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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 27, 2006 - 01:06pm PT
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Oh Charlie, I guess we should have expected this. You rolled the dice sooo many times without coming up snake eyes. Perhaps it can delude one into thinking that one CAN always be the master of one's own fate.
But if anyone was YOU were.
I started this thread so people can relate and remember stories of Charlie Fowler and fifty-two years of life well lived.
I'll see if I can come up with some photos and stories later. When Charlie moved out west in September '75 his friend from Virginia, Bob Dodds, and I had just put up Pervertical Sanctuary on the Diamond so, being the same age as Charlie, we've been friends for our entire adult life.
But now I have to call up Layton.
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scuffy b
climber
The town that Nature forgot to hate
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Dec 27, 2006 - 01:27pm PT
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I never knew him. I had climbed 7 pitches of DNB and retreated
due to sickness. Soon after, news got around that he had done
the climb, 3rd class, on sight. I was shaken to my toes.
He always has seemed somehow bigger than most everyone else.
If I were looking for a hero to worship, he would have been a
good candidate.
RIP Charlie.
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Wild Bill
climber
Ca
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Dec 27, 2006 - 01:33pm PT
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Onward and upward....you'll be missed.
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goatboy smellz
climber
boulder county
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Dec 27, 2006 - 01:35pm PT
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Damn this hurts!
chris & charlie buku love, peace & inspiration!
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2006 - 02:14pm PT
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OK maybe its not rags but he should answer his mail.
Anyway Layton is busy, so I'll go on a bit...
Charlie came over to my place at Table Mesa with Misa Geisey and we looked at some slides from Bob and my climb. I remember being quite unimpressed and thinking, gee! this guy is no bigger than ME and with that nasally voice,... he's probably not much of a climber...
I would hope that my ability to judge character has improved but evidence probably supports otherwise.
Anyway it wasn't long before remarkable reports started filtering in.
Charlie was opening people's eyes....
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Dec 27, 2006 - 02:19pm PT
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I met Charlie a long time ago in the valley, but didn't climb with him until shortly before the turn of the century, in Indian Creek.
One time that stands out was I think the spring (fall?) after he lost his toes. We'd all drive out to somewhere to climb and Charlie would start the approach first 'cause it was going to take him longest than the rest of us. Imagine walking up a steep trail with a desert rack in your pack and not being able to stabalize your balance with your toes! Then he'd get on some toprope we had running and since he couldn't wear climbing shoes he'd lay back in five ten guide shoes. I remember him almost pulling off T-bones tonight (?) that way.
"I'm gonna write the Euro-guide to Indian creek," he said, with a laugh.
Later at camp, Bill Keys asked, "Charlie, can we see 'em?"
"You really want to?"
"Sure."
He laughed and pulled down his sock to display his puffy, almost toeless feet.
"Pretty gross, eh?" he laughed.
Six months later, I found myself with he usual crew in Indian creek. I sat with Charlie at the campfire and asked him how things were.
"Jay, you wouldn't believe how far I've come since last time I saw you. I thought I might not really climb again, back then."
We went out the next day,and he had the approach technique and climbing shoe thing dialed.
I climbed with him several more times after that and never thought about his 'problem' he was just another climber with enviable jamming skills, with a unique look on life.
Whenever I go to Indian creek, especially The superbowl/Rancho relaxo I will be looking for his goofy smile and idiosyncratic elocution.
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Rags
Trad climber
Sierra foothills, CA
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Dec 27, 2006 - 02:41pm PT
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I don't have any stories about Charlie, but my deepest sympathies to all who knew and loved them. People like him, inspire people like me. He and Christine will be missed.
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Dec 27, 2006 - 02:44pm PT
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I didn't know Charlie well, but would see him at Kopeland's house in Moab ......last time I spoke with him, I called Kyle's house and Charlie answered the phone....I said , " This is Todd Gordon, can I speak with Kyle?".....Charlie said," Todd Gordon?...don't bother coming to Moab;...this town aint' big enough for the both of us.".....World Traveler, desert tower climber, and friend;... R I P.....
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2006 - 02:48pm PT
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Sorry rags. Already said I was wrong but I had emailed you twice. Perhaps I'm a bit upset now.
Anyway Jay, yeah he said the same thing when he showed me his "toes" in Telluride in May '99. I guess he felt a bit self-conscious which seemed at the time to be a bit out of character.
He seemed a bit pleased when I showed him my missing fingertip, something he hadn't known about.
I just got off the phone with Layton. We had been reminiscing about a time we had been together at Red Rocks with Charlie, Randy Grandstaff, and Greg Smith only to realize that just two of us are left.
I guess we become so engrossed in day to day life that its easy to overlook just how valuable and precious it is.
We need to squeeze more out of it.
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SteveW
Trad climber
Denver, CO
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Dec 27, 2006 - 03:02pm PT
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I was another of the clan moving west from the DC/VA/MD area
in the '70's, and shared a house with Charlie in '78. I wasn't anywhere on the same earth with his abilities, but he was always
a great guy and wouldn't hesitate to give advice or say hello and
chat for a while. He will be missed.
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Goleta, California
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Dec 27, 2006 - 03:12pm PT
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McNamera, I hate your f*#king website.
Only time I find myself here is when a friend gets killed.
Third time this year.
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hardman
Trad climber
love the eastern sierras
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Dec 27, 2006 - 03:37pm PT
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Ron, friends and family sorry to hear of your loss.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2006 - 03:50pm PT
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Thanks.
There's no rush now. And the safety of the rescuers concerns me; its winter now.
But I am still anxious about the details. I hope they didn' suffer and that they ARE roped.
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buster
Mountain climber
canada
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Dec 27, 2006 - 04:08pm PT
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hi ron,it,s that foul mouthed scottish guy here.that,s two of my guides and best buddies gone.randall and charlie.they got me up stuff i had dreamed about since i was a kid.charlie was a total original.a simple guy in the best sense.he still saw the world as a child,with wonder.he would climb anywhere anytime.he was many times with me in scotland which was one of his favourite places to go.i spent a week with him in the desert,just before he went to china.i,m gonna miss him,buster.
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Dec 27, 2006 - 04:13pm PT
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It was back in 1987 and I had gotten permission from Jim Erickson who did the FA of Hair City in Eldorado to move the first bolt down and left so you could clip it while standing on the mantle shelf (Jim admitted he put it in on the wrong place on rappel). So, I go up there and drill the new bolt and put it in. Unfortunately, someone else had just recently replaced Erickson's old 1/4"er with a new 3/8" Star Dryvin in the old location (no FHRC back then). I was not prepared to get a Star Dryvin out and after much fiddling had to leave it. Due to other commitments, I couldn't get back up there right away to get the old bolt out.
Needless to say, even with Jim Erickson's permission, this caused a bit of stir in Boulder and my leaving (even temporarily) the Star Dryvin in added fuel to the flames. Charlie just went up there and took the Star Dryvin out and difused the whole situation.
Godspeed Charlie and Christine!
Bruce
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Dec 27, 2006 - 04:16pm PT
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Ron- I probably met Charlie about the same time I first met you, back in the early 70's, in Eldo. The first day Charlie and I climbed together, we did half-a-dozen Eldo routes. The first climb was easy 5.10, and Charlie seemed to struggle a bit with it. He already had a bit of a rep, and I was surprised to see him having trouble on such moderate ground. As the day wore on, though, and we kept pushing the difficulty up to hard 5.11, Charlie always looked the same, and of course as shaky as he appeared, he never fell. Charlie was one of those climbers who always rose to the challenge.
In the late 70's through the mid-80's, Charlie was a truly great partner on a number of classic first ascents, including the Route Canal (ice) on the North Face of the Grand Teton, Black Elk and Feather Buttress on Warbonnet in the Winds, and Birdbrain Boulevard (mixed), in Ouray, among a number of others. I'll hunt up some of the old photos. Charlie will always be a climber's climber--an example of the best the mountains can foster. I can't believe what a great loss this is.
I didn't know Christine, but she obviously was a perfect match for Charlie. To both families I offer my deepest sympathies and heartfelt best wishes.
-Jeff Lowe
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Broken
climber
Texas
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Dec 27, 2006 - 04:27pm PT
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I met Charlie just once, bouldering on a horizontal cliffband above the road into Telluride (called Society Turn).
I used to go there and traverse for hours, usually alone, just climbing in peace.
So I was surprised to arrive one day and run into a legend. He was thin and looked weathered. He looked like a man who had spent his life climbing. I resisted the urge to ask him about one of his stunning feats (i.e. soloing The Flakes).
A lot of things have changed for me since my time in Telluride, but I still leaf through his chicken-scratch guidebooks to both San Juan Ice and Telluride Rock... and now those books will carry another layer of nostalgia.
As Charlie said in one of those guides: "Ratings don't mean sh#t. Climbing is dangerous."
Good luck, everyone.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2006 - 04:36pm PT
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Buster,
was going to call you. Guess we'll make plans soon.
Bruce,
my first time up Hair City was with Jim and I remember him confiding about the bolt. Sort of nice the way that worked out. Thanks again Charlie.
