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duncan
climber
London, UK
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 30, 2016 - 02:20am PT
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I've just finished the excellent "Yosemite in the 1950s", strongly recommended to anyone with half an interest in this sort of thing. It is a lovely production, a credit to all involved. It's now sitting proudly alongside its companion Yosemite in the 1960s, Meyers' Yosemite Climber (a major reason for going there in the first place), John Muir The Yosemite, and Batso's Downward Bound.
What else would you have in your essential Yosemite climbing library?
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Mar 30, 2016 - 04:17am PT
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My Life by Royal Robbins, in three volumes.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Mar 30, 2016 - 05:47am PT
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eKat brings up a very good point about what's important to a person.
Their libraries are like their lives on display for some. What's the more important version of the Yosemite guidebooks for your library?
It would be the one YOU AND YOUR PARTNERS used. The essence, in other words, of YOUR personal experience will be in that particular volume.
Mine happens to be the Green; and though I used the red, I never owned one because the Green was due out soon when I began climbing in Yosemite and I needed to save the bucks for one of those.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Mar 30, 2016 - 08:23am PT
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What DMT said.
The Making of Yosemite. The popular notion of Muir and Hutchings (or lack thereof as the case may be) is pretty far off from the facts of the time. This book digs into some of it.
Early Sierra Club Bulletins...With the climbers of the 50's and moreso the 60's came a lore that sort of wiped out everything and everyone that came before them, but the early folks wrote more in the SCB about their adventures than our generation probably has committed to Supertopo.
Anything by Shirley Sargent.
The picture books, of course...Yosemite Climber and Heinz Zak's Yosemite book.
Lynn Hill's autobiography and Bev Johnson's biography add color for their respective eras.
The contemporary library is probably more video and online media.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 30, 2016 - 08:29am PT
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Are you kidding me? Eleven posts and not one vote four Roper's Camp 4? Very sad.
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Bullwinkle
Boulder climber
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Mar 30, 2016 - 08:35am PT
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The Stone Masters, California Climbing in the 70's, John Long and Dean Fidelman.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Mar 30, 2016 - 09:17am PT
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Red Roper has great line drawings of presently less visited formations.
Green Roper is the bible for text descriptions of many now obscure routes
Meyers/Reid (mine is turquoise) is good for the standard repertoire beyond supertopo
Supertopo of course is great to focus on the climbing and not getting lost or running out of gear
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Mar 30, 2016 - 09:52am PT
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hamie
Social climber
Thekoots
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Mar 30, 2016 - 10:09am PT
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Not mentioned so far:
The Valley Climbers. Stonemaster Press. Editor D. Fidelman [?]
Going Up. Joe Fitschen.
Ordeal by Piton. S. Roper
Wings of Steel. Jensen. One of my faves
Rock Jocks, Hangdogs etc J. Long
Night on the Ground etc etc. D. Robinson. More about the high country, so not really an essential.
Already mentioned:
A Red Roper. Essential to any "classy" collection of valley writing. :) :)
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Mar 30, 2016 - 10:20am PT
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Camp 4 and Ordeal by Piton, in a runaway.
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Da-Veed
Big Wall climber
Bigfork
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Mar 30, 2016 - 10:20am PT
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Ordeal by Piton -Steve Roper
Camp 4 -Steve Roper
Vertical World of Yosemite
and Dharma Bums (not Yosemite but some High Sierra and just a damn good book)
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cragnshag
Social climber
san joser
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Mar 30, 2016 - 10:32am PT
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What else would you have in your essential Yosemite climbing library?
Clint's brain in a jar. All those guidebooks and more are right there. Now if we could just figure out how to hook up a USB cable to it...
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Mar 30, 2016 - 10:32am PT
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Since I started in the "red Roper guide" era, and have a particular love for climbing history, I would include the following, at least:
A Climber's Guide to the High Sierra (Pre-1963, with the section on Yosemite Valley)
Red Roper guide
Green Roper guide
The Vertical World of Yosemite
Yosemite Climber
Yosemite in the 1950's
Camp 4
Orderal by Piton
My Life (Robbins)
Yosemite in the 1960s (I'm not sure if that's the title, but it's Glen Denny's superb photographic essay).
Any guidebook that includes John Dill's discussion of how to stay alive.
The most up-to-date guidebooks available. This includes not only all the Super Topo guides, but the Reid/Meyers guide and the more recent Big Walls guide.
Clint Cummins' list of Yosemite climbs.
As much as is available from the Stonemasters (I'm thinking particularly of Largo's and Bullwinkle's books).
The introductions to the two Roper guides give an excellent view of the state of Valley climbing in 1964 and 1970. The former hs a golden age flavor, the latter more of a silver age look. The other two Roper books include personal correspondence in Camp 4 and a compilation of articles in Ordeal by Piton. Denny's book and the 1950's book make you feel like you're getting to know the people and atmosphere.
Early guidebooks show the development of routes and standards. More modern ones show the evolution of what is possible, and how the definition of "moderate" changes over time. Clint's list (assuming it's still posted online) allows you to track the history of climbs on any formation in the Valley.
My collection is weak on later books only because I haven't read enough of them. Sorry.
John
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Tricouni
Mountain climber
Vancouver
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Mar 30, 2016 - 11:10am PT
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Clarence King: Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada has to be on any list.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Mar 30, 2016 - 01:15pm PT
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Oldie but a goodie:
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Mar 30, 2016 - 01:19pm PT
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And another:
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Mar 30, 2016 - 01:26pm PT
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Absolutely shameful!
More than 2 dozen posts and no Downward Bound?
It even rates Yosemite climbers.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Mar 30, 2016 - 01:34pm PT
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^^^OP mentioned "batso's downward bound"...
But, no further mention. Indeed shameful.
