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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 19, 2016 - 07:54pm PT
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In a single car accident, Kim has left us while returning from a wonderful river trip in Idaho. More to follow.
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Stewart Johnson
Mountain climber
lake forest
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Sep 19, 2016 - 07:58pm PT
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One of the best. Rest in peace great man.
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Sep 19, 2016 - 08:01pm PT
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Terrible news
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Nick
climber
portland, Oregon
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Sep 19, 2016 - 08:24pm PT
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RIP Kim....A good guy has left us.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Sep 19, 2016 - 08:25pm PT
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Oh, I'm so sorry. My reaction was eKat's: Oh no.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Sep 19, 2016 - 08:26pm PT
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Very sorry to hear this.
Much respect.
Rick
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rbord
Boulder climber
atlanta
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Sep 19, 2016 - 08:28pm PT
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Shoot. Sounds like a great guy. Sorry (and glad) if he was your friend.
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Fritz
Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Sep 19, 2016 - 08:40pm PT
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My condolences to his family & friends.
My life is poorer, for having never met him.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Sep 19, 2016 - 08:43pm PT
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I'm with Fritz. The guy was a legend.
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BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
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Sep 19, 2016 - 08:49pm PT
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Dennis Hennek and I spent 3 days climbing next to him and Jim Madsen while we established the psychedelic Wall on Sentinel Rock. We 4 had a wonderful time together yet apart. We are all somewhat poorer for his departure from this world. I will miss him.
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TYeary
Social climber
State of decay
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Sep 19, 2016 - 08:52pm PT
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That just sucks... terrible news. He was a hero for me, a cLimbers climber.
A car accident....ugh...sad day indeed
TY
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Risk
Mountain climber
Olympia, WA
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Sep 19, 2016 - 08:53pm PT
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Very sorry to learn this. A very respected Elder of our Tribe, Kim was. My condolences to his family and beloved. You and Kim are in my thoughts.
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SC seagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, A sailboat, or some time zone
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Sep 19, 2016 - 08:56pm PT
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Oh. Just can't be.
Susan
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Daphne
Trad climber
Northern California
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Sep 19, 2016 - 08:56pm PT
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Condolences to all who are grieving this loss.
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WBraun
climber
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Sep 19, 2016 - 08:56pm PT
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This is fuked up.
After all the sh!t he's been thru and now this,
not cool .....
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Sep 19, 2016 - 09:02pm PT
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Speechless over the loss.
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couchmaster
climber
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Sep 19, 2016 - 09:04pm PT
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Wow, sorry to hear of it but still, its the way of the world. Condolences to Kim's family and friends. He had a great run interspersed with some total baloney, may the the rest of us be so lucky. As the old ones step off, sadly, the rest of us now must take a step closer to the edge. The guy was (and is) an amazing legend.
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Fossil climber
Trad climber
Atlin, B. C.
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Sep 19, 2016 - 09:07pm PT
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Shock, sorrow. A good man, gone way too soon.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Sep 19, 2016 - 09:08pm PT
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Condolences. Was part of the fabric and history up this way as well.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Sep 19, 2016 - 09:11pm PT
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Oh no. I didn't know him well, but I was fortunate to have a long phone conversation with him last year.
My sincere condolences to all his many friends, his family, and all of us who were touched by his bright light over the decades. One of the great tribe members indeed.
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Sep 19, 2016 - 09:12pm PT
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That's such sad news Peter thanks for letting us know, man he had a rough ride, condolences!
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Sep 19, 2016 - 09:17pm PT
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No words. Shared many epics with Kim, on and off the rocks. A one of a kind.
Still remembering Kim...
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
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Sep 19, 2016 - 09:21pm PT
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Such a shame after he was finally recovering from his ski accident and pneumonia.
Rest in peace, pain free at last.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Sep 19, 2016 - 09:30pm PT
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Terrible news, the guy was a legend and a hero to many people. My condolences to his family and friends.
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Yafer
Trad climber
Chatsworth, California
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Sep 19, 2016 - 09:34pm PT
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One of the tribe. Goodbye brother.
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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Sep 19, 2016 - 10:07pm PT
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Last memory with Kim, near the Guide Hut, Lower Saddle, Grand Teton in a horrendous wind, couldn't stand up, sounded like a jet engine. He had a grin like he was enjoying it! Good way to remember him.
Peace
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Sep 19, 2016 - 10:34pm PT
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Horrendous news. Condolences to family and friends. I remember reading of his accomplishments when I was young.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Sep 19, 2016 - 10:36pm PT
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hey there say, ... :O oh my, i am so very sorry for the loss of
peter, and all's wonderful friend...
i did not know him... :(
my condolences and prayers to his family and loved ones, :(
:(
very sad... :(
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10b4me
Mountain climber
Retired
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Sep 19, 2016 - 10:37pm PT
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As the old ones step off, sadly, the rest of us now must take a step closer to the edge.
Excellent prose.
Condolences to friends, and family
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nita
Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
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Sep 19, 2016 - 10:38pm PT
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*
Really terrible news....so sad.
Condolences to his family and friends...
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Sep 19, 2016 - 10:38pm PT
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Rest in peace, pain free at last.
Amen. His pain is over. Ours is beginning.
John
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Sep 19, 2016 - 10:41pm PT
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I pulled myself together tying to look big, my wide eyes just saw above the counter. I saw lots of elbows, I saw steel blue as the man locked eyes on me. He turned around and shook my dads hand. Off we went to swan slab and then it must have been the Five books zone.
The Manure pile and the Nutcracker, I was a tireless tike, and a Sprite on the rock.
I like to think that guide and client had a blue bird day. I don't near remember as much as I wish, but I was very lucky to be a child taken climbing in Yosemite by Kim Schmitz.