Jeff,
thats right! I didn't realize. The three of us each met each other within weeks!
YOU certainly saw more of what Charlie was capable of on difficult ground than me though.
I remember him discussing a climb he did with you in a sort of wistful manner where I sensed that he had felt both really challenged but at the same time inspired by climbing with you.
Yet I seem to recall him saying that his toughest climb was that thing he did in RMNP with Dan.
Where the hell is McGee anyway?
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buster
Mountain climber
canada
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Dec 27, 2006 - 04:53pm PT
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hi ron,you can get me at 519 538 2367,usually after 9pm est.i,ll always remeber the weekend randall and i had in toqerville.charlie was a piece of work.never saw anybody that could put the grub down like he could.we had a couple of exitic trips last couple of years, cuba,where they embraced him like a bro,even though he was giving the finger to che...charlie and i did have diferring political views....and vietnam where we hung out on halong bay and did the apocolypse thing on the mekong.he was a quiet one but could party like a rock star,buster.
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
Bodega, CA
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Dec 27, 2006 - 05:00pm PT
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These two photos stuck in my head so long ago. I never met Charlie, but that cover shot is just unforgettable -the look says it all.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2006 - 05:12pm PT
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Yeah Buster,
remember the motorcycle in the living room and how Randy in a Tanqueray fueled frenzy pulls the nine millimeter out of the battle vest hanging on the handlebars, and we're ducking and yelling to him to watch out its LOADED!
Amazing ANY of us are still around.
Somewhere I have to find that picture of Charlie in Long Canyon from the day we were there with Antoine and Teri (and Teri got beaned by that small rock.)
In the photo Charlie is wearing my bosch on one side and my Dan Wesson .357 magnum on the other while he appears to be studiously reading a book (which careful examination reveals is Donald Duck, Mountain Climber). lol
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Dec 27, 2006 - 05:27pm PT
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'Never roped up with Charlie.
But we dated some of the same women, might even have been at the same time...oops!
Some 20 years ago, when he'd show up in the valley, it was like being granted audience to a touch of Colorado royalty; as it turned out he was just as wide eyed and stoked to be there as any of us.
In the early 90's in Telluride I met his brother or brother in law while we were all out for beers and the guy was happy to note that all Charlie's long years of guiding and taking photos was coming together nicely. Charlie was as established in that regard as any of us get and he kept up his steam remarkably well.
Charlie bore the visage of itinerant climber so graciously and it was all for real, right down to his mellow, understated, and keenly satisfied presentation.
Thanks for doing it right Charlie.
We will miss you,
Roy.
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TYeary
Mountain climber
Calif.
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Dec 27, 2006 - 05:33pm PT
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I didn't know Charlie or Christine. But this has become all too familiar a topic. So sad. My heart and thoughts go out to the families and friends of Charlie and Christine. What's going on out there? I guess it's just life, and sometimes life sucks.
Tony
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2006 - 05:38pm PT
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Curious thing Roy. Only yesterday I was making the same comment about dating the same women as Charlie in an email to Dave Anderson.
But before I was even aware of any of that I remember being in the Valley when suddenly the buzz everywhere was DNB, DNB, DNB, DNB.
And there was Charlie in C4 looking like the cat that ate the canary.
"Nice one Charlie. ARE YOU F__KING CRAZY??"
We laugh.
"Hey I got something here to calm you down. Doesn't stay lit though."
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Carolyn C
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Dec 27, 2006 - 05:50pm PT
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I only met Charlie a couple of times, but my husband, Eric, said he was one of THE nicest guys in the climbing community. RIP Charlie and Christine.
Carolyn and Eric Craig.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2006 - 05:58pm PT
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Carolyn,
how you been? How long is it? Ten years? How's Eric?
Do you remember how, when he was reviewing submissions as head of the AMGA certification program, Eric contrasted the responses given by Charlie and me to the question on the form, "What free climbing rating do you feel comfortable leading at?"
I don't know if I should reveal what we said but I still get a laugh out of the contrast.
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Carolyn C
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Dec 27, 2006 - 06:13pm PT
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Hi Ron. Yes, it's been a long time! We are living in Santa Cruz, CA, and Eric is doing well. He doesn't visit the forum here (I'm just a lurker, myself), but he was very saddened when I told him the news of Charlie and Christine. I don't remember the comments he made re: the AMGA thing...would love to hear the answer! Hope you are well.
Carolyn
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2006 - 06:18pm PT
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Well I suppose it doesn't hurt. I said that I'm sometimes UNcomfortable on 5.8 whereas Charlie's response was a very assertive claim that he onsighted .12d consistently.
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Carolyn C
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Dec 27, 2006 - 06:26pm PT
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That's good, Ron!! And a very good way to remember Charlie. I remember his great smile and friendly way.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2006 - 06:34pm PT
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The first four days of my exam were tough. First with Mark Huston, then with Eric. Quite demanding.
But I guess it was a done deal because the fifth day I got Charlie as an examiner and all we did was go to Lumpy and, along with John Cleary (who later became AMGA President and who emailed asking about Charlie only days ago) we trotted up J crack and knocked off about 13:00.
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buster
Mountain climber
canada
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Dec 27, 2006 - 06:35pm PT
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yea ron,and you with your 45magnum on top of "the owl"the best trip i had with charlie was when we climbed shiprock,sneaking in real early on a sunday morning and bagging it before the locals were awake.buster.
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Islander
climber
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Dec 27, 2006 - 06:36pm PT
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I still remember when I first met Charlie Fowler. It was 1977, and my good friend Casey Newman and I were walking up the road in Eldorado Canyon when, just below the Milton boulder, Charlie came loping down the hill. I had heard of Charlie’s solo of the DNB the previous month in Yosemite, so it was a kick to meet him in person.
Living and climbing in Boulder for the rest of that decade, I ran into Charlie often – once shortly after his ascent of Perilous Journey and, the next year, at a late-night party in Eldorado, after which, instead of turning in, Charlie headed up to RMNP and a solo of the Casual Route on the Diamond. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s we would occasionally bump into one another; in Telluride, Moab, and on a rare trip for Charlie to my stomping grounds in Maine. He was one of a rare breed.
This afternoon I headed out just before sunset for one of my favorite end-of-the-day hikes in Acadia, the west side of Mt. Champlain. As I descended into the notch that separates Huguenot Head with Champlain, thoughts of Charlie and that first meeting suddenly popped back into my head. I saw him very clearly as he was on that day on the road in Eldorado, a supremely fit young man in cutoff shorts and a t-shirt, a tangle of long hair and wickedly tanned. I realized then that he’d had a bandage on one hand that day – a detail I had not remembered until that moment. And precisely as that thought occurred to me, an enormous shadow of wings suddenly passed the ground at my feet. I quickly looked up to see a bald eagle less than fifteen feet above my head silently gliding past. “You lived well, Charlie,” I instinctively blurted out loud. There was, of course, no reply and the last I saw, the eagle was gliding motionless to the north, around a ridge of the mountain and into the wind.
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buster
Mountain climber
canada
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Dec 27, 2006 - 06:39pm PT
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that he did,very well and way better than most.i hope charlie randy,dougal haston and don willans along with rouse,al harris et al are partying and climbing,buster.
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Howie
Trad climber
Calgary, Alberta
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Dec 27, 2006 - 06:50pm PT
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Oh they will be Buster!
Howie.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2006 - 07:02pm PT
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Damn!
Patey's there too!
I'm not in a hurry, but that's one I don't wanna miss.
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Howie
Trad climber
Calgary, Alberta
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Dec 27, 2006 - 07:07pm PT
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Hmmm, they'll take some keeping up with!
H.
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N0_ONE
Social climber
Utah
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Dec 27, 2006 - 07:18pm PT
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I only met Charlie and Christine once. Ron invited me over for an evening a couple of monthes ago and I had the pleasure of spending several hours with the both of them. A real treat! Thanks Ron!
We'll meet again some day! I would say RIP, but I know your not resting, you've just started the next great adventure!
Steve.
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TomKimbrough
Social climber
Salt Lake City
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Dec 27, 2006 - 08:09pm PT
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It must have been around ’73, 74 or so. I was working the signout desk at the Jenny Lake Ranger Station when a young guy walks in and asks to sign out for Guide’s Wall and the Jensen Ridge. I explained to him that they were on different peaks and he should decide which he wanted to do. He didn’t get huffy or impatient with this (already) old has-been (never was) climber but quietly said he was alone and tended to move fairly fast and his plan was to do Guide’s Wall to the top of Storm Point, drop down to the south side of Symmetry and to the Jensen. That caught my attention and I took a closer look, noticing his powerful upper body. “OK, I’ll sign you up. Let me know how it goes.”
About mid afternoon the station was jammed but I spotted the kid in the doorway. I caught his eye and said, “Get ‘em both?” He showed me a thumbs up with a big grin.
I had just met the up and coming Charlie Fowler.
