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BCD
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 3, 2003 - 03:46am PT
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Throughout the past two summers I have heard numerous instances of climbers on Stately Pleasure Dome being heckled from the road.
The popular thing to do, apparently, is to yell "YOU'RE GONNA DIE!!!!" to any climbers on West Country/Great White Book/etc... I've heard this twice, and a few friends have heard it as well.
Does anyone know where this tradition started? It makes me laugh every time I hear it, and since this happened I constantly feel the urge to do the same every time I drive by.
Give it a try. It might make you laugh.
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Wade Icey
climber
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This classic heckle has been heard in the vicinity of El Cap on a daily basis and predates the beginning of time.
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ricardo
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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dude -- a mom joke -- now thats funny!!
 ricardo
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Apocalypsenow
Trad climber
Cali
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I believe it started after some dude left the following note to his girlfriend and she didn't quite share his passion for her. She was at the base of the climbing yelling,"you're gonna die," for three days!
"My beloved,
The indications are very strong that we shall move to climb in a few days-- perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye whin I shall be no more...
I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in the route in which we are about to climb, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly you now lean on the triumph of us and how great a debt we owe to those who went before, through the blood and sufferings of past climbing. And I am willing -- perfectly willing-- to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this agony and to pay that debt...
My beloved, my respect for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty Tricams, Camelots and slings that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of climbing comes over me like a strong wind and bears me unresistibly on, with all these fine lines of granite.
The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you groveling through moistened chimneys, I feel most gratified to have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together.
I have, I know, but a few small claims to mention to the Access Fund, but something whispers to me - perhaps it is the wafted prayer of Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Lovers Leap, that I shall return to my loved ones with a completed climb.
If I do not my beloved, never forget how much I loved thee and when my last breath escapes upon the rock it will whisper "why do these morons leave so many colored slings on up here!" Forgive my faults, and the pains I have caused you,(although they are so few). How thoughtless and foolish I have often times been! How gladly would I wash out, with my perspiration, every little spot upon your happiness.
But, my Beloved, if the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen, I shall always be goofing off instead of freaking out on some unprotectable runout: in the gladdest days and in the darkest nights... always, always, if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall not be the fumes of the overcrowded valley.
But think of the cool air which fans your throbbing temple when you gaze upon the stone, it shall be my spirit passing by. My Beloved, with all your inner being I beg you, never disregard any booty. Fore this will always take precedence over my spirit propelling into your temple."
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Geezo
Trad climber
Austin, TX
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Like linda blair as "Reagan" in the exorcist as she tells the astronauts "you're going to die up there" and then pees on the floor.
one time, when the rain man movie was first out, a local reporter went to interview an idiot suvante (spelling bad, I know, but you know what I mean)at the devereaux school in santa barbara, this kid knew dates, or more acurately, which day of the week any particular day in history was, so you say dec. 7, 1941 he tells you it was sunday, well everyone knows that, but any random date, he could tell you what day of the week, so the interviewer, some woman is quizzing him and he is answering in his rain man esque tones and she asks him her birthdate, he nails it, then out of the blue, he says, do you want to know on which day you will die? well this flipped her out and supposedly they scrapped the interview.
this could all be bullsh#t, i heard it from my room mate who worked over there, but a good story all the same.
-Geezo
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Sullivan might have been one of the first.
Ah, the good old days of being belligerent and screaming obscenities. Jeeze, these days, everyone is so damn PC that they would probably ask you to please be quiet because they are trying to sleep and they have another long day ahead of them...
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Apocalypsenow
Trad climber
Cali
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Thanks Dingus... I shed a tear, and my feeling was moved as well, the first time I read this...
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Chalky Fingers
climber
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I would believe it is more a zen thing. Yes we are all going to die. It may be now, It may be later, It may be years from now.
We all know that some day we are going to die.
It just seems more probable to hear this affirmation when you are at you're weakest moments. If you can move beyond these moments, you will become stronger. (OM! and sh#t like that!)
As the future Gov. of Cal. once said, What does'nt kill you, only hurts really bad!
P.S. SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP!
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Demented
climber
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What I recall from "back in the day"...
A horde of us were doing various routes on Stately Pleasure Dome one afternoon when some stupid touron in his 'bago stops in mid-road to stare up at the climbers..... we see his mouth hanging open from hundreds of feet above.. oblivious to clogged traffic behind..
It might have been Robert the Simpleton who started yelling
"F*#k Winnebagos! F*#k Winnebagos!” Soon, we all took up the chant and a chorus of "F*#k Winnebegos!" sent the touron on his way.
Not very PC, noooooo but somehow, I prefer THIS tradition.
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Apocalypsenow
Trad climber
Cali
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Riding them is really fun. Who can name a climb named after this historic, late day, activity? And better yet... who has done the climb?!
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Demented
climber
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Ride a Wild ‘Bago on Sports Challenge Rock/ Real Hidden Valley, JT.. .. tho the nearby Whats it to You is a better climb..