It is so irksome that it leaves one raw, the trail taken, the loss of all, after it all.
after so much, So much healing after the falls. Some rise to the top suffering all the way up.
Rest now your weary head -don't you cry no more,
carry on my wayward son,
There Will Be Peace when you are done,
Don't you cry no more. . . .
Tears and blessings . . .
And the solace taken that peace and everlasting goodness, reign . . .
If there is peace and everlasting goodness to be felt ? may it touch us all.
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Bushman
climber
The state of quantum flux
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Sep 19, 2016 - 10:45pm PT
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I don't think I ever met Kim, but have read about many of his adventures, and from the sound of it, he had many great friends. I'm sure he will be sorely missed. My condolences to his family and friends.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Sep 19, 2016 - 11:07pm PT
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Oh gosh...after so many so many conquests, so many tribulations, so many recoveries.
I remember when Madsen and Schmitz were the wave of the future.
RIP Kim.
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captain chaos
climber
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Sep 20, 2016 - 02:14am PT
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Hard to believe Kim is gone... we still had many things to do. Catch you on the other side Kim, hello to all our friends who will be greeting you, your brother Craig
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Fogarty
climber
BITD
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Sep 20, 2016 - 02:58am PT
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Kim, your friendship and inspiration you gave me and others will never be forgotten.
RIP
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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Sep 20, 2016 - 03:21am PT
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just the memory of his fortitude will set my jaw, but his kind manner ... from way beyond
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Conner
Mountain climber
Lafayette, CO
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Sep 20, 2016 - 03:22am PT
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Crushing news. So very sad to hear this. Very glad he made it down the middle fork. These last years have been tough for Kim and yet he always managed a smile and a cheerful comment.He was one of my climbing idols as a young climber and one of my heroes of living with adversity in recent years. I was lucky to visit with him in the Tetons last summer and again in Jackson Hole with Jeff Lowe last fall. We will miss you and our phone calls Kim... may you rest in peace. You deserve it.
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norm larson
climber
wilson, wyoming
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Sep 20, 2016 - 03:23am PT
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Oh Shit!! Kim is my friend. Climbed with him some locally and took him down the Grand Canyon a few years ago. He was totally in awe of the Canyon even after all he had seen in the world. You can't say he didn't live an adventurous life. It's been a long road since his accident in the Tetons. Even though it was painful to watch Kim walk these days put him on the rock and he just floated, the most natural movement imaginable. I will never forget the light in Kim's eyes. RIP my friend.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Sep 20, 2016 - 03:40am PT
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My condolences to family and friends. Met him several times, a very nice guy.
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Larry
Trad climber
Bisbee
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Sep 20, 2016 - 04:50am PT
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He was a man mountain.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Sep 20, 2016 - 05:11am PT
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Sep 20, 2016 - 05:12am PT
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Terrible news!
I still remember meeting him for the 1st time in Camp 4, back in 1969?
Those penetrating blue eyes kind of bored right into you.
He will be missed by many.
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Tom Patterson
Trad climber
Seattle
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Sep 20, 2016 - 06:09am PT
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So, so sad.
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Capt.
climber
some eastside hovel
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Sep 20, 2016 - 06:36am PT
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Very bummed to read this. I unfortunately never met the man but have known the name for years. Condolences to all.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Sep 20, 2016 - 06:43am PT
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Such a loss.
My sincerest condolences to Kim's family and friends.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 20, 2016 - 06:53am PT
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with Lawrence Bennet
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Plaidman
Trad climber
West Slope of Powell Butte, Portland, Oregon, USA
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Sep 20, 2016 - 07:07am PT
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I was just messaging him last week. We were talking about maybe doing an El Cap route. I'm blown away that he is gone. He was so psyched to do another climb up the big stone.
I'm in Yosemite now. I want to do a memorial climb to honor his memory. A celebration of his tenacity and love for climbing. If anyone wants to join me I'm in Camp4 #36. Soon to move to #33. No set plan on the route. Just an idea.
That guy was one of my inspirations.
Plaid
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mastadon
Trad climber
crack addict
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Sep 20, 2016 - 07:17am PT
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Peter, That's a great shot of Kim next to the mural. The first time I met him in the early 70's in Camp 4 he was with Bridwell and others. He turned his laser blue eyes at me and just about burned a hole in my head. I remember thinking that he reminded me of a wild wolf with his long unkempt hair and deep blue piercing eyes. What a sad, ignominious way to go. I heard he was battling cancer...
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steve shea
climber
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Sep 20, 2016 - 07:19am PT
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A crying shame. A car wreck! Like McKinney! I'll never forget rapping off Dihedral Wall after a wicked storm which came in warm then froze overnight. Schmitz was right next door doing the Aquarian with JB. 70/71? Hooting and hollering through the night, soaked to the bone.We hit the ground at the same time and met up. lately I would see him hobbling around Jackson but doing well. He still skied a lot in season too. RIP Kim.
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John Morton
climber
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Sep 20, 2016 - 07:22am PT
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Here's to a remarkable guy. What an amazing life of experience! When I think of him, it's always the eyes ...
My condolences to his many many friends.
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Anguish
Mountain climber
Jackson Hole Wyo.
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Sep 20, 2016 - 07:31am PT
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Sep 20, 2016 - 07:42am PT
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Steve Shea,
I was in the Valley at that time watching JB and Kim rapping off El Cap.
I was amazed how fast they got down.
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PhilG
Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
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Sep 20, 2016 - 08:07am PT
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Back in those days he was always so kind and supportive to other (less experienced) climbers.
Always so happy and positive.
