective of the climb?
Master of Rock, John Gill:
Given to me after the first couple of times I went climbing... the dude
says, "if you're going to be a climber, you better read this..."
Vertical World:
First book I ever really looked at and went "wow" (save for porn). The pics
of the Leaning Tower had me kinda worried when I finally went up there. The
stories were top notch and the routes always seemed just out of reach.
Yosemite Climber:
Nothing cooler than looking at the picture, walking 40ft and talking to the
guy in the picture, and then doing the route. Ultimate Valley tick list.
Anything by John Long:
Read them all.
Mountian Magazine:
Occasional good stories. I remember reading an article in one mag called
"States of the Art" by Hudon and Jones. At the time it seemed beyondo...
now all the routes have been downgraded to 5.8. COOL!!!!
Russ
David Henderson
that book said to me: this is waaaaaaayyyy beyond the predictable
middle-class life you've been told is the ultimate virtue.
I actually thought that Simpson's succession of misadventures was what
all climbers did all the time. Oh well ...
N42461
>So what have books, videos, or stories inspired you to climb, and how
>did they change your perspective of the climb?
Movies/videos: Journey to the Center of the Earth, with James Mason and Pat
Boone. That and the Batman serial (with West and Ward).
Books/stories: King Soloman's Mines, The Leatherstocking Tales, Tom Sawyer...
.....Yikes.... I am a closet caver!!!
nathan sweet
Nafod40
> So what have books, videos, or stories inspired you to climb, and how
> did they change your perspective of the climb?
There was a book, but I can't remember its title or even much of the plot.
I probably read it in 1973 or so. It involved a young man who would climb
a mountain. I remember early in the book he climbed part way up, and had
to spend the night. The Matterhorn? He finally climbed it, alone. It may
have been a young teen's book.
Sound familiar? Does anyone have a list of fiction climbing books? It'd be
fun to hunt it down again. It is amazing how a book you can't even
remember the details of can have that much influence.
"The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe had the biggest effect on me otherwise.
Mike
Chiloe
>
> So what have books, videos, or stories inspired you to climb, and how
> did they change your perspective of the climb?
Nice question.
When I first started climbing, books were my mentors. The
West Ridge (1966) by Tom Hornbein, is a beautifully
illustrated tome about an awesomely bold adventure -- the
first traverse of Mt. Everest. Freedom of the Hills (1966)
became my source of all wisdom, from glacier travel to the
fat content of butter. Anyone else recall its quirky
illustration of how to aid climb using an extra belayer
instead of etriers?
The first issue of Ascent (1967) was such a powerful
inspiration that after reading it I recruited a friend to go
out and climb a "first ascent" with me. At the time I had
about 4 pitches of toprope experience, total, and he had
about 1. We took our two pitons and 120-foot goldline and
hiked out to some remote chosspile. There I led a new
route, a long wandering pitch probably not more than 5.2.
The thrill of this adventure stayed with me for years,
always fused (in my mind) with the Yosemite mystique of the
'67 Ascent.
Dingus Milktoast
"Nafod40" <may...@SPAMAWAYpsu.edu> wrote in message
news:3E624788...@SPAMAWAYpsu.edu...
> Crotch Robbins wrote:
>
> > So what have books, videos, or stories inspired you to climb, and how
> > did they change your perspective of the climb?
>
> There was a book, but I can't remember its title or even much of the plot.
> I probably read it in 1973 or so. It involved a young man who would climb
> a mountain. I remember early in the book he climbed part way up, and had
> to spend the night. The Matterhorn? He finally climbed it, alone. It may
> have been a young teen's book.
>
> Sound familiar?
Sounds like James Ramsey Ullman's The Citadel. Rudi is the kid in the story.
He wants to be a guide like his farther before him, who died on the
mountain. Rudi attempts a solo and ends up spending the night in a cave
where his father died. Hooks up with some British client to eventually send
the N. Face.
That was probably the earliest climbing book I read and perhaps the most
influential as well.
DMT
Nafod40
> "Nafod40" wrote
> > There was a book, but I can't remember its title or even much of the plot.
> > I probably read it in 1973 or so. It involved a young man who would climb
> > a mountain. I remember early in the book he climbed part way up, and had
> > to spend the night. The Matterhorn? He finally climbed it, alone. It may
> > have been a young teen's book.
