Michelle
Social climber
Toshi's Station, picking up power converters.
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Jan 30, 2013 - 09:59pm PT
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I want to have the realistic goal of NIAD when I'm 70!
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Jan 30, 2013 - 10:06pm PT
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What a bunch of hero-worshiping wankers.
Oh, sure, if some climber had actually done all the climbs attributed to Donini, then yeah, that climber would be worthy of worship. But you idiots don't speak Italian, do you? In Italian, a singular word generally ends in "o" and to make it plural you change the ending to "i"
Think about it. No one Donino did all that crazy sh#t. It was a whole bunch of Donini. Helping each other out, covering for each other's failures, giving each other a toprope on the hard pitches... And then claiming they were just one climber.
I'm calling bullsh#t.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Jan 30, 2013 - 10:08pm PT
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Never heard of him, this Jim.
Heard he was a weenie, what's a Donini?
Some call him Slim, some call him Jim, Slim Jim.
Just don't call him teeny beanie Donini.
Ahhh truck you Guido....BWA HA HA hahahahahaaaa!!!
On a serious note, as a young alpinist in Oregon in the mid-late 70's, campfire tales made him out to be eleven feet tall and blessed with super-human powers.
Then as I grew into an aging rock climber in Alaska at the dawn of a new century, the tales were just as good as before. He was the same age as before...it was only I who had gotten older.
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Cosmiccragsman
Trad climber
AKA Dwain, from Apple Valley, Ca. and Vegas!
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Jan 30, 2013 - 10:18pm PT
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Nini-Me
 Missing photo ID#263979
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coz
Gym climber
Belmont
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Jan 30, 2013 - 10:37pm PT
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Werner,
What's the story about Overhanging Over-pass, I remember you telling me the story about Donini, sending the thing BITD, all run out on hex's.
Didn't we get some of his gear off of Power Point, or the Pratt/Kelsey?
Didn't he do Catch-U, I remember you having me lead that thing and the ledge falling off on the way down.
You use to go on and on about Donini, stories please.
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Jan 30, 2013 - 10:40pm PT
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One of my best friends. Real friends are hard to come by.
Things I appreciate about Jim.
He loves to climb.
He loves people. Sure he can come off gruff and all business sometimes but deep down, he's a social creature.
He loves to climb.
He tells great stories.
He loves to climb.
Can cook a mean salmon.
He loves to climb.
Generous beyond belief.
He loves to climb.
Arne
Also,he just likes to get out and climb.
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Cosmiccragsman
Trad climber
AKA Dwain, from Apple Valley, Ca. and Vegas!
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Jan 30, 2013 - 11:16pm PT
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Missing photo ID#287292
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 30, 2013 - 11:20pm PT
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That Nini me pic is classic!
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Conner
Mountain climber
Eden, Utah
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Jan 30, 2013 - 11:53pm PT
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Just a couple of weeks ago, Jim was instrumental in getting Jeff Lowe down to the Ouray Ice Festival where Jeff got to participate in the presentation of the first annual Jeff Lowe Service Award being given to Bill Whitt for his service to the Ice Park. Jim and his friends worked with the board to create the award in Jeff's honor. You may have seen the thread - it was awesome!
Once we arrived in Ouray, Jim and Angela treated us to a fab dinner at the Bon Ton with dear friends and if all that was not enough, they next came to our condo and cooked one of his famous salmon dinner for 10 of our friends...
And then, with the help of Jay Smith and his wife Angela - created an amazing video for Jeff of folks being interviewed and talking story and so much more - all for his ol' Latok climbing partner Jeff.
Always smiling and making time to come and see us - we appreciate Jim (and Angela) more than words can say. Climbing breeds some unique and wonderful folk - so lucky to be friends with same and on the receiving end of their generosity and good will.
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Jan 31, 2013 - 02:16am PT
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Jim is the man, period. Got to meet him for the first time at Facelift a couple years ago, and he promptly asked me if I wanted to climb some time.
Naturally I said hell yes, but told him I am no where near his level and I'd probably bore him silly. His response was that he was just fine with low level climbing, and that being as I climb with Cosmic that was good enough for him.
Hell of a guy, in and out of the mountains. Jim's been an inspiration to myself and many others.
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nopantsben
climber
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Jan 31, 2013 - 04:18am PT
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i asked on ST where to climb in March in the US. I didn't say how well I climb or anything like that..
Jim offered to climb with me in Indian Creek and the Black. Just like that. I said yes.
He picked me up the airport, cooked amazing dinners the whole way, drove around, giving me a great tour of desert climbing i'll not forget. Another highlight was climbing the evolution traverse together. It's such a pleasure to hang out and climb with Jim.
He's extremely generous and open.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Jan 31, 2013 - 05:33am PT
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Jim's something else. Still crankin' hard. Smarter than most,
and a genuine guy.
We need more of his type!
