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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Sep 23, 2014 - 07:36pm PT
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Bean Bowers
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 23, 2014 - 08:00pm PT
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Your absolutely right wbw, I'd completely forgotten about Steve House.
That's unforgivable!
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zBrown
Ice climber
Brujò de la Playa
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Sep 23, 2014 - 08:03pm PT
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All of time isn't over
So, obviously "Who is the best North American Climber of all Time? (through September, 2014)"
Uh, is that born in North America? Climbing in North America? And (with advance apologies to Tami, Big Mike and the Squamish thread), is Canada part of North America?
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Sep 23, 2014 - 10:23pm PT
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the 'best climbers' would have little or no incentive to reveal themselves to the 'climbing community'
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Sep 24, 2014 - 07:15am PT
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^^^
No reason except sponsorship.
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"The guy from Cliffhanger".
Wolfgang Gullich (Germany) one of the best climbers ever.
&
Ron Kauk, not mentioned much here but a damn good climber.
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SammO
Social climber
Ohio
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Sep 24, 2014 - 11:55am PT
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This is somehow typical, and a perfect metaphor for the majority of ST threadposts. Toss out a ridiculously oversimplified question, in pseudoinnocence, using ONE 4-letter word, "Best", as the delimiting measure, without even offering elaboration or qualifiers yourself, knowing that the rubes are going to eat each other up in the ensuing debate.
First, BEST is not even a worthy choice for any rating, because it implies so many ambiguous qualities. Greg Mortenson would have been a contender, except for the controversies, because BEST suggests goodness, ie doing good, not merely satisfying some arbitrary yardstick which the OP did not even include.
Why did you not ask "Who's your favorite NA climber"?
"Best" just turns it all into yet another pissing contest, something ST certainly has overdosed on already.
Best (as measured by absolute rock difficulty grades, by subjective degree of commitment, length of climb, career length, breadth of overall experience, by only first ascent credentials, most philosophically relevant over the longest time frame, on and on...)
Climber (interpreted to mean all-around, purely rock, excluding aid, excluding ice, including mountains above 8000m, etc...)
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Sep 24, 2014 - 12:06pm PT
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This guy.
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eagle
Trad climber
new paltz, ny
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Sep 24, 2014 - 01:01pm PT
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WHAT A STUPID THREAD
EVERY NAME IS A ROUTE NAME
ANYONE WHO DECIDES TO CLIMB IS THE BEST CLIMBER...LIKE DUH
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Sep 24, 2014 - 01:38pm PT
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Bump spam
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Trusty Rusty
climber
Tahoe Area
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Sep 25, 2014 - 12:52pm PT
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Unquestionably. . . .
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Sep 25, 2014 - 01:22pm PT
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I think this question deserves several options. Alpine climber, first ascent addict, one who climbs the hardest technical routes, can do the hardest moves, can do hardest moves on gear, best aid climber, best mixed/ice climber...
I think Fred Beckey takes the cake for the most prolific climber. He is simply the most hooked climber I can imagine. I am obsessed with climbing, but this guy has been obsessed forever. Still going at 90+. It is incredible. He was never pulling 5.12, but his desire to CLIMB ANYTHING big and inspiring is freaking impresive.
What Honnold does with his free solos, Sharma does with his strength/technique and what Caldwell does free climbing the walls is pretty damn hard to top, or comprehend.
When it comes to big peaks and technical climbs in major ranges, it is complicated. Climbs we know best, may not be anywhere close to being the hardest that were done. Conditions conditions and luck is a major factor.
Whatever you choose, I take the cake for the hardest sprayin internet wanker! :)
PS: Actually micronut and pellucid wombat are tough too. One pre sprays about his plans two years in advance and the other makes a guidebook worthy trip report for every II 4th class route out there.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Sep 25, 2014 - 01:38pm PT
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The best will be created in a lab. Combine the select, highest quality atributes of the 3 Astroman first free ascentionist's DNA for example. Code name Johnny-Long-Kauk, street name Alex?
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John Ely
Trad climber
DC
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Sep 25, 2014 - 05:52pm PT
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Mt Waddington and a few hundred feet below the summit of K2, and routes all over North America. Fritz Wiessner.
Runners up: Robbins, Kor, Hill (best female climber of all time?). Allen Steck? Steve House?
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Sep 25, 2014 - 06:00pm PT
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I always chalk up while standing in my aiders . . . is he checking out those holds to the right or just looking at the camera?
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Tricouni
Mountain climber
Vancouver
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Sep 25, 2014 - 06:30pm PT
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How is Weissner a north american climber? Are the Huber Brothers in too?
Weissner was born in Germany, but he came to the US in his late 20s. He lived in the USA after that and became an American citizen.
(Fred Beckey was born in Germany, too).
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Fogarty
climber
BITD
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Sep 25, 2014 - 06:53pm PT
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Notable climbs
First Ascents
Rakekniven, Antarctica, 1997
Great Sail Peak, Baffin Island, 1998
New Routes
Mount Hunter's Moonflower Buttress, Alaska
Kwangde Nup, Nepal, 1989
Kusum Kanguru, Nepal, 1990
Northwest Chimney, Grand Teton, Wyoming, 1991
Peak 4810, Ak-Su region, Kyrgyzstan, 1995
Great Trango Tower, Pakistan, 1999, NW face, new route
Other Climbs
Matterhorn (Alps, Switzerland)
K2, Pakistan, China, 1986
Mount Everest, South Col Route, Nepal, 1990 and 1993 (attempt of its Kangshung Face in 1994)
Gasherbrum IV, Pakistan, 1992
Khan Tengri, Kyrgyzstan (August 1993), solo ascent in 10 hours and 8 minutes (broke the former speed climbing record by four hours)
Aconcagua, Argentina, 1993 and 1994
Annapurna, Nepal, 1996
Mount Rundle, Canadian Rockies, spring 1996, "Troubled Dreams", first free ascent of one of the most difficult mixed climbs in the Canadian Rockies.
Skiing
First Descents
Hellmouth Couloir, Alex Lowe Peak (formerly Peak 10,031), Montana, 1997
Northwest Couloir, Middle Teton, Wyoming, 1992
Enclosure Couloir, Grand Teton, Wyoming, 1994
References and notesEdit
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Sep 25, 2014 - 07:35pm PT
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Would be hard to argue with Alex Lowe as an all around the best.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Sep 25, 2014 - 07:58pm PT
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Paul Robinson & Daniel woods can hang on the smallest holds and do the hardest climbing moves ever done so they are the best climbers of all time.
Hardest technical crux of all time = hardest climb of all time
Guy who climbs hardest crux of all time = best climber of all time
They don't even need ropes and all that clanky gear.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Sep 25, 2014 - 08:54pm PT
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Nah scrubs, you were just on acid dude.
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