Galen Rowell's first edition of High and Wild has a nice shot of a snowy Half Dome...
Defying Gravity - High Adventure on Yosemite's Walls by Gary Arce.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Mar 30, 2016 - 01:42pm PT
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Here's a class favorite:
Ha ha...
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Mar 30, 2016 - 01:52pm PT
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Oops, eKat, my bad.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Mar 30, 2016 - 02:15pm PT
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Trad
Trad climber
northern CA
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Mar 30, 2016 - 03:14pm PT
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Geology Underfoot in Yosemite National Park by Allen Glazner and Greg Stock
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Mar 30, 2016 - 06:21pm PT
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Mar 30, 2016 - 06:30pm PT
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You guys are ashsoles! The only Yosemite book that matters is Yosemite Climber by George Meyers.
Tell me that book didn't resurrect or verify your tick list? The pictures of free climbing and the big walls laid the foundation for a generation of climbers.
Total style screaming at you in every picture. Outside magazine, Patagonia Clothing Company, TNF--they're all trying to do what Meyers delivered.
Any one who read it--it's like the story of the Velvet Undergrounds first album--only 2000 people heard it- But everyone of them went out and started a band.
Impossible to read without dreaming of what could be--forced me to stand on the road with a thumb out pointing west. Forced me to take the lead. Forced me to see what it was all about
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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Mar 30, 2016 - 10:49pm PT
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Clarence King: Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada has to be on any list. Agreed, but Muir, even more-so.
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Mar 31, 2016 - 02:03am PT
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It hasn't been explicitly stated here so far:
The Green Roper's guides to the Valley and the High Sierra are not just climbers' guides. They are history books.
And the non-SuperTopo, non-Meyer's routes in the Roper's books are not just chossy crap. Some of the Roper's obscurities are really good. No gumby queues at the base, either.
When I saw the bongs and blocks of wood in Yosemite Climber, the only El Cap route I wanted to do was Excalibur. Those clean wide cracks did not disappoint.
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duncan
climber
London, UK
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 31, 2016 - 08:29am PT
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Tremendous suggestions everyone. This is becoming quite expensive.
Clint's brain is the obvious must-have, but which one?
This did lead me to his thoughts on Yosemite history here. He thinks the Meyers/Reid 1987 guide has "the best overall reference for free climbing history". I'm the green and yellow Meyers generation. The Meyers/Reid and the Ropers are an interesting idea, I love UK guidebooks with unfashionable text and historical sections but the regular booksellers seem unwilling to ship outside North America.
I've ordered Camp 4, Making Of... and Vertical World of... (I've read this but good to have a copy and easily found in the UK).
How did I miss The Stone Masters when it came out? Second-hand prices have inflated like mint Led Zeppelin first pressings or vintage Porches. Is it that good? Damn baby-boomers and their disposable incomes!
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duncan
climber
London, UK
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 14, 2016 - 12:33am PT
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Add Glen Denny's memoir to the list. I really enjoyed it, the various personalities come across strongly. More social and cultural history than who climbed what with whom, but we've already had plenty of the latter.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Oct 14, 2016 - 06:10am PT
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I was cruising the thread checking for that title, Duncan.
It's an old-school (MORT HEMPEL stories, MIKE BORGHOFF stories) romp that is best placed next to Roper's Camp 4.
Valley Wallsis full of writing that percolated in Glen's brain (just the one) like rainwater into the bedrock, coming out coool and cleear like the water of Fern Spring.
Refreshingly old stories but a unique point of view from a masterful observer.
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BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
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Oct 14, 2016 - 09:14am PT
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"The Discovery of Yosemite" by Lafayette Bunnell recounts the first Euro-Americans' (Mariposa Battalion's) entry into Yosemite Valley. Good for the earliest history.
"Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite." A great history book and educates us all about how to avoid accidents in Yosemite's beautiful but unforgiving landscapes.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Oct 14, 2016 - 12:06pm PT
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Shattered Air,
Bob Madgic 1985-07-27 lightning strike on Half Dome; is described in
Death in Yosemite p.205-210.
The rescue was done by helicopter from the Half Dome summit in moonlight.
Later there was a body recovery for one victim who slid off the summit.
There was also a simultaneous SAR for 4 lost people in Tenaya Canyon.
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Climberdude
Trad climber
Clovis, CA
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Oct 14, 2016 - 12:53pm PT
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I am surprised no one has mentioned "Pilgrims Of The Vertical" by Joseph Taylor III. It is more of an academically written book, but is excellent for explaining the history of climbing in the US, particularly in Yosemite. One of my favorite climbing history books.
Edit
"Shattered Air" is also excellent.
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David Plotnikoff
Mountain climber
Emerald Hills, CA
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Oct 15, 2016 - 05:54pm PT
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Galen Rowell and John Muir: The Yosemite
Daniel Duane, El Capitan
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kief
Trad climber
east side
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Oct 15, 2016 - 07:24pm PT
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Illustrations include lots of pre-dam Hetch Hetchy photos I've seen nowhere else. Long out of print. Amazon has used copies available but there may be better prices on eBay.
This used to be for sale in the Valley at the AA Gallery. A public domain pdf may be downloaded here.
Though not climbing books both are fascinating.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Sep 26, 2017 - 02:50am PT
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hey there say, ... just SAW this thread, in a seach about the book,
'shattered air' ...
thought this would be a good bump...
'essential yosemite libaray' ... good thread, here... :)
happy good eve, to all...
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Sep 26, 2017 - 05:37am PT
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Correct me if I am wrong, but I see no mention of Glen Denny's Yosemite In the Sixties, a photo essay by the Maestro.
I love this shot...my very first fifth class lead is shown here, Delectable Pinnacle, 5.7.
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