Fail Falling

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Messages 1 - 78 of total 78 in this topic
Royal Robbins

Trad climber
Modesto, California
Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 11, 2011 - 12:52pm PT
Wow, the people who visit this forum are so articulate that it scares me to put anything down. But I am planning on traveling a bit to promote my new book,the second volume of my autobiography, Fail Falling (i.e. it's OK to fail, but go down trying). This book is about climbing in Southern California in the 1950's, which may seem like a long time ago to some of you, but not to me. Much of the climbing takes place on Tahquitz Rock, but I also visited Yosemite then, and recount the free ascent of the Higher Cathedral Spire in 1952 and the ascent of the North Face of Sentinel Rock in 1953. The Spire had been done free before (the first free ascent was by Chuck Wilts in 1947) and Don Wilson, Jerry Gallwas and I made the second ascent on Sentinel in 1953 (The first ascent was by Salathe and Steck in 1950). But I end the book with a description of the first ascent of the NW Face of Half Dome by Gallwas, Mike Sherrick, and me. I will post more later when I get the dates firmed up. Thanks for your attention.

Good Climbing!
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:04pm PT
if the book travelling includes a slide show, I'm in!

cheers,
Munge
Gene

climber
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:05pm PT
RR,

Haven't read it yet but I have heard very good things about Fail Falling. Best of luck on your tour.

g
Disaster Master

Social climber
Born in So-Cal, left my soul in far Nor-Cal.
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:09pm PT
Are you going through Santa Rosa. Have you talked to Jerry Dodrill at the RIM club there about a show?
http://rockicemountain.org/
Lee Bow

Trad climber
wet island
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:17pm PT
RR: Re your first sentance...

May I humbly submit that if any one human being need not fear speaking his mind here it would be you!

Thank you for inspiring my dreams.
karodrinker

Trad climber
San Jose, CA
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:19pm PT
Thanks Royal, I really enjoyed your first book. I can't wait to get my hands on the second.

Best of Luck,
Kalen
Skeptimistic

Mountain climber
La Mancha
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:24pm PT
Love it!
Crimpergirl

Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:25pm PT
Hoping you make it through Colorado on your tour.
Roxy

Trad climber
CA Central Coast
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:27pm PT
bump for volume 2
Peter Haan

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:28pm PT
Thanks RR. And congrats on getting the second volume out!
BooDawg

Social climber
Polynesian Paradise
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:34pm PT
Aloha Royal,

Doubtful you'll come on tour to Hawaii Island or even promote your book on Kaua'i, should you and Liz visit there again this winter. But I'll be spending the better part of this year in the Yosemite area, so I hope to see you along the way, and I look forward to connecting with you further.

Best of everything to you & Liz in the New Year, especially on your book tour.

Ken
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:38pm PT
RR-

As Crimpergirl said, try to make it through Colorado! I live close enough (160 miles to the north) that d certainly attend a talk or slideshow.

Rodger
healyje

Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:38pm PT
Missed you on your visit to Southern Illinois back in the day, but would be all ears if you graced Portland with a visit. Look forward to your new book.
10b4me

Ice climber
Happy Boulders
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:38pm PT
Thank you for posting this. Looking forward to seeing the show
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:40pm PT
It would be interesting to find out how many of those who post regularly here count "Basic Rockraft" as one of their first-ever climbing purchases.
Patrick Oliver

Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:46pm PT
Where's my copy, Royal! I think I had a small hand in some of that
editing, though as always you rely on yourself ultimately. I have
always heard your voice clearly in all your work. It rises poetically
at all the right places, and I'm sure the climbing world will adore
this new installment as all other of your writings. Your lifelong friend,
as you put it, Patrick Oliver

(Is there going to be a chapter about how you almost beat me at chess, haha?)
hooblie

climber
from where the anecdotes roam
Jan 11, 2011 - 01:46pm PT
books are great, but there's nothing quite like a story around the campfire. please take up our invitation to share some with this crowd in the style to which we have grown accustomed. in addition, that is, to the hopefully fabulously successful book tour.