> >
> > Sound familiar?
>
> Sounds like James Ramsey Ullman's The Citadel. Rudi is the kid in the story.
> He wants to be a guide like his farther before him, who died on the
> mountain. Rudi attempts a solo and ends up spending the night in a cave
> where his father died.
> DMT
Cool, I'm going to have to dig out a copy somewhere. Thanks.
Herbert Herbert
> So what have books, videos, or stories inspired you to climb, and how
> did they change your perspective of the climb?
>
> Crotch
"Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage" by Hermann Buhl.
And what really got me started on the big adventure some 20 years ago,
"Trails of the Angeles" by John Robinson. The San Gabriels are truly
the sierra madre for me. This book has influenced my entire life from
the early '80s on. Everything from my choice of career to my
sweetheart.
HH
Ryan Pfleger
Daniel Duane's "Lighting Out". "Looking for Mo" is good too.
Ryan
A.M.
news:254152f1.03030...@posting.google.com...
> cro...@pobox.com (Crotch Robbins) wrote in message
news:<b7706678.03022...@posting.google.com>...
>
> > So what have books, videos, or stories inspired you to climb, and how
> > did they change your perspective of the climb?
> >
> > Crotch
>
> "Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage" by Hermann Buhl.
An extremely inspirational book. That man had some incredible ascents, and
his love for climbing jumped out of the pages. I'll never forget his account
of the winter ascent of the Marmolata.
Nafod40
> Sounds like James Ramsey Ullman's The Citadel.
Did some research, the book is actually called "Banner in the Sky". The mountain
in the book is The Citadel. It was made into a movie starring James Macarthur,
called "THird Man on the Mountain".
Dingus Milktoast
"Nafod40" <may...@SPAMAWAYpsu.edu> wrote in message
Right on! That's the one.
I've read dozens of climbing works, fact and fiction. That one was the
first.
Another really great novel that included climbing was "A Soldier of the
Great War." Helped to open my eyes to the incredibly hard climbing done in
Europe long before the sport began to fester in America.
Among the most influential authors I can recall are Long, Krakauer, Simpson,
Twight, Norgay, Child, Webster, Robbins, Harding, Robinson, Rowell, Jones,
Ament, Sherman, Bonatti, Clyde, King, Reid, Falkstein, Moynier, Schultheis,
'the other' Long, Chouinard, Wilson, Shipton, Cook, Parker, McPhee, Zdon.
DMT
Andy Gale
Dingus Milktoast wrote:
>
> Another really great novel that included climbing was "A Soldier of the
> Great War." Helped to open my eyes to the incredibly hard climbing done in
> Europe long before the sport began to fester in America.
This is probably my alltime favorite novel. "Refiner's Fire", also by
Mark Helprin (and sadly used as the name for a most-controversial sport
route, here in SoCal), contains some climbing as well. But, in the case
of "A Soldier..." I've wondered about the historical accuracy. Could
anybody tell me, were carabiners invented yet before WWI? Just curious.
Either way, it is a great book.
Andy
Mike Garrison
>
> Did some research, the book is actually called "Banner in the Sky".
I read that one as a kid. It had no effect on me. I've never
particularly liked climbing stories, fact or fiction. Though
I did read and enjoy "One Green Bottle" as well as "The
Vortex".
I read a lot of military science fiction, spy novels, and
murder mysteries. I've never been in the military, or a spy,
or killed anyone. Never been a detective, either. I guess in
my case reading is for what I don't do, rather than what I
do do.
As for what effect the media has had on me -- well the
opening scenes of (the movie) The Two Towers *really* made
me want to go to New Zealand.
-Mike
Scott Conner
> So what have books, videos, or stories inspired you to climb, and how
> did they change your perspective of the climb?
Great thread!
Most recently, I've been inspired by a few great and new films: Front
Range Freaks and Vertical Frontier.
FRF is a film about local climbing and local climbers to the Front
Range. Local guys and gals pushing their limits on hard and dangerous
climbs. The best part is a tribute to the late great Derek Hersey.
Peter and Russ were thorough in their documenting of Derek's climbing
career. There's even an interview with Derek's parents!
