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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 9, 2005 - 06:12pm PT
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Not that it’s any of our business but for those of us seeking longevity what is your secret?
A word problem;
Jim and I got back from what was at the time a pretty good day on the crags. Both a little hungry we when to the Four seasons for a round of baked potatoes. As always a bit of a wait… we’re standing in the hall getting hungrier by the minute as thick cuts of prime rib aroma drift out the door... Rodger Breedlove walks up. gives us a head to toe “what did you two do today?” Jim casually reply’s “Mike took me up New Dimensions” - I just sat there with a big grin looking like an idiot! Rodger glances over at me, looks at Jim and says “ah that’s nothing, teenagers are doing that all the time” - of coarse the smile slowly leaves my face and as I look back at Jim he reply’s getting a little puffed up, ”yeah but how often do 37 year olds do it!”
Jim was a little too flattering that “I took him up” the route, we actually swung leads. I was 16 then, this year I’ll be 50
You do the math, it boggles me when I try.
The photo is after our first ascent of “gold ribbon” rt side of ribbon falls. A few more hints if we're looking for dates, note the tape player uses “D” batteries. And yes those are bongs on the rack (the kind you pound in to the rock)
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WBraun
climber
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I remember when you guys did that route Mike. I think/believe he's 61 now.
Jim got all pissed off at me cause I didn't want to go up there. I was real lazy .
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 9, 2005 - 06:29pm PT
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Werner, I know you have a calculator somewhere amongst all that electronic equip around you. Use it!
I wish you did go, you could of done that 2000’ off size crack, I’d have a few less gray hairs today.
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Shack
Big Wall climber
So. Cal.
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I'm sure it's just a bug with calc.exe bit it works out to Jim being 71!
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elcap-pics
climber
Crestline CA
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Guaranteed... Jimmy is 61... a few months younger than I am..
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WBraun
climber
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He he he Hey Tom, Gramicci was scaring me. I thought I was now 67.
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 9, 2005 - 07:36pm PT
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This has been an age long poser for me, thanks for all the clarification. Either I’m older than I think or he was just pulling our legs back then.
What’s amazing to me is, he’s still in the same shape he was in back then. It’s great how climbing keep’s you young, eh’ Werner :-)
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WBraun
climber
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Mike you still the man, when I see you and listen to you speak your're still nectar to the ears.
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 9, 2005 - 07:57pm PT
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Thanks Werner, since when can you hear?
Hope to see you soon! Whatttttt... :-)
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Roger Breedlove
Trad climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jim's not a day over 26 and never has been, ever.
More importantly, I am younger than he is--always have been, always will be.
No math allow.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
one pass away from the big ditch
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"HEY! Old guys!!!"
What did you climb today? This eeeez the important question. Or this coming weekend?
cheers,
MU NG E
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Landgolier
climber
the flatness
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here's one, the el cap 3 amigos pic thread died but it would be good there too
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 10, 2005 - 12:38am PT
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We all look like that, pretty much. ;)
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 10, 2005 - 01:28am PT
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... that Was a joke ...
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Ca
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Nov 10, 2005 - 02:34pm PT
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Uh Lois, we don't climb ropes. We climb rocks and just use the ropes to keep us from dieing.
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Ouch!
climber
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Nov 10, 2005 - 02:50pm PT
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Somebody needs a Bro, or Mansierre.
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atchafalaya
Trad climber
California
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Nov 10, 2005 - 03:00pm PT
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large B, small C?
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Roger Breedlove
Trad climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 10, 2005 - 04:05pm PT
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Hey Shortimer, I think I should have talked to you earlier in my 'career.' I've had a hell of a time staying up with ever slicker and ever thinner ropes. If I had been using the rock....
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 10, 2005 - 04:09pm PT
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ah, to age like a fine Bridwell ... or Beckey
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 10, 2005 - 07:08pm PT
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Maybe this helps
Man in the first photo = Jim Bridwell (May '76)
Man in the middle of photo with three dudes = Jim Bridwell
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 10, 2005 - 07:24pm PT
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Lois, More perspective, Bridwell, the guy in the middle, is also the one in the middle in the photo in the 'Team Machine', thread (with Largo on the right) ca 1975. The other two guys in the last photo are the Uber, Huber Bros. That one looks pretty recent, like maybe this last summer.