and thanks for all the effort it must have taken to write the volumes to date. we're an eager audience, maybe even insatiable.
but don't hold that against us, toss us some scraps
Slater

Trad climber
Central Coast
Jan 11, 2011 - 02:05pm PT
Hey Royal, don't forget the tri-counties (Ventura/SB/SLO) we like to climb.
Is there a slide-show too? Did they make slides in the 1950s? ha ha.
Either way, would be great to see you and hear some story.
-Tom Slater
happiegrrrl

Trad climber
New York, NY
Jan 11, 2011 - 03:42pm PT
Bump for a climbing topic
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Jan 11, 2011 - 04:04pm PT
And it was a brilliant move to use the light hearted illustrations of Sheridan Anderson.

We lost that guy way too soon.
ron gomez

Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
Jan 11, 2011 - 04:08pm PT
Great reading in BOTH of the books, really enjoyed them and look forward to the rest of the series. Hope you make it to Southern California with the tour Royal. Thanks for all you do for our community!
Peace
Ron
Gal

Trad climber
a semi lucid consciousness
Jan 11, 2011 - 04:10pm PT
can't wait! Hope your book tour finds it's way to Arizona...
couchmaster

climber
pdx
Jan 11, 2011 - 04:12pm PT
Looking forward to it!
pud

climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
Jan 11, 2011 - 04:31pm PT
I hope you make it through SoCal on the promo tour.
Would love to bring the kids out to a signing!

Best of luck on the latest edition.

-Wayne
bhilden

Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
Jan 11, 2011 - 04:51pm PT
Royal,

I am in, but please reassure me that you didn't use lame remarks like "proud send" when writing about these truly historic ascents.

Bruce
hossjulia

Social climber
Eastside
Jan 11, 2011 - 05:06pm PT
I picked up "To be Brave" one afternoon after work and ended up finishing it well past midnight. I could not put it down. Wonderful idea to make your autobiography a string of books, otherwise I might not have gotten any sleep that night at all! It was well worth working tired the next day.
Can't wait to read "Fail Falling".
Any chance you'll be through Bishop?
Dickbob

climber
Colorado
Jan 11, 2011 - 05:47pm PT
Last time I looked at neptunes they were out. Give me a link and I will buy both of them. As the old man says, "to many books, not enough time" but I would read anything that Royal wrote.
Gene

climber
Jan 11, 2011 - 05:52pm PT
Here's the link:
http://www.royalrobbinsthebook.com/

Anne, who is at the other side of the link, is a customer service saint.

Gene
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Jan 11, 2011 - 06:33pm PT
Looking forward to getting a copy!
Wow, the people who visit this forum are so articulate that it scares me to put anything down.
If by "articulate" you mean "noisy"... Though not always. :-)

I got Basic Rockcraft in 1972, soon after it appeared. My friend Len got a copy of Advanced Rockcraft for Christmas 1973. He and I and Scott went to the Himmelsbach Hut at Russet Lake (east of Whistler) between then and new year's - it was quite cold. At night we all sat reading the book, by candlelight. We were enraptured. A classic not just as to technique, but also philosophy.
Spider Savage

Mountain climber
SoCal
Jan 11, 2011 - 06:39pm PT
Yay -- Royal. Keep the good works coming!
the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
Jan 11, 2011 - 06:49pm PT
I put aside what I had been reading at the time and also read To Be Brave nonstop in a day. Great stuff! I can't wait for the next installment.

I hope there are some more details about your climbs with Warren. e.g. the first attempt at the NW face of Half Dome.

The great majority of posters here have tremendous respect for you, but there may be a few rotten apples with a problem (it's the Internet afterall and everyone has a voice). If they post, please ignore them and don't let them keep you from posting here as much as you like.
Captain...or Skully

climber
leading the away team, but not in a red shirt!
Jan 11, 2011 - 06:51pm PT
I love Spire stories.
Seamstress

Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
Jan 11, 2011 - 06:53pm PT

You must visit Portland. We can guarentee a good crowd, and I will get my marvelous Secret Santa gift autographed - and invest in future gifts for climbing friends.

