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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 25, 2010 - 11:19pm PT
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Please sponsor a promising Bump...with assistance it could become a grand thread...someday!
Nice Eiger shot!
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Sep 25, 2010 - 11:23pm PT
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By the way Pilgrims. Jim Herrington just had a photoshoot with Bonnington. I haven't seen anything from it yet but I am curious. JH was over there also photographing Doug Scott, apparently.
What a class difference in that shot just above!
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BooDawg
Social climber
Polynesian Paralysis
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Sep 26, 2010 - 04:48am PT
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Thanks Alan Rubin (and Peter) for putting the working class context of Whillans' and Brown's climbs into proper perspective.
Was it Tom Patey who wrote these lyrics that I once heard Bugs McKeith sing around a campfire in C4?
I'm a climber; I'm a climber from Manchester way.
I get's all me pleasures the rock-climbing way.
I may be a work-slave on Monday,
But I am a free man on Sunday.
Hey Steve, how about a post about Tom Patey (One Man's Mountain) and perhaps some of the songs that reflected the climbing in the UK?
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cleggy
Trad climber
Derby, UK
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Sep 26, 2010 - 07:44am PT
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"I'm a climber; I'm a climber from Manchester way" - based on The Manchester Rambler by Ewan MacColl, father of Kirsty.
Also, Joe Brown, The Human Fly, 80 today.
Proud, as they say
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 26, 2010 - 10:53am PT
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Twenty little fingers and twenty little toes...Patey was an honorary R & I member, I bet!
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Sep 26, 2010 - 12:18pm PT
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Happy Birthday to Joe!
When I spent several weeks in Britain the summer of 1977 with RMuir and Gib L., Al Harris asked if we wanted to go climbing with Joe Brown. Of course, we had read the "The Hard Years," and we had done Cenotaph Corner on our first day in Wales. So, we jumped at the chance to climb with a bona fide climbing legend. In Britain, Joe was a celebrity and made a good living from climbing.
Al arranged a sea cliff outing which I previously described in this thread:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=404147&msg=404289#msg404289
We piled into Brown's car to head over from Al's house to Holyhead. As I recall, the car was a luxury sedan of some sort, not a climber's car at all. Brown had recently received an OBE or a knighthood, or something like that, and had attended a ceremony where the Queen of England had bestowed the award.
As he drove, Joe related to us in the back seat the story of his meeting with the Queen. When one is introduced to the monarch, there are apparently protocols for addressing her, "Your Highness" etc.
When Brown was introduced, he gave the Queen a friendly,
"How do? "
His wife hissed at him afterwards,
"You don't say "How do" to the Queen!"
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 26, 2010 - 12:29pm PT
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Too funny, Ricky!
One of my favorite shots of Tom and Joe.
John Cleare photo.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 14, 2011 - 09:08pm PT
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I knew that I would eventually strike gold and when I cracked open a copy of Welsh Rock, Trevor Jones and Geoff Milburn's superb 1986 historical survey, bingo! This is the best history involving Brown and Whillans that I have come across. The Baron and the Villain!
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
OR
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Jul 15, 2011 - 11:27am PT
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Thanks Steve Grossman, I can't wait to read through this! And the type has greater clarity than past historical postings-- my peepers appreciate whatever upgrade you might have installed. -Bruce
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Jul 15, 2011 - 11:39am PT
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Damn you Mr Grossman, I have work to do!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jul 15, 2011 - 11:50am PT
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The Girdle Traverse was our inspiration when we (Givler,Marts,and sundry followers)
put up The Maidenform Girdle Traverse at Castle Rock in Leavenworth.
To further the experience only bad British accents were allowed.
Some of the Mountaineers present were not amused.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 15, 2011 - 12:34pm PT
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The resolution issues went away with my concern about file size quite a while ago...
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Jul 15, 2011 - 12:38pm PT
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I can't believe It's a Girdle in JT had a similar inspiration.
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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Jul 15, 2011 - 04:26pm PT
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There are a fair number of other books and articles that have good insights into and anecdotes about Brown, Whillans, and the Rock and Ice. Once of the best is Rope Boy by Dennis Gray, who was, as the title suggests, an "apprentice" with the Rock and Ice during their glory years, and is a good story-teller as well. Rock Climbers in Action in Snowdonia by Tony Smythe and John Cleare also contains some good Rock and Ice stories as well as a wonderful collection of black and white photos by Cleare. Both these books are out-of-print, though potentially findable on Amazon or in used book stores. Unfortunately I don't have the capability or the ability to scan them myself. Maybe Steve or someone else so able will do the honors.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 15, 2011 - 04:33pm PT
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Regretably, those titles aren't in my holdings at present nor is The Black Cliff. Others lurk who may get inspired to add to this thread. Welsh Rock was only a printing of 500 copies (according to one listing) so I figured that most folks hadn't seen it before. Great book!
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frog-e
Trad climber
Imperial Beach California
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Jul 15, 2011 - 04:54pm PT
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Cool stuff Steve!
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O.D.
Trad climber
LA LA Land
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Jul 15, 2011 - 05:11pm PT
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Brown, Whillans, and their close compatriots were often referred to as the original Hard Men, and for good reason. Thanks, Steve, for refreshing our memories. Makes me a little nostalgic for my old Whillans Harness...well...almost -- it was terribly uncomfortable by today's standards, but a huge improvement over a web swami, or worse, a coiled goldline swami.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 15, 2011 - 05:15pm PT
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The Family Jewels will appreciate the forebearence...LOL
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jul 15, 2011 - 06:30pm PT
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Check out the picture in the beginning of this post and then consider that Whillans was only 52 when he died- a hard 52. All the boozing and smoking along with a pub diet certainly took there toll.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 16, 2011 - 01:00am PT
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The life lived half as long, burns twice as bright...
I think that some people know when their ride is going to be short.
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