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 10, 2005 - 07:31pm PT
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Let's not forget Billy Westbay in the team mach. photo :-)
R.I.P. BW
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 10, 2005 - 07:34pm PT
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Wasn't forgetting Westbay, just didn't think Lois would know who he was.
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WBraun
climber
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Nov 10, 2005 - 07:44pm PT
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Lois:
The guy in the first photo escaped from San Quentin back in the day. He was a real thug and knew how squeeze water out of rocks. That’s why he came to Yosemite. When we first saw him it sent chills down our spines as he had that “look”. Later his cell mate Mark Klemens got paroled and made his entrance. He made sure the Bird never forgot where he came from.
Those two other guys in the other picture were just a couple of guys passing through one day trying to emulate the original American Outlaw.
Tall tales from the pit.
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
boulder, co
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Nov 10, 2005 - 08:11pm PT
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No matter how you look at it...you guys are old.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Nov 10, 2005 - 08:34pm PT
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I think Mike G. is 22 years older than me, and Bridwell is 33 years older. That makes Gramich nigh 50 and the Bird 61.
Old farts . . .
JL
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 10, 2005 - 09:14pm PT
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Largo, you may need some diapers then! :-)
You gotta quit thinking dog years, there is a bed in our old folks home just waiting you, all of you!
If this were the universal scheme of things we wouldn’t of even reached single celled organisms yet.
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Landgolier
climber
the flatness
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Nov 11, 2005 - 05:28am PT
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I posted the above pic just because it came up when I googled for bridwell pics to see how recent a shot I could find. I thought it was hilarious, especially given the Team Machine thread, so up it went. I should have put up the OG version too so everybody would get the reference, wasn't trying to be pretentious about it.
Here is the original. Looking at the amount of definition Bridwell still has in his arms, it's like the dude's face aged twice as much so the guns could stay pristine.
Also, Timmy O'Neill's cartoon pretty much gets the last word on the Hubers ("Huber 1" and "Huber 2"), if you haven't seen it: http://www.patagonia.com/culture/bigwallclimb.shtml
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Nov 11, 2005 - 06:39am PT
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Mike, I wasn't aware the Billy had passed away. RIP
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steelmnkey
climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Nov 11, 2005 - 09:27am PT
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Go to the site referenced and click on "Watch Movie"
Pretty cool Flash movie...
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
St. Louis
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Nov 11, 2005 - 10:05am PT
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Where have I been? The three amigos look Hhhhhotttttttt! Isn't rock climbing grand? Post more!!!
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matisse
Trad climber
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Nov 11, 2005 - 12:02pm PT
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I agree. Hot hot hot. (and you can't beat the ratio (M:F) in climbing).
But, it's pretty easy to look hot when you are in your 20's and 30's- above that you have to be suffused with hotness genes. Bridwell rules.
I too have wondered about JL. Still hot? come on John, how 'bout a picture for us girls...
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Nov 11, 2005 - 02:38pm PT
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Steroids? I was only 20 when that pic was taken and that was in 1975. I guess steroids were happening back then but we didn't know about them. I was "puffed up" because when I wasn't climbing I was in the gym--the only way that I (at 205 pounds) could stay up with guys like Gramichi, who was like 150 and strong as a silver backed gorilla.
JL
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Nov 11, 2005 - 02:54pm PT
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Lois
In the second photo, with a full view of El Cap in the background, Largo is on the right wearing a bandana and arms by side. In the middle is Bridwell wearing a headband and on the left is Billy Westpay wearing a hat, both with arms crossed,
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 11, 2005 - 03:39pm PT
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I’m glad I didn’t post my summit shot that day with Jim. The frenzy would have been too much…After all this thread is about Jim and his elixir of youth. It appears to be the young minds that keep us all going, albeit they’re a little juvenile at times.