Vertical Frontier is a fantastic journey through the rich history of
Yosemite climbing. It's thorough. Interviews with Long, Chuinard,
Tom Frost, Peter Croft, Lynn Hill, Harding, Todd Skinner, Potter,
Florine, and a bunch I can't remember now. Definitely check it out.
It starts with John Muir and takes you through to the speed climbing
battles of today. And if you've seen it, Camp 4 was recently put on
the National Regestery for Historical Places.
As far as reading, anything by Krakaur or Long. Ed Webster's 'Snow in
the Kingdom' was outstanding too.
Best 'TR' ever: John Long's introduction in the book 'Big Walls'. A
must read.
Scott
Eugene Miya
Dingus Milktoast <none@yabis> wrote:
You get your coding ring?
>I've read dozens of climbing works, fact and fiction. That one was the
>first.
>
>Twight, Norgay, Child, Webster, Robbins, Harding, Robinson, Rowell, Jones,
>Ament, Sherman, Bonatti, Clyde, King, Reid, Falkstein, Moynier, Schultheis,
>'the other' Long, Chouinard, Wilson, Shipton, Cook, Parker, McPhee, Zdon.
You should also consider Rebuffat, Blackshaw, Terray, Manning, Harrer,
Brown, Roberts (Krakauer's mentor), Pratt, Washburn, Beckey, Messner, Habeler,
Benuzzi, Wilts, Bonington, Patey, Adams, Putnam, Ortenburger, and
likely many others I am forgetting,
the editorial prowse of Roper and Steck (and now Harris) for the English
language.
Chris
Interesting thought. Is it because of Roper's dislike of Bob Kamps
most people have not heard of him or realized the impact he had on
Yosemite climbing? Since during the "Golden Years" of Yosemite
climbing Bob had more first ascents than anyone else and it wasn't
till Jim Bridwell arrived and surpassed his totals.
Chris
Dingus Milktoast
"Chris" <cweg...@yahoo.com> wrote
> Interesting thought. Is it because of Roper's dislike of Bob Kamps
> most people have not heard of him or realized the impact he had on
> Yosemite climbing? Since during the "Golden Years" of Yosemite
> climbing Bob had more first ascents than anyone else and it wasn't
> till Jim Bridwell arrived and surpassed his totals.
Chris Jones and Pat Ament seem to have given him his due.
DMT
John Peterson
collection that we would read out of. One of these was a tale of some
sort of climbing in which two teenagers (?) were attempting some big
cliff or mountain or something. Apparently they don't have any formal
training and just would slither along increasingly smaller and more
exposed ledges towards the top. The climax was some sort of gap in
the ledge at which the boy (macho man that he was) decided to jump for
it, knowing that if he missed it would be Certain Death (tm). He
gives his (female) partner a long spiel that included a Why I Have To
Do This speach and a short last will and testament, then jumps and
lives to be a hero. This is all really hazy - I wonder if anyone has
the slightest idea what this was.
This made a big impression on me. Even back then I realized that
these guys were total doofi and that there had to be some way to
travel in such an obviously cool place without taking stupid risks.
John
Mr.T
views about adventure, which changed the way I thought about trying
to do (very moderate) backcountry routes. I used to be one of the
"super topo" types who really wanted every single thing detailed out
so there was no chance of anything going wrong. Last year I tried
Thunderbolt on just some very vague descriptions and failed and had to
do a bunch of bail raps and was way off route. That trip maybe
contained a tiny tiny fraction of what Bonatti would even can a minor
adventure, but it was very fun in a different way.
I thought Child's "postcards" was an excellent collection that really
gives the flavor of various aspects of the climbing world, and is
very funny to boot.
I cannot stand Long. His prose is painful to my eyes and his bravado
and attempts at humor leave me yearning to do something else very
quickly. But I am in the strict minority on this one.
Simon Yates' book is not worth the read either. However, Simpson is
a good writer and can write about topics other than climbing and make
them interesting. I am starting David Roberts "Escape Routes" which
also tackles other topics and seems OK so far.
My friends and I have tried to steer clear of the Whitney zone and the
crowds, but after seeing the few simple pictures in R&I with some
Sierra classics, Mithral Dihedral and Startrekkin look like beautiful
routes that are now goals.
Eugene Miya
Mr.T <tped...@pinnaclesys.com> wrote:
>Bonatti is a little on the dry side, but worth reading. He has good
>views about adventure, which changed the way I thought about trying
>to do (very moderate) backcountry routes.
