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Chief
climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 25, 2010 - 11:52am PT
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I got schooled by Eric in my first year of climbing back in 76.
He took me to Reed's one day and we climbed Stone Groove and The Lunatic Fringe. I was in awe of this guy and couldn't believe he'd enlisted me. Eric went through a whole ritual of stretching and warming up, tincture and tape, super methodical preparations. Those who knew him can attest to his athletic grace and smoothness when he stepped onto the rock. It was hexes and stoppers back then and one of the biggest lessons he taught me that day was to double up on your pro. I realized why he took me climbing, people hated having to clean his gear, it was so bomber, you had to hang to get it out.
I got to hang with Eric (and of course Daryl) a bunch and he was the master to us and we tried to follow his example and that included trying to imitate his simian gait. He was a dedicated athlete, great free climber and big wall aid climber, bright as hell in a kind of dark way and about as deep as the ocean.
He was taken at 28 I think. That would have been around 80ish.
Big part of our history and culture.
With greatest respect,
PB
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 25, 2010 - 12:07pm PT
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Great thread, Perry! Anders has been close to starting one for a while. Major player around Squamish and one of the cast of Canadian characters in the Valley, BITD. Very tragic that he couldn't stick around longer.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 25, 2010 - 02:24pm PT
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I never knew the man either, but I do remember a bunch of you Canadians talking about him at Daryl's Memorial. What I remember most was the talk of how he died, and thinking what a noble soul.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 25, 2010 - 04:00pm PT
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Here is the Weinstein List including lots of classics!
Xodus 5.11a FFA Eric Weinstein, Gordie Smaill 1976
Sentry Box 5.12a FFA Eric Weinstein 1976
Perspective 5.11a FFA Eric Weinstein 1975
Papoose One 5.10b FFA Eric Weinstein, Anders Ourom 1974
Limbo 5.11a FFA Eric Weinstein, Anders Ourom 1976
Horizontally Prone A3 Daryl Hatten, Eric Weinstein 1974
Caboose 5.10b FFA Eric Weinstein, J. Haeck, W. Hack 1975
Hand Jive 5.10b Eric Weinstein, Carl Austrom 1975
Rainy Day Dream Away 5.10c Eric Weinstein, Dave Vernon 1975
A Pitch in Time 5.10b Eric Weinstein, Dave Vernon 1974
Cerberus FA with aid Daryl Hatten, Eric Weinstein 1976
Cruel Shoes 5.10d (pitch 4 and 5) 1975
Exasperator 5.10c FFA Eric Weinstein, Dave Nicol 1975
North North Arete 5.9 FFA Eric Weinstein, Dave Vernon 1973
Up From the Skies 5.10c A4 Daryl Hatten, Eric Weinstein 1975
Drifter’s Escape 5.9 A3 Eric Weinstein, Bill Thompson, Dave Nicol 1975
A whole lot of climbing in a remarkably short span of years!
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mastadon
Trad climber
quaking has-been
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Jul 25, 2010 - 04:36pm PT
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Climbed with Eric in The Trench. Hung with him in C4. He was a gentle soul and a GREAT free climber. We did some really (at the time) hard cracks in Yosemite with just hexes and stoppers. He had total control-I never saw him thrash. You could recognize him a mile away by his distinctive walk. Anyone else remember that?
Canada (and the rest of us) lost one of the greats when he died. I never was really sure of the circumstances around his death. I heard he had cancer and, when his time came, he went into the woods, leaned against a tree and died.
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
Transporter Room 2
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Jul 25, 2010 - 07:38pm PT
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That's a stylish way to do it.
Props.
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 25, 2010 - 07:57pm PT
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Eric did a very early repeat of the Shield (fifth?), sixth ascent of Mescalito and second of the PO. SOLID in the aiders!
For the record Eric and Daryl climbed about one hundred feet (not two pitches) of what is now known as Cruel Shoes during their ascent of Up From The Skies. Eric hooked his way off the finger and out of the arch to the first ledge. From there he did a run out stretch of 5.9 up and right to the first sickle.
The story I heard about Eric's end was that he was living in Arcadia, going to school, got sick with pancreatic cancer and when he knew his time was near, hiked off into the Trinity Alps and passed away by himself in his tent.
Big Jim tells of a time talking to Eric way back and asking him what motivated him to climb the way he did. According to Jim, Eric replied, "to be remembered".
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 25, 2010 - 10:16pm PT
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I'll chip in later, when I have more time. Plus ask Dave Vernon and Dave Nicol to help.
