Big Alan Bartlett Appreciation (where is he now?) thread

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Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber

Out Of Bed

Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 21, 2014 - 05:39pm PT

I walked in to JTree alone - walking with my thumb out.

After a week the crew there started to bet how long;

What route would give me a cheese grater intro ...

Mike Paul sand bagged me.

I asked Cossgrove If I could Hold HIs Rope.

Gordo and big Al

stepped up...

rottingjohnny

Sport climber

mammoth lakes ca

Sep 21, 2014 - 08:05pm PT

Who cares about Big Al...Where's big Bob Bartlett..? Worlds biggest womanizer...

two-shoes

Trad climber

Auberry, CA

Sep 21, 2014 - 10:37pm PT

Big Al is the real deal! He's done gobs of F.A.s all over the state and elsewhere, too. Quality F.A.s on Charlotte Dome, Obelisk, East Fuller Butte, Mount Russell (6 routes?), all over the Sierra east side and Tuolumne Meadows, as well as Yosemite, and Joshua Tree.

This guy has repeated, I think, over 4,000 routes in J Tree. He has done some of the best guide books of Joshua Tree, very good work in my opinion. Did the Sierra Eastside guide, with Errett Allen. A guide book for the north Big Bear area by the name of, Oso Grande, with Chris Miller. He is a longtime friend and climbing partner of Fred Beckey. A rocking good drummer with the Cactus Pricks! Past owner of Positive Resoles. My wife, Leni and me have had the good fortune to have shared an adventure or two with Alan. Big Al I hope you are doing well!

JOEY.F

Gym climber

It's not rocket surgery

Sep 21, 2014 - 10:44pm PT

Bob Bartlett, night auditor, yp&c co?

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

Nothing creative to say

Sep 21, 2014 - 11:31pm PT

++ for the old East Side guide

Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber

Out Of Bed

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 22, 2014 - 07:44am PT

The funny thing is that on the day that I met Al and gordo they were late. I saw this chick and started talking to her ... she said she knew how to belay ((I Bet she did ,I thought to myself)) her guy had gone off with 'Todd' she said like that ment some thing to me. The only Todd I knew of, was the new ranger Toad Swine. I turned up the Charm, formally asked her , her name and told her mine . Back then I was a tasty morsel, cute smart and funny and really buff, I did very well with women , which had always pissed off Todd Swain (When he was Ranger in the Gunks way back).
We were ready to go when a mini van showed up with the Big guy at the wheel and Todd Gordon along for the ride

I named my son Alan.

My daughter Jennifer ..........kids...she was sore that I did not mention her
My wife climbed until the kids. and still roams far and wide as I emulate ....
Tell big AL

BASE104

Social climber

An Oil Field

Sep 22, 2014 - 10:06am PT

I climbed a little with him. Isn't he the guy who never repeats routes? He always climbs routes once, and that means that he does a lot of FA's. I remember climbing some total garbage in Pine Creek Canyon. He would climb anything.

tbailey

Trad climber

canoga park

Sep 22, 2014 - 12:50pm PT

Saw Alan and Tucker an JT Ranch a couple of months ago. Alan looked well and still eager to climb. Did a lot of his routes on Whitney Portal Buttress recently. man had HUGE leading skills, but unfortunately, like EC
rarely slowed down to place pro. Awesome climber, great legacy!

Rockin' Gal

Trad climber

Boulder

Sep 22, 2014 - 01:05pm PT

I had dinner with Alan and George Meyers last week. Alan was on a road trip, might be back in JT shortly. George emerged from obscurity to attend Valley Uprising, which used a lot of his photos. Great to see both of them. Alan worked with George in the late '80s at Chockstone and we did some great climbs while he was here.

TYeary

Social climber

State of decay

Sep 22, 2014 - 01:58pm PT

Al, back in the day. Ten Carat Gold.
Al has been there done that. the man.
TY
photo by Robs Muir

GDavis

Social climber

SOL CAL

Sep 22, 2014 - 02:13pm PT

If you haven't climbed one of big Al's routes, have you really climbed in California...

looking sketchy there...

Social climber

Lassitude 33

Sep 22, 2014 - 02:27pm PT

It has been a privilege and honor to know Big Al. (It was "Big Al" to be distinguish from "Little Al" -voice of the crags - Roberts.) While his climbing resume is to be envied, more importantly he is a man of honor and intelligence with a willing laugh. As others have mentioned, his Josh guides are thoroughly researched; the gold standard - kinda like Al.

StahlBro

Trad climber

San Diego, CA

Sep 22, 2014 - 03:51pm PT

Had some fun days with Big Al in Rattlesnake Canyon and beyond while he was working on one of his guides. We showed eachother new routes and generally had a bitchn' time exploring. Great dude.

Ward Trotter

Trad climber

Sep 22, 2014 - 04:15pm PT

In Feb. 2013 , after a day of climbing at JT, on the drive out ,my partner asked me if I would mind if he swung by an old friend's house on the way out. A mile or two beyond the entrance to the park he turned his truck into the neighborhood north of the road.

After several forays up and down numerous dirt roads while listening to ranchero music, and after getting lost a few times, we eventually arrived at a nice comfortable looking house ,with a gentleman standing in the driveway ---fully involved with putting a tire on his car. My partner introduced me to "Al" and we exchanged small talk. I couldn't help but noticing Al pulling an inflated tire out of the trunk like it was a light backpack and carefully leaning it against his car.