One of the best, both person and climber.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Sep 20, 2016 - 08:32am PT
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First trip to the Valley, I had been climbing maybe 9 months... complete noob. Sitting out 3 days of rain in C4 sharing my stash with Kim and JB ... my two new friends. Kim had about 8 cases of white wine in a van and he offered it all to his new friends, we took up the challenge and worked on the pile for 3 days.
The sun poked through and it warmed up, Kim sent me and my friend packing.... "Its time for you boys to go climb something" he said, and we did.
I have never forgotten the welcome Kim gave me way back then, I mean he was a Rock-climbing Magazine Star, and he welcomed two very young boys into his life and showed me the way of the tribe.
Rest in Peace
Thank you.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Sep 20, 2016 - 08:39am PT
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Kim Schmitz, one of the country’s top climbers, has ascended some of the steepest, most remote granite towers in the world, but his challenge today is learning how to walk again.
A Jackson Hole resident, Schmitz, 68, was on small teams that pioneered dizzying routes in Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountains in the late 1970s, setting new climbing standards along the way. His decades-long career in the hills, however, included far more than sunny summits.
He’s been flattened by an avalanche, nearly crippled in a devastating fall in the Tetons. He helplessly watched the life fade from a companion’s eyes. Rescuers and friends twice pulled Schmitz from death’s threshold. Lingering effects from injuries and more than 30 surgeries, plus the ravages of addiction, pneumonia and cancer have left him bent and slow. He can’t stand up straight, has to walk with a cane.
His etched face reflects the thousand glacial crevasses he’s crossed. His blue eyes appear to see beyond the horizon.
Angus M Thuermer jr., February 5, 2015
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zBrown
Ice climber
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Sep 20, 2016 - 08:41am PT
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I never met up with him. From the company he kept, an amazing guy. It's sad when a good man dies.
More Kim:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2671338/Honoring-Kim-Schmitz-Yosemite-Pioneer-Iconic-Climber
From the mousie of merced June 26, 2015
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!
to Kim Schmitz, 69 years of age.
http://www.wyofile.com/blog/gifted-lucky-climber-learns-walk/
Idyll in C4, 1970.
I will never forget Kim telling me how he had been "haired-out" by some 5.7 moves that his GF Marti had led that afternoon. We were standing around listening to their artichokes cook in the pressure cooker on the Coleman.
Marti was gracious enough to say nothing. I probably said something inane. Kim was simply one of the nicest people with whom one could pass time. He gave advice when asked and there was no BS, no sand-bagging of the n00bs.
I've always appreciated that, Kim. Thanks. |
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DrDeeg
Mountain climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Sep 20, 2016 - 08:47am PT
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Kim was one of the more inspirational climbers of his era, both in Yosemite and in High Asia. He also coped well with his many surgeries since his big fall in the 80s, with the view that he led a great life and could handle setbacks.
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life is a bivouac
Trad climber
Bishop
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Sep 20, 2016 - 09:25am PT
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What a kick in the nutts! In a car no less... Bye Kim!
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Barry Bates
Trad climber
Brookings oregon
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Sep 20, 2016 - 10:50am PT
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So sad to hear this, a great climber but more importantly a great person to be around.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Sep 20, 2016 - 10:54am PT
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Condolences to friends and family.
What an icon!
Strange, but, I could almost feel his presence either in Jackson at a restaurant or in the Tetons. Used to run into him a fair bit especially a few years ago.
Just saw him at the Climber's Ranch this summer (with J Do, Jack, etc). Looked good.
Helluva run. Legend.
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CaNewt
Mountain climber
Davis, CA
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Sep 20, 2016 - 10:54am PT
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This makes me so sad. I knew Kim in the late 1960's in Yosemite. We had seen each other occasionally since. I am so glad I got to spend some time this summer with him. He was in the Jackson hospital recovering from an infection. Kim had a special spirituality about him. He was at peace. He added inspiration to my life and I will miss him. But, then again, from Kim's perspective he is still here. Bob Schneider
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The Lisa
Trad climber
Da Bronx, NY
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Sep 20, 2016 - 10:56am PT
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Condolences to Kim's family and friends. It is comforting to read all the tributes and memories here.
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E
Ice climber
mogollon rim
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Sep 20, 2016 - 11:14am PT
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the tribe just got a lot smaller
condolenes
EE
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Sep 20, 2016 - 11:19am PT
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Guyman for the win!!
He scared the hell out of me as a kid, with those eyes of his.
I learned a bit later how nice he was.
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Blakey
Trad climber
Sierra Vista
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Sep 20, 2016 - 11:34am PT
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A sad business...... None of us know what's around the corner. Hug the ones you love and live life.
Condolences to those who knew Kim.
Steve
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Bldrjac
Ice climber
Boulder
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Sep 20, 2016 - 11:34am PT
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Wow. Nothing seemingly has been easy for him. He is out of pain now, a pain that now has to be borne by his friends. So sorry........
pam
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Sep 20, 2016 - 11:45am PT
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My condolences to those who knew him. I have pictures in my mind from reading the classics when I was younger. One of my favorite stories was from John Roskelly about Kim and Ron Kauk on Uli Biaho. A classic.
Here's that article somebody posted above in full script. Nice read.
A Gifted and Lucky Climber Learns to Walk Again
By Angus M. Thuermer Jr. | February 5, 2015
Kim Schmitz, one of the country’s top climbers, has ascended some of the steepest, most remote granite towers in the world, but his challenge today is learning how to walk again.
A Jackson Hole resident, Schmitz, 68, was on small teams that pioneered dizzying routes in Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountains in the late 1970s, setting new climbing standards along the way. His decades-long career in the hills, however, included far more than sunny summits.
