Mort Hempel has died

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rgold

Trad climber

Poughkeepsie, NY

Aug 26, 2015 - 07:16pm PT

I always liked the Snaz, have done it three or four times over the years.

Met Mort in the Tetons in the sixties. Heard his songs, I think, at some of the Teton Tea parties.

RIP Mort.

BBA

Social climber

Aug 26, 2015 - 07:42pm PT

OK, I’m an Old F. As Mort would say, “Sheeit yes Amborn.”

So of course I knew Mort. He, Joe (Guido here), Foote and I were more or less the climbing scene at Indian Rock in 60-61. You could add in Roper, Rowell and a few others, but it was really the four of us as the hard core.

I’ll talk about Joe and Foote when they croak, but today it’s about Mort.

Or should I say Morten Gregors Hempel? That was his name. His Dad was from Denmark, I believe, and taught somewhere. I met him once or twice and he was a nice gentleman. Joe and Foote went to El Cerrito High (or maybe Albany?) and Mort was in Berkeley High. I was a sort of a Junior at UC in the Escuela do los Arboles. I wasn’t much at being a student, but I was at Indian Rock every day. Mort showed up a lot, too. I think I influenced some of those kids a little, got them all riding bicycles, etc., and going to Indian Rock a lot.

Mort was a sensitive soul and in his visits at my apartment we listened to classical LPs I checked out from the Berkeley Public Library. Singing along to Handel’s oratorios (loudly) was good fun. Samson was our favorite. Mort also was at Roper’s place when we would have cornbread (10 cent package fed us all – just add milk and an egg) and Roper would wildly wave his arms conducting along with some symphony of Beethoven’s. What a gas.

Mort was not playing a musical instrument at the time. His guitar playing, including 12 string, came about as he was influenced by Bill Briggs who came to the Valley from Colorado (I believe). Briggs was an artist everyone enjoyed listening to.

We all went our separate ways long ago, and I find I prefer it that way. I get to remember Mort as a beautiful young man, forever young.

Ice climber

mogollon rim

Aug 26, 2015 - 09:05pm PT

first summer outta high school I spent pretty much the whole summer in the meadows climbing and camping in the old soda springs campground.
mort was there in the evenings serenading everyone with his guitar.
Rest in Peace

jgill

Boulder climber

The high prairie of southern Colorado

Aug 26, 2015 - 09:05pm PT

Like Rich, I remember Mort from those long-ago evenings around the fire pits in the Tetons, sipping Teton Tea.

RIP Mort

BooDawg

Social climber

Butterfly Town

Aug 26, 2015 - 09:11pm PT

I remember meeting him many times in C4 and listening to him sing his haunting ballads so beautifully accompanied by his guitar.

Yes, he had some hard times, but he had a lot of good living as well.

He seemed very much at peace with all around him the last time I saw him in the Buttermilks at Doug Robinson's wedding there.

May he be at rest and leave good memories in all who knew him.

Kalimon

Social climber

Ridgway, CO

Aug 26, 2015 - 09:35pm PT

Awesome recollection BBA!

This is what it is all about!

Fan

climber

Aug 27, 2015 - 08:18am PT

"We all went our separate ways long ago, and I find I prefer it that way. I get to remember Mort as a beautiful young man, forever young."
Amen.

PapaDrew

Trad climber

Idyllwild, CA

Aug 27, 2015 - 11:12am PT

My covers of Mort's music remain a large percentage of what I'm still performing to this day, thanks to his bemusedly tolerating my sitting at his feet taking notes by the light of the campfires.

Although the following Ian Tyson song was NOT one he sang, I reproduce the lyrics and a link to a scratchy recording here for three reasons.

The relevance of the lyrics.

The timbre of Ian's voice sounds close to that of Mort's, except Mort at his best could have passed for Johnny Mathis.

And without knowing he was already dead, I was thinking of Mort when I performed the song the night of 8/24/15.

Friends of Mine
Ian Tyson c. 1966

These friends of mine, we shared some good times together
Days of sunshine, days of rain
Th many jobs and many towns we worked and never
Cared if we saw the same towns again

Then one day, we weren't as young as before
Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
But by all those roads, my friend, we travel down
I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you

These friends of mine, they never cared about tomorrow
It was too early in the game
They'd stay a while until the day they'd get to wonderin'
If the far side of the hill looked the same

And they'd settle down somewhere along the way.
And some went wrong, as some men do.
But by all those roads, my friend, we traveled down,
I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you.

Ah, Rick...

(Rick Turner played the guitar break)

And they'd settle down somewhere along the way.
Yes, and some went wrong, as some men do.
But by all those roads, my friend, we traveled down
I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you.

And by all those roads, my friend, we traveled down
I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you.

http://mp3song.rocks/play.php?id=MXBaTRUtvTDI2RUtvTDdV

Jan

Mountain climber

Colorado, Nepal & Okinawa

Topic Author's Reply - Aug 27, 2015 - 11:32am PT

Joe McKeown just sent me a note that the Memorial Service will be Monday, Aug. 31st at Trinity Lutheran Church, at Broadway and Mapleton in Boulder 10:00 am.

