Derek Hersey

Tom Hanson wrote:I roadtripped with Derek in Wyoming back in the late eighties. As soon as we hit Devil's Tower he free soloed El Matador. He decided to down solo Soler.

Tom, I must have been there that same time as you. We ran into some climbers at the base of Soler the next day who had been there when Derek started down. They were amazed that not only was he down soloing it, but that he did it as it started to rain (which is why they couldn't do it that day)

I still have vivid memories of Derek treating the Bastille like a backyard boulder... Up Outer Space, down Hair City, then right back up Northwest Corner...

The death of Derek was very sad indeed. He was a great friend and an inspiration to all who climbed with him over the years. Derek was the type of climber who made his partners climb better. There was always a positive energy and plenty of well...energy.

I am reminded of the time we climbed Stratosfear on the Painted Wall in the Black. We spent the evening before on the lovely sandbar at the base of the wall. This in and of itself is not unusual. However, the fact that he brought nothing but a tub of doughnut holes from Safeway as his food was! It was a long day and we both were very thirsty, hungry, and tired at the top! For a detailed, and humerous account of the ascent, find the old Colorado edition of Rock and Ice from the 80s or 90s and read the article we co-penned called "White Blokes in the Stratosfear." I miss him dearly to this day.

I'll vouch for the crap that Derek ingested. I climbed some with him/hung out more with him in the Valley in the summer of 1980 on what I think was his first trip to the States. Rail thin with that long dark hair, when he climbed out of his tent first thing in the morning you could've sworn he had just risen from the dead.

He didn't climb way hard back then but was definitely a good climber. I first did Serenity Crack with him, and a few other climbs at the Cookie, etc., as well. I wish it was alot more but it was a lot more hanging out at Camp 4, the Devil's Bathtubs and the Lodge that I remember. Interestingly enough, two summers later in the Valley, I hooked up with another Brit, Mark Davies, who had climbed quite a bit with Derek back at the Peak District and trips to Verdon.

I was always really saddened by his death, which seemed tragic but in an abstract way since I hadn't seen him for ten years or so. I was really shocked though, about five years back, on some random TV show I saw footage of his body lying in repose after falling off the Steck Salathe. That image still troubles.

A really unique and really good guy.

A lot of us miss Derek every day, he was an endlessly cheerful and kindhearted man. I remember meeting him in Eldo early on. We roped up for the apropos 'Blind Faith'. Over the years, it was reassuring to be soloing and hanging onto some crazy hold somewhere and look across the canyon to see him doing the same. Like Brad says, his folks were terribly saddened by the loss of Derek (then Norman). But I think he got some of his determination from Geoff as well as getting his cheek from Wynn. That, and his iron stomach. I remember being at Old Chicago with the parents on their first trip, and after more than a few beers Geoff asked "Can we get something a bit stronger?" So, we got into the stiffer brews. Then, some whiskey once we got back to their room. "Just a nip, Mic" said Wynn as she poured about four fingers worth. A lot of people who knew him at OC only knew him as a great drinking buddy, and knew nothing of his climbing.

with the Hersey parents (Geoff and Wyn) near Longs, on their visit to Colorado after Derek passed.

When he heard I had Layton in tow in Eldo one day, Derek was as psyched to meet him as the rest of us. Layton didn't know a thing about him. Kor was impressed later. --- Invalid image id: 106053438 ---

Over the years, we did a few things, but the photo shoot for Hair City was interesting in that we had to go extra slow for the sake of the camera. Circa 1986, Derek Hersey and Mic Fairchild. Photo by Art Schenk and micfoto.
At least, I had to go extra slow. Contrary to some perception, Derek wasn't necessarily a fast climber. He was never in a hurry on-route, his patience with every move in contrast to his excitement once back on the ground.

Derek stood out as being comfortable soloing a couple letters below his leading ability rather than a couple grades like most of us. This always struck me as something very special in his psyche. Neither was he ever competitive, only supportive when it was time to share about whatever you'd been climbing that day. He was always ready to share your enthusiasm.

Along with 'Front Range Freaks', there was a good feature by Bruce Borowski for the old 'Climbing Show' (although limited availability).

The dream I had after Derek died featured falling rock being washed into the chimneys on the Steck-Salathe. We'll never know.

"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
- well known expression, probably made after a good meal.

"The way to a man's heart is through his liver."
- Derek Hersey after drinking many Sheafs.

If Eldo. was "The Office" to Derek, Liquor Mart was certainly "The
Temple". All of the folks working at Liquor Mart at the time Derek lived in Boulder were very familiar with his cackle.

Does anyone know if it is possible to buy Sheaf Stout in Boulder anymore?

Hey Brad Happy New Year ya punter. Yes the Stout is still available in Boulder. MMMMM!

Thank you Mic. That was excellent.

