Less is More, Braj.

Walter Parry Haskett Smith -- Free solo of Napes Needle - 1886

Those were men, though it's nice to see people like Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell picking up where they left off and carrying the torch further by doing stuff like the Fitzroy Traverse.

It is kind of assuming to hear people whine about being ill-equipped to climb the Captain because they don't have alien offsets.

Oops: "amusing", not "assuming".

Ha! Fat Dad, don't get me started!

Alpinist - Equipment innovator - Partisan Nazis fighter in WWII - Dang.

Royal Robbins, 2nd ascent Wall of the Early Morning Light. credit: Don Lauria

Go find the photo of Tom Frost leading the roof on the Salathe. Look at his gear rack. 

Go find the photo of Robbins at the end of the traversing roof on the third pitch of the Salathe. Look at his rack. 

Ability, baby, ability. Those guys's ability was self based, not gear based like most climbers now. They knew they could figure out a problem with what they had with them. Climbers today, for the most part, can't do that, their ability is gear based. 

Mark Hudon wrote:

Go find the photo of Tom Frost leading the roof on the Salathe. Look at his gear rack. 

Go find the photo of Robbins at the end of the traversing roof on the third pitch of the Salathe. Look at his rack. 

Ability, baby, ability. Those guys's ability was self based, not gear based like most climbers now. They knew they could figure out a problem with what they had with them. Climbers today, for the most part, can't do that, their ability is gear based. 

Tom Frost on the roof below the Headwall. Salathe Wall, first ascent. credit: Tom Frost Collection.

Royal Robbins, 3rd pitch of Salathe Wall. First Ascent. credit: Tom Frost Collection.

This thread is awesome!

Yup, Tut, those are the ones. 

Last fall, I watch a guy, who was performing an IMPRESSIVE trutch on the third pitch, free climbing, and he had far, far, more gear than Royal does in the photo. 

Hermann Buhl - Austrian alpinist - First ascent of Naga Parbat - He did it solo, alpine style, without oxygen in 1953. Oh, did I mention on the ascent he did an open bivy at 8,000 meters?

What did you do today?

Buncha derelicts. Those two teenagers on the right did the FFA of Astroman at 17 on Stoppers and Hexes. Valley Myth is overblown...

Greatest climber of all time? You had better have a good argument against that.

It isn't just about FA's, of course. For Idaho, I am throwing Morley Nelson into the mix. Every area has people like this, who just....climbed. And usually did a huge amount of other outdoor activities, very early on. Without the efforts of these pioneers to bring "value" to wild spaces, we might not have the protected places we all love today.

Morley was a falconer, and learned to climb pre WWII, with ropes and pitons, at most. By 1940, he was teaching Patton's troops how to live off the land, in Death Valley. Soon, because of his climbing and skiing background (skiing Alta, Utah in the 1930's and backcountry) he was placed with the 10th Mountain Division, and came home with many decorations.

Continuing his love of raptors, he became the driving force not only for conservation, but restoration, working internationally to bring raptors back from near extinction.

Idaho owes a huge debt to this man, and he was a generous and great guy, also. I had the pleasure of meeting him, and he took me out back to "meet" the birds. A true highlight of my life here in Boise.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/latest-news/46kp52/picture39690819/ALTERNATES/FREE_480/the_life_of_morley_nelson_1.source.prod_affiliate.36.jpg

Morley Nelson and Golden eagle

Morley about the time I met him, close to thirty years ago. 

Best, Helen

^. Very cool - I am always interested to learn about local heores and legends. Far more interesting than all the Yosemite personalites that get all the media hype IMHO. 

C Brooks wrote:

Royal Robbins and Tom Frost, NA Wall, 1964.

King Tut wrote:

Yup. Just go do it. There were ladies out there too, but even less fanfare. Remember, the whole country was rural not long ago, and, in the US at least, you don't have to look over your shoulder very far to hit true pioneers. As a young girl, I met my last living relatives who were kids on the Oregon trail.

The deep love of, and connection to, the land, I think is a common denominator all the way up to the present. That, and, just plain fun with people we enjoy. Probably put that at the top of the list!

King Tut, the photos are wonderful! Thanks!

Best, Helen

Layton Kor, coming down from Sentinal Rock, Yosemite 1963. Credit Guido.

I wish I had more time to craft a post I do not. 

There is a strange  syncopation that occurs from time to time on Internet forums. 

The Birder post from OLH, I've got some things to add. 

Dr Hienz Karl Meng, ( I will try to add more about him later, RIP, Proffesor )

Google him and the Book "Silent Spring"