Who's bitter, Bruce ?
It was an interesting time. Not without it's, it's .. Well, maybe there's a REASON or something, I don't remember... There was good music in the70's...
No monkeybusiness with the teachers on sailboats then; the program was reelin' from buddy being raked across the coals in court. Don't remember his name even. Blown away in the wind.
But Ghost, I did what any self respecting irishman would do when faced with great adversity...... I went to the pub!
And yes, I'm well aware that I'm a pussy. I worked out all the excuses I could use to get out of aid climbing without actually admitting to fear. My personal favourites are "the forecast is for rain", "i would go, but I promised id meet my friend somewhere far away from here", and the eternal favourite "I just couldn't find the right partner". I live in fear of the day when I might actually have to climb something......... it'd be so much easier to pretend to be a mountaineer, I could just say that everything is out of.condition all the time! Oh well....
Luckily, it's almost always safe to comment "it looks like it may rain" when climbing at Squamish.
Contrary to someone's remark, I spent two summers in the bush in central and northern B.C., doing geological exploration. Including some wild places it would have otherwise have been hard to get to, some weeks of chainsaw work, and several hundred hours in helicopters. Which, combined with John Bryan's death in 1977, helps explain my aversion to those machines.
The first climb I did on my own at Squamish was when I was 15, but I'd started mountain hiking (Chief, Hollyburn, Diamond Head, Baker, Olympics, etc) with my parents when I was about seven, and with scouts when I was ten. My dad used to get us out/helping with the Province hikes, in the mid 1960s - he was with the Mountain Rescue Group. Once, probably 1966, I got to help put handlines at the steeper bits of the Chief trail, and indeed went up and down the Chief twice in a day.
I've never stooped to being a guide, but am a certified climbing instructor in Norway, and have had several summers entertainment utilizing it.
I'll refrain from adding any of the interminable stories that are so popular with the peanut gallery.
ps I hope that both the Brennan-gimps heal up soon.
I got my leg pulled today by a nice and effective fizio dude named Colin. We should have one of those electric muscle twitchers at the next beer drinking contest. Who can turn the knob to 11 first wins !
Let us know!