I can remember driving up to the Park one day with Brad and Derek. Derek did three climbs while Brad and I did one. Later at the base, Derek and I split a can of smoked oysters; leaving the oil in the can and I asked: yours or mine? I of course had to choke down my half. Derek then inhaled the remainder exclaiming "calories mate!"

adam brink wrote:Thank you Mic. That was excellent.

Yea, verily. Thanks, Mic.

When I was rapping from a climb of Icarus, I first saw Derek. He was in the crux of the Vertigo roof, a Barber FFA, with his hair blowing above his head as he soloed smoothly through it. I had read a bit of Derek's soloing past in England and further such exploits in the States and this was a vision of dirtbag beauty to me. My partner & I hung out at the rap station in awe and spoke to him later in the parking lot. Derek was nothing if not a democratic fellow, available to all, it seemed.

Next I saw him was in the parking lot by the Mountain House in Yosemite on an extended road trip/period of unemployment. I was chatting up a couple of women from Austin that I knew as they racked for the Nose the next day. Craig Luebben and Derek had been in the Valley briefly and were hanging in the corner of the parking lot. I approached when Craig left and offered Derek a stout. I had brought 5 up with me from the city, so we talked about plans for the morrow, common friends and the next day I went off to do a Crowded Classic. Craig found Derek's body the day after. Could be I shared Derek's last Tooth Sheaf...

Years later I discussed these events with Henry and he allowed as how despite it's 5.9 rating the Steck-Salathe ain't nothing. And, very respectfully, he added that it was a classic crying shame how Derek went down. Both are quintessential characters in the climbers' landscape that are larger than life.

The heroic fellows and femmes that hang in our parking lots never cease to amaze me. It's part of why I climb.

thanks everyone. He sounds like the worlds coolest guy.

I never even knew him and I miss the guy. There isn't any one else in the world soloing/ climbing the way he did. Every time i climb a route that he soloed, chances are on-sight, i just think about how uncomfortable i am in that situation with a rope... truely amazing guy.

I got to meet Derek in the Valley in the fall of 1990 when he moved into the camp site we were in, I remember he had this giant 3 burner Colman stove and the rattiest sleeping bag I have ever seen. It just happened that the next site over had 6 RAF guys staying in it, they got all amped up when they heard Derek had moved in. Once he showed up the drinking began. And the singing “Beans for breakfast beans for dinner good ol beans for tea if I was but a bean how happy I would be” over and over again it was hilarious until about midnight when the rangers came. All they said was that if they had to come back Derek was going to jail.

At some point during his stay I ended up having a short conversation with him he was really cool giving me tips and beta for Half Dome. I was bummed to hear he was gone but it is good to read the stories from those who knew him better, he was certainly one of a kind.

'ey up Phil, and happy new year to you. Where are they still selling Sheaf?

My current roommate is Barry Brolley, who climbed with Derek many a time. Barry shared this story:

One time, Derek was "guiding" in RMNP. He decided to take some guy up the Diamond. Of course, guiding is only allowed by one purveyor in the park, nonetheless, Derek calls Barr and asks if he would bring a partner up and make two parties up there. They were planning to bivy, so the four climbers get to the Longs Peak trail, and start heading out. A ranger stops them...without missing a beat, Derek takes the ranger's hat off, and starts laughing and dancing around him. The ranger then immediately recognizes it is Derek, so he runs inside to get a paper and pen, on which he requested his autograph. After a few minutes of small talk, he lets Derek and "client" trudge on...but then looks at Barry and says, "where is your permit, son?"

:)

Chase Gee wrote:thanks everyone. He sounds like the worlds coolest guy.

While I only really knew Derek for a summer, and he was a really cool guy, I always find it...interesting, or maybe odd, for lack of a better word, that people who they never met suddenly admire people like Derek for their soloing exploits. I knew Michael Reardon pretty well, and a lot of the same thing happened after he passed.

Michael was a cool guy not because he soloed some crazy things, but because he was a nice guy and really into life. He wasn't afraid to be Michael in a sea of more conventional people. While his and Derek's soloing exploits were inspirational from a climbing perspective, that didn't make them admirable as people. Maybe that's why you wanted to find out more about Derek as a person, not just as a climber. Most of the people who have posted knew him way better than I did, and maybe they have different opinions about that than I do. They're welcome to that of course.

In some ways this response is based on the fact that I'm still kind of mad at Michael because he isn't here anymore. For about two years running before he passed we always had plans to hook up for lunch in Malibu where his production co. was based but we always had to beg off the day of because of being too busy, etc. But I always wanted to tell him that while I thought he was doing some awesome climbing to think of his wife and daughter, and how I had known Derek Hershey and look what happened to him, etc. We never could do lunch and I never got to have that conversation with him. Honestly, I don't think it would have had any impact but I always wonder.