He’s been flattened by an avalanche, nearly crippled in a devastating fall in the Tetons. He helplessly watched the life fade from a companion’s eyes. Rescuers and friends twice pulled Schmitz from death’s threshold. Lingering effects from injuries and more than 30 surgeries, plus the ravages of addiction, pneumonia and cancer have left him bent and slow. He can’t stand up straight, has to walk with a cane.
His etched face reflects the thousand glacial crevasses he’s crossed. His blue eyes appear to see beyond the horizon.
American climbers honored Schmitz for his pioneering Karakoram climbs on Saturday when they gave him the American Alpine Club’s Robert and Miriam Underhill Award, a recognition steeped in Wyoming outdoor history. For the coat-and-tie affair in New York City, Schmitz had no coat. Friends bought him one for the occasion and he accepted the award, proud to be wearing a clean pair of running shoes.
In a Manhattan banquet hall stuffed with the fittest athletes in the world, Schmitz arrived as a wan counterpoint, just days out of treatment. “It was a good experience,” he said of his recovery a few days before traveling to New York. “I hope it’s my last.”
Alpine club members recognized the many years Schmitz spent on top of the world. A Portland, Oregon, native, he grew up in an outdoor community surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes. As a kid he got a job washing pots on Sierra Club trips and, just entering high school, earned an invitation to climb Canada’s Mount Robson, an imposing ice-clad monarch. Handicapped by a pair of old-school 10-point crampons that had no purchase at the toes, he nevertheless clambered to its 12,972-foot summit.
“I remember getting to the top,” he said. “I had tears in my eyes.” Schmitz had found his calling.
Within a few years, Schmitz was on his own expeditions, a full member of a team that climbed remote Mount Waddington, British Columbia. It was the first entry on what would become an impressive resume. To flesh it out, Schmitz needed to venture beyond the northwest. An image of sun-baked cliffs in California inspired him.
“I saw a picture of Royal Robbins standing in front of this incredible exposure,” Schmitz said. Robbins, a venerable rock pioneer, was on the edge at one of America’s premiere national parks and Schmitz yearned to be there too.
“At that moment I decided I wanted to go to Yosemite,” he said. “I didn’t even think about it at all. It took me by storm.”
Schmitz, who once scampered up mountains, is strengthening his back muscles that atrophied when he was laid up with pneumonia. Until he gets stronger, he has to use a cane to walk or stand up straight. He has had more than 30 operations to take care of injuries sustained in climbing accidents. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile)
Schmitz, who once scampered up mountains, is strengthening his back muscles that atrophied when he was laid up with pneumonia. Until he gets stronger, he has to use a cane to walk or stand up straight. He has had more than 30 operations to take care of injuries sustained in climbing accidents. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile)
If Yosemite took Schmitz by storm, the opposite did not happen, at least not immediately. A California clique that hung in “The Valley” shunned northwest snow sloggers until Schmitz and buddy Jim Madsen made only the fourth ascent of a Robbins’ route on the north face of Sentinel Rock. “We were scared all the way up,” he said.
The next year, they set their sights on the Nose route on monolithic El Capitan. The pair cut the previous record ascent time in half, summiting in two and a half days. The Californians came around. “We were accepted,” Schmitz said.
Other Yosemite adventures followed, including first ascents of short climbs as well as “big wall” routes that took days in the vertical environment. His skills and techniques honed, Schmitz went next on the two Karakoram climbs for which he was honored. The location was deep in Pakistan’s hinterlands where granite towers jut to create fantasy skylines.
Off to the greater ranges
With partners, he made the first ascent of Great Trango Tower in 1977 and Uli Biaho Tower in 1979. Dennis Hennek wrote of a typical day on Great Trango in the American Alpine Journal contrasting raw beauty with the suffering of alpinists.
“After several hours (chopping ice) we produced a platform large enough for the five of us to lie side by side for warmth. The night was clear and cold. In one sweeping panorama in the light of the full moon all the major peaks of the Baltoro rose in spectacular splendor: K2, the Mustagh Tower, Broad Peak, the Gasherbrums, Chogolisa, Masherbrum, Payu. The only thing missing was food….”
Schmitz’s memory recalls a different aspect — pure rock climbing joy. “It was just pitch after pitch of Yosemite climbing,” he said.
In 1979, Schmitz and teammates spent 12 days on Pakistan’s Uli Biaho Tower, becoming the first to summit the 19,957 feet spire. In climbers’ shorthand, it was the first Grade VII completed by Americans and featured 34 pitches rated up to 5.8, A4. Translated for the layman, it was a multi-day mixed ice and rock route up vertical granite requiring some of the team members to sleep in hammocks for 10 nights.
Endurance is an alpinist’s trait, and Schmitz displayed his capacity for that in 1980 when he and others established the “Karakoram High Route,” a 43-day, 300-mile ski traverse across glaciers at the roof of the world. When team member Galen Rowell recounted the trip in the American Alpine Journal, he tried to describe the emotional wringer that almost crushed the adventures.
“We had lost much of our capacity to enjoy not only the wonderful excesses of civilized life, but also the clean, simple emotions of love and beauty that color all heights of experience,” he wrote. “Never on a mere peak-climbing expedition had any of us undergone such a shift.”
At the team’s first sit down dinner after the trip, Rowell asked teammates whether they had missed hot water and cold beer. Schmitz looked beyond the horizon and said, “The special things I miss are not what we are finding here, but what we’ve left behind in the dusty villages and campsites in the snow.”
Later that year, Schmitz’s luck ran out — or perhaps that’s when he started getting lucky. An avalanche caught him while climbing 24,900-foot-high Minya Konka, aka Mount Gongga, in China. He had been tethered to Jonathan Wright, Yvon Chouinard and Rick Ridgeway, descending from 20,000 feet when the slide caught two of the others and whipped him along.