Part of the problem with the Europeans depends on their translators.
Messner and Terray have a similar problem.
>Last year I tried
>Thunderbolt on just some very vague descriptions and failed and had to
>do a bunch of bail raps and was way off route. That trip maybe
>contained a tiny tiny fraction of what Bonatti would even can a minor
>adventure, but it was very fun in a different way.
A nice peak.
>Simon Yates' book is not worth the read either. However, Simpson is
>a good writer and can write about topics other than climbing and make
>them interesting. I am starting David Roberts "Escape Routes" which
>also tackles other topics and seems OK so far.
Try Moments of Doubt.
But better are his short accounts in various journals like the AAJ.
Read his book reviews in Ascent and else where.
>My friends and I have tried to steer clear of the Whitney zone and the
>crowds, but after seeing the few simple pictures in R&I with some
>Sierra classics, Mithral Dihedral and Startrekkin look like beautiful
>routes that are now goals.
I really want to do the South Face of Thor, Satan's Delight to sit on
the Pink Perch. Too many tourists, and higher priorities.
Eugene Miya
Dingus Milktoast <none@yabis> wrote:
>> >I've read dozens of climbing works, fact and fiction. That one was the
>> >first.
eug...@cse.ucsc.edu (Eugene Miya) wrote in message news:<3e645990$1...@news.ucsc.edu>...
>> You get your coding ring?
...
>> likely many others I am forgetting,
>> the editorial prowse of Roper and Steck (and now Harris) for the English
>> language.
In article <5d1b77bf.03030...@posting.google.com>,
Chris <cweg...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Interesting thought. Is it because of Roper's dislike of Bob Kamps
>most people have not heard of him or realized the impact he had on
>Yosemite climbing? Since during the "Golden Years" of Yosemite
>climbing Bob had more first ascents than anyone else and it wasn't
>till Jim Bridwell arrived and surpassed his totals.
Who's keeping count?
I have never met Roper. I like Steck (I sponsored 2 lectures at UCSB
with him).
I remember the first time I met Kamps next to rock 1 at Stony Point.
Neat guy. Quite unassuming. For a while in college I climbed with a guy
(Steve) who also used to climb with Higgins, and the 2, K&H, were quite a pair.
In one issue of Ascent, I think it was Higgins who wrote a neat 2 page
article "In Thanks" to Bob, and he mentions Harrington (whom I
correspond with because of Usenet). I'm not certain who's editorial
decision that was, but it was a good one. I've heard that Kamps is now
teaching at Bishop High (where another mentor used to teach English).
But I never knew Kamps well enough like Harrington.
It's kinda neat you can just run into these guys in California.
But I do wonder about Kroeger and Davis, and Wally Reed, and others.
One needs to be careful about the print media (I should say this
being a journal editor). Take rags with a grain of salt.
Steve also used to climb with Big Jim. No specific interest in him, for
or against. Of course the phrase "Big Jim" could also mean numerous others.
I certainly know people who don't like him (think he's a jerk, Barber
is likely worse).
The one Kamps route I think I really want to get around these day to
doing might be D-1 on Longs, but I could never free it.
I think the near term future is likely to have even more interesting
books come out. Maybe Lowe. And there will always be Messner (as
Chessler pointed out to me that only 25% of his books have been
translated into English).
Clint Cummins
>Interesting thought. Is it because of Roper's dislike of Bob Kamps
>most people have not heard of him or realized the impact he had on
>Yosemite climbing? Since during the "Golden Years" of Yosemite
>climbing Bob had more first ascents than anyone else and it wasn't
>till Jim Bridwell arrived and surpassed his totals.
obscure aid routes (Ribbon Fall, The Hourglass, Camp 4 Terror, The Cobra,
Clouds Rest NW Face, Half Dome West Corner, Mt. Broderick, Sentinel
Rock - The Flue, The Turret, Middle Cathedral North Face),
a few routes at the base of El Cap (w/ Frank Sacherer), six routes
on the Apron, and the FFA of the Powell-Reed on Middle Cathedral.
Of these, I think only Punch Bowl on the Apron is very popular.