The photo above is of Eric on Short but Thin, autumn 1976. We'd done Slack Centre and Sachererer Crackerer, and were rounding out the day.
Eric was born in the US, but his family moved from Seattle to Canada in about 1971. His father got a job as a librarian at Simon Fraser University - as the draft was then still in effect, there was still some risk of Eric's being sent to Vietnam, and I vaguely recall that may have been a factor in the move. (Eric was 18 then.) Eric started climbing at a Seattle Mountaineers program, or something of the sort.
He gave up climbing some time after the PO Wall in 1977, and eventually moved to northern California, where he was attending community college. Eric died of liver cancer in early 1984.
There is a fair bit about Eric on the "Climbing at Squamish in the 1970s" thread.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 25, 2010 - 10:57pm PT
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Eric made notes on my topo of the Trip after he did the fifth ascent in 1977. Mason Frichette and I did the sixth in the same season.
Love the "Scarry " in wiggly script on the Headwall! It was with no solid bolt for the entire wildly overhanging pitch and only one at the belay!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jul 25, 2010 - 10:58pm PT
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hey there chief.... say, thank you so very kindly for teaching non-climbers like me about another part of your history....
and thanks for sharing, equally, with the climbers...
it takes many "bits and peices" as i always say, to make the "whole",
and each peice is equally special...
in this particular instance, too, he sounds like he'd have been a very good friend, and a special folk to run into as well...
god bless...
hope more folks share, too...
very young, sadly, that he had to face such a bad cancer... :(
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bmacd
climber
Relic Hominid
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Jul 25, 2010 - 11:06pm PT
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Looking forward to more additions to this thread.
Good one Chief !
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Anguish
Mountain climber
Jackson Hole Wyo.
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Jul 25, 2010 - 11:18pm PT
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I spent a lot of time climbing with Eric one or two years in the mid 70s in The Valley. A lot of time, and it was all good.
He was intense, focused and driven. I should dig out some slides, but we were very much just doing the short free thing and they weren't what shooting was about, I thought.
He ran out of gear on Sacher once and bitched me out b/c he had to loop a chockstone with the gear sling, mine, homemade, which wouldn't have held a fall.
Looking up, which was my usual point of view, his eyes were unforgettable. They would focus, laserlike, on his feet. This was true in cracks or on the Apron - we went both places often.
I think he introduced me to Daryl, who became a soulmate.
Two great friends from the North, both of them gone now, who taught me things I didn't even know I was learning.
Rest, buddies.
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Allen Hill
Social climber
CO.
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Jul 26, 2010 - 02:05am PT
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He did some fine first ascents with Bruce Morris here in Colorado. I've climbed all of them I believe. I never knew him but the two of them had a good eye for a line. Bruce I actually met as he brought me and Pete Thurston deli sandwiches and big cans of beer to the meadow after we spent a long night on Mammoth Terraces and bailed down the fixed lines. A standup guy. I seem to recall we climbed "Sailing Shoes" together on the same trip. Sorry to high jack the thread, memories tend to do that.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 26, 2010 - 02:26am PT
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who taught me things I didn't even know I was learning.
I felt that way after doing Half Dome with Daryl.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 26, 2010 - 07:29pm PT
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If I remember rightly - far from a sure thing - I first met Eric on a BC Mountaineering Club trip to Mountain Lake, in May 1972. Virtually all of us at that time got started by doing things with the BCMC, or perhaps UBC's Varsity Outdoor Club. If I get a chance, I'll check the club's newsletters and such, and see when Eric joined, and the first trip we were on together.
Anyway, I don't think we actually did any climbing together until that autumn. The BCMC had a trip scheduled to go to Marble Canyon for the Remembrance Day long weekend in early November. Somehow I got volunteered to 'organize', being young, energetic, etc. Eric called, as did Dave Nicol. We morphed from a trip to Marble Canyon, in the mysterious interior near Lillooet, to three days in Leavenworth, a known quantity. This involved borrowing two 120' ropes from the BCMC, and an exciting drive in Eric's parents' Valiant. Somewhere east of Everett, Eric pulled over to pass someone, but did so through an intersection. So we got pulled over. Eric urgently asked to borrow my glasses - it turns out that he was supposed to have glasses for driving, but had forgotten them, or maybe just hadn't brought them. But he still got a "Crossing a solid double yellow line in the state of Washington is $25" lecture.
Eric was a rather fast and aggressive driver at times.
