Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
| Messages 1 - 68 of total 68 in this topic |
Bushman
Social climber
The island of Tristan da Cunha
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 21, 2014 - 10:31pm PT
|
'Erik Erikson '
Though it's been almost twenty years since I retired from climbing it's time I paid homage and recounted an amusing story from my first El Cap route with one cool dude who's still livin' the dream on the big stone.
Erik Erikson was one of my first climbing partners and mentors at Tahquitz and Suicide rocks in the early and mid 1970s. He took me on and witnessed most of my folly on the sharp end and at the edge of my ability or beyond. That was probably one of the easier albeit deadlier tortures that Erik was to endure during the course of my tutelage. His encouragement coupled with sardonic wit served to temper and quell my exuberant zeal for climbing myself into situations for which I had no obvious solution. Over the course of a couple years I narrowly survived several dangerous leader falls before Erik's chagrin and admonishments began to curb me of my wanton flirtations with mortality.
A few years and many routes later found us both in the Valley looking for a partner and teaming up for our first El Cap route. It was February 1981, five months after my brother Tobin died while soloing in Canada and I had come to Yosemite adrift and confused, but intent on trying to reconnect through climbing with some of what I had lost.
I remember talking with Erik about how I often thought about doing El Cap but never had the courage to attempt to do so until then. Tobin's death was the catalyst. I had been thinking a lot about how Tobin had done so many hard climbs, first ascents, and big alpine routes all over the world in his short life and yet here I was, barely getting up a few easier walls in California in relatively the same amount of time. It felt like I hadn't even started seriously climbing yet, so I felt honored and committed to doing the Salathe route at Erik's suggestion, and of course in the back of my mind I was still scared shitless at the prospect of launching off into the unknown on that big ass stone.
Skip ahead a few days and we had been cruising all the aid and some 5.9 or 5.10, we had got through the cold wet bivy in the alcove below El Cap Spire and we were starting on day three. Along with some others the block pitch was wet and muddy, and the cold was starting to wear on us by that time. The next lead was mine and I was supposed to tension or swing to Sous Le Tout ledge and fix before our next bivy on the Block's sloping ledge. Erik had insisted much to my dismay that I was off route and was wasting precious hours or the possibility of our not summiting the next day. This weighed on my mind during the bivy as I slid down and scooched up all night long on the sloping ledge with the drip drip of the mini waterfall wetting my toes through my bag by dawn.
So Erik jugs up to my high point and sure enough I was off route and I'm starting to stress but he finds the crack and Sous Le Toit and gets us back on route. After a thorough drubbing I started up some A2 about 30 feet above Erik when I levered out on a #3 cam and wanged it straight into my forehead, and commenced to cry out like little girl as I felt the hot blood hot on my face and hand. Then I lowered down to Erik and whined plaintively, "How bad is it, Am I going to need stitches, man?" "Dibbs, it's just a scratch!" Without missing a beat he reaches up and slaps a patch of duct tape on my forehead and tells me, "Now get back up there!" I think we topped out that day.
Too many years have come and gone to remember much else, but I do know how much Erik looked up to and respected my big bro. For the way that a good friend kept his cool and looked out for us during our first voyage up that big cliff, I think Tobin would have been grateful to him for that.
-Tim Sorenson
|
|
Fish Finder
Social climber
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 04:44am PT
|
I've met a lot of great climbers here on the Eastside
Its the subtle guys you notice and wonder - WTF? how does he do it?
well- he just does
Very impressive climbing resume
Very Cool Human Being
Hope to hang soon
Happy Holidays Erik !!!!!
|
|
couchmaster
climber
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 05:32am PT
|
Thanks for the morning humor Tim, great story.
|
|
Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 08:37am PT
|
Cheers to one of the true all around hard climbic people you'll ever meet. Erik does it all, from hard free climbing too hard aid climbing and I mean sick, hard aid climbing, to ice and Alpine madness. The guy is a master of all disciplines of the sport,and a funny guy too.
I've probably climbed close to a thousand pitches with him over the years and he still impresses me all the time.
|
|
rincon
Trad climber
Coarsegold
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 08:50am PT
|
Great story Bushman.
"Now get back up there" Classic E!
|
|
hashbro
Trad climber
Mental Physics........