This doesn't mean he wasn't a good climber. But I'd say his FAs
were in the tail end of the aid routes, so they became ignored in
favor of El Cap routes. And apparently he wasn't around in 1964
when Sacherer and Pratt started pushing the 5.10 grade. Still,
his Peter Pan route is a pretty stiff 5.9 (ow/squeeze).
Clint Cummins
Eugene Miya
Clint Cummins <cl...@Stanford.EDU> wrote:
>Chris <cweg...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>Interesting thought. Is it because of Roper's dislike of Bob Kamps
>>most people have not heard of him or realized the impact he had on
>>Yosemite climbing? Since during the "Golden Years" of Yosemite
>>climbing Bob had more first ascents than anyone else and it wasn't
>>till Jim Bridwell arrived and surpassed his totals.
> Just paging through Roper's 1971 guide, I see Kamps FAs of some
>a few routes at the base of El Cap (w/ Frank Sacherer), six routes
>on the Apron, and the FFA of the Powell-Reed on Middle Cathedral.
I think a better place to look is Wilt's Tahquitz guide.
>Of these, I think only Punch Bowl on the Apron is very popular.
>This doesn't mean he wasn't a good climber. But I'd say his FAs
>were in the tail end of the aid routes, so they became ignored in
>favor of El Cap routes.
Well certainly, if you want to look at 1964, which was about the time
of Chouinard's article on Yosemite in the AAJ (63), big walls were the
object of interest. Short hard free climbs came later.
>And apparently he wasn't around in 1964
>when Sacherer and Pratt started pushing the 5.10 grade.
I think a comparison would be like comparing John Gill to Hillary.
One can get into weird irrelevant comparison. And this was why
3-4 years later you get the Games Climbers Play article.
Dingus Milktoast
"Eugene Miya" <eug...@cse.ucsc.edu> wrote
>
> In one issue of Ascent, I think it was Higgins who wrote a neat 2 page
> article "In Thanks" to Bob, and he mentions Harrington (whom I
> correspond with because of Usenet). I'm not certain who's editorial
> decision that was, but it was a good one. I've heard that Kamps is now
> teaching at Bishop High (where another mentor used to teach English).
To quote Ament:
"Bob Kamps, with Mark Powell, led the first free ascent of Chingadera, 5.11,
at Tahquitz Rock. Achieved by one of the best face climbers in the world,
this route involved very difficult climbing and prepersterous bolt
placements accomplished while clinging to somewhat imaginary holds."
When I think of Kamps, I don't think of the Valley per se and being a
northern California I can't relate to his contributions at Tahquitz. I think
though he came just after Robbins moved on, did all of his routes and
started adding a bunch of his own. Stout routes, demanding climbs put up in
th ebest of style.
But up in Tuolumne Meadows, though, that is a different story. Kamps has
had a great influence on the climbing there. He is one of the big reasons
Tuolumne has the strict ethics and bold routes that it does. Routes like
Lucky Streaks, Inverted Staircase, The Regular on Fairview, Ooh and Aahs,
The Powell Route, Fairest of All, Rawl Drive, Apparition, Beverly's Route,
Prow, and a lot of others all mark his boldness. He was one of the first
four really active climbers there. He also did some classics in the Valley,
like along the base of El Cap such as Peter Pan, La Cosita Left, Moby Dick
Left, Little John Left and Powell Reed across the way on Middle.
The dude got out. He was extremely influential on that '60-'70 California
generation. Guys like Harrington, Clevenger and Fiddler took the torch from
there.
Ament calls him a Keeper of the Trad Flame.
DMT
Martin Carpenter
"Eugene Miya" <eug...@cse.ucsc.edu> wrote:
> > Bonatti is a little on the dry side, but worth reading.
> > He has good views about adventure, which changed the way
> > I thought about trying to do (very moderate) backcountry
> > routes.
>
> Part of the problem with the Europeans depends on their
> translators. Messner and Terray have a similar problem.
I can't comment on Messner and Terray, but I read Bonatti's "Montagne di una
vita" in French. I can't imagine that the translation from Italian to French
has that much impact on the interest factor. Actually, I only read half of
the book and then left it on a train, and wasn't inspired enough to seek out
a replacement copy. Nonchalant and dull. Disappointing.
Martin.
kellie
>
> So what have books, videos, or stories inspired you to climb, and how
> did they change your perspective of the climb?