Unfortunately a thread is not the best place to find out about a legend passing. To squelch any “how did” questions about BW it was cancer. A cruel reminder that even being one of the fittest ones on the planet, still isn’t enough sometimes.
FYI… John Long still is the world’s strongest man. I’ve seem him shatter a man’s bone arm resting not once but twice. A silver backed gorilla couldn’t even beat him.
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Landgolier
climber
the flatness
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Nov 14, 2005 - 02:14am PT
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Oh but there's so much more where that came from:
No offense to those pictured, but ladies, if either of those shots gets your motor running, it's time to start getting out more.
Also, Bridwell story on this page, scroll down till you see some hair farmer in a ball cap and get ready to read some seriously FUBAR prose
[url]http://www.cands.net/cands/climb_photos.html[/url]
Maybe I just haven't been around long enough, but I've never heard of these C and S guys. Web page looks like chongonation.com meets fishproducts.com, total lunacy
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 14, 2005 - 10:47am PT
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That site is like a weird parallel universe!
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Nov 14, 2005 - 12:37pm PT
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Tradhog, I was at the Bird slide show here in Pasadena about a month ago and he really didn't look that bad. In fact he looked pretty darn fit. I've known him since 78 and he looked a whole lot worse when he was on the booze/cigs et al. back then. From what he was saying that part of his history is over.
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Roger Breedlove
Trad climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 14, 2005 - 12:49pm PT
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Hey TradHog, all of us look like hell as compared to 35 years ago. Some of it is hard living, some is luck of the draw.
When I see Jim, I see the same guy I knew when we were in our twenties. I am sure all of us from that time see each other the same way. It ain't no frigging beauty contest at 61.
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 14, 2005 - 02:40pm PT
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This hasn’t been about looks. It’s was about a state of mind and a physical being that keeps on going and going AND GOING!
I ready to Nuke this topic. Someone tell me how please :-)
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Nov 14, 2005 - 03:49pm PT
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Hey Mike, don't nuke it. It's a worthy thread if it dies now.
But otherwise, when you log in, hit your edit button on your, original post. It should have a box at the bottom that says "delete post". Check it and then "save changes" and viola, thread nuked, or that's how it works for me at least.
If you don't see an edit button when you log in, then the ST world is not an equal one that's for sure.
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Landgolier
climber
the flatness
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Nov 14, 2005 - 03:56pm PT
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Man, I wasn't saying Bridwell or Largo aren't studly dudes, just that those pics are about the exact opposite of the two 3 amigos pics from before. Hell, I wish I could live a life that would leave me looking like B. at his age (and be in that good of a physical condition).
"Parallel Universe" was indeed the term that came to mind when I found that site, then I realized those guys do live in a parallel universe: Washington State.
It's not like this is the first time a ST thread has spiraled off topic and degenerated into philosophical debates and random pic posting. I didn't want to do this, but I'm exercising the nuclear option:
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 14, 2005 - 04:01pm PT
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thanks for the ST lesson :-)
Wow Lois! I'm glad you’re here with these great perspectives.
Thanks, mg
edit: I think that lower picture from the parallel universe is from a “story board” for the new Prana Liz C. line. :-)
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matisse
Trad climber
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Nov 14, 2005 - 04:33pm PT
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Please don't delete this thread. I too, appreciate Lois' perspectives. I've met Jim several times. There's a magentism about him.
Lines on someones face doesn't make them unattractive - it's a interesting life lived. sweet young things are just that, sweet young things. It takes time to make 'em interesting.
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10b4me
Trad climber
On that V2 problem at the Happies
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Nov 14, 2005 - 09:19pm PT
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tradhog,
climbing is not a beauty pageant.
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crotch
climber
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Nov 15, 2005 - 01:55pm PT
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LEB wrote:
The funny thing about "chemistry" is that it is unpredictable. To a large extent people are attracted to persons of the opposite sex who meet the "ideal" of what is considered desirable but the specifics are widely variable. People can have strong attraction to persons who vary widely from the "ideal" and this is what whe think of as "chemistry." It defies description. Might even have something to do with pheremones or as I like to think of it - "past lives."
