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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Jan 31, 2013 - 05:16am 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 - 07:18am 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 - 08:33am 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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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jan 31, 2013 - 12:15pm 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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10b4me
Boulder climber
Somewhere on 395
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Jan 31, 2013 - 12:36pm 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 - 12:42pm 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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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Jan 31, 2013 - 04:22pm 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 - 04:54pm 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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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Jan 31, 2013 - 05:51pm PT
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C0z said
But if I have to endure one more ass suave, I may throw up my top Ramen.
Dude, I'm not sure what an ass suave is but how many can you endure before you puke? Can one build up a tolerance to ass suaves?
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Reeotch
Trad climber
4 Corners Area
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Jan 31, 2013 - 06:12pm PT
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I ain't suaving no one's ass . . .
Jim what's the story with this: (from Jim's Wikipedia page, how many Taco heads have their own Wikipedia page??!!!)
Notable climbs
1976 Torre Egger - First Ascent - with John Bragg, and Jay Wilson from the United States, by climbing first to the col between the Egger and Cerro Torre, the Col of Conquest, and then up the ridge to the peak. The ascent was hampered by bad weather and took from December 1975 to February 22, 1976 when the 3-person team summitted.[4]
1978 North Ridge on Latok I, Karakorum Range, Pakistan. Attempt with Michael Kennedy, George Lowe and Jeff Lowe (climber) (all USA).[5]
1991 Cobra Pillar on the east face of Mount Barrille, Ruth Gorge, Alaska Range, Alaska, USA (VI 5.10+ A3 WI5? 2300m) FA with Jack Tackle (USA), June 5–10, 1991.[6]
1991 Viper Ridge, south spur of southeast ridge to ridge, Mount Foraker, Alaska Range, Alaska USA. FA with Jack Tackle (USA), June 11–17, 1991.[7]
2000 Lightning Spur, south face Thunder Mountain, Alaska Range, Alaska USA. FA with John Bragg (USA).[8]
Seems that 1991 was a productive year.
What happened on June 10th and 11th?
Did you catch a flight?
Sounds like the ultimate Alaska season . . .
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Jan 31, 2013 - 06:25pm PT
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Ass could mean
*Butt
*Donkey
Suave generally means
*Smooth
So I think he's saying Donini's got a smooth butt or something.
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Jan 31, 2013 - 06:39pm PT
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I'm confused. Why would C0z have to endure Jim's smooth ass? He said he wasn't an alpinest and I'm sure Jim is always the big spoon anyway.
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steveA
Trad climber
bedford,massachusetts
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Jan 31, 2013 - 08:36pm PT
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Jim is the only guy I know who can climb better than most guys half his age.
He will most likely hike faster in the mountains than just about anyone I know, as well.
Jim is the only guy I ever climbed with, who faked a leader fall, 20 feet above his last pro, on a 5.10 crack climb, just to scare the sh#t out of me.
Watch out for him, when he's driving on dirt roads--frightening.
I appreciate him for many fond memories; recent and BITD.
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TWP
Trad climber
Mancos, CO
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Jan 31, 2013 - 08:55pm PT
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Jan 31, 2013 - 09:00pm PT
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Jim is the only guy I ever climbed with, who faked a leader fall, 20 feet above his last pro, on a 5.10 crack climb, just to scare the sh#t out of me.
Priceless, but who is Jim Donini? Is he a rad climber like Ondra?
Help me out here.
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divad
Trad climber
wmass
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Jan 31, 2013 - 09:10pm PT
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I think he's Fred Becky's grandfather
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Jan 31, 2013 - 09:15pm PT
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Be it Alaska, an unclimbed Patagonian wall, the Snaz, or Eldo, I've bitched out El Senor Jim dozens of times for not bothering to put in reasonable quantities of protection, even when he has been carrying it... every time knowing he was doing it just to piss me off.
A corollary to this scene:
Me: "Watch me, I'm f*#king gripped."
Jim: "You're doing fine."
Me: gripped, cruxing, scared, above gear. I look down. Jim has both hands focusing his SLR camera (pre-digital days, these), and none on the rope. "WTF, Jim?"
Jim: (click... click...) "You're fine. You haven't fallen yet."
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Jan 31, 2013 - 10:56pm PT
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To a good guy, one hell of a climber and a good fisherman.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Jan 31, 2013 - 11:35pm PT
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I'm with Coz...story time please.
Hey Donini- you did some climbing at Granite Mtn back in the day.
Old fakkas who climb as much and as hard as Jim Donini deserve respect and appreciation.
Hats off to you Donini.
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Jan 31, 2013 - 11:53pm PT
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Respect!
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