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Banquo
Trad climber
Morgan Hill, CA (Mo' Hill)
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I really enjoyed reading your post and can't wait for the book to come out. Keep up the good work, my faith in the ST forum has been restored.
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wildone
climber
Troy, MT
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Great work PR. We're waiting for more.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Susie-
Congratulations on your perseverance in turning a personal interest into a work of art! I know some of this was difficult to delve into, but you have done what any good biographer, not to mention any good friend would do, and taken a balanced look at one of climbing's most memorable characters.
When you've talked to Beryl, you will be ready to finish the book. Meanwhile,I predict that it will sell very well. Classics always do.
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Branscomb
Trad climber
Lander, WY
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Thank you for posting that; great stuff. I talked with him a few times up Hy50 in the 70s. I really liked him, he was really his own person. It's too bad he got to feel that he was a failure as a climber because he wasn't, he was one of the greats. Thanks again.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Thank you Park Rat, that was great.
Warren was always one of my heroes for his climbing accomplishments and his sense of humor. I remember waiting for "Downward Bound" with great anticipation. I was in high school at the time. I still have it in the "keepers section" of my climbing library.
We had the honor of visiting with Warren and Lin Ottenger (Lin many times) in Moab a couple of times when he was there. Were they living together, I don't quite remember the details? I don't think I met Alice though.
Warren was WAY more personable than Royal.
Thanks again, you're the greatest!!!!!
DE
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dogtown
Trad climber
JackAssVille, Wyoming
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Thanks for posting Park-Rat;
If memory serves and or the rumor mill is correct one or the other, Royal and Yvon had kind-a love hate thing going also. Super competitive sport we have here No?
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Bad Climber
climber
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Keep bumpin' this baby. A great post. Thanks.
Survival: You win a gold medal for this line:
"Let me put it this way: If I had my way with Sophia Loren, in her prime, on a park bench in Central Park and made her yell at the top of her lungs, I would love to see that park bench all my life."
BAd
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dogtown
Trad climber
JackAssVille, Wyoming
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Survival;
One needs to re-call the time frame Park - Rat is talking about 50’s and 60’some early 70’s Hell the whole valley was wide open. Also their competitive nature why would one repeat someone’s route when the cup runs over with new lines. I think how Warrens FA’s tapered off as time moved on is a pretty good yard stick about where his head was at. (at the time ) Just a guess on my part.
Cheers, DT
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Dickbob
climber
Colorado
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Thank you. thats what it is all about.
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originalpmac
Mountain climber
Anywhere I like
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awesome worthwhile reading, that made my day before I go to work.
I once put up a route with a buddy of mine in what I think of as Harding's style, even a couple of bat hook moves on it. It's on the Sandia wall in Ouray, and we bolted it with a hand drill on lead. Eleven bolts through a blank, horizontal roof, (which raises the question, "why?") took us multiple days with fixed lines to the ground down four pitches (we did have jobs) but all I could think of was Harding at the end of the Nose, in the dark with HARD rock, just tapping away on a drill all night. What a bad ass.
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
SoCal
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Thanks for this. Your writing is good. Keep it going.
To me, Harding holds a place in history like Columbus. He dared to dream and do what would make most men tremble and shy away. His FA on El Cap was the greatest ascent of that wall because it was first. Though others have climbed harder, faster, cleaner-- whatever, the daring-do that did it first is the greatest.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Susie,
That was one of the better stories relating history here on ST. Thanks so much for putting that all down. Your sharing those tales bring a smile to my face & that of many others I am sure.
Thanks again for sharing the words & photos.
Bill Leventhal
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Nibs
Trad climber
Humboldt, CA
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Wow, that you for posting. If you write the book I will be buying.
I once drove a 600 mile round trip in one day to see Warren at Sunrise Mountaineering sometime in the mid eighties. To me it was worth every hour of driving for the brief slide show and handshake; a witty one of a kind iconoclast. The only downside were those few in the audience that just had to give Warren grief over WoEML.
[edit: only made trips like the above for music; WH is the only rock star I ever made a point of seeing in person. The point of the post was how he inspires even the lowliest of the community]
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Park Rat
Social climber
CA, UT,CT,FL
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 11, 2011 - 08:20pm PT
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First of all many thanks for all your kind words and encouragements they mean a lot to me.
I often have wondered if I had what it takes to take on this project. Your kind words really help to keep me going.
I thought it was time to share some of my findings with ST, as you are the reason I am writing his history.
Without your stories, I would not be able to write about him.
I have been living with Warrens story for over a year, I sometimes feel I am channeling his thoughts and that he would appreciate what I'm writing about him.
Please feel free to jump in with your own thoughts and stories.
Thanks much,
Park Rat
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Jan 11, 2011 - 10:56pm PT
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One thing that I think is important to note is that many climbers who disagreed with Warren's philosophy of climbing, still admired him greatly as an anti-establishment symbol of the age. For some he was the rock climbing version of James Dean.
In the 1960's anyone who could tweak the establishment, won appreciation from the young, but especially the non conformists who constituted the rock climbing community. Such was Warren's style and character, that even climbing purists like Sacherer admired him greatly for his personal style.
Numerous were the admiring comments about hoping to live as grandly as Warren when we became as old as he was. Fast sport cars and beautiful blonds clinging to his arm, and he could climb and dirt bag it, and tell outrageous jokes about the icons of American climbing. What was not to like at that period of time?
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Jan 13, 2011 - 07:31am PT
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And more good news. Park Rat and Beryl Knauth have finally made contact and are collaborating on the Warren Harding story. The last pieces are falling into place.
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steveA
Trad climber
bedford,massachusetts
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Jan 13, 2011 - 08:24am PT
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Park Rat
Your post is what makes S.T. a unique place. I'm glad I got the chance to meet Warren before his passing. A very interesting character indeed! Thanks!
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Captain...or Skully
climber
leading the away team, but not in a red shirt!
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Jan 13, 2011 - 08:33am PT
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Ditto.
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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Jan 18, 2011 - 09:30pm PT
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Galen Rowell once said that if Harding had been born in 1850 he would have
ridden with Butch Cassidy and his Hole in the Wall Gang.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jan 18, 2011 - 09:41pm PT
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Thanks, Susie - it's nice to read your stories and thoughts about Warren. I think everyone who met you at the Sacherer memorial last spring was quite taken with the idea that someone, a non-climber but still someone who was part of the scene in the Valley, would be so interested as to work on a book about Warren. Hopefully you'll get lots of helps from all his friends.
One thought - include a DVD with the book, with excerpts from interviews with Warren, and so on. There's probably a lot of footage available, and it would be fascinating.
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