Tom Kimbrough
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Dec 27, 2006 - 08:13pm PT
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My main partner, Jim Tangen-Foster, and I met Charlie during a trip to Eldo from Southern Illinois back in '76 or '77. Charlie, Hardie Truesdale from the Gunks, and a car load of stoners from Seneca were far and away the most interesting and outrageous folks we climbed and hung out with on that trip. Between those two wildmen - Fowler and Truesdale - I would have laid money we would have lost Hardie long before Charlie. It just goes to show we never know how our lives will flow from one moment to the next...
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Larry
Trad climber
Bisbee
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Dec 27, 2006 - 08:37pm PT
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Like several of us, I met Charlie only once, at an exploratory meeting to form the AMGA at the Grand Teton Climber's Ranch.
Black Elk was a high point of my climbing career. Jeff, if you could post pictures, it would be great.
Larry
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BrentA
Gym climber
Roca Rojo
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Dec 27, 2006 - 08:45pm PT
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During the darkest chapter of my life I was engulfed in self-doubt and uncertainty. My mummified foot did little to console me. Somehow I got Charlie's phone number and got ahold of him, as he was missing some toes too.
The call didnt last much more than five minutes, but it changed my outlook emmensly, and help forge the new me.
"Someday you'll forget they are even gone." "It will never be the thing that stops you unless you want it too!"
I never got to meet him in person to thank him, but seriously Charlie, those few minutes on the phone lit my world like nothing else could. THANK YOU!
I don't ever want to stop, and neither did you..cheers brotha.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Dec 27, 2006 - 08:49pm PT
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Yes Ron,
Charlie was popular with women and the converse was likewise true, as he tooks some great pictures of women on the rock over the years and tended to champion the female spirit.
There is some great footage of Charlie out there too.
One piece, title in Spanish, translated "The Broom of God", about a Patagonian ascent with Peter Gallagher and a couple others. I don't recall the name, but there was a short film featuring Charlie and others doing the first clean ascent of the Shield.
Charlie, you were the climber's climber.
Fly like that eagle bro.
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Oli
Trad climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Dec 27, 2006 - 09:00pm PT
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I have endless stories of Charlie and many good photos. It's not easy to know where I would begin. I had been climbing quite a bit with Charlie around Boulder, and in 1984 when I was invited to be the guest speaker at the National British Mountaineering Conference my first thought was to invite Charlie. We felt a special connection to one another. Also I wanted a good partner, so that we could climb some of the classics in Wales and England. I wasn't going over there for two weeks and not climb every day. He stuck with me the whole trip. We fought at times over trivial things, such as who owed whom a roll of film, and so forth, but the friendship simply gradually solidified with increasing beauty with each climb. We were usually in the rain, bundled in warm coats, the rock wet and often slime coated. One afternoon I led the Left Wall of Cenotaph in frigid rain, and Charlie came up saying it felt to him like 5.12. These weren't exactly ideal conditions. I only managed that lead because I was anxious to get up and off and back to the warm tea, but also because he was an inspiration to be around. You could love him at the same time he unsettled you. Earlier along on the trip he had scolded me for making an apology for my climbing. I wasn't in great shape. So here on this route I felt I would simply go up and dispense with the insecurity and lack of self-confidence. My point in mentioning that climb is how humble he was. Whenever I did something well, he praised me. He slipped off a boulder problem the first ascent of which I am told I did at Stanage, during that trip to England, and he landed on the ground pretty roughly. It didn't phase him, and he said simply to the others watching, and to their surprise, that I was a master boulderer. He didn't make a single excuse for himself or complain that he'd forgotten to wipe off his muddy feet before starting. He was in no way embarrassed to have been in one tiny way outdone by one clearly over the hill. He simply had respect for me, and as I could tell, for all of his predecessors. He always gave anyone credit where credit was due. That was a rare and remarkable talent, as I saw it, in a new age of what seemed to me very often self-focused climbing. And in my case, I was nowhere as bold as he on the lead, never, and he was always fitter, and a truly fine artist of climbing. I had been fit briefly in my heyday in the late 1960s, but he was naturally gifted, far more so than I ever dreamt of being. I love the way people here so readily take note of his genial nature. He also had a sharp wit and could point out a fault in you, if one existed. I had plenty, of course, for him to play with, yet it was all ok, ultimately, when Charlie honed in on me, because we became like brothers. For now,
Pat Ament
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Dec 27, 2006 - 09:02pm PT
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This is a really sad deal. Bad year for the tribe is certainly an understatement. I never tied in with Charlie but knew him on a first name basis from the craggs over the last 20 some odd years. He lived the life of a climber to the core. You will be missed by many from all over the globe Charlie. "Keep cranking on the other side my friend"
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2006 - 09:05pm PT
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The Shield thing was Rock 'n Road. I worked with Kyle on the crew of that on the Moab leg. La Escoba de Dios had some exciting personal interplay. lol
Brent, you've told me that story before but I'm really glad you told it here. Thanks.
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goatboy smellz
climber
boulder county
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Dec 27, 2006 - 09:18pm PT
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" Those last couple pieces cleaned themselves"
Classic movie, classic Charlie.
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hossjulia
Trad climber
Eastside
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Dec 27, 2006 - 09:35pm PT
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I got *stuck* in the cave at Eldo one rainy day with Charlie, Derek (ah hell, I'm so upset, my short term memory just fried, must be the, ah-hem, "safety meeting" we had then.)and a few others. Anyway, they were asking Charlie about some outrageous first ascents he had done. Man o man those stories raised the hair on the back of my neck. I thought he was insane. Later, I watched him mature in an impressive way. Always thoughtful, determined, tough, very sane. Made an impression on me, still does, perhaps more so than any other climber I know of.
This just sucks. I did not know Christine, or really anything about her. I quit following the rags a few years back. I've since learned enough to admire her greatly as well.
Heroes, both of them.
My sincere and saddest condolences to their family and friends.
I'm glad they went the way they did, just the two of them, pushing the boundaries. It helps put my petty little problems in perspective.
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deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
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Dec 27, 2006 - 09:49pm PT
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I climbed and rigged the cameraman above Charlie (and team) on the clean ascent of the Shield for the TV movie, Rock and Road. No matter how tense things got due to the nuances of the tight shooting schedule, the occasional clusterf**ks, and/or personality issues, Charlie always was calm, cool, collect. Quiet and focused. Catching his eye during those times would generally spark a flash of his characteristic sly smile, letting me know that everything was alright. (He did the whole climb in mountain boots--for training purposes, I suppose).
He always had a great story too, no matter where I ran into him over the years.
This is very sad, and a great loss for the climbing community.
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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Dec 27, 2006 - 10:15pm PT
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I was walking through Camp 4 one day back in 77 when this guy walked by and made eye contact with me. He had this crazed look in his eyes. I remember thinking man what's that guy's trip. Later I heard that someone had soloed the DNB. Then it all made sense. Sure enough it was Charlie. We climbed only a few times over the years but I always enjoyed his company.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Dec 27, 2006 - 11:13pm PT
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Deuce,
I forgot that you were along for that film shoot of the Clean Shield. So was another of your good friends, Xavier.
Will Oxx was part of your crew as well and he remarked so very much how well you all enjoyed being up there together.
I made the camera pack for Dan Mannix and he also took some still photos of the effort with a disposable camera. It was nice of him to give me these shots from the trip; I had to tweak the first one to pull some light onto Charlie's face.
Charlie & Beth Wald:
Xavier & Will:
Charlie & Friends climbing & filming on the Shield:
My heartfelt condolence to all of Charlie's dear friends and family.
Roy
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 27, 2006 - 11:22pm PT
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Long ago, I was standing around a campfire in Yosemite with a large group of climbers talking shop. Eric Weinstein held center stage as he extolled the virtues of Canadian granite to a somewhat skeptical local audience. At one point, having heard enough detraction in the midst of the great Valley walls all around, some spirited youth confronted Eric and demanded to know who the hell could make such an outlandish claim. Eric took a massive theatrical lungfull of air and faced the offender. "I am Eric Weinstein. Some call me the Squamish Chief," he said with a glare. From the other side of the fire came a Whillans-esque voice, "Oh yeah! I heard they called you the Squeamish Chief."
The circle erupted in laughter as the wind left Eric's sails. Of course, it was Charlie, taking up as much space with his humorous wit as Eric had in absurd posturing to the delight of us all.
His DNB solo was a real mind blower and one of the greatest feats of boldness and adventure in Yosemite's long and colorful history.
Charlie lived a climber's life, so I find some sense in his end though little comfort in the timing, loss, or finality of it. We never climbed together but I always followed his exploits and when we would meet there was a mutual respect that let me know he followed mine. We both came into climbing back when it was a small and exclusive pursuit.
Once I learned that he might be missing, I entertained the fantasy that the Himalayan Gods had called him up to provide assistance on some particularly stubborn cloud problems that they had conjured up for amusement. Who better to help out than Charlie! To the four directions he went, and in such an auspicious place. Until that Cheshire grin blossoms again on the next wonderchild, I will miss his fiery mixture of skill and desire.
The struggle is but a dream within a dream. Be at peace and rest now, Charlie and Chris.