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Eric Beck
Sport climber
Bishop, California
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Jul 26, 2010 - 10:52pm PT
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This is second hand from my old friend Jon Storer. He and Eric had been climbing together down at Arch Rock and the Cookie on a number of consecutive days. This was back in the 70s when the road was under traffic control while they were laying a sewer line under the road.
Anyway they would always meet the same traffic control person when they returned to the valley. One day, while looking at them in their climbing whites and hands covered in chalk, he asked "Excuse me, but are you fellows bakers?"
Hopefully Jon who sometimes appears here can elaborate.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 27, 2010 - 02:18am PT
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Anyway, about that Valiant. We had three good days climbing, mostly at Peshastin Pinnacles, but also Midway. Dave had done an Alpine Crafts program at Joffre Lakes, and I'd met him on Thanksgiving weekend, a month before. He was hitch-hiking up to hike into Garibaldi Lake, and we picked him up. Both Eric and Dave were a few years older than me, so on a somewhat different plane in terms of experience and life. As we were all still mountaineers, we had helmets - Dave had brought his motorcycle helmet, which proved a bit of a nuisance. He still reminds me of it.
We did some quite modest climbs, mostly 5.6 - 5.7. It was fairly cool and grey. Eric rescued Dave and me from our inexperience and inability several times. This was pre-Chouinard nuts, so we had SMC hexes, pitons, and maybe some Clogs or something. We stopped at the budding faux ersatz Bavarian metropolis of Leavenworth for something to eat or drink each night, and bivouaced at Eight Mile campground. Maybe we forgot a tent, or were lazy, but we all squeezed into the Valiant. One lucky guy got the front seat, two wedged into the back.
Quite the experience - my first road trip with peers, rather than tagging along with adults.
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Jul 27, 2010 - 07:29am PT
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I think it was on the Salathe in around 1976 when Eric dropped his partner's camera. They found bits and pieces at the base. A very cool, underrated climber.
Bruce
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Jul 27, 2010 - 09:37am PT
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Met him once or twice. Wished I would have known him better. I remember trying Sentry Box and thinking there is no way I would ever be able to do that thing (and i was right).
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 27, 2010 - 12:39pm PT
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I spent a fair amount of time climbing, and hanging around, with Eric, from about 1972 - 76. There were really only five or six of climbing regularly at Squamish at the start, though the number soon increased. So we all knew each other quite well. The two Daves probably did more social-type things with Eric, as they were more of an age. Plus Eric quickly outpaced most of us, particularly for free climbing. The Daryl-Eric partnership was kind of amusing, though, with Daryl being focused on walls and aid, and Eric on free climbing.
In the week after our expedition to Leavenworth at Remembrance Day in 1972, we all went to a slide show put on by Hugh Burton and Steve Sutton. It was at Simon Fraser University, and was of their FA of Magic Mushroom that spring. Pretty inspiring stuff, particularly as they were at most 20 then. The running joke of their show was that they'd done the route in only one pitch. Possibly the presentation was enhanced by beer or other means.
The following weekend - it was dry, for November - Eric and others went to Squamish, to try South Arete on the Apron. (In those days, most free climbing at Squamish was on the Apron.) The area was and is a bit bushy, plus there are several cracks. So Eric somehow got off route, and took a whopper, which was held by a sling on some scruffy stump. He called me from hospital and said he couldn't go climbing the next day, though he wasn't significantly hurt.
That winter and much of the next year Eric worked for my father. To be continued...
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 28, 2010 - 06:15pm PT
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There was some cold, clear weather in December 1972. Nonetheless, one day Eric persuaded me to go climbing, on the basis that it was dry, even if windy, and probably -10 in Squamish. We attempted Mushroom (after which Magic Mushroom was named), a two pitch A1 climb on the Papoose, wading through the snow to get to it. We didn't know where the trail was, and so thrashed through the slash under the power lines. Luckily as mountaineers this was fairly SOP. Anyway, I think I was leading, but only got three or four placements up before we thought better of the whole thing. I don't think Eric offered to try it in my place, which later he often did, so it probably was pretty ugly.
So we maybe had lunch or warmed up at the Klahanie (the restaurant by Shannon Falls), then Eric wanted to boulder. We bouldered on the road cut in front of the Chief - where the pedestrian bridge now is, but they blasted away a bunch of it when working on the highway. The blasted rock offered some quite good faces, with nice incuts and such. It was really windy, so I didn't last long before retreating to the car.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Jul 28, 2010 - 08:18pm PT
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Seems like a guy of Eric's stature deserves to be on the front page for a while. So...my only other Eric contribution.
