Climbing Mount Whitney Walt Wheelock & Tom Condon 1960

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Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 26, 2017 - 08:38pm PT
Climbing Mount Whitney is a wonderful and lovingly prepared guidebook to the early routes on the king of the Sierra Nevada peaks. In addition to sharing this long out of print book with folks that love Whitney and its splendid history, it would be fun to learn more about Walt and Tom from friends and family that knew them well. An internet search doesn't reveal very much about either of them despite a lot of achievement and outstanding work in sharing their passion for wilderness and the history of California, Baja and the American West.
Tom Condon did a lot of climbing in the Sierra and has plenty of friends on the east side of the mountains like Don Lauria. Walt Wheelock is more of a classic desert character, enigmatic and elusive. As best I can determine, Walt Wheelock was the driving force behind La Siesta Press which published several of his excellent books and also produced the Basic and Advanced Rockcraft books which were a huge influence on many generations of aspiring climbers in their clarity of purpose and simple elegance. Hopefully this thread will shine some light on Walt, Tom and the history of La Siesta Press.
























crankster

Trad climber
No. Tahoe
Mar 26, 2017 - 08:58pm PT
A classic, and in my library. Love those old guides.
BLUEBLOCR

Social climber
joshua tree
Mar 26, 2017 - 09:01pm PT
Now that's a TR! ;)

Lots a good beta there, thanks! It's on my list this year.
IntheFog

climber
Mostly the next place
Mar 26, 2017 - 09:39pm PT
I hope someone chimes in about Wheelock. This blurb from Amazon page for his book, "Baja Road Log" (one of five books he wrote about Baja!) makes it sound like he led a rich and fascinating life:

"Walt Wheelock (1909-1997), founder of La Siesta Press in Glendale, CA, was a true desert rat who wrote and published books on mountains and deserts. He traveled and explored Baja for some 60 years, starting as only a teenager. In Baja Road Log, hew blends accurate historical and scientific material with a road log that will be easy to use. Blocks of material are keyed to the Mexican engineers' highway markers, enabling you to plan several hours jaunt and easily have the data at your finger tips. There is information on local customers, a brief language tutorial, gear to 'hand-waving Spanish'. Mr. Wheelock also wrote Beaches of Baja, Byroads of Baja, Historical Summary of Lower California, and the classical Baja California Guidebook, as well as numerous articles, and many other books on Death Valley, the Mojave Desert, the San Gabriels, and information on mountain climbing."

https://www.amazon.com/Baja-Road-Log-Walt-Wheelock/dp/B000NUPY8U
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Mar 26, 2017 - 09:59pm PT
I have a copy of the 1978 4th edition, which was updated to describe the permits and camping restrictions.
The back cover has a tiny amount of info on Wheelock and Condon., which doesn't shed much light.
IntheFog

climber
Mostly the next place
Mar 26, 2017 - 10:19pm PT
On p 10 of "Norman Clyde: Legendary Mountaineer of California's Sierra Nevada," Robert Pavlik says Wheelock was on the Glendale police force for 27 years. Pavlik believed Wheelock's background helped Wheelock get Clyde to talk about his marriage, which very few people knew about.

The mystery deepens.
Don Lauria

Trad climber
Bishop, CA
Mar 27, 2017 - 12:16am PT
Tom Condon was a dear friend and fellow first "ascenter" of El Gran Trono Blanco's VW route with me and TM back in '73. (VW did not stand for Volkswagen).

Walt Wheelock was a friend and ever present rep for his La Siesta Press while I was running West Ridge Mountaineering in West LA.

Tom ended up being married to TM Herbert's ex-wife and died of cancer way too soon thereafter. Tom's second oldest daughter, Susan, was my climbing partner for 5 years in the mid 70s. He had three daughters - all superb athletes (and very tall).

Gilberto D' Orso was Wheelock's rep and is now the owner of his business - now renamed Mountain 'n Air Press.
Jon Beck

Trad climber
Oceanside
Mar 27, 2017 - 08:10am PT
Loved those La Siesta Press guides. Some of them were ridiculously out-dated, but it was fun to take them out on adventures.

About 10 years ago I gave a guy a ride from San Diego to Scottsdale, we connected through Craigslist rideshare. I was making the trip at night a couple of times a month so I welcomed any company I could find. We started talking and eventually discovered that years ago he had explored Baja for Walt and helped him write his Baja guide. If I recall correctly Walt was a retired LAPD and ran La Siesta press out of his garage. I think Walt spent a lot of time in Baja, maybe had a place down there?

Great history, TFPU

crankster

Trad climber
No. Tahoe
Mar 27, 2017 - 11:05am PT
Two more from La Siesta from the early '80's.

lars johansen

Trad climber
West Marin, CA
Mar 27, 2017 - 02:27pm PT
Thanks Steve. This was the first guide book I ever owned, back in the mid 60's. I can credit this book for getting my start in climbing. Best-lars
rottingjohnny

Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
Mar 27, 2017 - 07:07pm PT
Don Lauria... Was Tom Condon a contractor..? rj
Gary

Social climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
Mar 28, 2017 - 06:43pm PT
Have you tried contacting John Robinson?
Charlie D.

Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
Mar 28, 2017 - 08:25pm PT
I knew the Condon family from my days growing up in Montrose having gone to the same grammar school as Tom's kids. Don I met you via Sue right after your ascent with RR of the DW. Found memories there in Montrose, so many of those who introduced us to the mountain life are long gone....my appreciation of them for doing what they did for us kids continues to grow. Berg Heil to you all.

RJ, yes Tom was a contractor.
Jim Herrington

Mountain climber
New York, NY
Mar 28, 2017 - 09:12pm PT
I loved those guides as a kid. When I moved to LA in the early '80s I somehow found where Walt lived and went and paid him a visit. I'm sure he was curious why a guy fresh in from North Carolina would make such a sudden visit to his garage (which is where he was then running La Siesta Press). I already owned all the climbing guides but he gave me a few of the more obscure Baja titles and gave me beta about Picacho del Diablo. If my memory serves me he looked a bit like Walt Whitman with a shorter beard.
feralfae

Boulder climber
in the midst of a metaphysical mystery
Mar 28, 2017 - 09:38pm PT
TFPU
Wonderful reading
ff
rottingjohnny

Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
Mar 28, 2017 - 09:40pm PT
Charlie D... Thanks... I thought i had heard that story from TM way back in 92...
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 31, 2017 - 06:37pm PT
Gary- Any idea where John Robinson might be located? I suspect that there are a lot of folks with that name.

I have a deluxe hard bound copy of Camping and Climbing in Baja that I would love to have him sign.

Jim- Did you happen to take a picture of Walt or his garage?
Largo

Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
Mar 31, 2017 - 07:04pm PT
In every sense a classic. No arrogance, attitude, or social media grandstanding. That kind of tone has a humble elegance that makes me long for simpler times, when a simple slog up Whitney connected you to the past which gave each step significance. The intro piece by Clarence King is transcendental.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 1, 2017 - 12:49pm PT
A labor of love, plain and simple. That's why I chose to share it here.
Jon Beck

Trad climber
Oceanside
Apr 2, 2017 - 09:25pm PT
Chessler is having a sale on the guide

https://www.chesslerbooks.com/item/18703-climbing-mount-whitney-wheelock-condon-ca-1960-1st-ed-multiple-copies-available-.asp
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