I have still not forgiven my husband for loaning out Spirit of the Age, which proudly sported Royal's signature! However we still have an autographed poster hanging in our bedroom.
Gene

climber
Jan 11, 2011 - 07:02pm PT
RR is a gentleman who gives time to many groups in the community. Here he is after a presentation he gave in my daughter's HS class a few years ago.

Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Jan 11, 2011 - 07:08pm PT
Just so Royal doesn't think we're completely unrepentant heathens, Fail Falling was discussed on the Taco in December, when it came out.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1344898
Seamstress

Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
Jan 11, 2011 - 07:08pm PT
Absolutely. I am forever grateful that he did a fundraiser for the Ragged Mountain Foundation - probably 15 years ago. He was generous with his time to help our little cliff tucked away in New England. Climbing a couple of routes with Royal is one of my husband's greates thrills.

When kindness is extended, the "Royalty" may not remember, but the little guy will never forget.
Prezwoodz

climber
Anchorage
Jan 11, 2011 - 07:49pm PT
Any chance you want to come up to Alaska? I know we could get lots of sponsors for a slideshow / book signing here in AK. I would love to organize it if you are interested. Please let me know!

prezwoodz@hotmail.com
Kelsey
bluering

Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
Jan 11, 2011 - 08:22pm PT
To be honest, I never had your first book, but will probably buy the second. I always liked your ethics and style. But I really don't need a book for that, at least climbing ethics. Ya know?

Anyways, don't be a stanger here. This place could use your insights.
Batrock

Trad climber
Burbank
Jan 11, 2011 - 08:39pm PT
Royal,
I look forward to your newest creation. I grew up and still live in So Cal. and have climbed all over the southland. I find myself being drawn to the more obscure areas time and time again, Mt. Pacifico being one of those areas. My dad taught me to climb there in the late 1970's because he climbed there in the 50's and 60's. He also climbed at Williamson Rock back in the 60's and eventually turned me on to Williamson in 1980 and I have climbed there until it's closure.

Will the new book talk much about some of these obscure areas, well Williamson used to be obscure:) If not could you share a bit about Pacifico and other local areas?

Thanks,

Kevin Mokracek
jogill

climber
Colorado
Jan 11, 2011 - 08:50pm PT
Good to see you out and around, Royal. You were the most inspirational climber I knew back in the old days . . . keep up the good writing!

John
Fritz

Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
Jan 11, 2011 - 09:05pm PT
Royal: I loved "To Be Brave." I'm looking forward to this book and many more to follow!

Best Wishes!

Fritz/Ray Brooks
bergbryce

Mountain climber
Oakland
Jan 11, 2011 - 09:09pm PT
Wow, Royal Robbins!
To think you might even read these words, I would be honored.

And I'd certainly attend a presentation in the East Bay area.

Good luck with the tour.

Bryce
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
Jan 11, 2011 - 09:20pm PT
This is the main reason I signed up at S-T! Actually some climbing threads, and input from some real climbers for a change. The spewing and vitriol get out of hand. So..welcome, Royal.
Patrick Oliver

Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
Jan 11, 2011 - 10:13pm PT
We need to go cruise up Athlete's Feat, Royal. We're coming on
the... 47 year anniversary!! Sometimes I still see myself (some inner
vision) as that kid. I guess I never did really grow up.
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
Jan 11, 2011 - 10:29pm PT
Great photos, Pat!

Hey Royal, bring some of your books down to the El Cap Bridge this spring and we'll drink some beers, eh?

Cheers,
"Pass the Pitons" Pete Zabrok
Dick Erb

climber
June Lake, CA
Jan 11, 2011 - 11:29pm PT
Royal, I loved the first volume, and I am fascinated with the the title of the second. I remember once when I was living in Camp 4, Chuck Pratt went over and talked to everyone who had failed on a climb and asked why they had come down. He wrote all the reasons in a notebook he had, soon accumulating a long interesting list of situations and excuses. Notably absent from the list was, "I tried as hard as I could, and couldn't do it."
pyro

Big Wall climber
Calabasas
Jan 11, 2011 - 11:44pm PT
wow! R.R responds on the Taco Loco!
RM
H

Mountain climber
there and back again
Jan 11, 2011 - 11:46pm PT
Good on you Royal. Thanks for posting up here.
I can't thank you enough for all you have done for the Rock, Ice & Mountain Club. I guess I'll have to hold out until you get back up here to get a copy.
I'll contact you about dates if your interested.
guido

Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
Jan 11, 2011 - 11:58pm PT
Royal

Kudos on the second book. You have now wetted our appetite and the hordes are lining up for the rest.