It's a little humiliating, but I never actually scored in all my years of spending late spring and early summer in Yosemite (Valley or otherwise). Turns out, the closest I even got to first base was with this woman Beth, who worked at the Wells Fargo Bank in Yosemite Village. I'd flirt with her at every withdrawel (for some of you; in the old days, you withdrew your money from a person rather than a machine). Anyhow, at some point in this proto-relationship, I learned that her boyfriend was Eric Weinstein. Well, that pretty much did it for me. I think I started withdrawing more money at a single transaction or something after that.
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Jul 29, 2010 - 04:02am PT
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During the late winter early spring of 1977, Eric and I teamed up in Denver, Colorado and did "Pressure Drop" (5.11a) on Crescent Arch Wall in Estes Park, "Finger-tip Control" (5.11a) at Split Rocks on the way to Estes Park, and "Return to Forever" (5.10d) on the backside of Sphinx Crack in the South Platte area. After finishing my Ph.D. disseration at DU that March, I became the manager of a hippy apartment house in Denver nick named the Yellow Submarine because of the coat of yellow railroad paint that the owner, Tom Steele, had used to paint it. Eric used to come over with his big bamboo bong every evening and flirt with a girl named "Mindless Mary" who rented down the hall from my manager's office.
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 29, 2010 - 11:08pm PT
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Eric turned us on to Return to Forever's Romantic Warrior and Di Meola's Elegant Gypsy in the fall of 76 I think.
Anthems for the time that still resonate today.
Yes Eric loved to drive fast and that influenced us as well.
I remember more than a couple white knuckle hurtles up the old Sea to Sky highway in his piece of sh#t Datsun.
He maintained the same cool control as when he was climbing. Naturally, we had to develop and demonstrate similar prowess.
Wish we had more pictures.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 30, 2010 - 01:29pm PT
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As long as I know who the ass belongs to, I am even happy for the buttshots!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 31, 2010 - 03:08am PT
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Before Eric had his Datsun, he had a Fiat, in 1973 - 75 or so. It was essentially a two seater, and gutless. We did trips in it in 1974 to places like Hedley, and then the Bugaboos, that took forever. The Datsun (a 510?) really created possibilities. Roomier, way peppier. Although Eric's driving habits left a lot to be desired. A trip to Squamish with him was often more exciting and riskier than the climb. He also collected a good number of tickets, mostly for speeding.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 31, 2010 - 03:16am PT
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This Eric guy sounds like the Real Deal. It makes me think of all the other young, talented, gifted, shining lights, that died before their time, or maybe it was their time and only our problem of not understanding. "It's a sad and beautiful world."
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MH2
climber
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Jul 31, 2010 - 03:41am PT
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He gave up climbing some time after the PO Wall in 1977, and eventually moved to northern California, where he was attending community college.
I remember being told by Darryl Cramer that he went to school with Eric in California.
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storer
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Jul 31, 2010 - 10:38pm PT
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Thanks to Eric Beck for jogging my memory about Eric Weinstein. Indeed, Eric W. and I met in Camp 4 and climbed together for a spell. Eric was really interested in thin cracks and was a very polished free climber. I had always wondered what happened to him and thank Beck for enlightening me because I could only remember Eric but not the last name. I remember one climb we did, Catchy Corner I think, where Eric led, of course, but came down several times before doing it and without hanging. He got his torso into some awesome position before freeing it. As much as I tried to do the same, I couldn't and asked for, and got, tension which was freely given.
Eric wore, as I remember, white painters' pants and a white tee shirt and he liked the white courage (chalk) as much as I. Both covered with it up to the armpits we'd come back each day through a construction zone. The flagman said nothing until finally, "tell me, are you guys bakers?"
But Eric Beck: Didn't you once reach for salad at the cafeteria with hands that had been taped but still had splotches of tincture? The sanitary server on the other side admonishing you with, "is that fungus growing on your hands?"
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Ever since I heard the story of how Eric died, how he hiked off into the mountains and passed away by himself in his tent... I've often thought what a noble and dignified way to die. I would hope that I would have the guts and wherewithal to do it similarly.
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Kalimon
Trad climber
Ridgway, CO
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The account of the 2nd ascent of the P.O. Wall in Mountain Magazine is a classic must read. Eric was a member of the party that accomplished this formidable (for the era) feat.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Cool. Another excellent bump SG. Thanks!
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the goat
climber
north central WA
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I wish I had the chance to climb more often with Eric, he was one of the most graceful climbers I ever met. I forgot about his mediatation and prep for a climb, I can't remember but I don't think you were supposed to talk to him while he was "preparing." I found this process extremely difficult since I usually can't shut up, but for Eric it seemed like the proper thing to do.