Anyways, this has become a very personal post. I guess what I was trying to say was while it's great to hear from all those who knew Derek, I like to gladly remember him, and Michael, for who they were as people, not what or how they climbed. I believe that to think them great just based on their soloing diminishes all those things we liked about them as a person.

FatDad, you're exactly right about Derek. He was special because of the person that he was. The solos were amazing, but to those of us that were pals with him, the soloing seemed like something some other person than Derek was doing. It never occurred to me that Derek would get killed soloing, maybe because I never thought of him as a soloist. For a guy that spent as much time as he did by himself hundreds of feet off the deck, he thrived on the company of others. Here's another story to help describe the kind of person Derek was.

On the way back from the Valley in the early 90's, we stopped in Tuolomne for a couple of days of cragging. We pull into the campground a couple of hours or so before dark. Of course, with no reservation in a campground that is usually very full during the high season, this could have been a dilemma. Not with Derek. "Let's crash at this one. Seems empty." I pointed out to Derek the possibility that the folks with the reservation had not shown up to the campsite yet. Nonetheless, we set up camp, meaning we start cooking meat and potatos, and bust out the dark, heavy brew.

Sure enough, after a little time a young couple in a rented car pulls up to the campsite, and I am thinking that this situation might now turn into a dilemma. It turns out it is a young, newlywed couple from Atlanta and they seemed to be unfamiliar with Yosemite National Park. Before they could kick us out, Derek tells them, "come on! Set up your stuff! There's plenty of room!" Keep in mind this is the campsite that they had paid for and reserved, probably a long time in advance, and Derek has just invited them to join us in their spot. Looking slightly puzzled, they do. After a bit of time, and a couple of our beers, the husband is getting very chatty. The wife, while not getting buzzed on our beer, also starts to warm up. Finally, when she is getting ready to crash in the tent they had set up, she asks her new husband to join her in the tent, clearly feeling a little uncomfortable camping and desiring the companionship of her spouse. The husband tells her, "I'll be there in a while, sweetie. Just talking with these guys for a bit longer." I don't remember how late the husband stayed up with us, but I do remember when the sizeable black bear rambled through our campsite, the husband was not in the tent with his wife to comfort her. Perhaps the wife never has done a camping trip since. She seemed terribly freaked by the bear, and upset that her husband was not by her side during that time of need, but rather babbling to two drunk guys that he met a couple of hours ago.

That's the kind of guy Derek was. He could take your campsite from right under your nose, and make you feel good about it. He would offer the friendship that one would never expect from an athlete of his caliber. He would go climbing with you, and not expect to lead everything, or climb at a level that only he enjoyed. My life has changed a lot since those days, and one of my regrets is that my children will never get to meet Derek. They would have loved him (even though Derek always claimed to dislike little kids). It is a rare and fortunate occurrence when someone as special as Derek enters one's life.

Many many moons ago I gave Derek a ride home from Nederland after an all night drink till you drop bash. On the drive down canyon he seemed more hung over than I thought survivable. But when we got to his place he perked up and suggested we go cragging. I have to admit I was more than skeptical. His boyish enthusiasm was pretty persuasive. We dashed to Eldo and did Black Walk and Back Talk each leading one route. He transformed from a haggard wash out to one of the most engaging and enjoyable rope mates imaginable. Endlessly supportive and quietly intense. He climbed with remarkable diligence and grace for some who who had struggled to walk a straight course just hours earlier. We had what you would call a blue bell day.
Funny thing was even though we had made introductions it didn't register on me till much much later that this had been the Derek I would start reading so much about right after that serendipitous encounter. I am always amazed what chance encounters can bring into your life. I never ran into him again while he was alive but I will never forget that day.

Though so many of us were and are amazed at his more outrageous exploits it is clear that the enduring part of his legacy is the excellence of his spirit.

And Brad I may have to keep the liquor store secret to avoid the run on stock. hehe

These stories are great, please keep them coming!!

First saw Derek in the "Office", late '80s: I'm looking up at Wind Tower & there's this guy soloing Tagger-he's on the big upper roof (8' or so), stops at the lip, hangs by one arm off the jug, pulls a slipper off, appears to chalk his foot, pulls slipper back on, pulls the roof, & cruises on up. Blew me away-found out later it was Derek. On Wind Tower, he tended to just climb the West face routes sequentially side to side-up one, down the next, up the next, etc. I was on the Wind a lot, instructing/guiding beginners. He was wonderful-always made time to chat a bit, & a couple times I saw him help out beginner leaders (having startled them by cruising up solo). Still sorry he's gone.

I got a letter from Derek's mum this week. Wynn passes the sad news that Geoff died last year, and she's starting to slow down herself. She had several falls a few years ago and has to use a chair when she goes out. She is missing her sons and husband, but enjoys spending time with her granddaughter. While 87, she still exhibits some of her cheek.