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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 13, 2013 - 11:24am PT
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It will fall off someday... LOL
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Mar 13, 2013 - 11:52am PT
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Ah ha! Silly me for not reading the thread more carefully.
I remember stories of some years in the late 80s and early 90s when there was a big ramp and you could just walk up that thing -- I think it was Ermano Salvaterra who told me -- but then it fell off. The two times I was up there there was a pretty big "eave" overhanging the summit plateau and I never did get up those last few meters. Oh well. Reason to go back, perhaps, although i doubt I'll ever motivate for it or get in the required condition again. And I'm okay with always looking up at the last little bit of that perfect mountain. I think. ;-)
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nmmcquiston
Mountain climber
New jersey
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Hi,
I‘m doing reserach for a climbing film and have located Jim Bridwell, but does anyone by some random chance happen to know how or where to locate Steve Brewer?
Any leads greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!
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Blakey
Trad climber
Sierra Vista
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Nov 12, 2013 - 01:37pm PT
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Bump
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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Nov 12, 2013 - 01:50pm PT
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Those 5 photos were the only photos taken on the route. They forgot the other camera in camp with all the film, the one they had only had 5 shots remaining in it. Jim has some great stories of that route, you all should take a road trip with us, the stories I hear are are priceless....I gotta get a setup where ALL of our conversations could be recorded. Of course loads of editing, but he is a great story teller and the more questions I ask the deeper the stories go! Wish I could just turn on a digital camera on the dash and drive.
Peace
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Rudder
Trad climber
Costa Mesa, CA
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Nov 12, 2013 - 04:02pm PT
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this tale is told so simply that you have to use some imagination to fully comprehend what actually went down. they banged off what was at the time the world's most inaccesible summit in a couple of days using a skeleton rack of borrowed equipment. they'd just met. they descended in epic conditions. the whole thing is still a little mind-blowing to me, 30 years later.
Ditto that!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 14, 2018 - 06:30pm PT
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Star Spangled Bird Bump...
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Scole
Trad climber
Zapopan
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Jan 17, 2018 - 09:46am PT
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I have to agree with a lot of what has been said on this thread. Bridwell and Brewer's 2nd ascent of the Compressor Rt. was a major event. Regardless of what your feeling is, or was, on the viability of the route, Cerro Torre is not for the faint hearted. When I climbed it in 1987, the first half of the route was bolt free. I believe we did 14 pitches before seeing the first bolt.
In the 1970's and 1980's, the weather in Patagonia was different that we have now due to global warming. On my first trip to Patagonia, we were told that the Fitz-Roy group had 360 days a year of storm, and 5 questionable days. On that trip (1983) we waited 42 days for a break in the weather longer than 24 hours.
24 hrs may be sufficient to summit Cerro Torre at the standard of climbing today, but 30 years ago speed ascents were not common. Equipment was heavier,climbers slower, and the Patagonian giants were still considered among the worlds most difficult summits. There was no internet to provide hourly weather updates, instead you used an altimeter to forecast your own weather.There was no bridge over the Rio Poincenot, and Chalten would not exist for another 10 years. When the road ended you were faced with a serious ford, which required many trips to ferry gear across before you could even begin to think about climbing.
The idea of high standard free climbing on the major peaks never even occurred to anyone until years later, after dozens of ascents had eliminated the unknown, climbing equipment and standards had improved, and the weather had changed providing more opportunity for free attempts. What is possible in 2018, was not within the realms of possibility in the 1980's.
Bridwell's rebolting of the last 20m was a logical act. At the time the Torre had seen very few ascents. There was a 2000m climb sitting there which was missing the final 20m. Like The Wall of the Early Morning Light, many people objected to the style of the FA, but once you have done the climb you realize that, although it could have been done better, there was some fine climbing on the route. I found the Compressor Route to be more enjoyable than expected. We did some spectacular climbing, and reached one of the most incredible summits in the world.
I have recently been watching the David Lama movie Cerro Torre on netflix. The film is a perfect example of the hubris in modern climbing where past accomplishments are negated by the more pure methods of today, like adding 60 bolts to an established climb which already had more than enough bolts in the interest of filming a self aggrandizing film about correcting the errors of the past.
Taken one step further, the chopping of the route did not erase the past, and the supposed "fair means" used were used where convenient, and ignored where not. The Compressor Route has become the standard descent route from Cerro Torre: As such, the original anchor bolts are the descent anchors, which have been used many times. Any true "fair means" ascent is tainted by the use of any of the existing hardware, even a single piece, so I don't buy the "mountain consecrated" argument. Most Argentine climbers were pissed.
The mountain has suffered enough. Patagonia is still a wild place to climb, even the hotels at the base,internet cafes and an international climbing scene have not completely changed the fact that you need to sack up if you want to summit anything big there.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 17, 2018 - 02:11pm PT
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Great post Scott!
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mikeyschaefer
climber
Sport-o-land
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Jan 17, 2018 - 08:38pm PT
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One correction Scott. The compressor route is not the standard descent off of Cerro Torre these days. I'd say by a large factor the West Face is ascended and descended more often. Most people would be onsighting the compressor rappels after climbing the west face and that would surely be an exciting mission!
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
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Jan 17, 2018 - 08:54pm PT
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Yeah...Good job Scott...!!
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Scole
Trad climber
Zapopan
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Jan 18, 2018 - 07:57am PT
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[quote]Most people would be onsighting the compressor rappels after climbing the west face and that would surely be an exciting mission![quote]
Apparently things have changed since the compressor route has been erased. I should have said that at one time the compressor rappels were the standard descent route, as most people climbed the compressor. Needless to say any route requiring 25 to 30 rappels would be an exciting mission. Like Paul Gagner posted near the beginning of this thread, rappelling the compressor rt at night during a major storm was among the most horrendous descents I have ever done, and we had just climbed the route
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Jan 18, 2018 - 12:26pm PT
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 18, 2018 - 09:59am PT
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Bird legacy bump...
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gimmeslack
Trad climber
VA
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Feb 17, 2019 - 03:15am PT
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What happened to Brewer?
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hacky47
Trad climber
goldhill
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Feb 17, 2019 - 10:42am PT
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the late great Al Rouse passed on the invitation to climb the rte with Jim....cool history
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Feb 17, 2019 - 12:46pm PT
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Nice bump. These threads appear to give most of the credit to the Bird for the climb, but it seems like the ascent was a result of the meeting of two partners who complemented each other perfectly.
I didn't know Bridwell but saw him several times over the years, mostly in Joshua Tree. Despite the history on this thread, he wasn't above claiming that he made the first ascent. I was in Josh about 20 yrs. ago with my wife and her climbing girlfriend from Argentina. Bird walks up to me and asks about the girlfriend, where she's from, etc., and I say she's single. Sensing his opening, he walks up to her and tells her how much he loves Argentina and how many first ascents he's made in Patagonia, including the FIRST ascent of Cerro Torre. I roll my eyes but say nothing. Sadly for him, she had no idea who he was, had never heard of Cerro Torre, and replied only by saying "that's nice".
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bbbeans
Trad climber
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Feb 18, 2019 - 07:58am PT
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Thanks for sharing the "Jim Bridwell's Last Interview". Captivating stuff. What an adventurer.
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WBraun
climber
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Feb 18, 2019 - 08:28am PT
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I know Jim went there with Bachar and Gramici to do a complete new independent line.
The line was deemed unsafe by Bachar due to unstable conditions there and John backed out.
There were arguments and Gramici and Bachar left Patagonia.
Thus with no partner, Jim found Brewer and shifted over to the compressor route .....
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