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sunnyside
Big Wall climber
earth
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Nov 24, 2012 - 05:08am PT
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Into the Blue. Dr. Long
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sunnyside
Big Wall climber
earth
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Nov 24, 2012 - 11:15am PT
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Gorge du Verdon
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 27, 2012 - 08:16pm PT
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Sure wish I spoke French. Or at least could read it. My loss I'm sure.
Arne
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Nov 28, 2012 - 12:17pm PT
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Thanks for that, Lisa.
Well written, "a blend of sport, spiritualism, philosophy and bravado".
Hope things post-Sandy are getting back to normal.
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The Lisa
Trad climber
Da Bronx, NY
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Nov 28, 2012 - 03:09pm PT
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Thanks, Toke. The obit even explained sport vs trad climbing concisely!
I heard the term 'gained the Sandy Seven' for the first time today - people sat in the dark and ate all the time?
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LaurenceGH
Sport climber
FRANCE
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Nov 28, 2012 - 03:54pm PT
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Very sad news....here a photo of Patrick while climbing in Hueco with Stevie, I think it was in 1993....
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Nov 28, 2012 - 10:08pm PT
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Ditto for what Largo said.
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HuecoRat
Trad climber
NJ
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Nov 30, 2012 - 12:03pm PT
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I met Patrick at Hueco in the late 80's. I was climbing with Todd Skinner that day, and Todd was showing Patrick around the park. I think it was Patrick's first visit to Hueco. Patrick was a lot of fun, and was amazing to watch. He had truly stunning flexibility and strength. He had a large group with him and they were doing some filming. Just before sunset SOme of us were TRing some lines on the back (tall) side of the Mushroom Boulder when Patrick came walking up with his crew. We offered him the rope and he started up. I had never seen anyone move like he did. No hestitation, just smooth moves and intricate cross-throughs without a pause in between. Near the top he stops and calls down to Todd "Where does ze line go?" Todd, being funny, yells up that there is a good foothold near his head. Patrick says, "Oh yes, I zee it," and calmly brings his right knee behind his arm and steps onto a hold about even with his shoulder. He stands up on it and everyone just gapes at what we had just seen. Then he says, "Good hold, but zis is easier" then he crabs himself around until he is sideways on the wall. Everyone is laughing as Patrick tops out. He lowers and says, "Good route. Zanks for a good day." He had made it look so easy. It was a different climb for all the rest of us.
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all in jim
climber
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Nov 30, 2012 - 12:35pm PT
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The NY times article was poorly researched, suggesting that Patrick was primarily a sport climber.
He was among the greatest free-soloists of all time and an accomplished trad climber to boot.
Simply put, he was a climber.
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Gorn
Trad climber
las vegas, NV
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There are only a few indelible moments of awe and inspiration that I can recall in my life. At the top of the list was Patrick Edlinger's winning performance at the 1988 International Climbing Competition at Snowbird. I remember watching as climber after climber--the best in the world-- tried and failed on the route. The feeling was that it was just too hard, no one could do it, it was a mistake by the course setters. Then, Patrick Edlinger stepped up to the wall and made it look easy. All those who witnessed it were overcome with a myriad of emotions. As another poster said, it was palpable. It was special.
RIP Patrick, Thanks for the inspiration.
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BruceAnderson
Social climber
Los Angeles currently St. Antonin, France
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Word over here in France seems to be he fell down the stairs in his house, which were reported to be sketchy enough there were mattresses at the bottom for crash pads. Supposedly he hit his head in a gap between the mattresses.
Keep in mind this is the unofficial account going around. No idea if he had been drinking,
Really, Patrick changed my life as much as anyone has. I mean it was seeing him climb that just created a vision of alternate realites, so much so that climbing became the main force in my life for over a decade, and years later I'm living in souther France and climbing more than ever,
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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RIP Patrick
One of the problems with depression is that it screws with sleep patterns and
the shadows lengthen further. Often, just to get a good night sleep, people will drink copiously, which only compounds both the sleep disorder and the depression.
John, you are so correct on this issue, I know because I have first-hand experience with my fiancée.
I really never met him, just a couple of hellos (Bonjour, ça va ?) in C4.
As for the French language links, they don't bother me, I worked in France.
What an exceptional climber and inspiration.
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eagle
Trad climber
new paltz, ny
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i was at snowbird and one of the best ever weekend of my life. i was able to meet up with yabo and have a smoke and he seemed in good spirits and another great moment was being able to sit front row to watch what was one of the greatest free climbers with a cold one or 3 walk the wall of that building. rip patrick...you were a f*#king great rock climber
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Huecool
Trad climber
Tucson, AZ
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Patrick (paTREAK) was a hero to me to, even though we are the same age. I was fortunate to hang with him during his first visit to hueco prior to his Snowbird victory. His entourage include his stunning dark haired girlfriend (a mere 5.12 climber:) and Maurice, his (honest) cinematographer. I hung with the troop helping lug the 16mm film equipment around while Patrick ticked all the hard stuff at the time. My climbing story... At the end of a long climbing day Patrick wanted to top rope Hueco Cranks with me, at the time something I could barely claw up without falling. I let Patrick go first, no beta... and no falls! After topping out he asked to be lowered about halfway and he proceeded to climb a thin variant up to the left and flashed that too!!! What awed me most was how easily he breathed, all quiet and smooth. My turn I huffed and puffed up the thing and topped out before my head exploded. Looking down at Patrick belaying me he calmly said, "You breaz too hard!", WHILE SMOKING A WINSTON!!!!! And on top of all he was SUPER COOL!!!
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rodrigo MUJICA
Mountain climber
chile
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My undersatnding is that he died a few weeks ago , something really dumb like falling down some stairs or so...met him several times in the early 80s while living in france...amazing guy, inspirational! never seen someone climb so graceful in my life! the guru of free climbing for sure!
he will be missed!
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