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Messages 1 - 33 of total 33 in this topic |
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 23, 2011 - 11:37pm PT
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A classic period piece from the great Willi Unsoeld about the plying the trade in the Tetons from the 1960 American Alpine Journal.
The last three sentences are straight from the heart...a guide's heart.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 24, 2011 - 12:36pm PT
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The classic evacuation shot of Willi from Everest- The West Ridge.
James Lester photo.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Jul 24, 2011 - 02:16pm PT
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Another great one. Thanks Steve.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 13, 2011 - 03:30pm PT
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Willi Bump!
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ArmandoWyo
climber
Wyoming
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Aug 16, 2011 - 11:17am PT
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Sorry I missed this when first posted. Thanks. Not much has changed in 50 years, especially Willi's observation on the high cost of living in Jackson Hole.
Although mostly tongue-in-cheek, Willi's final observation on the impact of the experince on our clients can revive the most hard-bitten guide. I can recall my fascination, when the first client I guided onf the Grand, sat on the summit and cried.
Armando
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Aug 16, 2011 - 11:23am PT
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The dood radiated an aura that was good to bask in.
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Tony Bird
climber
Northridge, CA
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Aug 16, 2011 - 12:54pm PT
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"guide, oh guide, where do i spit?" ah well--and some people sneer at the climber's hat as being merely decorative" ...
... cunningly downgraded in difficulty (which is easy to do) ...
... before a man takes up guiding, he should get most of the desire for really tough climbs out of his system ...
delightful article--unsoeld is entertaining and insightful. he had me youtubing "men of harlech"--look out, clients, here comes the harmonica.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 3, 2011 - 09:08pm PT
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Bump for DR!
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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I remember at the AAC annual meeting at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley where he gave a talk on Nandi Devi the climb and the loss of his daughter, there was not a dry eye in the crowd.
Eloquent man.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 2, 2012 - 12:20pm PT
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Bump for the guiding life and light!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 2, 2012 - 01:35pm PT
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Nice shots Jody!
Good to have you back around again!
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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Jody, that looks like Hangover Pinnacle on the lower slopes of Symmetry Spire. Is it?
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Any other F*#king Greeners in the crowd out there?
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Thanks, Jody!
A Tyrolean traverse in 1957 must have been quite a challenge. For example, what sort of harness or bosun's chair did they use? The awkward way that he's draped over the rope in the photo suggests that he couldn't just hang below - and I don't think he was slacklining.
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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I'll never forget coming out at the bottom of the Garnet Canyon trail into Lupine Meadows right behind Willi one summer in the late 1950s. He gave a mighty yodel and across the meadow,through the front door of their log cabin, out stepped his wife Jolene with blond pigtails, followed by his kids who yelled back to Willi. It was right out of a Disney movie from that era! A treasured memory.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 3, 2012 - 08:52pm PT
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Jody- Ask your dad what he recalls of first meeting Willi and what he thinks about the OP article.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Thanks, Jody. Can anyone who may have done a Tyrolean in the 1950s or 1960s comment on how it was done?
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Ouch!
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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Can anyone who may have done a Tyrolean in the 1950s or 1960s comment on how it was done?
Made a seat and waist sling out of rope. Attached it to a carabiner, clipped the biner to the rope - got under the rope and pulled yourself along to the other side. Mostly it was done just for fun, like some kids go out rappeling today. Early 1950s. Might have been my old hemp rope, but probably my first army surplus layed nylon rope.
Bobby Mitchell - Cloudland Canyon, Georgia, ca 1955
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Great Posts & thread!
More please from everyone!
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Nice slice of history!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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So there were diaper slings as early as the mid-1950s? Interesting. What were they made of, and who created them? Based on construction or parachute harnesses? Were they part of the reason for the transition to swami belts, and when did that happen, and where? Who first thought of combining a diaper and a swami, for a makeshift harness?
When I came along 20 years later we had swamis, diaper slings and carabiner brakes, but also learned the body rappel. We were quite glad when proper sit harnesses - the Whillans - appeared. Much better than the alternative.
Even Gill has his name on this register. Did someone have his tongue slightly in cheek when he said that?
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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I once guided a cute girl up Hangover. She packed a lunch and I sat on the grapes when we reached the summit.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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She packed a lunch and I sat on the grapes
Is that a euphemism I need to know?
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Jennie
Trad climber
Elk Creek, Idaho
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Welcome back, Jody !
Hangover Pinnacle doesn't seem to get attention these days. I wonder why. I rarely see anyone on or near it when ascending Symmetry Couloir.
The Teton climbing community needs a thick historical volume of postwar climbing activity. Thanks for posting your dad's rememberances. And thanks to Mr Gill and others who have posted about teton climbing, the old climber's camp, Teton Tea etc.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 8, 2012 - 12:09pm PT
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Hey Jim,
If you have anymore Teton tales, we are all ears. Your best day out on backwards.
Did you ever get into the Wind River range early on?
Thanks again for the memories!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 1, 2014 - 12:32pm PT
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Bump for living "the life".
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Pate
Trad climber
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nice post, thanks steve! gotta dig up the links page and add this gem to it
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 27, 2017 - 04:35pm PT
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Willi Bump...
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jgill
Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
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May 27, 2017 - 10:02pm PT
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Willi became Dean at Evergreen College, and I think he brought Pete Sinclair there as a faculty member in the English department. Both are gone now, but not forgotten. How time slips by.
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