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Dec 27, 2006 - 11:31pm PT
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Climbing in the late 70's and early 80's in the Boulder area was (for no choice of better words) lovely.
Most climbers knew each others and were somewhat connected by a degree or less.
I climbed with Charlie a few times on a rope and bouldered with him more. Strong, humble and somewhat quiet.
I'll remember him best...riding his bike up to Flagstaff, cranking like a demon, hopping on his bike and heading back to Boulder.
Peace Charlie...
Later, Bob
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Dec 27, 2006 - 11:36pm PT
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Some pictures of Charlie in early ice days.
Below the North Face of tthe Grand, prior to the first ascent of Route Canal, 1979.
Charlie on the upper pitches of Route Canal.
Charlie decked out for Birdbrain Boulevard with Wilford and Lowe. 1985
Charlie leading in Birdbrain
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10b4me
Trad climber
California
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Dec 28, 2006 - 01:00am PT
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damn, so sorry to hear this. it has been a tough year.
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Jimme
Mountain climber
ulaanbaatar
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Dec 28, 2006 - 01:38am PT
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Although we are still not sure, I would like to share this amazing story with you. At Mountain film festival earlier this year, Chris, Charlie and myself were planning a trip to Mongolia. I live there and as always we were also trying to plan the program for the next day.
Chris was doing her presentation in the morning, I went for coffee in town later, waiting for them to join for lunch. Ran into John Grunsfeld who did his presentation about the same time as Chris'.
When we discussed the program the day before all tree of us said "bummer", seeing Grunsfeld's presentation was about the same time.
I told John that we were sorry to have missed his story. He told me Charlie was his all time hero, Grunsfeld is an avid mountaineer himself but was never able to meet Charlie.
Guess what, both Chris and Charlie walked in. I introduced them and John gave us a private viewing of his slide show with awesome pictures of our favorite mountains from space. Turned out Grunsfeld was also Charlie's "hero".
Seems like it happened last week, gosh I will miss them, will always be embedded in my heart.
My heartfelt feelings, sympathy and respect to family, friends and you all, admirers. I am overwhelmed with all reactions on the websites and forums.
They will rest in peace, together............
Love and Peace, Jimme
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 28, 2006 - 01:47am PT
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Jimme, you live in Mongolia?
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Jimme
Mountain climber
ulaanbaatar
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Dec 28, 2006 - 02:09am PT
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Yes Ron, most of the year.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Dec 28, 2006 - 02:13am PT
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I never met either Charlie or Chris, but they were present in spirit throughout the community...
My sympathy goes out to all of you who knew them and suffer with their loss. And my condolence to their families.
Maybe Werner already said this ... but as I posted before this is my favorite poem:
We are the puppets and fate the puppeteer
This is not a metaphor, but a truth sincere
On this stage, fate for sometime our moves steer
Into the chest of non-existence, one by one disappear.
from the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
We will follow them all sometime, that is for sure, make every moment count.
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Dec 28, 2006 - 02:16am PT
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Charlie and Christine taught my wife and I a self-rescue course in Leavenworth, Wa...over a long weekend.
They were excelent teachers for some of the most valuable lessons I've learned in climbing. They were also just a joy to be around...I feel lucky to have heard some of Charlie's fabled stories firsthand.
Sorry to hear about this. My condolences to family and friends, especially you Taco friends.
here's to them!
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 28, 2006 - 02:22am PT
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Well Jimme I bet you're no idiot!
(Probably have a summer yurt in T-ride.)
Buster,
remember when Charlie joined us at the top of the Owl in '99 doing the melodramatic 'final steps' and calling it the Cerro Torre of Arches? lol
Then he wanted to repeat Kyle and my route on the nearby Bulbous Head but didn't have enough slings to fake into aiders.
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Jimme
Mountain climber
ulaanbaatar
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Dec 28, 2006 - 02:30am PT
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We had one in T-ride during the festival. Better call them Ger's, yurt is Turkish and the Mongolians don't like them much.
You'd be surprised how warm they are, even during the winter when it's minus 40 F. I'll send you some pictures.
cheers Jimme
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 28, 2006 - 02:39am PT
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If they're warm why do you call them Gers?
Then there was the slide show he gave to the guides at their meeting in Estes after the first cert exam.
Fifty horny guys in the room and one of his slides is of a seemingly attractive blonde from behind with desert rock beyond and below.
All he said was, "This was taken on the summit of Castleton."
Five seconds pass with a pregnant pause.
Then ten.
Finally from the very back of the room in the most annoyed voice possible the guy sitting next to Grandstaff finally blurts out, "AND????"
The room cracked up.
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Jimme
Mountain climber
ulaanbaatar
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Dec 28, 2006 - 03:07am PT
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Well what can I say, Ger means in fact: "cozy warm home"
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buster
Mountain climber
canada
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Dec 28, 2006 - 07:03am PT
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jimme and ron,charlie always took great delight in
the exploits of the grand staff,as related by me.charlie had the killer sense of humour.he was however the ultimate dirtbag.one time we were in a pub in glagow,scotland.we were there with my brother,a big bastard,not a climber,and some of my roudy friends.we were all sipping ales.it came charlie,s time to ante up,he kept sipping.my brother leaned forward and crooked his finger at chacha,""in scotland,we don,t give a f*#k how good a climber you are,the only thing we care about,is your ability to put your hand in your pocket and by us a drink"" charlie laffed like hell,and quickly ponied up.honour was rstored all round.i,m gonna miss him a lot.jimme,i,d love to come to mongolia,lets do it.how,s your rugby team??,buster.
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426
Sport climber
Buzzard Point, TN
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Dec 28, 2006 - 09:02am PT
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Sad news...take care all.
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igikpak
Mountain climber
Ridgway
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Dec 28, 2006 - 11:27am PT
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In the mountains all is pure, all is calm;
all complication is cut off.
Rare are they who know to listen:
Happy they who possess wisdom.
If the cold wind stings and bothers you,
Sit in the sun: It is always warm there.
Its hot rays burn like flames,
While, opposite, in the shade, all is frost and snow.
One pauses on ledges, One climbs to the foot of high clouds;
One sits in the depths of a gorge, one passes windy grottos.
Here is the realm of harmony and joy.
Where the past and present become eternal.
-5th century buddhist poem
We will miss you Charlie and Chris. The wit and humour and the search for the perfect adventure. Love Max & Barb Kendall
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Anguish
Mountain climber
Jackson Hole Wyo.
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Dec 28, 2006 - 11:48am PT
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Charlie and Mike Munger were heading to Patagonia to do the Super Couloir, back in the day (70s) and hatched a training plan at the Climber's Ranch in the Tetons. To steel themselves, they would jump off the Diving Board (Eldorado) teathered to a 150-ft rope (one at a time). This they did, though not without consequences. I think Mike might have broken some ribs, but off they went and completed their Patagonia climb.
Somebody filmed the plunge, as I understood, using a Super 8 camera. Format is not quite square and the budding cinematographer decided to take the movie "vertical."
Well, I guess the only way to view the movie is lying down, since those projectors don't work on their sides.
Charlie never sought fame or traded on his accomplishments in the public marketplace, as far as I know. Unique and inspiring.
Angus Thuermer
Jackson Hole
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geezer
Mountain climber
Missoula
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Dec 28, 2006 - 12:11pm PT
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Had the pleasure of meeting Charlie when he worked at Neptune's and sold me my first pair of alpine touring ski's and binding's for my first trip to Alaska.
Amazingly when I saw him in Eldorado a couple of months later he came up and asked how my trip went. Was impressed that this someone climber would take the time to inquire how my humble adventure turned out.
A real loss.
Steve
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 28, 2006 - 12:55pm PT
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Steve, its not amazing if you knew Charlie. He sure wasn't perfect. He could be more stubborn than any of my mules. He could be very insensitive to others. He could be quite miserly. His feet smelled like a putrefied carcass.
But there wasn't an ounce of snobbery in him. He knew full well that he was considered a super-climber and it mattered not one wit to him. He took people at their character with no regard for status. If you treated him well, if you were interesting or humorous then that was all that mattered and your value as a friend could not have been higher. I learned more than I could ever enumerate from Charlie but high on the list was the importance of having and also just being open to a sense of community.
And he would not be patronizing. It was always genuine. What you saw was what you got.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Dec 28, 2006 - 01:28pm PT
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I am always so saddened to learn of the death of a beloved friend. My heart, hope, love and prayers go out to Ron and Jeff and all of Charlie's friends, and of course to the friends and family of Christine.
I only met Charlie once so far as I know, when he whizzed by me on the East Ledges descent of El Cap. I didn't realize who he was at first until I saw the Trango notations on his pig. Charlie was a cham-peen pig wrassler if ever I saw one!
It seems so much harder when those we love die at this time of year! It's times like this I give thanks for those I love and those who love me. Life is so short and fragile, especially for those of us who risk our necks to pursue our chosen direction of climbing - it could happen to any of us tomorrow. If you do nothing else today, tell at least one person that you love them and value them as your friend.
