Who are your FA heroes and why?

Id like to throw a plug for Jay Smith and his contribution to the desert splitter cracks.

Schulte!

climbing.com/videos/chris-s…

Though, personal experience favorite... simply has to be the work John Gogas put in... Sitting Bull Falls - Broken Arrows... I've heard a few arguements contending it's the best 12d in the state. Gogas puts up great routes is all I'm saying.

Either Bob Gaines or porter jarrard

i feel like conrad kain needs to be on the short list.

he often did first ascents while guiding clients. he made the first ascent of bugaboo spire, which was thought to be unclimable at the time. guy was from another world.

WARREN HARDING; bold, humble and a pioneer of the unknown. Routes like the Nose and Keeler Needle stand out amongst the best in the Americas. TOM FROST; a very humble pioneer willing to contribute without the headlines. JIM BRIDWELL and our locals like JOHN LONG, ROBS MUIR, RICK ACCOMAZZO and TOBIN SORENSON. Our mountain locals like STEVE UNTCH and DAVE BRIDGES who were taken before their incredible potential could be realized in the Himalayas.

Mr-Mrs or miss. Unknown. they get it done and move on to the next.

Pete Cleveland should definitely get a mention. His routes on Superpin and Hairypin in the South Dakota Needles where extremely bold and difficult for their time and are still serious undertakings, (in that South Dakota Needles sort of way).Very inspiring to me in my early climbing days.

I had lots of fun doing Bob Kamps routes in Tuolumne this past summer such as Lucky Streaks, The Great Pumpkin, The Serrated Edge, and Crescent Arch. Boldness, Burlyness, and an eye for incredible free climbing! Dave Housers routes in Jtree definitely keep your attention. EBGBs and Run for Your Life.

Jim Kanzler put up scores of high quality routes, particularly in Montana, some pretty bold. Same for Pat Callis. They paired up for an incredible attempt of Mt. Robson.

Todd Cozzens for picking all the Cody plums.

Hell, all those Dirty Sox heathens are my heros.

Jorge and Joanne Urioste for putting up so many fun classics in Red Rock with really good pro.

Here in Western PA and in WV, there was a whole bunch of crazy, bold routes put up by a top-notch guy named Cal Swoager. I met him recently, climbing at the local crag, and roped up with him on a fairly regular basis. He was a truly nice, humble guy. We lost him to an accident in February.

For me, Lynn Hill.
But I do also like Mr., Mrs. Ms. Unknown,"they get it done and move on to the next."

Maybe I missed it but I'm surprised I haven't seen reinhold messner mentioned. I mean he wasn't the most elite rock climber but still did some impressive FA's in the dolomites if I recall. Not to mention soloing nanga Parbat and everest, not really rock climbing but cmon. He probably would have put up much more impressive FA on rock lines if he hadn't lost toes on his first 8000m summit but instead went on to pioneer alpine style climbing in the himalayas, summit all 14 of the biggest peaks in the world including a traverse of gasherbrum 1 and 2 in a single push. Man.

Jim Erickson. Randy Leavitt. Bob Scarpelli.

Wiessner-Turner-Romano

timinthehouse wrote:Maybe I missed it but I'm surprised I haven't seen reinhold messner mentioned. I mean he wasn't the most elite rock climber but still did some impressive FA's in the dolomites if I recall. Not to mention soloing nanga Parbat and everest, not really rock climbing but cmon. He probably would have put up much more impressive FA on rock lines if he hadn't lost toes on his first 8000m summit but instead went on to pioneer alpine style climbing in the himalayas, summit all 14 of the biggest peaks in the world including a traverse of gasherbrum 1 and 2 in a single push. Man.

On my home turf of the Carolinas I would have to go with my friends Tommy Howard, Jeep Gaskin, Doug Reed, Porter Jarrard, Tim Fisher, Thomas Kelly, Nathan Brown, Shannon Stegg, Doc Bayne and Bruce Burgess due to their vision, bushwacking skills, and for leaving me some scraps.