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Unsung Heroes of Climbing History
Matthew Jaggers wrote: He probably meant that if he and countless others hadn't beaten the cracks out she wouldn't have got up. |
Matthew Jaggers wrote: He was a master troller. He knew she freed it and probably thought it was an awesome accomplishment but was just messing with that guy. Don’t people get sarcasm anymore? |
Jim Titt wrote: The above plus the chipped Jardine traverse. Not too unreasonable for Harding to question the free nature of the ascent. Most good trolling and humor is just true enough to be believable. |
Mikey Schaefer wrote: Of course, Harding placed plenty of pins every time he ever did the Nose chipping his own way up it with every placement. I'd be hard pressed to name one of the older classics that doesn't have pin scars that were essential to the FFA in the golden age (ie Sacherer, Bates and Haan freeing the classics in the 60's) or Astroman for that matter plus every free El Cap route. In fact, by that measure every El Cap route, free or aid, is chipped one way or the other. Doubt he threw shade on those accomplishments. Yosemite would be a far different place without pins (as you are well aware). Just sayin' for the masses...It would kind of suck if some of the moderates weren't moderate at all and they are most often moderate because of the scars. |
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Wyatt Payne |
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Mostly white men. Mostly Americans. Probably leans toward people with more free time and money than those without. Not a critique. Some things just happen. The mountains are open to all at some level. I appreciate all those who contribute in ways unseen or underappreciated. Those who started mountaineering clubs at universities and outside them, the Sierra Club chapters, the Mountaineers, Mazamas, the little organizations like Los Alamos Mountaineers (many others). The website creators (worldwide) who bring a community together and exchange information. The little websites that are a treasure trove of climbing history like Gill's, many many others that have no great profit motive. Sites like IdahoClimbingGuide.com are clearly passion projects. The non-profits that expand our universe to include those less likely to enter it. The guide book authors, even the imperfect ones. The people who are generous with their personal time mentoring others. The companies who generate entertaining and thoughtful content online, and often quality educational content online. The SAR teams that rescue the unlucky or foolish, often without cost or judgment. And all the people who climb for fun and make it fun. That's what it's all about. |
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George Anderson, FA Half Dome 1875. The original Mad Bolter. |
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Miguel‘s Pizza, RRG, best food around. In the late 90s had a cheese potato and carrot pizza there cause that’s literally all they had left. |
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Alan “Al DUDE” Swanson Guy helped teach me to climb and is a true unsung legend. Gary Allen “Bullet” another old school man that deserves praise. |
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Douglas Fairbanks Buildering and parkour 100 years ago. |
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Jim Beyer LOL |
hillbilly hijinks wrote: Well... the Mad Bolter is a good Unsung Hero. Was it Tom Rohrer? |
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Bob Kamps (RIP) and Dave Rearick. FA of the Diamond on Longs Peak plus much much more. Dave, partly paralyzed from a stroke, is in the Meridian retirement home in Boulder. He and I played frisbees with garbage can lids in the Climbers Campground in Tetons in 1960, and also practiced pressing to handstands on the slab there. On rest days we would climb or boulder. |
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The Access Fund |
John Gill wrote: Dave Rearick, another Teton math guy. I will add another character: Mike Hoover the American mountaineer, rock climber and cinematographer. Known for teaching Clint Eastwood how to climb in the Yosemite valley (also his stunt double at times - not sure if on E. S.). And Mike is known for beating Jimmy Chin to putting the word "Solo" in the title of an Academy Award-nominated climbing documentary film: Solo. He starred in it and produced it - about 15 minutes long with an opening and ending shot of the Tetons (filmed in several places but made to appear as one place). He was the sole survivor of the heli-skiing crash that killed his wife, renowned rock climber Beverly Johnson, Disney president Frank G. Wells, and 3 others. The heli-skiing vacation was a reunion with some other well known figures. Dick Bass, owner of Utah’s Snowbird Ski Resort, and Clint Eastwood were on the ski trip. Dick Bass was also a famous mountaineer and he hosted the first-ever International Sport Climbing Championship in 1988 at his resort with the world's most expensive climbing wall (115-foot, $155,000) - the back history is a great read. Disney president Frank Wells was also an accomplished mountaineer. And Clint might be the only high-profile actor seen on the cover of Alpinist magazine. Another issue covered the filming of the Eiger Sanction. Mike's not an unsung hero; but, who is on this list. He's mostly a forgotten player in the history of climbing, and far more.  Mike, who at one time had a pet grizzly named Willy, took up residence among them in Kelly, WY (Jackson Hole). |
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Another vote for Rich Romano  |
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Skip Guerin, Chip Chace, Tom Gilje.. rad topic Fritz! |
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I’d put Hank Caylor on that list for Southern Belle and other escapades he managed to survive! Also Walt Shipley and Tobin Sorenson. |