In Him,
Pete
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Jimme
Mountain climber
ulaanbaatar
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Dec 28, 2006 - 02:19pm PT
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Aye John, you,re welcome to Mongolia anytime. Ron is giving it a thought as well. I have to get some more dram though. The lads played the Manila ten's, ended fourth out off 16. Their first tournament, awesome.
Take care we'll get together soon,
Long mae yer lum riek.
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freeheelgirl
Trad climber
san francisco
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Dec 28, 2006 - 02:30pm PT
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I always smile (and laugh at myself) when I think of my first meeting with Charlie. I was new to Telluride, new to the mountain world. I'd never been climbing, and didn't know who any of the players were. We were out, Telluride style, celebrating a friend's birthday. The birthday boy and I were talking about rock climbing and I said I'd like to learn. He told me to go ask his friend Charlie to teach me. So, I did. I didn't have a clue who Charlie Fowler was, and he didn't care. I just slid across the table to talk to him and ask him if he'd take me climbing. His response was SURE! Always happy to teach someone new, to share his passion and his knowledge. We never did get to climb together but I always loved talking to him about his travels and climbs, and the climbs I've done/adventures I've had since I first met him. I also got to climb Mt. Baker with Chris a couple of years back and loved to catch up with the two of them at Mountainfilm every year. Their energy, compassion, knowledge, stories and zest for life - all of which they both loved to share - will be missed by many. My heart is with their families and their communities around the globe ~ R
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Dec 28, 2006 - 04:22pm PT
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RIP Charlie...we'll miss you. Condolences to Charlie's family as well...this is hard stuff. I've known Charlie since when he on-sighted the DNB. Always had much respect for him and always had good times together.
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up2top
Big Wall climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Dec 28, 2006 - 06:31pm PT
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I wish I could have known them. I've heard about Charlie's exploits since early in my climbing days, but didn't know much about him as a person until these posts. Christine, on the other hand, won a place in my heart several years ago about the time I began climbing. The Discovery Channel ran a series that covered her expedition to one of the Himalayan's 6000 meter peaks -- Ama Dablam, if I recall. The series caught my interest initially from the sheer beauty and steepness of their objective, but it turns out that under all of the Gortex and puffed-up down there was a member of the expedition who was one hot looking lady. It became quickly appearant that she wasn't just a token chick along for the climb. To the contrary, she was the expedition leader and was climbing circles around most of the other team members.
In the episodes that followed you got to see a lot of who Christine was and what made her tick. The climb was an especially emotional ordeal because she was dealing with the loss of her husband just a few months prior who was supposed to have been on the expedition with them. Her class, candor, and toughness -- both mental and physical -- very much inspired me. I had always hoped our paths would cross at some point. There were two people early in my climbing days that help form my attitudes and perspective about the sport -- Christine and Alex Lowe, both of which are saddly no longer with us, but surely inspired more people than they could ever know to push their limits a little harder and a little further.
My sincere condolences to all the friends and family of Charlie and Christine.
Ed
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Dec 28, 2006 - 07:03pm PT
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It appears to be [url="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16368852/"]Charlie's body which has been found.[/url]
Thank goodness. This would be a sad but huge relief to his family, who would be unable to declare him dead for seven[?] years otherwise. Hopefully he can be returned home. I hope they can find Christine, too.
Prayers,
Pete
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siddhi
Social climber
allenspark, co
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Dec 28, 2006 - 07:45pm PT
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i feel like i am writing to charlie... as well as sharing a story with his friends, family,
and community. and in away i am trying to thank him for what he has done in his
life.
unfortunately, i haven't been in the know about charlie, and his world, since he crawled off the mountain in tibet, and consquently lost a few toes. he stayed with me for about a month after this. we tootled around the countryside showing slide shows, attempting to boulder, and stuff like that, while he recovered.
i first met charlie in 1977, in the popcycle section of the toulumne meadows grocery store, and at the time i thought, i like this guy, who just like myself, is so intent on finding the perfect popcycle, to buy and eat.
a couple months later, i saw in the distance,the same profile, meandering down the road in eldorado. i flagged him down and explained to him that we kind of knew each other from yosemite, even though, we really hadn't spoken to each other. we became friends. and i think this was a week or so, after he dove off the divingboard.
during this time, i showed charlie some of my photos of my overland trip to nepal, and some other photos by my swiss climbing friend... and it was like the bells went off in his head, when he saw these photos. he said to me, i am going to travel to climb peaks more alpine style, and take photograph of my experiences. it was about as straight forward as that.
and by what i can tell he never waivered from this plan. back then, with in a month of our looking at photos, he showed me that he had a shot record, passport everything in hand and he was good to go to patagonia
at the time i said to my swiss photographer friend reudi, "do you know charlie?"
he said "no" and i remember saying so strongly to him..."YOU WILL"
at times, i had experienced honing in from charlie, and sometimes it hurt. but mostly i needed the insightfulness. i still think about some of the things charlie pointed out to me like, i might do good to try some meditating.
and when he said i was either "crazy or stupid", i think he was just because he was just a little upset that i was way up on the titan wall by myself, with him down on the ground below, and I decided i wasn't exactly sure how to set up my caribiners for the repel down... you know back then it was a complicated procedure. actually, that sent him pacing. i am glad he found woman in his life that were more proficient in climbing. all and all it was memorable experience, and i kept the red desert dirt from the titan attempt, on my fifteen dollar sears boots, he didn't like the
boots either
but the point i'm trying to make, and what i would like to say to charlie, is to me his photos ended up being so much like his words. they are the real thing, with clarity,and purpose. actually, his pictures were always that way. but the change i see in his later photos, is what is particularly moving, its like he grew as tall as the mountains he climbed, and he began to photograph expressing not just the rawness and beauty, of what he saw, but the spiritual quality that he was feeling too. its almost like a i want to beleive that he went to all these remote places just to bring us all together in a compassionate way.
i am truly moved by charlies accomplishments , and i pray the example he has set keeps me in this inspirational space.
who would have known, what was going to become..of the life of charlie
and i hope i can buy his book of writings and photos someday
and i hope i don't get kicked off of this forum
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deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
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Dec 28, 2006 - 08:21pm PT
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Just got this from Bill Hatcher:
OSPREY PACKS TO HOST FUNDRAISER FOR FOWLER-BOSKOFF SEARCH FUND
Osprey Packs will host a fundraiser to aid in the search for local climbers Charlie Fowler and Chris Boskoff on Wednesday, January 3, 2007 from 6:30 to 8:30pm at the Abbey Theatre in Durango, CO. Local professional photographers, Bill Hatcher, Kennan Harvey and Scott Smith will present a sampling of their work. There will be a silent auction with great gear from outdoor companies Osprey, Outdoor Research, Prana, local outdoor shops and many, many more. A suggested donation of $10 gets you in the door.
Norwood, Colorado based climbers, Charlie Fowler and Chris Boskoff have been missing in central-western China since November 9, 2006. They were not on their booked flight back to Denver on December 4. It is speculated that they may be either on or below a remote mountain near the town of Dequen in Yunnan Province, or near the towns of Litang and Batang in Sichuan Province.
Christine Boskoff has summited six 8,000-meter peaks including two summits of Mt. Everest and has established over 100 rock routes in the southwest U.S. She is the owner of Seattle based Mountain Madness, an adventure travel and expedition operator. She has guided six of the seven summits and in 2002 attempted K2 with Fowler.
Charlie Fowler has nearly 40 years of climbing experience with ascents of Cho Oyu and Shishipangma, a dominant list of established routes in SW Colorado, and a handful of guide books to his credit. He is considered an expert on the area in Eastern Tibet in which he and Chris were exploring.
All proceeds from the fundraiser will be routed to the Fowler-Boskoff Search Fund. Donations are currently being taken via the following channels:
The Fowler-Boskoff Search Fund
In Telluride - Deliver Checks:
Mountainfilm office at 109 East Colorado Avenue (above The Toggery)
Mail Checks to Mountainfilm:
Mountainfilm, LTD
PO Box 1088
Telluride CO 81435
(Edit: Wells Fargo direct deposit information removed for saftey reasons, contact organizers below for more info).
About Osprey Packs
From our humble beginnings building custom backpacks and sleeping bags in Santa Cruz California, to our current recognition as an industry leader, Osprey has always flown its own course. Our mission is to create innovative high performance gear that reflects our love of adventure and our devotion to the outdoors. We succeed when we meet the demanding expectation of our most discerning customers and they are proud to use our packs. Based in Cortez, Colorado, Osprey has over thirty-two years of pack-making experience.
Media contacts:
Kristin Carpenter-Ogden
KCPR
970-259-3555
kco@kristincarpenter.com
Gareth Martins
Osprey Packs, Inc.
970-564-5900x14
gareth@ospreypacks.com
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turd
climber
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Dec 28, 2006 - 08:35pm PT
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siddhi,
thank you for that.
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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Dec 28, 2006 - 08:53pm PT
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Denverpost is reporting some details regarding an avalanche accident.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4914610
I never met Charlie but feel as though I know him really well from reading and hearing so much about him for so many years from friends.