“I could see Chouinard spinning on a wave of snow before going over cliffs,” Schmitz said. Schmitz dove onto his ice axe in the self-arrest position, hoping to hold his companions. “I got popped out of it,” he said. “Then I was in the slide. I was sure I was going to die.”
Events unfolded so fast, fear got left behind. “You don’t have time to be scared,” he said. “I got scared when I ended on the bottom.”
Schmitz stopped in the debris 1,500 feet down, the rope strangling him at his waist. “I knew I was dying,” he said. He was wrong. It was teammate Wright, a photographer from Aspen, Colorado, who was quickly fading. “I just sort of watched the life go out of his eyes,” Schmitz said. “I watched him die.”
Schmitz had a broken back and ribs. Morphine allowed his evacuation from the mountain and China. Soon enough he was back in the hills. He suffered frostnip to his feet while on Everest, an annoyance that would haunt him.
Trouble in the Tetons
In 1983 while working for Exum Mountain Guides Schmitz took a client up a route on Symmetry Spire, a popular knob that’s not far from Jenny Lake and a hiking trailhead. The route he chose — the Southeast Ridge — is not exceedingly difficult. But the Jensen ridge, as it also is known, had dispensed some stiff medicine in the past.
In 1976, 44-year-old Chuck Loucks was climbing the route with teammates when, in the late afternoon he had reached a point where the ridge lay back. Investigators believe he had placed no protective anchors in the 80 feet he had climbed above his partner and belayer. He fell all the way to the ledge on which she was standing. One teammate stayed with him as he died, the other two finished the route and reported the accident.
“To comment, in retrospect, that protection should have been placed lower on the pitch is to belabor the obvious,” a report in the American Alpine Club’s annual pamphlet Accidents in North American Mountaineering said. “However, when a climber with Chuck’s ability and experience makes this mistake, it makes all who have shared similar situations reflect on the consequences of a totally unprotected leader fall.”
Seven years later, Schmitz was near the same spot. His tight rock climbing shoes bothered his frost-damaged feet, so he swapped them for a pair of loose running shoes. Like Loucks, he didn’t protect his lead with pitons or other forms of a running belay. “My feet slipped,” he said. He remembers “flying through the air.”
The ensuing blood-curdling events remain vivid. “I remember hitting and being pretty sure I was dead, or close it,” Schmitz said. “There were bones sticking out of my legs. You’d lift a leg up and it would flop over like a wet noodle.”
A friend of his client was at the base of the route and learned immediately of the fall. He got help. Rangers mobilized and a small helicopter dropped by above the accident site. When they got to Schmitz, he was a mess and in a fit. Rescue rangers have said they will never forget his howls of pain before a larger airship winched him away.
“From 9 in the morning to 7 at night, when they finally got me with the helicopter, I think I was screaming the whole time,” Schmitz said. Providence was on his side. Rangers were able to call in a helicopter from Utah’s Hill Air Force Base to pluck him from the mountain just before night.
In reviewing the accident, the Alpine Club’s accident publication, and Schmitz himself, were blunt: “Schmitz stated that even though he had done that climb many times and it was well within his capabilities, he should have protected himself better while guiding it.”
The gruesome accident and subsequent surgeries and recoveries were an avenue to painkillers, one source of his addiction problems. “They worked,” he said simply of the medication. Abusive drinking added to his affliction. To some, his most important message today may not be about how to climb a lieback crack, stem a chimney or strive for a summit. “I wasted a lot of years of my life with drugs and alcohol,” he said.
Underhills’ Wyoming connection
Schmitz’s Underhill award recognizes the contributions of Robert and Miriam Underhill to American mountaineering. Miriam Underhill broke all sorts of barriers during an era where women weren’t supposed to be stretching their knickers in the hills. A route in the Dolomites, Via Miriam, bears her name.
In the Tetons, Robert Underhill pioneered the East Ridge of the Grand Teton in 1929. It was the second route on the mountain. He made the first ascent of the Grand’s striking North Ridge in 1931. On the opposite side of the Grand, the Underhill Ridge bears his name. In the Wind River Mountains, Bobs Towers and Miriam Peak look down on Titcomb Basin, one of the more popular destinations for mountaineers in that range.
A number of Wyoming climbers or guides have also have received the Underhills’ award, including Exum Guides Jack Tackle, Jim Donini, David Breashears and the late Alex Lowe who died in an avalanche. Part-time resident Chouinard earned it in 1989 and Wyoming’s Todd Skinner, another victim of a climbing accident, the year before.
As Schmitz joins the group, he still faces steep obstacles. Pneumonia left him hospitalized so long recently, the muscles in his back atrophied. He uses one, sometimes two, canes. A battle with prostate cancer isn’t over.
“I can’t stand up straight,” he said. “I’m trying to get strong enough to walk. Cancer, that’s my big struggle now.”
An alpinist’s persistence will help, the way it helped earn him a place in the vertical world’s pantheon. “I think everybody has a fear of heights,” Schmitz said about climbing. “If you’re in shape, you overcome it pretty easy.”
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Scole
Trad climber
Zapopan
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Sep 20, 2016 - 11:46am PT
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Kim showed us what was possible. He was a major force in the development of big wall and super alpine climbing. He will be missed by many.
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John Morton
climber
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Sep 20, 2016 - 12:49pm PT
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I am impressed to learn that a very young Kim had climbed Robson and Waddington before first coming to Yosemite.
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rmuir
Social climber
From the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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Sep 20, 2016 - 01:05pm PT
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A sad passing… My condolences to everyone whose life was touched by Kim. He will be missed.