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Ron Anderson
Trad climber
Soon to be Nipple suckling Liberal
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Jan 31, 2013 - 07:53am PT
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JD needs to come visit the woodfords area-- maybe have some bear sausage over the camp fire- hang out with some gun nutz like myself- get a little "western culture" so to speak.. NO denying hes a climbing machine,, and quite possible and android at that!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jan 31, 2013 - 09:15am PT
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Thanks everyone for the kind words, kinder than i deserve.
Some things that i appreciate:
Being a member of the ST family....sometimes a grump here and there, like any family, but generally caring and respectful of each other.
Belonging to the worldwide climbing community. I have travelled to over 50 countries, some of them at odds with us politically ( Cuba, China, Iran) and many of them in the third world. Politics, culture, standard of living and religion may vary immensly, but get climbers sitting around a campfire and they are all members of the same tribe.
The travel opportunities that climbing has afforded me. We Americans often get caught up in American exceptionalism and isolationism.. The more i travel, the more i appreciate other cultures and worldviews. We are a great country but still a part of a worldwide community that deserves our respect. We have much to give the rest of the world and also much to learn.
The healthy lifestyle that climbing has given me. I wonder where i would be (physically) a few months shy of 70 had i not gotten into climbing.
The opportunity to meet new people and mentor younger climbers. I love climbing with new people....knowing that, as climbers, we immediately have much in common. I also enjoy helping younger climbers just as i was helped many years ago.
The lifelong, close relationships that have come to me thru climbing. Too many to enumerate but here's an example. George Lowe and i first climbed together in 1976 at Arch Rock. We next spent three months together in 1978 on the Latok 1 expedition. There followed a couple of decades where we only saw each other at the odd social event. Five years ago we started climbing together again; IC, the Sierra's, the Incredible Hulk, the Evolution Traverse etc. Hopefully, this May we will team up as a rope team (nearly 139 yrs. in combined age) to do the NIAD.
So in closing, i am most appreciative that climbing has given me the opportunity to still have high adventure with both new and old friends in both familiar and new places in these the autumn of my years.
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stich
Trad climber
Colorado Springs, Colorado
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Jan 31, 2013 - 09:34am PT
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I seem to recall there was a commemorative Jim Donini .44 magnum handgun up for grabs a while back. Anyone know where I could get one? You know, for home defense against mice.
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10b4me
Boulder climber
Somewhere on 395
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Jan 31, 2013 - 09:36am PT
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Had the pleasure of meeting Jim in 2004.
He said I could stay at his place in Ouray anytime.
Really nice guy
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jan 31, 2013 - 09:42am PT
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50 countries!
Holy crap! I had no idea that a Geritol endorsement could be so lucrative!
Wait, maybe he's right, there must be multiple Donini.
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The Warbler
climber
the edge of America
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Jan 31, 2013 - 11:15am PT
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Jim was the wise, experienced climber when I met him in Yosemite around 1972. I was 17, he was an old man of 29 years. The first time I climbed with him was with Chappy, and we did the FA of Fingerlickin'. Had a great time and I remember that day with a smile - lots of laughs, a hard, clean crack, and the feeling we were on top of the world - even if our Everest was a scrappy little PO infested crag in the Lower Merced Canyon.
Donini has more seniority, experience, balls and wit than just about anyone else who posts here, we're all lucky to have him around. All that with a strong dose of humility. Plus, he understands that republicans are wrong on everything. What's not to like?
Still the wise, experienced climber, only now more than ever.
Salutations, JD, and have fun on your Nose in a day climb!
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Jan 31, 2013 - 01:22pm PT
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Couldn't resist chiming in on this thread with a link to a webpage I just posted with six photos of Jim climbing in Patagonia.
I really ought to get around to figuring out how to digitize my old slides. I've got dozens of great shots of Jim climbing in Patagonia and Alaska.
To Jim's CV above, I'd add the Shaken, Not Stirred couloir on the South Face of the Mooses Tooth in the Ruth Gorge. I'd think that route stands with The Old Smuggler's Route on the north face of Aguja Poincenot and A Fine Piece on the West Pillar of Cerro Pollone as the best three routes we did together. I think all three have been repeated a time or two, and I think Paul Roderick's flying has turned Shaken, Not Stirred into a bit of a modern classic, which I find pretty cool. That was one hell of a fun climb.
But don't fall for the bullshit Jim let get printed in the Supertopo AK guidebook about how Shaken, Not Stirred got discovered... the real story is totally different. ;-)
PS: If I remember my Donini lore correctly, I think he might have made the first one-bivy ascent of the Nose, too. Back in the Pleistocene.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Jan 31, 2013 - 01:54pm PT
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But don't fall for the bullshit Jim let get printed in the AK guidebook about how Shaken, Not Stirred got discovered... the real story is totally different. ;-)
Awwwright, out with it Pilgrim!
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