Just the other day I found the alternative sound track on Ron's and Jeff's Clean Aid movie. Listen to it when you get a chance as Charlie is one of the people providing comments.
Deepest sympathy to family and friends.
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Dec 29, 2006 - 12:42am PT
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sidhi said:
"but the point i'm trying to make, and what i would like to say to charlie, is to me his photos ended up being so much like his words. they are the real thing, with clarity,and purpose. actually, his pictures were always that way. but the change i see in his later photos, is what is particularly moving, its like he grew as tall as the mountains he climbed, and he began to photograph expressing not just the rawness and beauty, of what he saw, but the spiritual quality that he was feeling too. its almost like a i want to beleive that he went to all these remote places just to bring us all together in a compassionate way."
Very beautiful...
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buster
Mountain climber
canada
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Dec 29, 2006 - 08:45am PT
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hi siddhi,i,ve travelled with charlie for 20 years now.i can only agree with your eloquent thoughts.in the last few years,charlie introduced himself as an artist.the climbing thing was still important,but he had reached a point where all of the experiences he had had as a climber,needed to be expressed in a visual way.he had stated to take polaroid pictures with an old polaroid camera{he was a camera freak}.he would transfer the images from the polaroid photos onto water colour paper for an etheral effect.we were at everest north face base camp one time when he did a bunch of these,which he showed to various climbers from all over the world who were in a big north face dome tent.everybody wanted to buy the,offering as much as $500 for one print.but he wouldn,t sell.he had a plan as an artist.i hope we can express that in some form as a memorial to him,buster.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Dec 29, 2006 - 03:49pm PT
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I met Charlie in the late 1970’s. We bouldered together a couple of times and I’d see him at climber get-togethers once in a while.I remember being awed by some of the highlights from his career during that era, his first solos of the Direct North Buttress on Middle Cathedral and the Diamond on Long’s Peak, as well as the 2nd ascent of Dave Brashear’s Perilous Journey. These tell you all you need to know about Charlie's mastery of himself and the rock.
I will never forget hearing about him jumping off the Diving Board in Eldorado Canyon and the explanation we heard at that time: he just wanted to experience what it felt like to take a 150” fall onto the rope. I was always impressed with his modest demeanor, in light of his unbelievable climbing accomplishments. He was one of the genuinely nice guys in climbing.
Farewell, Charlie.
Heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of Christine and Charlie.
Rick Accomazzo
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takedamn
climber
four corners
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Dec 29, 2006 - 04:28pm PT
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I apologize if this is redundant but some of Charlie's parts in "La Escoba De Dios" are classic and its a good short movie as well. Could be hard to find but worth the effort.
Like many climbers I would often wonder if I shouldn't move closer to Yosemite or Boulder or Jackson or a dozen other spots that people would rave about. Then I would see Charlie wandering around Norwood or at some obscure cliff near Paradox and all of those thoughts would evaporate. Because if Charlie was here in southwest CO we must all be doing something right- Charlie had literally been everywhere. As Greg Crouch put it in Enduring Patagonia, "the only places in the world that Charlie hasn't been are flat". (from memory, apologies to Greg).
He was unstoppable. He was just always climbing or travelling to climb and often putting up new routes. One of my heros.
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Jimme
Mountain climber
ulaanbaatar
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Dec 29, 2006 - 04:53pm PT
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I just got word that the search for Chris has been indefinitely called off due to increasingly bad weather conditions in the search area and concerns for the safety of the search teams.
I am so sad because of the loss of two dear friends but have peace that they are together. For days I have this poem in my head, you might recognize it from "Four weddings". The characters in the movie have the same sort of energy that bonds them as I read in this forum. I would like to share it with you all.
W.H. Auden
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crępe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
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wiclimber
Trad climber
devil's lake, wi
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Dec 29, 2006 - 05:28pm PT
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Very sad news.
Wasn't there a story about Charlie breaking up with his girlfriend in Boulder, running to Eldo and soloing the Diving Board in his running shoes?
Not sure that was him, or if it was even true, but sounds like something he'd do.
What a legend.
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BrentA
Gym climber
Roca Rojo
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Dec 29, 2006 - 07:25pm PT
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I climbed the Nose with my bestfriend Fryguy many years ago. On the pitch below the great roof Ryan looks at me and recants that story of Charlie on the Diving Board in running shoes...
He says "if Charlie can climb that in running shoes, I can climb this in them"...and then he casted off. Ryan had a rope though, lol.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Dec 29, 2006 - 08:46pm PT
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I believe that story is about getting casual on the Diamond, not Eldo...
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Dec 29, 2006 - 09:18pm PT
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That's what I remember, too.
The diving board, that'd be crazy!
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Dec 30, 2006 - 10:36am PT
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I was fortunate enough to run across Charlie off and on for many years and have some vivid memories. Like being with he and Tom Pulaski when they did the probable 3rd or 4th ascent of the Ames ice hose (a remarkably quick ascent in baddd conditions). Many years ago at JTree Charlie melded into our camp. He was humbly powerful, graciously supportive and wildly inspiring. You never wanted to climb poorly in front of Charlie. You always dug a little deeper. Charlie belayed me through some psychological cruxes with a patient understanding that I had not expected but greatly appreciated. He knew where I was in my head at the time and knew I had to open those doors for myself in my own time. He made me feel like being on those pitches was the most pertainent thing to him. Which is not a common human trait. One morning near the end of the trip while frying up his trademark egg quesadilla he very quietly asked if I wanted to buy any of his gear. Turns out the bloke had been running on fumes for weeks. All that previous time climbing and he never said a word or complained about being broke. He just kept being Charlie. Well I ended up giving him a ride back to Boulder on my way to Gunnison (scenic route) and bought what I thought he wouldn't miss. I still have an old 3/4 bivy sac of his from that time. My kids have used it as a full sized sleeping bag on camping trips. Like many of us it is a little worse for wear but still functional.
Charlie was a complex blend of angst and ability who blazed a trail of brilliance through the ascencionist's world. His passing leaves a monumental void. My most heartfelt condollences to the Fowler and Boskoff families. These folk did not die in vain. They lived lives of greatness and set examples that will be striven for by many future generations.
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Jimme
Mountain climber
ulaanbaatar
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Dec 30, 2006 - 03:21pm PT
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Charlie Fowler was located at 5300m on Genyen Peak, Sichuan. His body was retrieved and will be cremated in Sichuan on 1 Jan 07.
His body was located in avalanche debris. They could not find Christine Boskoff and believe she was buried by an avalanche close to where Charlie was found.
The search for Christine was called of as new snow was falling and the slope appeared unstable. Arrangements will be made to return in spring 07 to locate her via some of the China-based organizations we used and I expect a few from Telluride will go over to help.
The search committee is winding down although they agreed to be interviewed as a case study for international search and rescue by 1srg.org for their own use as well as for Mountain Funds "Climb-aid" project.
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John Moosie
climber
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Dec 31, 2006 - 01:25pm PT
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I thought this deserved to be on the front page awhile longer. I did not know Charlie. I can only say thank you Charlie, for living your life so large. It gives me hope for this world when I can see that there are people living large, with a sense of adventure and a joy to be alive. I will probably not climb any of the big mountains in this lifetime due to health issues, but I can climb them through the eyes of a person like Charlie.
Thank you fellow traveler......
John Musgrove
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Cosmin
Big Wall climber
Europe/China
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I must admitt i had little hope but still the reality of the confirmed news is so saddening... At least there is some sort of closure, albeit not the kind one was hoping for...
I never met Charlie nor Christine but i was impressed by his solo of the S face of the Siguniang shan, especially when compared to previous and subsequent attempts on the face.
After i heard the news of their AWOL i hoped, like everybody else, that they might be bogged down somewhere. I hoped, like many other climbers here in China (foreign and Chinese) that news of their whereabouts will come soon and was ready packed to head out. Sadly this didn't happen and hope started to fade... I was in a car in north Yunnan, hoping to head out to Deqing - another possible location of their dissapearance- when the news of the found body came out. All the way back to Guangzhou i have been thinking that, although in this case it wouldn't have helped much, would have been so much easier of ther search teams to have that little bit of extra info... and that a SAR network in China is a priority with the increasing number of climbers drawn to the exploratory nature of climbing here...
Rest in peace Christine and Charlie! At least it happened in the mountains you both appreciated so greatly!
Cosmin
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buster
Mountain climber
canada
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amen to all of this.charlie is gone but sure not forgotten.rest in peace my friend
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Conrad
climber
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My late husband, Alex Lowe, introduced Charlie Fowler to me in 1982. At the time, we lived in a small apartment, part of an old stone carriage house in Eldorado Canyon. Charlie arrived with Alex for a cup of tea, post climbing and I happened to have made a batch of fresh cookies, which they gobbled greedily. “Wow, these are great!” Charlie drawled as he finished them off. He didn’t say much else, but stood shifting foot to foot with dark eyes darting about beneath a scruffy mop of hair. His Patagonia shorts were tattered and his fragrance was ripe. So this is Charlie Fowler I thought. Though young, he was already legendary in some circles and most notorious for his dive off the “diving board” from atop the “Naked Edge”. His shy demeanor surprised me. A week or so later, I was equally surprised to see Charlie at our door one afternoon. Alex wasn’t home so I endeavored to entertain Charlie, offering tea. “Got any cookies?” he finally blurted, grinning. I didn’t and the larder was pretty bare but for a few stalks of celery. Ever resourceful and accustomed to starving dirt-bag climbers, I cooked him a pot of celery soup. He politely lapped it up and was on his way. Alex wasted no time making a big joke out the episode with such remarks as “ Yea Charlie- we’re opening a café, Jenni’s Soup Kitchen for bedraggled climbers.”