>
> Crotch
A two-page interview with Steph Davis in the February 2000 Climbing,
published one month after I started toproping the gym, probably
inspired me more than anything else. "Hey, I could live out of my car
and go climbing! That's my new goal in life!"
Essay on Phyl Munday and an excerpt from Miriam O'Brien Underhill's
autobiography in "Leading Out."
Krakauer's "Valdez Ice" and "The Devil's Thumb."
An essay entitled "Equipment and Pretense," whose author's name
escapes me, by a woman who decides to hell with borrowing boyfriend's,
father's and brothers' gear and gets her own damn stuff and heads out
solo.
Sue's Goldie Hawn TR.
An article I read this past year in a backissue of R&I or Climbing,
can't remember which. Don't remember the title or author either, but
it's the *only* account I've ever read of alpine climbing in Alaska in
which a female climber appears at all, much less as an equal partner.
Sometimes you don't realize what you're missing until you get it.
In looking over my list, I'm noticing that there are a lot of women on
it. That's not to say that I haven't read a ton of stuff like
"Mountain of My Fear" and "Touching the Void," just that I'm far more
*inspired* by accounts of people who are, well, more like me. It's a
lot easier for me to identify with Steph Davis than Joe Simpson, and
Phyl Munday than Gaston Rebuffat.
kellie
Despair," containing the immortal line, "I feel weak and cowardly, but
long to be bad-ass." My entire climbing career summed up in one
sentence.
Eugene Miya
Dingus Milktoast <none@yabis> wrote:
>
>"Eugene Miya" <eug...@cse.ucsc.edu> wrote
>> In one issue of Ascent, I think it was Higgins who wrote a neat 2 page
>> article "In Thanks" to Bob,
>> decision that was, but it was a good one. I've heard that Kamps is now
>> teaching at Bishop High
>
>
>"Bob Kamps, with Mark Powell, led the first free ascent of Chingadera, 5.11,
>at Tahquitz Rock. Achieved by one of the best face climbers in the world,
>this route involved very difficult climbing and prepersterous bolt
>placements accomplished while clinging to somewhat imaginary holds."
>
>When I think of Kamps, I don't think of the Valley per se and being a
>northern California I can't relate to his contributions at Tahquitz.
Because the decimal system was refined at Tahquitz before the Valley.
This is why Chouinard and others cited it as a place to visit before
the Valley (harder in winter obviously) and harder still for those with
limited time in California. Not that I will ever get up Chingadera.
The 800 ft. approach will add to your conditioning ;^).
Admittedly it can get crowded in summer.
>Ament calls him a Keeper of the Trad Flame.
True, but I think, too we need to give credit back to Joe Brown in
England where:
"Better we raise our skill rather than lower the climb."
came into fashion. And that was also on softer rock.
Eugene Miya
>> > He has good views about adventure, which changed the way
>> > I thought about trying to do (very moderate) backcountry
>> > routes.
Martin, careful with your attribution.
"Eugene Miya" <eug...@cse.ucsc.edu> wrote:
>> Part of the problem with the Europeans depends on their
>> translators. Messner and Terray have a similar problem.
In article <3e66020f$0$233$626a...@news.free.fr>,
Martin Carpenter <mcarp...@free.fr> wrote:
>I can't comment on Messner and Terray, but I read Bonatti's "Montagne di una
>vita" in French. I can't imagine that the translation from Italian to French
>has that much impact on the interest factor. Actually, I only read half of
>the book and then left it on a train, and wasn't inspired enough to seek out
>a replacement copy. Nonchalant and dull. Disappointing.
Messner's translated works are a part of the review literature (Lowe and
Jones for instance).
Terray I found out for myself with the recent reprinting of Useless
as well as now having a French version. There are differences
introduced by the translators which I suspect are more to diversify the
language in the translation (to make it sound more colorful).
It's a good way to appreciate Chamonix.
x15x15
> Because the decimal system was refined at Tahquitz before the Valley.
> This is why Chouinard and others cited it as a place to visit before
> the Valley (harder in winter obviously) and harder still for those with
> limited time in California. Not that I will ever get up Chingadera.
> The 800 ft. approach will add to your conditioning ;^).
I climbed Tahquitz yesterday. And it was quite hard. Harder than usual.