‘Bago riding was similar to surfing. You had to start on the baby rides and work your way up. I recall taking several warm-up rides through Hidden Valley Campground before working up the courage to venture a ride onto Monument Road- and then only a ‘Bago that went over to the Real Hidden Valley Picnic area. However, others were taking monster rides, so I was ultimately inspired to hop on a ‘Bago that took me out to Ryan Campground. Others had ridden ‘Bagos out to Jumbo Rocks and into even out of the Monument to the town of Joshua Tree. I suppose the Holy Grail of all ‘Bago rides would be non-stop to Vegas. The primary objective hazard, apart from falling off at 45MPH- would be a Ranger sighting.
A variation on the ‘Bago ride was the mass ride. Or- how many climbers could fit on the back of a ‘Bago without it's owner noticing? I never rode on any of the mass monster-rides (i.e.- a half dozen climbers dangling on the back as the ‘Bago lumbers over to Jumbo Rocks..), but they happened. What I DO recall is the Synchronized ‘Bago Bounce (also known as ‘Bago Dancing). Here the goal is to land 6 or 8 or 10 climbers on the back without the owner being any-the-wiser. After enjoying the ride, said climbers start a synchronized bounce up and down making the Bago dance like a bucking bronco. Usually took the stupefied owner a few moments to realize something is amiss, stop the Whale and jump out to see what could cause such a commotion. At which time we’d scatter and all haul ass into the surrounding crags..
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John O'Connor
Boulder climber
Fort Fun
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This past summer while I was leading a hard aid pitch, my friends were yelling "There is no chance of you living, you are for sure going to F*#KING DIE!!!!!" I had been really sketched out that whole pitch, but when they started yellintg I started to feel alot better. The way I see it, if my friends are yelling, "you are going to die!!!!" then they must think I am a good enough climber to pull it off. Just like Chris Mac on the The Sheep Ranch, Singer and all those guys knew chris was a badass and he wasn't going to get hurt. Kind of a weird view, but hey were aid climbers we are supposed to be weird.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Don't diss the Winnabago dudes. They are the elderly version of dirtbagging it. I respect it a lot more than hanging in some retirement commnunity until you rot!
Get your motor runnin" Head out on the highway!
I've heard "you're gonna die" before at Stately Pleasure Dome screamed from the window of a Curry Company vehicle!
Peace
karl
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Ben Wah
Trad climber
On the move
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While on the topic of ancient climbing gretings, can anyone tell me where the yell "Way Homo!" came from? I'm not sure whether it predates the one that comprises the topic of this thread, but it certainly seems to have fallen by the wayside of late. I've only heard it a couple of times in my tenure, though I understand it used to be more prevalent.
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Brian H.
climber
San Francisco
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Ben - Can't help you on the origin of that particular saying, but I will add that it happens to be part of one of my favorite 'climb names'..."Way homo sperm burpers from Fresno", It's in the Arches Terrace area(I think), not sure about the FA, but it still makes me laugh. Just thought I would share.
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smitty
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Ca
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I was sleeping in the meadow one night when a car sped up, screeched to a halt, and the guys jumped out and yelled the same thing to a party climbing under head lamp on the PO wall... I thought it was just friends giving them a hard time...what a strange thing to do...Nothing like a little encouragement, huh?
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stetind
Social climber
Sweden
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While climbing Mescalito last year a party to the right of us (PO-wall ? Sea of dreams ?) yelled "We're all gonna die" at least once a day. I found it pretty hilarious, and our usual reply was "Yes, but you're gonna die first".
Erik
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Wheatus
Social climber
CA
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Heckling climbers by yelling, "You're gonna die!!", must be a tradition in the Valley. Ten years ago my partner and I were on Wet Denim Daydream (Leaning Tower)where we were mocked by a Valley local at least every 20 minutes. He would yell, "I have a song for you.... YOUR GONNA DIEEEEEE!!!". He would following up a few minutes later with, "Hey, what up with you guys you're moving like snails! Get moving!" This continued for an entire day. I lost my cool after about the tenth time and yelled back, "Shut the f*%# up!" I am sure everyone at Bridelveil Falls clearly heard my response. I can just imagine the horror of all the families and children listening to a raving madman shout obscenities from the wall.
The Valley local was working a new route at the base of the Leaning Tower. He was camping at the base during our bivy that night. He mocked us one more time and by friend fired a empty tall Schlitz Malt Liquor can in his direction after calling his name. Later in Camp 4 the Valley local said that the beer can had missed his head by a foot. I wished my friend's aim was even better.
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Brutus of Wyde
climber
Old Climbers' Home, Oakland CA
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> I respect it a lot more than hanging in
> some retirement commnunity until you rot!
Hey! I resemble that remark!
> Matter of fact- we're ALL gonna look and climb
> like Fred Beckey in another 30 years... van-living
> grey and aging dirtbags getting by on $500 a month
> living at the base of any assortment of
> sun-blessed crags...
I wish. I look and climb like Fred Beckey right now...
When I can get my rotting carcass out of the Old Climbers'
Home!
Brutus
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