Jenni Lowe
Charlie in Telluride, mid 80s Photo by Alex Lowe
__ --
A few years back I asked Charlie how he managed to climb in Tibet, which is notorious for numerous restrictions and high peak fees. In his matter of fact way of conversing he replied, “I just ride the local busses and when it stops near the mountain I get off. The bus will eventually leave and there you are.”
This little trick summed up the style of climbing Charlie preferred – low key, big on the adventure scale and self supported. Not only was this his style of climbing it also infused his life. His humble house in Norwood was about efficiency and simplicity. Charlie’s early guide books (hand penned and drawn) got you to the base of the climb. His actions were all about going light.
In the mid eighties we ice climbed in Santaquin, Utah – more of a fun day than anything spectacular. We would meet and climb in the same way over the years. After his Gurli Mandata experience I was living in Telluride. His toes, not being what they were pre trip, were on the mend. Climbing wasn’t as much a problem as walking down stairs. They were no fun.
Over the years we would see Charlie and Christine at Mountain Film. They were big love together. He always checked in on Alex and Jenni’s boys. He had a connection to Alex that covered many rope lengths and years. He was happy to see the boys growing up and was always encouraging of this unique journey I embarked on with Jenni.
Charlie was a climber’s climber. I bunched him in there with Fred Becky. Ever questing for new routes, checking in with you from time to time and sporting the polypro cologne. He was always ready for an adventure.
Of course getting off of the bus is only half the journey. When I asked him how he got back on the Tibetan bus he replied it was as simple as flagging one down. The Tibetans were too amazed by a Westie to be concerned with his doings. That smile of his… yeah it was his get out of a bind card. Here’s to Christine and Charlie for touching all of our lives.
We’ll see you out there dear friends.
Conrad
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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I didn't know him really but I remember meeting him in the Valley, what 1976 or so, and if I recall, he seemed a real nice bloke. I remember hearing about the DNB free solo and, needeless to say, I was extremely impressed.
My condolences to family and friends.
RIP Charlie and Christine
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Misa
Trad climber
SJ
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I moved to Colorado in '75 with Charlie, moving to Colorado with Charlie was Dickensian, the best of times and the worst of times. Climbing was everything for him when I knew him, and that never seemed to wear off for him, where climbing interest waxed and waned for most of us lesser mortals. He was an intelligent, complex, driven soul who pushed the limits all the time. His formidable legacy will have to be the plug for the Charlie shaped hole in the climbing world. My condolences to those who loved him. Requiescat in Pace, Charlie
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darod
Trad climber
South Side Billburg
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This is terrible news, my condolences to the families and friends, and all those closely touched by their departure.
Although I never met him in person, Charlie was a true hero, almost a legend, to myself and many others, and he'll surely be missed...
darod.
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Dougald
climber
CO
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At once a wild man and a gentleman. That's a hard combination to beat.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 3, 2007 - 08:17pm PT
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I have just gotten word that at least one memorial for Charlie will be held.
The one now known to me will be held in Telluride on Monday at 6PM (the day after the Ouray Icefest) at the Sheridan Opera House.
I don't know yet about Chris but will post as info becomes available.
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jstan
climber
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I knew Charlie when he was a teenager If then, he was already the person he was later perceived to be, I was simply ignorant of it. I sensed none of it. People really are composed of a host of potentialities. How we view Charlie now was just one from the host harbored in him. You can’t help but wonder; had things developed differently would he have had an even greater impact and in addition have been able to spend more time with us? We will never know. There must be some way for us to learn to do better.
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Oli
Trad climber
Fruita, Colorado
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I would be very interested in knowing the details of the memorial, as Charlie was dear to me. Please post any information and dates.
Pat Ament
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tangen-foster
climber
Wisconsin
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Charlie and I teamed up on routes in Eldorado and elsewhere around Boulder in the summer of 1976 and spring of 1977. Some years later when he was working at Neptune, he introduced me to Pat Ament as his partner on his first climb of the Diamond (D7). I took some pride in that, and also following his illustrious career in the magazines. We had great times together, but none as memorable as watching an electrical storm from our bivouac on the Broadway ledge of the Diamond, then roping up in the morning alpenglow for our first big wall climb. Although I hadn’t seen or heard from him in over three decades, I’m saddened by our loss of Charlie and Christine. They were an inspiration to me and countless other climbers. Charlie titled his blog “Charlie On the Loose.“ I suspect he was referring to the 1967 Sierra Club book of quotes and images that was a bible to young adventurers of our day and other vagabonds of the backpack generation. “He was alone. He was unheeded, happy, and near to the wild heart of life…” reads the James Joyce verse on the cover. That was the Charlie I remember walking down from Redgarden Wall after soloing Ruper or T2 in spring 1977, shirtless, in painter pants, hair flopping over his eyes, EB’s hanging from his red, 2-inch webbing swami. In that image, and in his lifestyle, he was an icon for the freedom of the hills. For those who wonder about the worth of a lifestyle like Charlie’s, I am reminded of another passage from "On The Loose:"
"Remember thy creator in the days of thy youth. Rise free from care before the dawn, and seek adventures. Let the noon find thee by other lakes, and the night overtake thee everywhere at home. There are no larger fields than these, no worthier games than may here be played…" Thoreau
Jim Tangen-Foster
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Beatrix Kiddo
Mountain climber
Denver
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2 years ago we headed to Vegas on Thanksgiving. On the way to pick up Charlie, a beer truck rolled over on I-70 making us over 2 hours late. We were doomed from the start. My partners and I picked up Charlie and 30 minutes after being in the cramped Jeep with 3 men, 1 woman, a dog and gear we hit a deer. We made it to Moab when the radiator blew. We walked from 1 end of Moab to the other to Denny's. What a fun walk. I got to hear about a lot of Charlies exploits and learn a little more about such a great man. In Denny's a waitress took pitty on us and called her friend who owned a junk yard. There we spent Thanksgiving Day, sitting around a junk yard, talking and taking photos. We were never going to make it to Vegas but we did make it to Indian Creek where we got in just a few routes before dark. The next day was cold and spitting snow. We climbed a few more routes before we headed to Charlies area in SW Colorado to climb. It was dark. Charlie ran ahead of me. I will never forget the sight of this glowing, wonderful, excited man running excitedly through the light of my headlamp to show me these boulders. I had spent days hearing all of his wonderful, often scary stories but this is where I got to see who he really was. He loved climbing. It didn't matter if it was a huge unclimbed peak in Pakastan, a beautiful splitter in the desert or a 30' boulder covered in snow. Charlie was like a kid in a candy store when it came to his passion. Charlie was a friend. I will never forget how he would listen to my stories of minimal adventure every monday. "He" an icon in my mind took the time to be enthusiastic about my life, a total climbing N00b. My outtings were nothing like his but he always listened. I can't believ he's gone. The thing is, no matter how old he was, even if he lived many more years, it would still be too soon for this world to be okay with a loss like that. I used to think that is was so stupid when people would say, "At least he died doing what he loved." I'd think, it doesn't matter, he's dead. With Charlie, it mattered. I'm full of sorrow that his life ended but I believe in my heart that that is how a man like that should go. My heart goes out to his close friends and family. I'm hurting and I can't imagine how painful it must be for those of you who had the honor of spending time with Charlie on a regular basis.
I'll miss him.
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Daiva
climber
Telluride
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Hello everyone ... As a member of the Fowler-Boskoff Search Committee, I had the unenviable job of writing those emotionless, stripped-down-to-the-facts Press Releases as well as dealing with a surprisngly interested media machine. The last six weeks have been quite an intense experience but now it's time to take all of this collective reflection about the space the two occupied in our lives and US climbing and raise a glass ... as well as some well-intentioned hell!
Here's the scoop on the "party" for Chris and Charlie in Telluride:
(Hope many of you can make it ... spread the word!)
Monday, January 15, 2007
(day after Ice Fest)
Sheridan Opera House in Telluride
(creaky like Charlie, sweet like Chris)
6pm - til we're done
(Charlie's sister intends to feed one and all ... until it runs out. She knows how many people fed Charlie all these years so she's paying it back all at once.)
Expect food, libations, visuals, laughter, tears, hugs, toasts and an open mike.
I can't say enough about the support that the families and the Committee have experienced. From a group that decided to spend a little less money on whiskey during a climbing weekend and donate it to the fund to the intimate fundraiser that Osprey held in Durango, it's been a team effort all the way. Please know that the running commentary from day one helped energize us to keep up the level of persistent digging that is the nature of a search. Although our hopes dimmed and glimmered throughout the process, the gift of resolution came as welcome relief.