It must have been the full winter conditions and very thin ice that made the
ascent of a typically easy climb quite challenging. And on the descent,
Chingadera did in fact look almost impossible. Although every time I climb
it I say that that Kamps man was one bad ass dude. I can only imagine how
he *stuck* with his foot apparel while a *slide* with mine.
x15x15
Eugene Miya
x15x15 <mtme...@fastmail.fm> wrote:
>> >"Eugene Miya" <eug...@cse.ucsc.edu> wrote
>> Because the decimal system was refined at Tahquitz before the Valley.
>> This is why Chouinard and others cited it as a place to visit before
>> the Valley (harder in winter obviously)
>
>It must have been the full winter conditions and very thin ice that made the
>ascent of a typically easy climb quite challenging. And on the descent,
>Chingadera did in fact look almost impossible. Although every time I climb
>it I say that that Kamps man was one bad ass dude. I can only imagine how
>he *stuck* with his foot apparel while a *slide* with mine.
Were you climbing S side routes or something more Alpine on the N side
like The Trough as an ice climb?
Most climbers these days would rather be at JT (or Big Rock) this time
of year.
x15x15
> Were you climbing S side routes or
Nope
> something more Alpine on the N side like The Trough as an ice climb?
Yes, although there was almost as much rock as ice.
> Most climbers these days would rather be at JT (or Big Rock) this time
> of year.
Thankfully the Alpine game is still not for the masses. My one saving grace
in climbing is being up in them mountains. Alone and with the few.
x15x15
JKVawter
> And on the descent,
> Chingadera did in fact look almost impossible. Although every time I climb
> it I say that that Kamps man was one bad ass dude. I can only imagine how
> he *stuck* with his foot apparel while a *slide* with mine.
Particularly when you consider that he climbed Chingadera in Pivetta hiking
boots! (Or so the story goes.) Powell, at least, had proper climbing shoes:
Kronhoffers with epoxy around the welt to add stiffness. Makes Fires seem like
anti-gravity boots by comparison.
JKVawter
Eugene Miya
>
>Yes, although there was almost as much rock as ice.
Crampons scraping on rock:
Builds character.
>> Most climbers these days would rather be at JT (or Big Rock) this time
>> of year.
>
>Thankfully the Alpine game is still not for the masses. My one saving grace
>in climbing is being up in them mountains. Alone and with the few.
Ah, well, may we not meet (at least in the middle of a face).
I've still not climbed the Trough (rock or ice). The one time I went on
an attempt we looked up at Suicide and went there and did Sampson and
Surprise as ice climbs (FWAs to Wilts).
x15x15
> >> Most climbers these days would rather be at JT (or Big Rock) this time
> >> of year.
> >Thankfully the Alpine game is still not for the masses. My one saving
grace
> >in climbing is being up in them mountains. Alone and with the few.
> Ah, well, may we not meet (at least in the middle of a face).
> I've still not climbed the Trough (rock or ice). The one time I went on
> an attempt we looked up at Suicide and went there and did Sampson and
> Surprise as ice climbs (FWAs to Wilts).
I have a feeling you would be counted as one of the few. Those routes on
suicide came in nicely just before christmas. Tahquitz is a obscure gem when
conditions are fine.
x15x15
Larry Scritchfield
> did they change your perspective of the climb?
>
> Crotch
"Night Driving" by Dick Dorworth in the old (70s) Mountain Gazette.
Not that I have actually made it to Fitzroy yet.
Larry
A. Cairns
Larry Scritchfield wrote:
> > So what have books, videos, or stories inspired you to climb, and how
> > did they change your perspective of the climb?
> >
> > Crotch
>
> "Night Driving" by Dick Dorworth in the old (70s) Mountain Gazette.
Second that!
Andy Cairns
Maohai Huang
> Dingus Milktoast wrote:
>
> >
> > Another really great novel that included climbing was "A Soldier of the
> > Great War."
> But, in the case
> of "A Soldier..." I've wondered about the historical accuracy. Could
> anybody tell me, were carabiners invented yet before WWI? Just curious.
probably. "The Mechanical Advantage" by John Middendorf:
``In 1910 a trio of inventive German climbers took advantage of
the materials available from the industrial revolution. Otto
Herzog had seen a pear shaped "karabiner" on members of the fire
brigade, and developed the first steel carabiner for climbing.''
An interesting read.