On one occasion we went to Reed's to do Lunatic Fringe, something he hadn't climbed before. For whatever reason, he struggled so I ended up leading it. Next on the list was Meat Grinder which I hadn't done before so I wanted to lead it but Eric was so ticked at his LF performance he wanted a go. Five minutes and 3-4 placements later I was struggling to get up what he danced over. He was an incredibly talented climber.
Rick LeDuc
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tarek
climber
berkeley
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Eric Weinstein. The name stuck in my mind after I stared at the guidebook page for a while. One of my failed early leads was Caboose. I had only passive gear--it never ocurred to me that it might not really work so well, given the nature of the leaning crack. I placed a few suspect pieces from a layback and ran it out to the one pin on the route. Tunnel vision removed the possibility of a hang from my mind, and I laybacked past, going into full desperation mode, too pumped to place gear. Got close, but no--whipped and survived on that pin. Made me wonder if there were more on the FA. A few years later went back and ran into PB right there, and he gave me the 2 pieces of gear lesson that, turns out, he got from Weinstein.
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the goat
climber
north central WA
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You couldn't have two more different approaches to climbing than Darryl and Eric's. Eric, the zen master, Darryl, der beer meister. As I recall they made a very early repeat of the Shield, 3,4,5th? Although not exactly his favorite, aid climbing seemed to suit Eric's personality. Had he lived longer, I think we would've seen some incredibly bold lines on El Cap not to mention more visionary free routes like Sentry Box.
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o-man
Trad climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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I would like to jump in and say that I climbed, trained, and partied a lot with Eric in the winter/spring of 1977 when he was in Colorado to do some climbing. He got a job at a creamery and I met Eric and Bruce Morris at Washington Park Rec Center in Denver a couple times a week for weight training. Pat Adams and Buck Norden frequented the gym often that season.
Eric and I stomped around in the Platte and did some of the established routes in the Cathedral Spires and Top Of The world.
I remember Eric arriving in Camp 4 with Charlie Flowler after their horrendous night trying to punch their way over the Sierras. Tuolumne was closed so they tried other weaknesses and finally found one. They were pretty whipped and crashed in my van for a day.
I also hooked up with Eric when he was a climbing ranger in Tuolumne.
I had always wondered about Eric and was sad to here of his passing.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Eric, a climbing ranger in Tuolumne? I never knew that! Sounds like there could be a story there.
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o-man
Trad climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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Eric was a guide not a Ranger. Sorry for the misinformation.
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the goat
climber
north central WA
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O-man, I stayed with Eric in a house in Boulder for a couple of weeks in 76/77(?). Charlie Fowler and a few other guys were living there too. Chinese pull-ups were required after dinner activities before retiring to the roof with beer in-hand to watch the evening pyrotechnics. I didn't realize Eric spent the whole year (2?) there.
This might have been the same trip I did AF in Boulder Canyon with the illustrious Mr. Cilley, he might have been living in the same as well. Now we're really shakin some cobwebs...........
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dickcilley
Social climber
Wisteria Ln.
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I'll never forget that Athletes Feat.
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o-man
Trad climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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the goat, Eric moved into Charlies house when he moved to Boulder. That was a very famous house and you never knew who you would run into when visiting.
Very cool times in Boulder back then.
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todd morgan
climber
vancouver
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Jun 15, 2011 - 12:38am PT
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I met Eric when I was sixteen in 1977.My brother Stephen was a friend and climbing partner of Eric's.Stephen passed away at the age of 27, months before Eric died.All I knew about Eric Weinstein for years was that he was my older brother's best friend,very sweet,rather eccentric,always polite,never leaving the house without complimenting my moms cooking and thanking my dad for letting him stay over. Eric never left my mind.He had a huge influence over the music I still listen to today.Finding out recently about his fame jarred loose a lot of beautiful memories of my brother and his friend.Thanks Eric.
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 15, 2011 - 12:43am PT
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Todd,
Thanks for your post, very touching and sad.
If my memory serves me right, I recall meeting your brother Stephen more than once and had no idea of his untimely passing. Belated condolences and best wishes.
PB
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Jun 15, 2011 - 12:48am PT
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sentry box.
great climb. one move in the middle. slight but real chance of hitting a slim but career-changing ledge.