Be safe and stay kind ... Daiva
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KevinC
Ice climber
Colorado
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I met Charlie and Christine only once, two years ago in the Ouray Ice Park. I had just thrashed and hung my way up an M7 and Vince Anderson introduced me as they walked by: "This is Chris who's giving the slideshow tonight and her partner Charlie." We shook hands all around and they asked what I'd been climbing and expressed polite interest. We made some more small talk and they continued on to their next route. It was only that night that I realized that I'd just met Charlie frikkin' Fowler! =:^O Both were incredible, genuine and humble human beings. A great loss to the community and tragedy. My condolences and sympathies to those they leave behind (and us all). :^(
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Brian Biega
climber
Rocklin, CA
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Jan 16, 2007 - 12:35am PT
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My condolenses to the family and friends of Charlie and Christine. Wish I was there this evening for your celebration Charlie!
One for the road Rigid Designator, 1992.
Brian
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Oli
Trad climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Jan 16, 2007 - 02:40am PT
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I just returned from the memorial for Charlie in Telluride, and there was a very nice spirit there. Quite a few people got up at the open mic and spoke their praises. Charlie's sister did a lovely, tearful introduduction to a video presentation, with actual footage apparently recovered from their last trip and a host of still images contributed by many climbing friends. The turnout was very strong, a real indication -- but only an indication -- of the worldwide network of friends Charlie and Chris enjoyed. God bless them both.
Pat
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N0_ONE
Social climber
Utah
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Jan 16, 2007 - 06:26pm PT
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Ron asked me to post this.
Give us some details Ron.
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EpicT
climber
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Jan 17, 2007 - 02:52am PT
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I knew both of them, having worked for Christine at MM for a number of years. Both pretty quiet, but great people. I will miss them.
As this is Charlie's page, I remember hearing that he and Christine had been an item and would be coming into the office one day I was there. Having learned to climb in Boulder and Eldo and having lived in Eldo for a number of years too before moving to Seattle, I was honored to meet the legend. Few words though, and they were on their way for the day. A co-worker asked me after they left if I had heard of Charlie before. My reply was something like "are you kidding me?"
His style in climbing and personal life were inspirational. DNB, Casual route, Perilous Journey, Diving Board, and on.. My life is different now but there were a number of years when my days were spent climbing, a lot of it soloing, in Eldo and the Flatirons, and enjoying a beer and a smoke with friends. Guys like him were living legends, yet part of the same community of people, rock, sky, and other natural energies that is so palpable there, living that way. I felt lucky to cross paths a few times with this character. Christine had a great big heart and is missed greatly. She was quiet yet very kind, and liked to laugh. I am glad they found each other, if just for a few years.
There was a small gathering/news conference in Seattle a week ago or so. I just heard that there will be a more personal event soon. I hope the event in Telluride was great, I would have been there if I could. During the Seattle event, something they said struck me. A guy from the rescue team had been working with some of the local monks throughout the effort, and they were talking about their search for Chris and Charlie. The monk told him something like "Their bodies, whether you find them or not, are just empty shells now. Your friends are on their way to heaven, and we monks here are praying and working hard to help get them there".
Thanks Chris and Charlie for your influence in my life. And thanks to the search teams and organizers back here. A special thanks to the monks.
Tom Milne
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Ras Vegas
Boulder climber
Laguna Beach
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Jan 23, 2007 - 02:39pm PT
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MAN!!!! What the hell is going on. All the heros I grew up with are now going to climb in heaven...where you don't need ropes or equipment. God catches you with his tender loving hands. This has been a tough couple of years. We've lost some people who put climbing on the map. Who made climbing what it is. Okay everybody. I don't want to hear about any more of you. Please be safe. Please take care of yourselves. The wings we've all had at one time or another are aging. They only last so long.
God Bless everybody.
In great sadness,
RasVegas
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 23, 2007 - 02:52pm PT
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Tom,
that was a nice post. I'm sure Charlie would have appreciated it.
No_One, thanks for posting the photo. I need to learn more about digital photography this year. When I took that photo last year I thought I got a bunch but only got that one.
It was the very last day I spent climbing with Charlie and Chris so even though better shots are certainly possible on that pitch that particular shot is very special to me. It is on the second of five pitches of the route Prestidigitater.
A five star climber leading a five star route; just the way I want to remember him.
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Keeper of Australia Mt
Trad climber
Whitehorse, Yukon , Canada
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Jan 23, 2007 - 06:26pm PT
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I had never met the man or his partner but I was aware that he was something special. The good ones are never wrapped in pretension, ego, self-aggrandizement, etc. I think this comes through in his piece in Mark Kroese's "Fifty Favourite Climbs" -and his choice of route; Sunlight Buttress, Paria Point, Kolob Canyons, Zion NP, Utah. They come from a higher and purer state of being - abandoning their spirits to the love of the mountains and wild spaces - anchored by their own peace, capabilities and confidence. It would have been good to have crossed paths in some fashion and to have shared some fun and maybe some appropriate spirits. Something to look forward when I reach the final big bivie in due course.
I am reminded of some words of Fred Shero about another activity near and dear to some northern folks - with some modification it seems to fit here:
We know that climbing is where we live, where we can best
meet and overcome pain, wrong and death. Life is just a
bivie where we spend time between climbs.
An excellent thread with great remembrances and pics of some lives well-lived. Thanks for firing it up PR! A good reminder to all to drain the tank and the fumes - you only get one go so make it count!
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Clarke Brogger
Mountain climber
Laguna Beach, Ca
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Jan 23, 2007 - 07:44pm PT
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Anyone know where one could find "La Escoba de Dios"? The greatest climbing film ever with amazing and personable footage of Charlie. This film was a huige influence on me and my budding climbing years.
thanks for your help.
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Holden
Mountain climber
Hood River Or.
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Jan 24, 2007 - 11:45am PT
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Charlie was one of my cotemporary climbing heros,for sure. DNB, when I climbed it,I was aware of his onsight solo,mindblown.I had the opportunity to make an attempt on Taulliraju SW buttress,a year or five after I heard of Charlies solo of west face,MINDBLOWN.Soft spoken man carrying BIG stick. Let your actions speak,he will be missed.Watch "La Escoba de Dios" Charlie doin his thing..
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Jimmy S
climber
Granite State
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Jan 29, 2007 - 07:22pm PT
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Thanks for the inspiration Charlie!
Charlie Fowler on the West Face of Cerro Torre in Jan 2000
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muscle beach
Social climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Feb 23, 2007 - 04:20pm PT
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Memorial for Charlie Fowler and Chris Boskoff in BOULDER
Please join us at Neptune Mountaineering, Friday at 8pm March 2nd.
Many people were not able to attend the memorial in Telluride, so here is an opportunity to remember our friends together locally. The multimedia slideshow that was put together for the Telluride event will be shown, and we encourage everyone to share stories afterward at an open mike. Anyone with favorite slides or digital images of Charlie or Chris is encouraged to bring them (limit of six per person please).
-Ray Snead
More information here:
Neptune Mountaineering
(303) 499-8866
633 S Broadway St
Boulder, CO 80305-5958
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 7, 2010 - 12:35pm PT
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I remember getting the call from Joel, the concern in his voice. They weren't on the plane.
Has it really been 4 years already?
We had some great times.
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nature
climber
Tuscon Again! India! India! Hawaii! LA?!?!
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Time does seem to fly by at times, Ron.
A week or two ago I was telling Tina about how you and I first met and what that day still means to me.
It's the people in our lives that make it real - everything else around is superficial. And though once they are gone and only a memory we still hold them close.
My friend Dave Stringer related to me the concept of neurological half-life shortly after Summit passed. Essentially your neurons are still connected to that life that has passed for about a third of the time they were connected to you while living. So for you, with Charlie, it will be many many more years. And that can be both good and rough - you don't want to forget them ever but you'd like to forget the pain of their passing.
For me it explains the pain I still feel which is good but it also tells me there will be more years of it. And that's OK too. At least I understand.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Dec 28, 2013 - 08:04am PT
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I missed this thread 1st time around.
I wanted to comment on the only time I ever climbed with Charlie, in 1976. As many have already said, Charlie was the kind of guy who would give a kind word,
and wasn't "stuck" on himself.
I was on my honeymoon, in the Tetons, and Yvon Chouinard introduced Charlie to my wife and I. I was heading into the Wind Rivers, and told Charlie of this great un-climbed line, just begging to be bagged, and convinced him to join us.
He and Mike Munger met us in there, and I ended up leading the 1st pitch.
I was out of shape, but managed it O.K. and when Charlie came up, he was kind to say that I did a good job on it. His compliment kind of surprised me, since I felt pretty sketched out, being so out of shape.
In hindsight--I wish that I had a camera along.
We called the route Golden Dihedral, which follows the right edge of the buttress.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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May 15, 2019 - 08:36am PT
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Bump!
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