5 climbing partners who have impressed you

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tarek

climber
berkeley
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 16, 2011 - 08:13pm PT
Frank Henriquez: Ridiculous endurance. Would hang out in cruxes for very long minutes, then pull them. Used to get in top form from the couch in about 2 weeks. Did a 13c when his son was under 2 years old (some of you won’t get it).

David Wilson: It’s not too often you get to see a guy who weighs 100kg moving nicely up thin 5.12 face climbs. Saw him death-crimp flash a slightly overhanging V7 plastic problem while some youths stood by, mouths agape. (All failed to flash.) Would love to borrow those lower arms.

Isaac Cortes: In Spain, he flashed every 13a I saw him get on, sometimes several in a day. He fell once on Anabolica (13b), putting the draws on for another climber (he’d done it before) but lead it clean at the end of the day after working a project (13d) and doing the various 12s we had going at the cliff.

Harrison Dekker: Leading at your limit is so much about not rattling apart. Never climbed with anyone who had the ability to bear down, control their resonance, and make it happen on the lead at his limit like Harrison. Probably why he flashed 13s many years ago when few did.

Daniel Soto: Never met a boulderer less concerned about “taking it to the problem.” Daniel waits until the time is right, and if that means retreating into his hood and crashing for the whole session, so be it. But the right time does come, and Daniel has a nice collection of hard boulder problems to his credit, like Midnight Lightning and Bruce Lee.
rincon

Trad climber
SoCal
Mar 16, 2011 - 08:40pm PT
Actually, I have been impressed with all of my climbing partners at one time or another, but here's five...
Erik Erikson
Kris Solem
Medusa
Mike Flood
Gene Mayo
John Stark
Craig Morris
Larry Cote
Mark Hubbard
Troy Baily
:)
tarek

climber
berkeley
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 16, 2011 - 08:50pm PT
nice rincon, but how about some details?
for me, a lot of what is rewarding about climbing is watching how your partner does well.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
Mar 16, 2011 - 09:12pm PT
Brad Young - having climbed well over 800 climbs at Pinnacles in perfect style (top to bottom no falls). At Pinnacles you know what this means. I think he said 853.

mynameismud - for putting up hard routes at Pinnacles in great style.

Jim McConachie - for putting up difficult and longer routes at Pinnacles in great style

Miwok - for 'taking it to the cliffs' with a relentless warrior spirit by fair means.

+1 on Dave Wilson - and he takes some good pics too and like many of our partners has a great appreciation for doing something new and/or backcountry.

Brutus of Wyde - for making things happen. big routes, small routes, and all with tons of fun (or suffering).

Mucci & Bosque - putting up a new grade V in the Valley ground up, and toughing out the dehydration on the FA... that can be so unbearable.

Nootsclimber - for firing hard CRSP problems in his 5.tennies regularly.

Wyde Crew - for providing the Wide a renaissance



I went over my catch and release limit of 5. Tough.
nevahpopsoff

Boulder climber
the woods
Mar 16, 2011 - 09:34pm PT
Whitey, aka John Maclean. Foot work.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
Mar 17, 2011 - 12:19am PT
bump to keep this at the top
Mtnmun

Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
Mar 17, 2011 - 12:40am PT
Colin Nell (RIP) for always getting the job done with good Australian humor. He died so young, I miss this bro.

Richard Grode, my mentor and partner for over 20 years now.

Go Go Joe: Lead hog and good humored wanker always makes for a fun day.

Banks and Peggy O: Great partners and a fun crew. Plus Banks camp fire iron skillet steaks are the best in the west.

Lars Johansen: More balls than anyone I ever met. Send him good tidings, he had surgery this week.

My daughter, Bevin, Craig Clarence, Matteo, Ruth and Glen, and many more.





tarek

climber
berkeley
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 17, 2011 - 12:55am PT
Good luck to Lars, then.

Seems I'm a bit of a boor with the numbers and all. But those are shorthand for what impresses me most. Not what I admire most, though.

John Maclean--always heard that about his footwork. Or read it in an article somewhere. Would be a treat to see. Seems like a lot of very strong fingers around, but that laser precise, effective footwork--not common.
TomCochrane

Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
Mar 17, 2011 - 01:29am PT
John Gill
Yvon Chouinard
Royal Robbins
Frank Sacherer
Layton Kor
John Hudson
Bob Kamps
Tom Higgins
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Mar 17, 2011 - 01:39am PT
Eric Weinstein
Chris Cantwell
Dave Austin
Urmas Franosch
Greg Murphy
Scott Cole
Elliott Robinson
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Mar 17, 2011 - 01:43am PT
Haven't seen him in 25 years, but this guy was the best.

tolman_paul

Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
Sep 16, 2011 - 07:26pm PT
Bump,

I only have two that standout:

My wife


We met climbing, "tied the knot" and are still on belay.