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bmacd
Social climber
100% Canadian
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Jun 15, 2011 - 01:39am PT
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Eric really plucked the early plums of Squamish. One of my favorites was the * North North Arete 5.9 FFA Eric Weinstein, Dave Vernon 1973 - It's no epic, nothing but super fine splitters in a very cool setting. Vernon was my partner for it and he hadn't climbed it since the first ascent.
Thank you Eric !
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 16, 2011 - 03:33pm PT
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Thanks, Todd. I did quite a lot of climbing with your brother Stephen (we called him Steve), in the early to mid 1970s, but lost touch with him about 1980. I'm sorry to hear of his early death. Here are one or two photos of Steve.
Bump, for Eric and Steve.
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mastadon
Trad climber
crack addict
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Jun 16, 2011 - 05:36pm PT
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Anyone remember who Eric did the 2nd ascent of the PO with? I seem to remember it was Dave Anderson and Erik Ziesche....
Dave Anderson once told me a story of getting one pitch from the top and taking LSD and camping for a day on the wall and being totally freaked. Seems to me it was the PO with Weinstein....
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 16, 2011 - 05:38pm PT
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Eric did the PO with Daryl, Greg Child, and another Australian whose name I forget. Spring 1977.
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mastadon
Trad climber
crack addict
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Jun 16, 2011 - 05:42pm PT
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So much for MY memory... Ha!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 19, 2012 - 01:48pm PT
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Lunch yesterday with the Weinstein family, including Edward (father), Stella (sister), Sara (niece), Jason (Sara's spouse), Marlo (great-niece), Dave Nicol, and yours truly. A poignant occasion.
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Feb 19, 2012 - 02:31pm PT
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I can still remember meeting Eric at the Washington Park Gym in Denver where I used to train fanatically while getting my Ph.D. in English lit and Classics at the University of Denver. Yes, Pat Adams used to frequent the place as did Olaf D. ('OD') Mitchell, who I believe posted above. I used to manage an apartment house known to its post-hippie residents as the "Yellow Submarine" where such great eccentrics as 'Crazy' Mary and Bob 'the Cat Man' rented little cubicles. Eric used to come over and party with me and Mary into the wee hours. And, no, Eric wasn't working in a creamery yet, but rather was scraping the killing floor of a local slaughter house with a shovel for a $grand a month. I can still recall vividly when his next door neighbor at another Denver apartment house snuck into Eric's room and stole all the cash he'd been saving for Yosemite that summer. This was just before I did my dissertation defense so had a lot of free time that spring for me and Eric to drive all over Colorado looking for new cracks to climb. One cold day that March we drove off into the S. Platte and found "Return to Forever" (5.10d) on the back of the Sphinx Crack Rock. We also did something Eric named, "Fingertip Control" (5.11a) above Split Rocks on the way to Estes Park. We were doing everything with hexes and stoppers and remember how Eric could hang out forever without weighting and still place those things very securely. We'd heard from Victor Creazzi in Boulder that the 'hardest crack climb in Colorado' was waiting to be done up behind Gem Lake on the Crescent Arch Wall in Rocky Mountain National Park. A whole host of people had failed on it before, so we drove up there in Eric's little Datsun with the Panda Bear sticker listening to Toots and the Maytalls' 'Pressure Drop' on a bubba deck. Eric did it first try and named it after the song. It sure wasn't the hardest crack in Colorado, but it was certainly a proud send for the day. I remember that I messed up on my area exam and had to do 'remediation' before DU would grant me my Ph.D. and let me get the hell out of there, so Eric started climbing and partying with Olaf while I worked as a night watchman at a singles apartment complex in the south of Denver (Sure wish I could get something like that today!) Ran into Eric later on in the Valley in the early 80s after he'd cleaned up his image and gone back to school, but that was shortly before he got sick. I remember saying to myself, Eric Weinstein has now gone professional! Wow, what a change! But he still seemed the same soft-spoken guy with an ironic sense of humor that I'd known four or five years before in Denver. I do remember that he seemed to be a very, very dedicated athlete who could climb cracks like no one I'd ever met before. He opened my eyes to new route possibilities. For someone who died so young, he certainly touched and changed many lives with his noble example and heroic deeds.
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the goat
climber
north central WA
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Feb 19, 2012 - 07:24pm PT
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Thanks for the update and bump Anders, wish I could have been there with you. I definitely see the resemblence with Stella and Edward. The more I think about Eric, the more I miss him and wonder what more he would have accomplished in his life. It's safe to say he made the most out of what time he did spend with us......RIP Eric.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 22, 2012 - 02:36am PT
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The account of the second ascent of the Pacific Ocean Wall in 1977, by Eric and Daryl (Canadian) and Greg and Kim (Australian). From Mountain 61, May 1978.