Give my best to Liz.

Joe
hamie

Social climber
Thekoots
Jan 12, 2011 - 02:02am PT
Hey Royal,
I enjoyed Fail Falling, especially your very understated account of the FA of the NW face of Half Dome. However I was a little puzzled by the cover photo. The text covers your climbs in the 50s, but the cover photo is clearly taken in the mid-to-late 60s, or possibly later. Was there a special reason for that?
With respect, Hamie.
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
Jan 12, 2011 - 02:21am PT
If you feel others are articulate, how does that make the rest of us feel?

Seriously, thank you for your writing, climbs and inspiration. Any appearance in print, Tacoland or in Fresno is always cause for celebration.

John
mooser

Trad climber
seattle
Jan 12, 2011 - 02:29am PT
Hi Royal,

As I wrote you, I loved your first installment, and I can't wait for the next one. I can't believe how lucky we are to have you and so many other legends on ST. Amazing.

Best regards,

Tom Patterson
Shack

Big Wall climber
Reno NV
Jan 12, 2011 - 03:02am PT
Awesome Royal!
Hopefully Tahoe too?
Royal Robbins

Trad climber
Modesto, California
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 12, 2011 - 03:06pm PT
To Batrock -- Kevin -- That's the first time I have heard Pacifico described as an "obscure" area. There is a description of Mt. Pacifico in the second volume, but none of Mr. Williamson Rock (except a photograph of my friend, Royal Slagle, in a chimney there). Enjoy!

Best Regards,
Royal Robbins
TomCochrane

Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
Jan 12, 2011 - 03:12pm PT
very cool

come and give a talk in Santa Cruz at Pacific Edge Climbing Gym and stay as our house or boat guests

perhaps Layton can be here at the same time
Royal Robbins

Trad climber
Modesto, California
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 12, 2011 - 03:15pm PT
Hamie -- You're right about the cover photo. That was done by Liz and my next-door neighbor. I might have used the face of Half Dome. Very perceptive.

Best Regards,
Royal Robbins
Patrick Oliver

Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
Jan 12, 2011 - 03:43pm PT
Gene

climber
Jan 12, 2011 - 03:47pm PT
Pat,

That picture alone shows that RR could and did Fail Falling. Wow!

g
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
Jan 12, 2011 - 03:55pm PT
Sweaty hands just looking at that KB. It's barely holding in today's perfect pecker placement, directly below a lovely blue-black hybrid Alien placement.
MH2

climber
Jan 12, 2011 - 04:14pm PT
It has been remarked on but bears repeating:

Royal Robbins (!) says:

"the people who visit this forum are so articulate that it scares me to put anything down"



I wish I was reading the parts of the forum he does!

But we know that a lot of people visit the forum but do not post. He didn't say the posts are articulate.

That quibble aside, I think I see why the crafty old devil prefaced his post the way he did. There is good stuff on Supertopo, we old-timers are charmed and delighted to hear from our icons, and it doesn't hurt to return a little of the admiration.


Seeing those photos makes me feel like I'm 17 years old again, Pat. Thanks.





micronut

Trad climber
fresno, ca
Jan 12, 2011 - 04:58pm PT
Looking forward to a great read! That piton shot above made me dry heave.
TomCochrane

Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
Jan 12, 2011 - 06:04pm PT
That placement actually looks more secure than ones I had to place repeating the Denny/Sacherer route on El Cap Tree Direct; which Royal had also done.