I hope they will play some of Mort's music there.

Neander

Mountain climber

Reno, NV

Aug 27, 2015 - 06:17pm PT

"In 1972 Mike Cohen and Mort Hempel climbed the North Buttress of the Silver Turret at III, 5.8, A1, by far the longest and hardest route in the area at that time." It was a good day, with a kind and patient companion. Mort was a fine partner in the mountains.

guido

Trad climber

Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific

Aug 27, 2015 - 07:23pm PT

A sad day indeed. A most talented, creative, sensitive and at times horribly troubled man who courageously persevered and eventually reached a level of contentment few people ever achieve. We shared some wonderful adventures together. Rest in peace old friend.

Nowonmaui

Social climber

Lahaina, HI

Aug 27, 2015 - 07:29pm PT

Aloha! I found out about this forum and felt compelled to say Thank You from the Hempel family.

My sisters Bhavani (Anne), Karin, Lisa and Britta and I were very sad to see Mort leave us. Our solice is that Mort died completely at peace. We believe he is now in Valhalla or in Yosemite reclimbing the old routes and singing in Camp 4.

You have no idea of how much it means to us to hear your stories and see your old pictures. As Mort's "little" brother, he was kind enough to let me attend some of the Teton tea parties that were occasionally thrown at Camp 4 and at his place in Berkeley.

I remember many of you and certainly your names because Mort frequently and very fondly spoke about you and your climbing exploits.

Mort had been sick for some time. He had contracted Parkinson's disease induced by the drugs he took to control his schizophrenia which he had since his early 20s. He was in hospice in Boulder, CO for the past year.

He was deeply religious and found great friends and comfort at Boulder's Trinity Lutheran Church at which his funeral/memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, August 31.

He was a very kind, peaceful, generous and old soul and we'll miss him dearly. Thanks again to all who posted - he loved you all.

Jasper

P.s. Our family has the cassette referred to in earlier posts. His music will be played at the Memorial Service.

Patrick Oliver

Boulder climber

Fruita, Colorado

Aug 27, 2015 - 07:57pm PT

Thank you, Jas, as Mort used to call you. I too have various tapes of his music. He was never satisfied with the studio recordings he did of the old folk songs. Somehow the environment, I think, was not as pure and beautiful as when he played the songs for friends in Camp 4. Nevertheless it would be good to hear his voice.

Jane Levy

Trad climber

Aug 27, 2015 - 09:05pm PT

Mort was an important part of my early years as a teenager when I knew him in Berkeley. Since I was a few years older than him, I often drove him here and there in my family's car. We got together at Sierra Club climbs in the late 50's. I admired his beautiful climbing on Indian Rock and Hunter's Hill, and his playing the guitar. At that time he was a bit unhappy, suffering quietly, but special, committed, and unique.

I saw him occasionally in the the 60s but lost touch with him after that and so never knew the pain and troubles that he met with in later life.

My memories of him are all good.

Stefan Jacobsen

Social climber

Danmark

Aug 28, 2015 - 02:10am PT

Mort was a distant relative of mine, who I learned about at my fathers birthday party a few years ago (2011). Aunt Bhavani (Anne, Morts sister), was at the party too, and we talked Yosemite as I had plans climbing there later that fall. It soon became clear to me that Mort was part of the Yosemite legend both for his music and quite a few climbs too. I was in awe and I kept asking about his merits. I even got a CD copy of his music for me to listen to in C4. It was very special to me.

Now he is no more, but he is an important part of my memories of Yosemite. May he rest in peace.

Stefan

Peter Haan

Trad climber

Santa Cruz, CA

Aug 28, 2015 - 07:36am PT

Definitely things will be a bit different here on out. Mort's dad was my mathematic instructor back in then- Garfield Junior High. Homeroom teacher too. Kindest, subtle Danish man. Everyone loved Mr Hempel. Yeah it does feel we are all in a line and now nudge forward one step further.

Anne-Marie Rizzi

climber

Aug 28, 2015 - 06:10pm PT

Oh Mort. A favorite old friend.

I met him in Camp 4 in the early 70s, but we became friends when I was a student at Berkeley in 1972. He would come over to my apartment, play his guitar, and together we would discuss life. This was after/during his treatment for his mental issues. We'd smoke, I'd drink (he was sober by then), he'd play, and we'd talk.

I always loved his personal style--retro even then: the swept back hair, the skinny pants, perpetual cigarette in hand. Sort of a latter-day beatnik.

He was the first person I met who was open about mental illness. Remember these were the days that it was still such a stigma. And one of the first men I met who would openly discuss his emotions.

What a charming man! I think we wrote for a period, then lost touch. I've always remembered him with fondness and hope his later years included serenity.

Anne-Marie

(I wish the title of this thread could be changed to include the correct spelling of his last name: Hempel.)