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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Jun 21, 2006 - 01:37pm PT
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John Long (aka Largo) one of the original Stonemasters and masterful writer has penned a fine piece about the Stonemasters in the last edition of Rock & Ice. It pretty much says it all.
If you are really curious about the subject, read the article -- it will answer your questions and give you an insight I sincerely doubt can be matched through posts on this thread.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jun 21, 2006 - 01:40pm PT
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Yes that was pretty funny ROX and fairly right on.
I'll have to spool up on this one Lois.
Keep in mind the core Stonemasters was a small tight knit group and in many ways represented the cream; ROX is correct insofar as many others were essentially striving and doing neat stuff in the same manner.
I was influenced but not core, as I am just now soon to be 46, started climbing in '73, but really began to hit my stride in '77.
More later.
I'll post the Stonemasters link in the forum as well.
Sketch is pretty much correct.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jun 21, 2006 - 01:52pm PT
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Also, remember that the stonemasters were, are, just one group of loosely granfalloned climbers. Albeit a high profile and influential one. All groups are influenced by their times and available personnel.
There are many local scenes at any time, most don't have names, but there are always aggregations of climbers living some version of the Itinerant climber life style.
See; The Poway Mtn Boys, DLFA, Vulgarians, the Kachinas and the Banditos, just to name a few such groups ...
Tangentially, there are also more formal groups like The CMC, Iowa mtneers, AAC, The RCS of the Sierra club, Harvard mtneers ad nauseum, which can at times, be influential as well.
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand, Man.....
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Jun 21, 2006 - 01:58pm PT
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Jaybro, don't forget Craig Frys "Sheep Buggerers", perhaps the most important group after the Stonemasters.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jun 21, 2006 - 01:59pm PT
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hahahha!
Mussy,
Craig should be so proud.
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the Fet
climber
Earth
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Jun 21, 2006 - 02:17pm PT
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Here's my post from the Lynn thread.
LEB wrote "5. What was it about this era and this particular group which made you so unique and garner such a place in "history" as it were. Obviously there were men who climbed before you in the 40s 50s 60s - Obviously men (and now women, even!) climbed after you 80s, 90s etc. So what was it then which gave you all such fame and "grandeur?" How exactly did you garner this lore which now seems to surround you regarding those time."
There were a number of eras important in Yosemite climbing history. The Stonemaster era is just more prevalant here (and is also probably the last "age" that had a disctintive local group of high caliber climbers, who often lived in the Valley).
Here is my biased summation:
The 1930s bringing modern roped climbing, and ascents like Royal Arches and Higher Cathedral Spire.
The 1940s Further refinement of big wall climbing and ethics, Lost Arrow Chimney, Steck-Salathe route.
The 1950s to 1960s (The Golden Age) The most impressive walls first done, Half Dome, El Capitan, and an increased move towards free climbing goals.
The 1970s (Stonemasters). Even more free climbing at an amazing new level. First free ascents on previous aid climbs (Astroman) and in a day ascents of big walls (The Nose).
The 1980s. Lycra and sport climbing come about. A little bit of climbing's soul dies. LOL. But Bachar and Croft do The Nose and Half Dome in a day.
The 90s and beyond. diversification, bouldering, hard aid. First Free ascent of the Nose and more.
They are all standing on the shoulders of giants. Each generation is inspired by the previous one.
There are some good books on other eras (e.g. Camp 4 about the golden age). But my favorite book is The Vertical World of Yosemite by Rowell. Articles and photos from many great ascents starting with the second ascent of Half Dome in 1884 and ending at the end of the Golden Age in the early 1970s.
As I mentioned earlier, I'd love to see Largo dedicate a whole book to the Stonemasters, ala Camp 4.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jun 21, 2006 - 02:20pm PT
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So you see Lois,
With Looking Sketchy and Jaybro's comments, "The Stonemasters" indeed circumscribes a particular set of individuals. As I stated earlier in our discussions about Yabo, I was not a Stonemaster per se, but picked up on their heels and had direct opportunity of influence. I bet you could boil that actual original Stonemaster group down to about 20 or so people.
You've sort of walked into a tribal dynamic and will find some protectionist measures at play, which is perhaps appropriate to the actors at hand and their specific contributions and alliances.
If you look at gang culture, they have many tight knit and intertwined groups, all sharing similar styles but with unique apsects which may or may not strictly define them as independent groups, depending upon your criteria.
The life style in general bares a common thread and aspects of that can be adressed by many of us.
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Jun 21, 2006 - 02:21pm PT
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I started in 1980, so lets refer to the 80's as the Juanmaster's.
We got fire shoes, and Valhalla was never the same again.
I cannot imagine doing Ten Carrots with EB's.
Juan
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jun 21, 2006 - 02:27pm PT
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"Sheep Buggerers"
hmm? there was a group with that M.O. out of Pinedale, climbed with "Pablo and the First Ascents," what Was that guy's name ...
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jun 21, 2006 - 02:32pm PT
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Jay,
Sheep Buggerers is a group which Russ championed, or not, as the case may be depending on what that leads to...
They were LA boys.
Russ is nattily throwing Craig under the bus with them to get his goat!
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jun 21, 2006 - 02:45pm PT
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Baaaaaaahhhh
I knew that.
I was sort of, equally disingenuously, comparing speed bumpee's.
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AKDOG
Mountain climber
Anchorage, AK
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Jun 21, 2006 - 02:50pm PT
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Wasn't Craig Fry the leader of the Sheepbuggers? Or did he just supply them with booze and weed so he could boulder with them.
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todd-gordon
climber
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Jun 21, 2006 - 03:30pm PT
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Cry Fry didn't supple booze or weed to no flunkies. Cry did his own thing, and dragged anyone else along who could keep up with him.. He was always ready to lead anything, put up new routes on the lead too. If you didn't climb or hike fast enough or good enough, Cry was impatient. He was super motivated, super talented, strong and bold........(He's a mellow tame pussycat now-a-days.....). He didn't have anything to do with the Sheepbuggerers.....who were a bunch of immature, loud, stick-fighting, bunkweed-smoking, rude, obnoxious, sophomoric, junior college-type, B-Team, dirty, young, silly, dweebs/doofus L.A. climbers who never had girl-friends,....were always at the crags, doing something noisy, stinky, rude, dangerous, and out-there.....the types you would NOT want your daughter hanging out with.........good climbers... but climbing with them was like hanging out with a bunch of junior high boys at a sleep-over.
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Jun 21, 2006 - 04:38pm PT
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the Mayor/diaper changer in charge, narced on Russ and his crew LOL
"Sheepbuggerers.....who were a bunch of immature, loud, stick-fighting, bunkweed-smoking, rude, obnoxious, sophomoric, junior college-type, B-Team, dirty, young, silly, dweebs/doofus L.A. climbers who never had girl-friends,....were always at the crags, doing something noisy, stinky, rude, dangerous, and out-there.....the types you would NOT want your daughter hanging out with.."
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand, Man.....
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Jun 21, 2006 - 04:42pm PT
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Just sour grapes. There was a rule that we had ( I mean Craig had ) that there were no bald guys allowed in the dashingly handsome group. Sadly, Todd was out before he was ever in.
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G_Gnome
Social climber
Tendonitis City
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Jun 21, 2006 - 05:14pm PT
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How did Watusi stay in that group?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jun 21, 2006 - 08:17pm PT
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Now Shorty T,
You have to have your league of Post Stonemaster Denizens in order to explain the Watusi.
He was the great white hope, or thinning red headed hope you might say, of the esteemed Scumbags, a ship which listed gracefully to port side at warp speed, much to the credit of BVB's fine work at the helm...
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