Edit: Whatever placements I had to contrive on that route were probably easier than what Denny and Royal did on the earlier ascents.
Patrick Oliver

Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
Jan 12, 2011 - 07:31pm PT
Even if what you said were true, and why would I ever want to doubt it, I could care less, but
I do wish I had a photo or some shot of the six half-placed RURPS that
followed above... and then a feefee hook on a potato-chip flake that didn't seem it should have held the weight of the hook itself. Royal is
what this thread is about, to whom I take off my hat (if I wore one). Yeah, we all did hard aid routes... Frost too had that same piton genius...

Find attached a photo of Cochrane aiding away...
TomCochrane

Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
Jan 12, 2011 - 08:38pm PT
Thanks for the picture, Pat. That section looks like it would go free; and I have often wondered whether any of those old aid routes on Rixon's had been freed. You did say that you have a number of pictures from when we went up Rixon's when you first came to the valley. Was that your first route in Yosemite? Rixon's was a favorite and I did all the routes on it, some several times. But my only pictures are with Kim Schmitz on the Direct South Face route when he first came to Yosemite. I was happy that both of you had showed up, so there were more of us from outside California.

Anyway, I still don't have a good guess how Denny or Royal made it past that placement on El Cap Tree Direct. It's not so much the hard aid as the ingenuity they must have used for that placement. And then standing high in hero loops to place the first bolt on the vertical or slightly overhanging wall. I now understand Glen did it first (which explains the long reaches between bolts), with Royal doing the second ascent, and me doing the third. EDIT: When I talked about it with Royal recently, he doesn't remember much about the route.

The previous placement was a RURP that took me a long time, but still just a RURP in a thin crack. That's the one I fell from and ripped the RURP ladder when the parachute cord sling broke and the carabiner hit me in the face and broke off my front tooth.

However that last placement before the bolt ladder must have required some serious ingenuity for them. That's why I thought of it as an example of Royal's ingenuity (and Glen's?), somewhat comparable to the picture you posted. (I wish film had been affordable back in those days.) In retrospect it was an obvious hook placement, but I don't know that any of us had hooks at the time. Fifi hooks were not strong enough to place on a ledge like that and were completely the wrong shape anyway.

So there was a very small solid horizontal ledge (not a flake)with a couple of tiny quartz crystals stuck into it. Someone, perhaps Royal himself, told me they had tucked a RURP vertically between the crystals and the wall and looped a piece of parachute cord over it.

When I jumared back up there and re-climbed the RURP ladder the next day, no structural integrity was left to the crystals; which stopped me cold until coming up with the idea of using Jim Baldwin's old claw hammer as a hook on the ledge behind the crystals. EDIT: perhaps I could go search the rubble at the base where the route fell off, and find the piece of rock with that little ledge and send it to you for analysis. The claw-hammer hook that I used was actually pretty secure.

Back in Camp 4, Royal and Chouinard and I worked awkwardly using a rock and hammer to bend a long dong into a functional hook. Then John Salathe showed us how to do it with a few well directed whacks on the right rock. For a long time Chouinard disagreed with me as to which way the bend should be made, either towards the eye or away from it; with Royal abstaining an opinion.
Joe Metz

Trad climber
Bay Area
Jan 12, 2011 - 09:18pm PT
Congratulations on completing the second volume, Royal. Looking forward to reading it!
~Joe
Patrick Oliver

Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
Jan 12, 2011 - 09:59pm PT
First of all, you didn't take me up anything, Tom. I led the hard pitches and have photos to prove it, but that's of no matter, just a minor mis-remembrance. And yes I later led the first free ascent of the West Face of Rixon's (which is the route you and I did, not the South Face). They rate it 5.10c, as I recall. And no that wasn't my first climb in the Valley. Those were a couple of 5.10's with Royal and then Sentinel North Face with Fredericks.
TomCochrane

Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
Jan 12, 2011 - 10:42pm PT
Cool!

Edit: Not sure who first free climbed Rixon's (by the East Chimney); either Royal or Chouinard? I was the second or third with Margaret Young.

Have some of the other Rixon's routes also been freed?

What were those 5.10 routes you did with Royal before we went up Rixon's? There were not many at that time.

