Team Machine Billy Westbay NIAD PO Wall Yosemite Climber

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Messages 1 - 18 of total 18 in this topic
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Original Post - May 25, 2013 - 03:57pm PT
Tucked away in George Meyers' wonderful Yosemite Climber is this classic Billy Westbay account of doing both the Nose in a day and the Pacific Ocean Wall FA.









Big Season!
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
May 25, 2013 - 03:59pm PT
Westbay was always on of my big heroes!
RyanD

climber
Squamish
May 25, 2013 - 04:43pm PT
Thanks Steve! Awesome article.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
May 25, 2013 - 09:24pm PT
One of my all time favorites!!
rick sumner

Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
May 26, 2013 - 12:28am PT
Spent almost a month camped out with Billy and crew- Cito, Dan, the spring of '74 in camp 4. Billy was a hell of a guy,a friend to all, would literally give somebody the shirt off his back. I was saddened to hear of his passing from liver cancer years ago.
Peter Haan

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
May 26, 2013 - 01:04am PT
Bridwell in the foreground, Billy in a "state" mid area, unknown dudes trying to climb, Camp Four wall area, like near Cid's Embrace, Henley Quits, I think. 1972-4, say.


then much later,



Roy Tarbuster should step in here too.
Crump

Social climber
Lakewood, CO
May 26, 2013 - 01:47am PT
As a protégée of Daniel McClure, after meeting Billy when I was 14 in the Black Canyon, I was truly lucky to have him and Daniel, along with Mark Hess,, Larry Bruce, and Harry Kent... Be my personal skiing instructors on this Texans's first day on the slopes...

I was then 18. It was A-Basin, and there is more to the story... But it is that...z

Billy Westbay taught me to ski... Way back then...

To me he was just the greatest guy, a C-Springs hardman. And a real man of grace and always with a gift of a smile and a glint in the eye...
Johnny K.

climber
May 26, 2013 - 12:27pm PT
Awesome stuff,thanks!
BASE104

Social climber
An Oil Field
May 26, 2013 - 02:40pm PT
I've never seen a picture of his face. Post up.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - May 26, 2013 - 03:44pm PT
The NIAD photo doesn't show his face?


Hard to find good shots of Billy.
rottingjohnny

Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
May 26, 2013 - 07:30pm PT
Yeah...thanks steve for the important historical value...RJ
Largo

Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
May 26, 2013 - 10:06pm PT
Billy could do it all - from hard bouldering to grim off widths to new wall climbs. One of the great master climbers of that era.

JL
Mike Bolte

Trad climber
Planet Earth
May 27, 2013 - 01:15pm PT
That article is one of my one or two favorites of all time. I dug that out for my son to read just a month ago as he is getting on his first walls.

Peter - up a few photos at Camp 4 wall, don't you think that is Wunsch (or maybe Jardine) in the foreground not Bridwell?

EDIT: so werner, is it bridwell? I'm looking at the big beard.

EDIT 2: maybe that that's not a big beard, just hair masquerading as a beard
WBraun

climber
May 27, 2013 - 01:20pm PT
It's not Wunsch.

Those of us who know Bridwell can recognize his body language very well.

It's extremely unique .......
the idle rich

climber
Estes Park, CO
May 28, 2013 - 12:39am PT
Those are all great photos of Billy in his element and having fun. Just to lend some contrast, here is one of Billy while working as a ranger at Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain NP. We had a supervisor that came up with a brilliant plan to solve the problem of human waste disposal in the backcountry by incinerating it with a modified weed burner. Here is Billy taking his turn at trying to waste the waste with the torch in one of the pit toilets. Needless to say, Billy had some choice words about the assignment. How far the mighty have fallen!
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - May 28, 2013 - 01:10am PT
Not many guys can say they torched sh#t for the government! LOL
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 4, 2015 - 02:54pm PT
Independence Day Bump...
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 4, 2017 - 06:58pm PT
Classic adventure bump...
Messages 1 - 18 of total 18 in this topic
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