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 08:53am PT
|
now we're talking
|
|
Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 09:05am PT
|
Well told, Bushman.
I strongly second Scrubbing Bubbles paean.
|
|
MisterE
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 09:12am PT
|
Had the opportunity to work and climb with Erik here in Bishop this summer.
Highly skilled carpenter and climber, super humble and chill.
|
|
henny
Social climber
The Past
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 09:14am PT
|
Oh yeah. The dude still does it all, and doesn't seem to have slowed down much at all. Bad azz. Not a bunch of spray, just a bunch of doing.
|
|
MisterE
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 04:58pm PT
|
This thread is Choad, Dude!!
;-)
|
|
Gagner
climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 05:09pm PT
|
Erik's the man …. and one of the most accomplished all around climbers and cool, mellow guys!!
WOO HOO!!
|
|
fosburg
climber
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 06:08pm PT
|
The dude smokes like a stack and always seems psyched to climb, borderline iconic at this point I would think.
|
|
wayne w
Trad climber
the nw
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 07:49pm PT
|
Tim, thanks for posting that great TR from your Salathe adventure with EE!
An inspirational icon he is!
|
|
neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 07:53pm PT
|
hey there say, bushman... thank you for sharing... i get the extra blessing here, to learn all about these folks that you all, already know...
i am always enjoying the adventure of it all, here at the taco... :)
may not always remember it all, but it will at least 'ring a bell' now, :)
|
|
dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 07:58pm PT
|
Yes that mutha' fu#!er was a mentor for me as well.
On the PO, we suffered some up there. Dude it was
SO DAMN FRICKIN' HOT!
Here is the man chillin'.
|
|
dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 08:10pm PT
|
El Cap is an easy outing for this master of stone. Although it musta' been the first night since we had beer.
|
|
mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 08:38pm PT
|
This is already a great thread.
Cheers EE
|
|
rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 10:46pm PT
|
I was fortunate enough to shake hands with Erikson this summer and the guy is for real...but who cares..?
|
|
rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2014 - 10:54pm PT
|
I do...
|
|
guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
|
|
|
Dec 23, 2014 - 08:47am PT
|
Climbing with Eric is always a blast.
I stepped away from the stone for a few years at the end of the 1970's... returned in 1987 about 50 lbs out of shape....
E gave me a call, wanted to go to El Gran Trono... I said "Sure Thing"...
didn't tell him about my condition.
After the long drive, full of adventure, we arrive late at nite and get a alpine start right at dawn.
E jumps on the first pitch of the South Face, a 10 something, I do have some skillz and was able to get...but only by a hairs breath, the off fingers part.
E hands me the rack for the next 5.7 pitch, it takes me about an hour to lead it. E gets up to me after about 5 min of climbing and looks at my sweating, out of breath, incredibly FAT bod lying in the hole, completely gassed.
He says, in his most stern way, "I better lead the rest of this if we are going to get off by nite"... Sure thing, no problem, I answer.
The rest of the climb went down OK, I climbed as fast as I could but arrived at all the belays totally gassed, cut n bloody from the epic struggle with the jams. We got to the top, the sun was going down fast, E knew the way down... thank god...my wobbly legs were out of gas and loosing the truck in the brush had us wandering around for an extra hour of torture.
At the Truck, all I could do was lie in the dirt and drink water from the cooler.
E took pity on me and made me some food, opened up a cold one and nursed me back to health.
All he could say was, "I guess your sort of out of shape, no worries, we can do some of the short climbs around here"
One of the best partners ever!
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
|
|
|
Dec 23, 2014 - 09:05am PT
|
|
|
D.Eubanks
Big Wall climber
|
|
|
Dec 27, 2014 - 08:54am PT
|
Es' the man
|
|
L.A. Woman
Social climber
Buggerville
|
|
|
May 19, 2016 - 04:24am PT
|
Stellar and vast climbing career...E da brah!
|
|
jeff constine
Trad climber
Ao Namao
|
|
|
May 19, 2016 - 06:23am PT
|
Super E
|
|
L.A. Woman
Social climber
Buggerville
|
|
|
May 19, 2016 - 03:52pm PT
|
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. Thanks for sharing your heart!
|
|
fosburg
climber
|
|
|
May 19, 2016 - 08:54pm PT
|
Did he get the chop?
