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oldguy
climber
Bronx, NY
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Oct 26, 2015 - 09:47am PT
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One more previously unreported story. Sometime in the mid-60's, a Berkeley climber, Al Macdonald, who was on Harding's bolt-up of the Leaning Tower,invited his neighbor, a comely young secretary, to join him on a trip to the Valley. They arrived Friday night, and the next day Al went off with someone else to climb. He thought his neighbor would just like to see Yosemite, maybe do a little hike. On Sunday afternoon, a bunch of us, including Harding, were sitting around in Camp 4 when Al told the lass that it was time to drive back to Berkeley. And she said, "No, I'm staying here with Warren." And she did. The free life really appealed to her as it has with many young visitors to Camp 4. She and Warren were together for a year or two as I remember, but it didn't work out. Then Beryl came along.
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Zay
climber
Monterey, Ca
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Apr 30, 2019 - 01:44pm PT
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bump
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Splater
climber
Grey Matter
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Apr 30, 2019 - 02:44pm PT
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how long would he have lasted on the sopor-tazo ?
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Aeriq
Sport climber
100-year Visitor
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“This vintage has a lot of body to it, don’t you think?”
Ho Man...
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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"Nobody has ever demonstrated to me that there are objective values."
The man.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Too me it’s sad that a man with such physical gifts succumbed to alcohol. A lot of people here love to talk about a person’s partying exploits as if they were something that should be viewed with respect if not awe.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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^^^ Not me, Jim. I had lengthy conversations with him about scaling back and even getting help. But getting help admits weakness, and Warren was one "tough cookie."
He was a brilliant, tough, and visionary man. His drinking was the one glitch. Ultimately I have endless respect for the "total package" that he was.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Yes, he was an oversized personality who earned our respect. The partying in that era was a manifestation of the macho image climbing had. The scene in Wales in the 70’s was one of relentless partying. You were measured by not how well you climbed but by how well you climbed after a night in the pub.
Unfortunately, that attitude shortened many lives.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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^^^ Indeed.
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originalpmac
Mountain climber
Timbers of Fennario
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I haven't finished this thread yet but after reading Park Rats comments from 2012 all I can say is what a dik move that was by Robbins to start chopping WOEML. If he was, as the OP respectively paraphrased, "was having a hard time placing their act and the actual experience into what he thought or hoped would be its final perspective" he should have gone back up and back up and fixed the damage he did.
The attempt to undo a man's greatest accomplishment after he returned from a serious injury and in the midst of kicking a dependency is a fukked up thing to do and ironically lacks any notion of being "ethical" let alone decent. No wonder they were labeled as the Valley Christians. Very fitting.
Im 32 and this is all purely a total outsider perspective, but wow.
Edit to edit; What a great thread. These threads are the reason I started reading this forum.
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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Interesting how the AAC and AC changed over the years. Initially very snooty and professional and upper class, now very egalitarian and open.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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When I joined the AAC I needed two members to vouch for me. You’re right John it was a bit snooty and exclusive. Now, all climbers and lovers of the mountains are welcome and there are 23,000 plus members and growing.
There are also new programs for younger, active climbers like the ”Craggin Classic” and “Live
Your Dreams” grants.
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Trump
climber
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We imagine that we understand the measure of another person’s life - what gives it value, how long it should have been, what about it should be respected or disrespected.
And even more than that, we imagine that we know what that other person SHOULD have respected and what SHOULD have given value to their life. How sad that they didn’t live their life the way we think would have given them the most value.
And even more than that, we imagine that other people should have the same perspective that we do on some other person’s life - that they should respect and value or disrespect and devalue the aspects of that other person’s life in the same way we do.
I’m glad Warren did it his way. I’m glad he called bullshit on all that bullsh#t, and that he just didn’t care about what bullshit people thought of him and his way of living his life.
But y’all? Do it your way, whatever way that is.
There’s a certain level of self-centered arrogance in human thinking that seems unavoidable, and if thinking that way helps us feel good about ourselves compared to other people, good about the rightness and righteousness of our way of seeing things or our way of doing things, more power to us. Seems to be working so far.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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The Alpine Club in London even has a Yank for a president! That’s so wrong.
I’m getting there a day late for Adele Long’s presentation of:
My journey up (and down) Zanskar's Mulung Tokpo
(sounds like something I contracted over there)
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Some self centeredness seems essential and natural. How could we survive physically and psychically without it? Taking care of yourself should be everyone’s first priority....doing so without taking others into account is when problems arise.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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In 1974 The Alpine Club decided to allow females to join. (The extent to which homosexuals, bisexuals, etc etc were already members being an interesting side question. It did lead to the demise of The Ladies’ Alpine Club.) Anyway, the redoubtable HW Tilman resigned as a member. Imagine, women allowed to join HIS club! And, like Harding, true to character. They subtly retaliated by making him an honourary member.
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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"By the time you are yourself expert you will have acquired a large circle of devoted enemies. Every weapon that falsehood, scandal, and misrepresentation can forge will be raised against you. The 'Authorities' will refuse to recognize any new climbs you have made; and the Alpine Club will have none of you. All this will amuse you."
Oscar Eckenstein, ca1900
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Weenis
Trad climber
Tel Aviv
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I was fifteen when I found a copy of Warren's book "Downward Bound" in my high school's library. It was the only climbing book and I read it through and through. I had barely started climbing but now knew that this was going to be a worthwhile pursuit.
I met Warren in 1980 and he was looking for a wide crack climber for some FA. I told him that it was his book that had inspired me and he just busted up laughing. It was an honest full joy that he expressed.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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^^^ He inspired many of us that way. Thanks for sharing that. It very much resonates with me.
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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^^^ You mean Oscar Eckenstein of course. I agree.
;>)
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