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currygirl
climber
Yosemite, Santa Cruz, Ketchum, Old Snowmass
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Sep 20, 2016 - 01:19pm PT
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OMG - so sorry to hear this Peter
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Sep 20, 2016 - 01:19pm PT
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Sad, sad news. Kim was one of the first climbers I met when I moved to the Valley. My condolences to all of Kim's family and friends.
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Sep 20, 2016 - 01:26pm PT
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I think I met Kim at JT, but only know him by reputation. Tough to lose another member of the tribe this way.
Rest well Kim. Condolences to friends and family.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Sep 20, 2016 - 03:48pm PT
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A sad loss. Soft-spoken, honest, strong, gifted, and too often punished. A friend.
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Mark Force
Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
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Sep 20, 2016 - 04:01pm PT
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Long live, Thor!
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Anguish
Mountain climber
Jackson Hole Wyo.
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Sep 20, 2016 - 04:04pm PT
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My Friend, Brian Whitlock, was with Kim on the Middle Fork of the Salmon. They left the river and Kim was driving behind Brian when he went off the road and hit a boulder. This was in Lemhi County but I have not been able to get a police report.
Here is Brian's thoughtful post that Kim's friend, Dr. Bruce Hayse shared with me.
"Today, we’re waking up to the sad news that climbing legend, Kim Schmitz, left this world. I didn’t know Kim well, but I feel a great responsibility to let you all know how he lived his final day.
"I spent this past weekend with Kim, Bruce Hayse Hayse and Tim Walther, paddling the famed Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Our last day on the river was the last day of Kim's life. We'll carry that weight — conflicted in sadness and joy — forever.
"Kim’s physical suffering from years of climbing injuries was intense. But on Friday, he climbed into a bush plane and flew into the largest Federal Wilderness in the lower forty-eight States. Kim brought his two walking canes, a tiny Playmate cooler and his giant, yellow dry bag, which Tim Walther nicknamed, “Mission Control”.
"For three days, we paddled one of America’s premiere wild rivers. Kim meditated with Bruce Hayse every morning and every evening. When it rained, Kim raised his face to the drops, when the sun shined, he raised his face to the rays. On Kim’s final Sunday, he was in a sacred space.
"We pulled off the river at sunset, packed up the boats and gave a round of hugs, in celebration of a perfect day. It was the last time we would ever see him.
"Before hearing of Kim’s death, I posted a river photo of that day. The rain had just subsided, leaving crowns of mist around the mountains. Dapples of blue sky cut through, warming our camp. It was captioned, ‘River of no Return’. The irony of that caption is now difficult to face. After some reflection, I think the opposite may be true. Kim did return. He returned to the wild country that forged his exceptional life. An Original Human melting back into the fold of an Original Landscape. Godspeed"
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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Sep 20, 2016 - 04:11pm PT
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thankyou
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spectreman
Trad climber
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Sep 20, 2016 - 05:29pm PT
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"Before hearing of Kim’s death, I posted a river photo of that day. The rain had just subsided, leaving crowns of mist around the mountains. Dapples of blue sky cut through, warming our camp. It was captioned, ‘River of no Return’. The irony of that caption is now difficult to face. After some reflection, I think the opposite may be true. Kim did return. He returned to the wild country that forged his exceptional life. An Original Human melting back into the fold of an Original Landscape. Godspeed"
Thank you. What a beautiful paragraph.
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Bullwinkle
Boulder climber
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Sep 20, 2016 - 05:50pm PT
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Rest easy Kim. . .df
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Dennis Hennek
climber
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Sep 20, 2016 - 06:11pm PT
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A gentle soul, one of the good ones, he will be missed.
.
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Philippe
Trad climber
nederland, co
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Sep 20, 2016 - 07:39pm PT
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How did Galen describe him in his book? "a cross of Captain America and Conan the Barbarian....?"
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Chris Jones
Social climber
Glen Ellen, CA
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Sep 20, 2016 - 09:13pm PT
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It was quite something to be in Yosemite in the late 1960s when Kim and his partner Jim Madsen were literally cutting the fabled El Capitan Grade 6s down to size. In some cases halving the times of the previous ascents; and then going right back up on some other fearsome Grade 6. Most of us in Camp 4 were too much in awe of what one might term the “Robbins aura.” We dickered around on the Grade 5s, but El Cap was just a bit too far. Not for Kim and Jim.
A few years later my girlfriend and I shared a house in Squaw Valley with Kim and his then girlfriend plus a few others who came and went. It was then that I got to know Kim. Outwardly so strong and enduring, and inwardly so gentle and thoughtful. Those were golden days, watching the sun fade on the peaks, sharing a meal, quietly talking.
A wonderful man; a well-lived life.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Trad climber
Will know soon
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Sep 20, 2016 - 09:46pm PT
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What a shock...out of no where. Just want to say tonight how much I love and value each and every one of my campfire friends. Peace, lynnie
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BG
Trad climber
JTree & Idyllwild
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Sep 20, 2016 - 09:54pm PT
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I was lucky to spend some truly memorable days climbing with Kim in Tuolumne and Joshua Tree. He was indeed a gentle soul with a mystical spirit. My condolences to Kim's friends and family.
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Fuzzywuzzy
climber
suspendedhappynation
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Sep 21, 2016 - 06:41am PT
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They don't make em that like that everyday!
What a life.
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TomKimbrough
Social climber
Salt Lake City
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Sep 21, 2016 - 08:26am PT
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It was last Thursday.
We were stopping by the Tetons on our way back from Canada and a late season trip on the Nahanni.
We were hanging out at Hungry Jacks, Barb visiting with Janna.