IIRC, it was then considered the hardest long rock climb in the world.
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thekidcormier
Gym climber
squamish, b.c.
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May 22, 2012 - 01:05am PT
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Eric Weinstein Bump! Does anyone know much about the FA of Up from the Skies.. says in anders guide that they used the "a pitch a day siege tactics"
What a gnarly lookin line has anyone been on it?
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NigelSSI
Trad climber
B.C.
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Jun 15, 2012 - 04:05pm PT
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I finally got around to taking the photo Anders asked for. The few tidbits about Eric are pretty inspiring for me. Move just a few feet over, and a local crag is visible.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 15, 2012 - 07:56pm PT
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Thanks, Nigel - much appreciated. I forwarded the photos to all those of Eric's friends for whom I have e-mail.
Here's Nigel's photo of the church itself, Saint Mary's Anglican church near Fulford, on Saltspring Island. Eric is now buried there, near his mother.
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Tricouni
Mountain climber
Vancouver
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Jun 15, 2012 - 08:22pm PT
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I never knew him. Wish I had.
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o-man
Social climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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Jun 16, 2012 - 10:34pm PT
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RESPECT!
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Jun 17, 2012 - 12:44am PT
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This thread deserves a few photos of Eric's FA's
Perspective
Hand Jive
Luke Cormier Photo
Exasperator
Caboose
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Jun 17, 2012 - 12:57am PT
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All these pics of Eric's FAs are great. But does anyone have a shot of "Sentry Box"? He always said that was his magnum opus at Squamish.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Jun 17, 2012 - 01:06am PT
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Bruce- I have this one of the lower half, i will have to see if i have any others.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Jun 17, 2012 - 01:59am PT
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gf- mh has that video in a uploable format. He played it for the Squamish historical society presentation he did this spring. It was a classic! If he could gain permission if would be a simple matter of posting it to youtube.
This stuff needs to be shared, it really helps give us an appreciation of our roots.
I was unable to find a better shot of sentry box from our day at Nightmare but, we will be returning there at some point. Next time i'm in the area.
I do have another of Perspective.
Luke semi freed/mostly aided this pitch :)
Kyle sent it proper. Just barely by his own account.
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NigelSSI
Trad climber
B.C.
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Jun 17, 2012 - 02:32am PT
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Only shot I have is from the ground...
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 17, 2012 - 03:00pm PT
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Which one is big Dave, and which one is little Dave? It would help to know.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Social climber
Retired in Appalachia
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Jun 17, 2012 - 03:06pm PT
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That Pacific Cruise article in Mountain was awesome.
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Scrubber
climber
Straight outta Squampton
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Jun 18, 2012 - 11:53am PT
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The last edition of Squamish select had a good pic of the late (great) Aidan Oloman on Sentry box as the cover shot. She's right in the middle of the crux.
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hamish f
Social climber
squamish
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Jun 18, 2012 - 12:06pm PT
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"Big Dave and Little Dave", that's the funniest thing on this site in weeks.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 18, 2012 - 12:23pm PT
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IIRC, in the Sentry Box film, they're referred to as Big Dave and Little Dave, perhaps to distinguish them for the audience. We never called them that at the time, although maybe it's something from when they were in elementary school. Anyway, the dubbing was done in the 1990s, twenty years or so after the film was made, so Dave N must know. Maybe some private joke?
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Greg Child
climber
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I was wondering if anyone had any contact with Eric's girlfriend Beth (I think I recall her name right)? After we did Mescalito and the PO, and went to Colorado on a road trip, I think he became ill. I lost terack of the last part of his life. Anyone out there know anything about that?
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MH2
climber
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Possibly Darryl Cramer has info? His last post here was about a month ago.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Great bump. What a treat it was to read this again with breakfast.
I must admit however, my first encounter with Anders was a conversation about retrobolting one of Eric's routes.
Now to be fair I have never done such a thing in my life, but as a noob I simply didn't know any better.
Anders was involved in the first ascent of Bran Flakes, with Peter Croft and Tami Knight. I had been up the apron recently and when we climbed Question of Balance i noticed the two rusty bolts to the left of us sprouting from the moss.
So i posed a question to Anders on the local climbing forum.
"Could a bolt not be added to Bran Flakes, to make it safer, yet still run out like it's neighbour QOB? And while we're at it, add a couple to Eric's Route so it sees more traffic?"
He was very adamant that be would not like to see Eric's Route receive any additional hardware, but said he would talk to Peter and Tami about Bran Flakes.