My current partner Pat Rinehart



All the attributes of the perfect partner: Always wants to climb no matter how easy the route, wealth of info on routes and how to get to them, knows all aspects of climbing and anchoring inside outside upside down so climbs go smooth and fast, patient, never bumbs on me for being out of shape and climbing several grades below him, never sprays.

If only only I'd had a partner like that when I started climbing.
Norwegian

Trad climber
Placerville, California
Sep 16, 2011 - 07:32pm PT
i shared a rope with TM Herbert once.
he was soloing around at pie shop, and eventually asked
if he could take a lap on a route we were climbing.
he had no harness, just tied the rope around his waist.

he was quite frantic, in a good way performing dynamic mantles and
such. and of course he was friendly as hell and quite impressive.

thats the only one,
other than my silent pardner impresses me, and i her.
G_Gnome

Trad climber
In the mountains... somewhere...
Sep 16, 2011 - 07:40pm PT
Mike Waugh
Kris Solem
Rich Grigsby
Andrew Rock
Herb Leager
John Bachar

All have/had great lead heads on runout trad and sport and have climbed hard for many, many years. Most are pretty damn fun when NOT climbing too, a trait I find equally important!
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
Sep 16, 2011 - 07:48pm PT
My top 5 are almost all self-explanatory:

(1) Bob Culp, my first mentor

(2) Layton Kor

(3) Larry Dalke

(4) Pat Ament

(5) Kelly Moore, an almost unknown Fremont Canyon master and early pioneer.
WBraun

climber
Sep 16, 2011 - 07:48pm PT
I think it was Eric Brand.

The guy was a fricken snail.

Unbelievably slow.

Once I went to do Astroman and he's starting some new route to the right of it and he's like 20 feet off the ground nailing this pile of sh'it.

I do the whole Astroman and get back to the base and he's like 70 feet up now, LOL.

But !!!!!

The guy does everything he starts, impressive !!!!

The rest are the usual gang Kauk Bachar Bard Warbler Grahmacii Duecy Coz Scott Stow Croft Hann The Bird all the Stonemasters Potter, James, Honold etc etc ......
Wade Icey

Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
Sep 16, 2011 - 08:11pm PT
Walt Shipley
Dave Schultz
Pete Takeda
Bryan Law
My Wife


Werner, EB would be honored to hear that.
drljefe

climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
Sep 16, 2011 - 10:45pm PT
Jim and Matty. My best bros. The Original AZ DRLs.
Big wall technician, bouldering freak, as solid as a partner(and human) as they come.
Giggolo, ape man, A.D.D., congero, crusher, one of those classic personalities in climbing. Everywhere he goes, from Fountainbleu to your local area, he's remembered.

Kerry. One of my favorite climbers and partners. I learned so much technique from her. Precision footwork, graceful style, positive attitude. She drug me up some amazing crack climbs.


Virginia. Respect. She's been at it a long time and still climbs with grace in her 60's. From the 70's Boulder scene to her current home in Florida, her life story, childlike wonder, wisdom, and grooviness continue to influence me to this day. Amazing woman.


Colin. My oldest friend and partner. We got into climbing together in the late 80's. Built our first rack together. First JTree mission. Many firsts. During my 12 yr hiatus to be a surf bum, Colin remained a full time climber and now focuses on hard new routes in Flag and cruising wherever the season dictates. He is an outstanding climber and lifelong friend. I've always called him "The Sloth"- fits his calculated climbing style.
Oh, and instead of resoling, he just buys a new pair of Mythos. He eventually had a shed full, literally, and most weren't even ready for a resole. Finally, he gave them all away to needy, nooby, or worthy climbers in Flag. What a guy.

And probably the best partner, through thick and thin-
Kaya.
RIP girl. Her ashes spread at Granite Mountain, her favorite place.








Norwegian

Trad climber
Placerville, California
Sep 16, 2011 - 10:54pm PT
it was my good fortune to spend a couple of days
climbing with Paul Crawford.

the guy has put up tons of good, ground up routes in the tahoe area (and beyond), most of which i can't touch due to their difficulty and
sparcity of protection.

paul is great company. humble and straight foward,
he has taught me a lot in the little time that i've known him.

so now im up to (3):
TM
S.P.
Paul
Norwegian

Trad climber
Placerville, California
Sep 16, 2011 - 10:58pm PT
#4 is that smegma-half-wit guy that posts here occassionally.
the dad hikes hard 11 crack;
keeps his coolness on serious face climbs;
has a fierce drive in the mountains;
is a great father;
has been a good life mentor for me for years;
sports a bit of good-ol-english brashness that
checks my soaring prides.

yea, aiden is a great climbing partner.
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