I was reading in the car, glanced over at the car pulling in, Kim got out.
We were really glad to see each other. He seemed in fine spirits.
Happy to be heading off on a road trip and to be doing the Salmon.
Said he had had a tough year (as I knew) and showed us his leg (which looked awful).
We talked prostate cancer treatments.
He was thinking of moving to Salt Lake because there wasn't a climbing gym in Jackson.
He was really full of life. Gave us big hugs, saying how we were so much a part of his life.
Then off he headed, west over the Pass.
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scuffy b
climber
heading slowly NNW
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Sep 21, 2016 - 08:58am PT
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When he talked with me, I felt like the most important person in earth.
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Sep 21, 2016 - 12:52pm PT
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Very sad news, and a major loss to our tribe. My condolences to his friends and family. I feel lucky for having had the opportunity to meet him a few times along the way, thanks to Donini and Tackle.
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Sep 21, 2016 - 12:59pm PT
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Great photo Bob!
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WBraun
climber
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Sep 21, 2016 - 05:52pm PT
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Kim on FA of Zenith
The second ascent was on pitches below them.
This I believe is the only time ever in Yosemite big wall first ascent that two simultaneous parties
(FA team and SA team) are ascending before the actual FA has even topped out.
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Sep 21, 2016 - 06:52pm PT
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Thank you Mr. Schmitz for showing us how to live with bravery, determination, perseverance and tenderness.
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Sep 21, 2016 - 06:56pm PT
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Sorry to hear this sad news. I think he did a trip/expedition or two with Ned. Do any of you remember which ones? Was it one of the Karakoram trips?
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Fuzzywuzzy
climber
suspendedhappynation
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Sep 21, 2016 - 11:25pm PT
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Brian
It was the "Karakoram High Route,” 43-day, 300-mile ski traverse.
There's are great story of the end of that trip that involved Galen and Kim.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Sep 22, 2016 - 01:47pm PT
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RIP Didn't know he did the FA of Trango and all that other Karakorum stuff. Anybody have pictures or a link to an article?
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AKDOG
Mountain climber
Anchorage, AK
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Sep 22, 2016 - 02:42pm PT
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RIP and condolences to his family and friends, got to meet Kim once in Tuolumne in the early 1980’s, when he was recovering from a bad fall he had taken in the Tetons. A true life full of adventure.
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Sep 22, 2016 - 06:21pm PT
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Thanks, Tom.
Do you have time to tell the story?
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Sep 25, 2016 - 10:23am PT
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Thanks, PSP. The bit about Kim cutting his sled loose past the other guys and toward the Abruzzi Glacier, then laughing about it is great. Those guys sure did a lot of cool stuff and sure knew how to have “fun.” Here’s a photo of Muztagh Tower from 1980, which I think is from that trip.
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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Sep 25, 2016 - 12:39pm PT
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What a life. What a man. Peace brother.
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jstan
climber
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Sep 26, 2016 - 09:30pm PT
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It was either in 67 or 68 I ran into Madsen and Schmitz in C4. I had heard how these two nineteen year
olds were burning up the walls so I asked a couple of ignorant questions. Watching how the two interacted I was reminded of Fritz Wiessner's concept of an "attacking unit". It was clear this pair was
an attacking unit unlike all others. The loss will persist long after the past fifty years have gone into the history books.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Sep 26, 2016 - 09:53pm PT
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I'm very glad to have heard of Kim's demise from the lips of Don Lauria and life is a beach at the campfire in Yellow Pine, rather than reading it here.
Fortunately, there was a bottle of McCallen's with which to toast his ghost.
Schmitzmallows...mmmm.
Then we raised the glass to several others.
This was as special as it gets...Russ hadn't been to the Valley in some 35 years.
And here he appears with Don.
It was great knowing you, Kim!!!!!!!
Godspeed.
MFM
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Sep 26, 2016 - 11:00pm PT
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Kim, Marty and Peter. Camp 4 1970.
They were gods and goddesses to me.
I love the wrench in Peter's hand. I'm sure he was tuning up his pea-soup green(?right?) VW van. Maybe he was helping me with mine.
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SC seagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, A sailboat, or some time zone
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Sep 28, 2016 - 07:26am PT
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I wept, a lot, as I read that ^^^^.
The author captured such a poignant, painful, beautiful, end.
Susan
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
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Sep 28, 2016 - 08:00am PT
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Courage to live and courage to die. At peace with both.
I would like to think he is laughing again with his good friend Jim Madsen, some place warm and sunny.
My thanks to the author of that article and Charlie D. for letting us know.
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WBraun
climber
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Sep 28, 2016 - 08:11am PT
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The last hours of a legendary Wyoming alpinist By Angus M. Thuermer Jr.
That was beautifully written ......
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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Sep 28, 2016 - 10:19am PT
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this is so sad, my brother, bob was just out visiting him this summer, and kim mentioned me to my brother in affectionette terms. just met kim a few times but admired his grit, and legendary status. he will me missed. steve schneider
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Sep 29, 2016 - 10:35pm PT
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Cranksie, I liiiked that. Thx.
Kim, rest him, was among the quickest nailers, by reputation, of all Campers-4.
I never watched him, myself. But the Brothers B were totally convinced he was, as were Bill Bonebrake (rest him, too) and others.
Roskelly, who wrote that tribute, was no slouch, either. He and Mead H took the NA Wall in some sort of amazing record time in 1970 or 1971 and we were collectively impressed.
That is a fine photo of the man in that link, as well.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Sep 30, 2016 - 10:13am PT
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Come to the edge.
We might fall.
Come to the edge.
It's too high!
COME TO THE EDGE!
And they came,
and he pushed,
and they flew.