My partner , who I did not really know well, having only climbed with him that day, reminisced a bit with Al . When he asked Al if he had been climbing lately ,Al replied that they were newly involved in some crags, relatively nearby, that he cryptically referred to only as "the new area". He also asked if Al was still playing in his band. Al replied something like "yeah we still mess around".

Of course later on I learned that this Al was the same Big Al of legend and renown. He struck me as a good dude--- and my instincts are usually very precise in that regard.
Later on ,at home ,in the online guide I noticed the small print on one of the routes I had led earlier that day: FA Alan Bartlett

Teri Martin

Trad climber

Superior colorado

Sep 22, 2014 - 05:15pm PT

Met Allan in the 70's first time on the 2nd pitch of 10 Carat Gold. I belayed him on the final run out pitch and a 30+ year friendship was established. My daughter and family spent a few days last week in Boulder with Al ... Wandering Eldo and climbing Castle Rock ... Most memorable trip with Al and Fred Beckey in Baja on El Trono Blanco . Salute to Captain Honest :)

Todd Gordon

Trad climber

Joshua Tree, Cal

Sep 22, 2014 - 07:57pm PT

I've done a shitload of climbing w/big Al .........he's a fisty old crust with a heart of gold, a gut full of suds, a brain like a computer, and a climbing resume second to none;....he's up there with Fred Becky and Pat Brennan....one of the untouchables when it comes to travel, days on the rock, first ascents, and climbing anything........
He's Big Al......that sort of says it all.....
Here is a picture of Big Al on Zenyatta Entrada on a very early ascent ...Arches, Utah.......

Todd Gordon

Trad climber

Joshua Tree, Cal

Sep 22, 2014 - 09:11pm PT

Bldrjac

Ice climber

Boulder

Sep 24, 2014 - 07:36pm PT

Jack went to high school with Alan......we used to stay with him on various forays to JT. Super nice guy....very unassuming. Interesting, quiet intellect. He always let Jack know when something happened in their SaMo tribe. I've nothing but good things to say about him. If you see him, tell him Pam Roberts says hi, still remembers him fondly.
Pam

BLUEBLOCR

Social climber

joshua tree

Sep 24, 2014 - 07:48pm PT

No doubt TG!

i see him just about everyday driving by to the gas station to get the paper.

i've been meaning to ask him about his latest guide. He's been using a computer, i think it made him slower?

klk

Trad climber

cali

Sep 24, 2014 - 10:50pm PT

alan bartlett!

ya big wanker! have a bud for me, dude.

Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber

Out Of Bed

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 25, 2014 - 01:28am PT

Bold TextZAP edit
Silent scream(starting here and I hope If you have pics ..please...TFP ...)TO eFen post
NOT. THE LAME THANK YOU FOR POSTING,,PTFPU post the efphen pictures up
COSMIC Y'ALL SAND BAGGED ME loose lips?
But you may know me I return every now and again. I MAY BE HOLDING a grudge!

Katie, you got me right? I Squeeked not wanting to give away any sense of my fright
Panicky and alone trying to assess my situation how had all the previous classic routes given rise to ground fall climbing. All the classics; Figures On A Landscape...Solid Gold and two other routes at theAstro Domes as well as the rest, had been pretty much well protected. I ended up here? who were these people who would set me on this. Haveing taken a good look from the ground my only thought should have been to find gear or salvation.
The landing would be flat ,splatt all though she was belaying big Al was watching as I climbed. meeting the set of ridges in pocketed smooth rock... it wasn't supposed to be smooth. I placed the gear that I new and loved and I took that half inhaling sigh.
The third or fourth grab on every climb we had done.seemed one grab too far, a very stiff gumby gate! Falling from the start was never recommended, considered very poor form but there is an art to falling from a survivable Height.
This was entirely different ...who was Big AL? We ll dispense with the pleasntries he refused to pre inspect and ground up was religion . This was taken to far? was it bs? Exaggerated to scare or impress me not to mention this might get messy. I had solid chops, climbing above gear was not a problem. Above gear... three micro nuts ...hardly counted but now I had a fidgety,pink tri cam in and that was what I carried triples of red and pink, HEY AL I SPoKE UP
'GONNA Be GEAR AFTER THIS??

guyman

Social climber

Moorpark, CA.

Sep 25, 2014 - 09:58am PT

I always like to know who did the FA of whatever climb is next....

If Big Al, I make sure to lace down my boots very tightly, I cinch down the harness, because I know it will be needed soon, and I try to get my “A” game going.

Tobia

Social climber

Denial

Sep 28, 2014 - 03:30pm PT

Where ever Al is I bet he is listening to a Kinks CD right now.

rand0M aXiS

Mountain climber

Ruby Ridge, Northern [Free] Idaho

Sep 28, 2014 - 03:33pm PT

I climbed Mt Starr King with him in 1974 or 75. Climbed a lot with his brother Bob. Have not seen either since then....

rottingjohnny

Sport climber

mammoth lakes ca

Sep 28, 2014 - 03:55pm PT

Saw big Bob several weeks ago...He just did a few more El Cap routes....Solo...!

this just in

climber

Justin Ross from North Fork

Jul 16, 2015 - 09:32pm PT

Saw he posted on the James Wilson memorial thread. Hopefully he posts more in the future.

neebee

Social climber

calif/texas

Jul 16, 2015 - 11:50pm PT

hey there say, this just in... thanks for the share, as, its a bump, as well... had not seen this... i always enjoy learning about more climbers...
:)