|
|
T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
|
|
|
May 21, 2016 - 07:33am PT
|
The guy is so chaod he gets 2 appreciation threads
HAHAHA
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
May 21, 2016 - 07:37am PT
|
E and Shipley ..... bad to the bone ......
|
|
Craig Fry
Trad climber
So Cal.
|
|
|
May 21, 2016 - 07:43am PT
|
I guess I just dreamed that I posted these photos here already
|
|
Stewart Johnson
Mountain climber
lake forest
|
|
|
May 21, 2016 - 08:04am PT
|
Choadage!
|
|
L.A. Woman
Social climber
Buggerville
|
|
|
May 21, 2016 - 01:49pm PT
|
Craig, that was on the Bugger thread.
Nice photos! Bump
|
|
Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
|
|
|
May 21, 2016 - 05:06pm PT
|
Erik Eriksson
Spelled the Viking way.
|
|
L.A. Woman
Social climber
Buggerville
|
|
|
May 23, 2016 - 02:21pm PT
|
Eirikr the Viking!
|
|
L.A. Woman
Social climber
Buggerville
|
|
|
May 23, 2016 - 03:17pm PT
|
Don't drink, not a stalker, no cable. E is a good friend.
|
|
L.A. Woman
Social climber
Buggerville
|
|
|
May 23, 2016 - 03:46pm PT
|
E drinks from a Norse horn with a Valknut on it ; )
Specifically an Auroch horn.
|
|
L.A. Woman
Social climber
Buggerville
|
|
|
May 24, 2016 - 03:44pm PT
|
Eirikr the Viking rules the rock! Watch your head....
|
|
jeff constine
Trad climber
Ao Namao
|
|
|
May 24, 2016 - 04:31pm PT
|
lolol ^^^^^ funny sh#t
|
|
L.A. Woman
Social climber
Buggerville
|
|
|
May 24, 2016 - 04:35pm PT
|
The legendary Swedish kings who preceded Eric the Victorious are called "sagokungar". E is saga king ; )
Jeff, I agree...lol,lol,lol. I'm just having fun!
Thanks for the pic you posted. One of my current favorites of E on El Cap.
|
|
TYeary
Social climber
State of decay
|
|
|
May 24, 2016 - 05:02pm PT
|
Seems we had more beer than climbing, but good partner , whatever the endeavor!
"we are brothers of the north
who are sharing the all father's blood
marching down the left hand path
we are spawned by Asagods
'cause we are!
we're the guardians
guardians of Asgaard"
TY
|
|
i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
|
|
"E"gads so rad!
|
|
'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
|
|
I hope we can finally do a wall next spring! About time.
|
|
EdBannister
Mountain climber
13,000 feet
|
|
|
Dec 10, 2016 - 01:03am PT
|
Eric seemed to be able to maintain humor in the face of adversity...
He actually climbed ice instead of talking about it.
funny route names.
only one indiscretion i can think of. But we laughed about that also.
|
|
jeff constine
Trad climber
Ao Namao
|
|
|
Dec 10, 2016 - 05:19am PT
|
Super Pipe! Oh Mister E, E is not yur Buddy nor friend.
|
|
Jonathan Weir
Boulder climber
visalia, ca
|
|
|
Feb 20, 2018 - 01:01pm PT
|
My brother was a rock climber from Tujunga and erik lived with him. I met him when I was about fourteen and that guy was so much cooler to hang out with than my brother half the time. Told me about growing up as a scout, how his dad was the pack leader or whatever you call the guy that guides them and is older, "point leader", f*#k I don't know. Anyway, the dude almost became the highest scout or received some very final scout thing, Point of Light, Boyscout Nebula Award, another thing I don't know. But he almost achieved it but then was so caught up in climbing that he realized he didn't need the scouts to climb and walked away from it, or had a falling out with his pops about it because he smoked or some sh#t and said "f*#k it." It was something I admired, not bending to someone elses will, being your own person, and saying f*#k materialism in a sense, kind of punk rock I guess. In my young rebellious mind, it was the perfect influential tale. For some reason it was so easy to relate to Erik, he was surprising, not condescending at all, and funny. Like he told me he liked the geto boys, which turned me onto geto boys. Scarface forever. Willie D is like an African American Charles Dickens. He taught me how to smoke a roach down to nothing with just your bare fingers. Told me he enjoyed eight ball malt liquor. I always wonder about him, he has climbed el capitan more times then I have had birthdays I'm sure, and all of these other routes that are well known amongst people who don't climb, then all the rest of this sh#t you'd only know if you climbed. Like the dudes already been there, several times already, but never was bragadocious in how he described these accomplishments. He reminds of Fred Beckey, or probably the closest I will ever come to meeting someone as astounding as Fred Beckey. I want to just tell him hi; him, Jeff Constine, Kelly, Jack Tripper, Junior and even Dave Tidwell. Thanks for helping shape my formative years and for putting up with me out climbing, I was a whiner.