- Christopher Logue
Yosemite Valley FAs
1966
Midwall, 5.9 A4, Tom Fender, Kim Schmitz
Black is Brown, 5.8, Kim Schmitz, Frank Trummel
English Breakfast Crack, 5.10c, Chris Fredericks, Kim Schmitz; FFA: Jim Bridwell by 1971
1967
Dinner Ledge Direct, 5.7 A4, Jim Madsen, Kim Schmitz
Great Slab Route, 5.8 A4, Layton Kor, Jim Madsen, Kim Schmitz
Lena's Lieback, 5.9, Kim Schmitz, Jim Madsen
Jamcrack Route, 5.9, Loyd Price, Kim Schmitz; FFA: Kim Schmitz, Jim Madsen
Catchy, 5.10d, FA(?): Kim Schmitz, Jim Madsen; FFA: Jim Pettigrew, Jim Bridwell, Mark Klemens, 10/1971
1968
Doggie Deviations, 5.9, Kim Schmitz, Jim Bridwell
1969
Triple Direct, 5.8 C2, Jim Bridwell, Kim Schmitz
Nutcracker Right Start, 5.9, Kim Schmitz, Jim Bridwell, Cliff Jennings
The Buttocks, 5.9, Kim Schmitz, Don Peterson
Mud Flats, 5.11d R, Kim Schmitz, Don Peterson; FFA: Roger Greatrick, Carl Jonasson, 1984
1970
On the Loose, 5.9+, Kim Schmitz, Jim Bridwell, Rick Christiani
Vain Hope, 5.7 A3, Royal Robbins, Kim Schmitz, Jim Bridwell
Wendy, 5.9, Frank Sacherer, Bob Kamps, 1962; FFA: Kim Schmitz, Marty Martin
1971
Peter Left, 5.10b/c, FP(cleaned): Peter Haan, Kim Schmitz; FA: Mead Hargis, Kim Schmitz, 1971
Tinkerbell - Right, 5.9, Jim Bridwell, Kim Schmitz
Aquarian Wall, 5.9 A4, Jim Bridwell, Kim Schmitz
1976
Mirage, 5.9 A4, Jim Bridwell, Kim Schmitz, Jim Pettigrew
1978
Bob Locke Memorial Buttress, 5.11 A4, Jim Bridwell, Ron Kauk, John Long, Kim Schmitz
Zenith, 5.8 A4, Jim Bridwell, Kim Schmitz
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JerryA
Mountain climber
Sacramento,CA
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Lead my first pitch ever under Kim's & TM's guidance at PSOM in 1976. Kim possessed a zen-like composure and was always in the moment on the rock. He calmly discussed his partners fatal accident and the need to always fight and not give up .
Jim Bridwell's picture of Kim climbing Zenith on Half Dome on the cover of George Meyer's "Yosemite Climber " (1979) completely captured the wonder of that era .
One of my favorite stories from later years is about Kim being called out at dinner to check on some climbers low on a route calling for rescue. He asked their situation & they told him that they were secure & uninjured but had run out of daylight & wanted to be rescued. He supposably said "Get Tough ! " & went back to dinner .
RIP Kim
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Kim was a great friend. I last saw him in the Tetons on 7/23 my birthday. He had been hospitalized for weeks with a nasty staph infection but was recovering nicely....he will be missed!
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goss
Big Wall climber
Portland OR
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eyes like blue diamonds
flowers breaking through the snow
playing in the light
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Just met him last year. Very sad, condolences to loved ones.
Would this be an appropriate time to open a dialogue about our dirty little secret; the exhausted drive home?
I could name names, but would prefer not. This is not the place. Does anyone dare start a thread?
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nybongteam
climber
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Oct 12, 2016 - 01:52pm PT
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So sorry to hear this. I got to know Kim in the way back years in the Valley (1976 or so +/-).
RIP old friend.....
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LongAgo
Trad climber
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Oct 12, 2016 - 02:27pm PT
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Well put Don:
"A sad loss. Soft-spoken, honest, strong, gifted, and too often punished."
Ditto.
He and I did only a handful of climbs, but I immediately warmed to his love of the mountains and humble way. Not many years ago, but actually very long ago, we shared stories, laughs and encouragement recovering from respective injuries, bantering about who had the most hardware in their bodies. I'll remember the sparkling eyes and smile as he hobbled off from a parking lot in Yosemite where chance crossed our paths. Around him, around us, all the soaring walls which fed our souls for so many years. Goodbye good soul.
Tom Higgins
LongAgo
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rodrigo MUJICA
Mountain climber
chile
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Oct 12, 2016 - 03:28pm PT
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A true Hero. RIP my friend
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Bruce Nyberg
Trad climber
Sheridan, Wyoming
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Oct 12, 2016 - 04:24pm PT
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Like Doug Tomkins, Kim was of a special group of climbers. Went about doing incredible climbs without ambition outside of the route. RIP Maestro.
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Jim Pettigrew
Social climber
Crowley Lake, CA
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Oct 12, 2016 - 08:06pm PT
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This truly fills me with sadness! I will miss my friend, his kindness will surely be missed!
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That's Mr. Bearamyah to you !
Trad climber
Boulder CO
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Oct 13, 2016 - 08:25am PT
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A remarkably significant loss to the climbing world. Kim's spirit was always willing and visionary, despite the physical limitations and injuries that life unfairly dealt him. RIP Kim, you were an original !!!
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Steve Hickman
climber
Norwood, CO
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Oct 14, 2016 - 07:19am PT
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I recall a conversation with Kim long ago and far away. Not the way he thought he would go. Many respects.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Wow. That's a lump in the throat... Beautifully written, yet brief.
Thanks Peter.
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