The nose knows.
Polymorphisms in the HLA-linked olfactory receptor genes in the Hutterites.
Eklund AC, Belchak MM, Lapidos K, Raha-Chowdhury R, Ober C.
Genes in the MHC have been associated with mate choice and odor preferences in a variety of animals. Although the role of HLA genes in human mate choice has been controversial, studies in the Hutterites have demonstrated fewer than expected numbers of couples who match for an HLA haplotype, suggesting that in this population there is avoidance of mates with HLA haplotypes similar to one's own haplotype. Recently, 18 olfactory receptor (OR) genes have been mapped to the HLA region, telomeric to the HLA-F locus, providing a potential mechanism for HLA-based odor recognition and perhaps mate preferences in humans.
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steelmnkey
climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Nov 15, 2005 - 02:14pm PT
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radical wrote:
There is no getting around how strong a 200 pounders forearms have to be to climb 5.11, 5.12 or above.
Ain't that the truth. I been struggling with that one for YEARS. I'm sure Largo has lots of experience that predates mine by many years. It would have been interesting to see how I would have climbed back when I was young and silly and strong as hell from lots of time spent in the weight room. A few years ago, I went on a dedicated 12-week program and lost 23 lbs (down to a featherweight 191 for me). I was lifting weights the whole time, but also doing a lot of high intensity aerobic junk (running, road and mtn biking, etc.). It was pretty shocking how much power I felt like I had on the rock at the end of that time. Routes that I'd been just able to climb started feeling like warm ups. Scary. You'd think that would be enough to keep me there, but food is a harsh mistress.
That strength to weight ratio is absolute.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Nov 15, 2005 - 08:01pm PT
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Actually, I think this is the version of the shot which was used:
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 15, 2005 - 11:11pm PT
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hanging on Your wall, Randy?
Nice
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Nov 15, 2005 - 11:18pm PT
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Wow, nice one Randy!! Nice photo.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Nov 15, 2005 - 11:19pm PT
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i know this is gonna sound kinda wierd, but for me, JL's best writing has been his eulogy/obit's of our fellow travellers who have gone on before. his account of billy westbay's busting the move into the next incarnation, i have it memorized; and his obit of yabo hangs next to my computer, cut out of the magazine with scissors and pasted to my filing cabinet with refridgerator magnets. brilliant writing about unique individuals who have shaped the way i chose to live my life.
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 15, 2005 - 11:39pm PT
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bvb -- would they be easy to post here?
mg
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Landgolier
climber
the flatness
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Nov 16, 2005 - 12:35am PT
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Yeah, the picture with the shadows and the smokes is way more classic and a better portrait, but I was posting it as a followup to the Huber Sandwich one, which is Bridwell in the exact same pose as the arms crossed version, only decades later. And I'm not taking any responsibility for any pheromones that got released over the highly sculpted german meatsacks, I only put it up for the humor factor. Y'all want Pr0и, there's a whole big internet out there for that.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Nov 16, 2005 - 12:42am PT
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bvb -- would they be easy to post here?
i'd have to type them in from scratch. but it would be a labor of love. i'll get to it...they are amazing pieces of writing, and strike right to the heart if you'd ever met/hung with the guys, altho JL, who is pathologically modest despite being the best and most consistantly excellent writer of climbing lore for the last 25 years, will never admit it.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Nov 16, 2005 - 09:05am PT
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bvb, that'd be great if you could post those obits. As I posted earlier, I didn't know that Billy had gone on to the next dimension. RIP BW and JY.
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Trashman
Trad climber
SLC
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Nov 16, 2005 - 11:10am PT
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I'm w/ bvb on this one. can't tell you how many times i've thought of friends who've passed and remembered the line that went something like
" . . I hope he's out there chalking the holds for us, showing us the way in the next life, like he did in this one."
(apologies in advance to Largo for butchering the quote)
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