|
|
jeff constine
Trad climber
Ao Namao
|
|
|
Feb 20, 2018 - 02:42pm PT
|
E gettin second ascent of a new route. Levy on belay.
|
|
Splater
climber
Grey Matter
|
|
|
Feb 20, 2018 - 03:42pm PT
|
25 years ago
friend of mine driving his VW bus to Williamson
motorcyclist passes him on the outside of blind curve
oncoming car appears at just the wrong time
motorcyclist avoids headon by going over the edge
way over
helicopter rescue
|
|
jeff constine
Trad climber
Ao Namao
|
|
|
Feb 20, 2018 - 05:41pm PT
|
Super E on belay. Nailed it Xcon! forgot about those days.
|
|
jeff constine
Trad climber
Ao Namao
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2018 - 07:13am PT
|
Ended up being a 5.11+ mixed route.
|
|
D.Eubanks
Big Wall climber
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2018 - 07:44pm PT
|
|
|
rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2018 - 07:51pm PT
|
Eubanks...by the looks of that pic you took you can't be far behind in the Big Wall rankings...? Cool shot Dana...
|
|
Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
|
|
|
Feb 22, 2018 - 10:51am PT
|
Jeeeez,where would I start with my early shenanigans with EEEEEEEEEEEEEE?
|
|
mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Riverkern Annex)
|
|
|
Feb 22, 2018 - 11:03am PT
|
Good stories on EE from Kris Solem while he and I ventured out to The Rincon yesterday. A good'un about the FA of the Double E Cracks. Kris sure can build up story. Levinthal should chime in on this one!
|
|
E
Ice climber
mogollon rim
|
|
|
Feb 22, 2018 - 12:21pm PT
|
notice colt 45 can in photo of Charlie and EE
|
|
Contractor
Boulder climber
CA
|
|
|
Feb 22, 2018 - 12:23pm PT
|
I TR solo'd "One Size Fits All" with RC last season. The bolt spacing on that thing is so gnarly and the route is amazing. There's not much evidence of traffic for obvious reasons.
|
|
E
Ice climber
mogollon rim
|
|
|
Feb 23, 2018 - 08:23am PT
|
|
|
i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
|
|
|
Feb 23, 2018 - 09:09am PT
|
Hee Hee EE, drink and lead!
|
|
E
Ice climber
mogollon rim
|
|
|
Feb 23, 2018 - 09:57am PT
|
That's my image I'm pretty shur
|
|
jeff constine
Trad climber
Ao Namao
|
|
|
Feb 23, 2018 - 02:59pm PT
|
He is cool & PIPE!
|
|
Jonathan Weir
Boulder climber
visalia, ca
|
|
hey, I doubt Erik looks at these at all, I would be highly surprised. Never full of himself, kinda quirky. He was playing Tug of War with my brothers dog and it let go and he ended up hitting himself in the face. So rad he climbs still, he's like Mark Gonzalez and will not stop until it becomes the end of him. I see all these pictures of him and it's like he never aged really. I wonder if he still lives in LA? I'm here for a while. It would be cool to say hello to him again.
|
|
jamatt
Social climber
Asheville, NC
|
|
Dang. I thought we might be talking about psychosocial development and I coulda said smart things.
|
|
Touque
Trad climber
Santacruzcalif
|
|
|
Jul 13, 2018 - 12:58pm PT
|
I remember Eric we pretty much started climbing the same time mainly at suciderock he a great guy and awesome face climber so hi Eric this is Matt cox from the 70s
|
|
| Messages 1 - 68 of total 68 in this topic |
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!