He ended up scrubbing them the next summer and fixing the old hardware.
What i didn't realize at the time, is not every piece of rock has to be utilized or sanitized. Anders in fact has preserved these routes so that people can still experience them today, In almost exactly the same condition as the first ascent 30+ years ago. The granite crystals aren't all polished like some of the other apron trade routes.
It also represents a perfect progression in the art of the run out. First is the classic 3 bolts per 25m 5.9 pitch of Ander's Question of Balance. Then Bran flakes ups the ante with only 2 bolts for the pitch. Finally Eric's route does with as little pro as possible, with one lonely bolt just above the halfway point of the pitch.
Who am i to advocate taking away this run out slab training resource... Dumb noob. Lol
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overwatch
climber
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Just starting to read what appears to be a great thread and was immediately struck by the circumstances of his passing. My only wish is to be that brave when that journey comes.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Bump for unfinished business a few posts up thread.
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the goat
climber
north central WA
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Nov 13, 2016 - 12:37pm PT
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Bump for a thread that got me thinking about Eric again. Damn I miss that perverted laugh of his..................... Darryl's too.
C'mon folks, there's more to be added to this one.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Nov 13, 2016 - 02:11pm PT
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This thread could use more pictures of him, for sure.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Nov 13, 2016 - 02:20pm PT
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No, no. That's the Eric Weinstein who was also in the Magnificent Seven. Not the same guy at all.
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
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Nov 13, 2016 - 02:24pm PT
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Oh, sorry.
(Shocked the sh!t out of you for a sec though, huh?) :)
Edit to add: Actually, eeyonkee, imo, you're one of the few in fifty or one hundred who might enjoy this podcast with Weinstein, particularly the last 20 minutes, where it gets esp insightful and bang-on (apropos to the times).
Sorry for the two-post thread drift, I'll stop now.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Nov 13, 2016 - 02:28pm PT
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If I were to bet on whether Sam Harris would have a guest on his podcast with the same name as a famous (deceased) Canadian climber -- I'd have lost, for sure.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Nov 18, 2016 - 01:13pm PT
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Darryl too!
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Nov 18, 2016 - 01:40pm PT
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To rad. ,,,!, 74-76+or(80ish?)- WOW!!
Sucks the breath right out of you!
Cheers an Saluté to the memory of THE PROLIFIC and HARD CLIMBING ,
ERIC WEINSTEIN
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Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
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Nov 18, 2016 - 01:50pm PT
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Olaf D. Mitchell and I knew Eric quite well in Denver in 1976-77 while I was managing a collective menagerie apartment house known to its residents as the "Yellow Submarine" out by Washington Park right next door to a rock n' roll booking agency/record store. The Mafia used to come by once a week in a lime green Cadillac to shake down the local businesses for a payoff.
It was that kind of a 'hood' for sure. Will always remember Crazy Mary, Bill the Catman, John Bad, Karen Hegal (great, great granddaughter of the German philosopher) and Eric there right in the middle of all the madness.
Great times! Where are all those super-heroes today? Hope a few of them outlasted the late, great Swine-stein!
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the goat
climber
north central WA
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Nov 18, 2016 - 02:16pm PT
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Ha! "swinestein," a name Darryl used on Eric more than a few times. They seemed like unlikely climbing partners, especially on a wall, but they ticked off some great ascents including the PO 2nd.
Thanks for the photo Greg, got more like it? Anders?
Bruce, were you in the Boulder house with Eric and Charlie F.?
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mastadon
Trad climber
crack addict
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Nov 18, 2016 - 02:51pm PT
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Wow! That's a GREAT picture. That seemingly benign image speaks volumes. Look at Eric's hands and eyes. Hatton's and Carrigan's too. Everyone looks like they're shell-shocked. Could be they're massively impaired but they have a look of quiet desperation. I'd love to see some more pics from that climb. Those guys were pretty special and I really hate the fact that they're not around anymore. Too many friends have passed.....
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Nov 18, 2016 - 04:11pm PT
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I'm Greg.
("And so is m' wife!").
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the goat
climber
north central WA
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Nov 18, 2016 - 08:38pm PT
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Greg's shot of Greg, by Greg? I am confused but then it doesn't take much these days.
I'm with you Don, I'd love to see more shots of the ascent, but if I only got to see one that photo says it all. I really miss both of them, they left us way too young. BTW- I think you and I did Vanishing Point on Darryl's "40 beer" day........and he was still relatively coherent. Eric was only good for 2 or 3, "declare lightweight!'
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