And do you recall when you did Sentinel with Chris Frederics? He and I backed off it some time prior to your arrival. I didn't realize he'd gone back to it. Chris and I also did the east ridges of Middle, Lower, and El Cap together. Also Royal and I did the Chouinard-Herbert Route on Sentinel prior to when you arrived.

I think you are the only person with quality pictures of me climbing during the early 1960s; hope you will share all of them

This exchange is probably a good example of why Royal is afraid to put anything down. When someone like Royal talks about what happened, he is playing upon the memories and heart strings of a lot of people. Royal has told people that they should ask me what happened, as I was there and have a better memory. There are certain advantages to having been a participant without being a contender to the pantheon.

However I look at this as a great way to refine our collective memory of events; by sharing our multiple viewpoints. Ultimately such exchanges may even be easier on egos and reputations.

I find it much more interesting to see how various people perceive events in which I participated, rather than just wallowing in my own memories and sense of righteousness. And this type of interactive forum exchange is much better than depending upon authority figure dictatorial representations as to the ultimate truth.

We all have much to learn.
CAMNOTCLIMB

Trad climber
novato ca
Jan 14, 2011 - 01:04pm PT
I have had a chance to read part of the book. It was lent to me by Bill Derr who is mentioned and has a photo in the book. It makes me just want to grap a rope and a rack and go climb.
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
Jan 14, 2011 - 04:06pm PT
Pat-

I like your comments about "growing up."

My comment: "Growing up is optional; getting older is mandatory." What are you going to do when you grow up? For myself, I haven't decided yet.
dogtown

Trad climber
JackAssVille, Wyoming
Jan 14, 2011 - 04:25pm PT
HOW DID THE THING WITH YOU YOVN AND FROST GO SO BAD?
Brunosafari

Boulder climber
OR
Jan 14, 2011 - 09:56pm PT

that is way runout dogT, esp. the yovn part!

PhilG

Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
Feb 13, 2011 - 08:54am PT
Good Job, Royal!
Just finished the book, and like the first volume, I enjoyed it immensely. Not only did it bring back memories of the days of swami belts and kronhoffers, but it allowed me to imagine the wonder of what it must of been like to stand at the base of an unclimbed Half Dome.
Looking forward to volume 3!!
steveA

Trad climber
bedford,massachusetts
Feb 13, 2011 - 09:17am PT
Royal,

Any chance you would be visiting the East Coast on your tour? There are a slew of climbers in New Hampshire, who I'm sure, would welcome your visit.
Johnny K.

climber
Southern,California
Feb 13, 2011 - 11:58am PT
Very interesting reads as always!Much respect Royal.
shady

Trad climber
Feb 13, 2011 - 01:19pm PT
Hello Mr. Robbins:

Back in the not so distant past, you admonished my friend and I, then 9 years old, for scrambbling around ropeless at Stony Point. Little did you know you had sent me off on a nearly 50 year love affair with rock climbing.

Thank You for taking the time to scold me.

A few years ago an accident ruined my shoulder, grounding me permanently. While reading Fail falling, I found my mouth had gone dry and my hands were wringing wet.

Thank You for letting me climb with you through your book(s).

Shady

P.S. Fail falling is the only way!
Spider Savage

Mountain climber
SoCal
Jul 27, 2011 - 10:34am PT
Just finished reading my copy of "Fail Falling." Great read!

It was wonderful to read about Royal's early climbing adventures around the LA area in this and "Be Brave."

For those into the SoCal obscura: Royal mentions a crag across from Mt Waterman Ski area in book 1. I immediately wondered if that was on Mt Winston or the big choss pile at Buckhorn Campground. I asked him about that at the Sierra Club event 2 weeks ago. He was pretty sure it was the choss pile at Buckhorn.
AP

Trad climber
Calgary
Jul 27, 2011 - 10:43am PT
A former climbing partner was living in Philadelphia back in the 80's. His roomate was a paddler and was very surprised to learn that Yvon and Royal
were climbers!
Thats like "Mom did you know that Paul Mcartney had a band before Wings?"
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Mar 16, 2017 - 08:40pm PT
RR thread!
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