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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Aug 29, 2014 - 11:03pm PT
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Ha! I forgot about Psychosis. Jim led it, pausing in mid-layback to place a bong (Jim might have been the best laybacker I ever met). I struggled up it on a top rope and thought it solid 5.10, but Jim insisted it was only 5.9. This massive sandbagging distorted Adirondack grading for years to come, since folks kept comparing routes to Psychosis, graded at 5.9, to decide whether those routes were 5.9 or 5.10. I hereby proclaim my innocence.
A bit of trivia: Yellow Belly was, I think, the hardest climb in the Gunks when done free in 1957. Graded 5.8+, but it would have been 5.9 at, say, Tahquitz in 1957.
I especially want the one of Bragg on CoEx, Bein with helmet and rrs on Matinee 2nd pitch
Those are mine, you are welcome to them.
the North American Climber Rock and Snow ad of someone on 'MF', though I think this is actually 'Birdie Party.' - which is also fine as long as someone can confirm that JM climbed this at some point w/out aid even if Bein did the FFA.
Could you point me to the Rock and Snow ad photo? I can probably settle the locale. As for climbing Birdie Party free, Jim did it many times after Kevin's (accidental!) FFA.
Correction:
Jim climbed Absurdland with George Bloom (not Blume).
Addition:
The Kraus-McCarthy Route is on the West Face of Snowpatch Spire.
The Mac-Reppy ascent was a free ascent and was 5.8 at the time. A chockstone in a crack came out later and made it 5.11.
There's a great picture of Jim (on the left) and Dave Bernays on the top of Devil's Tower in 1954 on John Rupley's website, http://climbaz.com/interviews/mccarthy.html.
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John Ely
Trad climber
DC
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Aug 30, 2014 - 07:57am PT
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The 'ratings debate' circa 1977
Not surprised to hear about how the Gunks powerhouse kept the 'dacks 'honest.' There are remarks in the early publications about how no one had the gunks had yet done a 'hard' [UIAA] six but only easy and mediums. The idea of an absolute ratings limit still makes sense for aid climbing, but it seems that reports from Barber about the eminently sensible Australians would never take hold in the US, where we got stuck with lots of letters as well.
Note whose climbs form the framework of definition determinations!
By the way, the urban dictionary derives 'sandbag' from the first star wars movie and the whomp rats. Circa '77. Anyone recall an earlier use by climbers? I assume it must predate G Lucas.
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Kligfield
Mountain climber
Boulder, CO
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Jim,
Chiming into this discussion a bit "late"--Jim was (and is) one of the very best. His influence on multiple generations of American climbers was possibly a more significant legacy than his first ascent route list! I hope, Jim, you are enjoying your current life in Ridgeway! Roy K
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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The 1971 Interior Ranges guidebook says that the route on Snowpatch in 1956 was by Kraus, McCarthy and Rupley, referring to the American Alpine Journal. The much later Bugaboos-specific guidebooks just say Kraus and McCarthy.
When we did it in the 1970s, everyone called it the "Kraus, McCarthy Rupley".
I only mention this because John Rupley was at the memorial for Fred Beckey at The Mountaineers' in Seattle last Sunday, and spoke. John must be over 90, but seemed very fit.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jim got married this past September at the tender age of 84 to Ellen Latham, a lovely woman who is wicked smart and climbed Bidalveil Falls (WI 5) last winter. I’d say he’s doing fine!
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