Climbing's folk heroes: who are they and why do they qualify

A folk hero or national hero is a type of hero–real, fictional or mythological–with the sole salient characteristic being the imprinting of his or her name, personality and deeds in the popular consciousness of a people. This presence in the popular consciousness is evidenced by its historical frequency in folk songs, folk tales and other folklore; and its modern trope status in literature, art and films.

Although some folk heroes are historical public figures, many are not. The lives of folk heroes are generally fictional, their characteristics and deeds often exaggerated to mythic proportions.

The folk hero often begins life as a normal person, but is transformed into someone extraordinary by significant life events, often in response to social injustice, and sometimes in response to natural disasters.

One major category of folk hero is the defender of the common people against the oppression or corruption of the established power structure. Members of this category of folk hero often, but not necessarily, live outside the law in some way.

Hermann Buhl

Barely known and seldom-seen local and regional heroes certainly qualify

Barely known and seldom-seen local and regional heroes certainly qualify

Buhl is the mountaineer to have made the first solo ascent of an eight-thousander. His climbing partner, Otto Kempter, was too slow in joining the ascent, so Buhl struck off alone. He returned 41 hours later, having barely survived the arduous climb to the summit, 4 miles distant from, and 4,000 feet higher than camp V. Experienced climbers, upon hearing later of Buhl's near-death climb, faulted him for making the attempt solo. Regardless, his monumental efforts, along with spending the night untethered, on the edge of a 60-degree ice slope, standing on a tiny pedestal too small to squat upon, have become mountaineering legend. Hermann Buhl is still considered by alpinists and mountaineering historians to be the most complete and advanced mountaineer of his time. Buhl can be considered a pioneer of Alpine style mountaineering in the Himalayas, a style defined by light-weight expedition gear, little to no fixed ropes and the relinquishing of bottled oxygen.

OP: “climbing and the American folk idiom.”

There is something about Don’s proverbial bluntness that arouses one’s admiration. Of such stuff are generals made. We had a short discussion about bivouacking, but eventually I had to agree with his arguments and occupy the outer berth. It would be less likely to induce claustrophobia, or so I gathered. 

“I’ll have one of your cigarettes,” said Don. “I’ve only brought Gauloises.” This was a statement of fact, not a question.

Then later in this classic story:

“I’m going down,” he said. “That’s what’s going on.”

“Wait a minute! Let’s discuss the whole situation calmly.”
I stretched out one hand to flick the ash off my cigarette. Then a most unusual thing happened. There was a higher pitched “WROUFF” than usual and the end of my cigarette disappeared! It was the sort of subtle touch that Hollywood film directors dream about.

“I see what you mean,” I said. “I’m going down too.”

Towards the middle of May Haston and Whillans established Camp VI near the top of the snow ramp, at a height of 27,200 feet. They received strong and unselfish support from the Japanese and our faithful Sherpas. Ito and Uemura carried oxygen to the highest camps without using any themselves. Seventeen Sherpas moved a total of 55 loads up to Camp V; six made the back-breaking ascent four times, and two carried without oxygen as far as Camp VI! And Michel Vaucher declared in interviews and newspaper accounts, the Sherpas had refused to move up the Face!

The bad weather continued, and exceptional cold rendered technical climbing all but impossible. The flow of supplies dwindled to a trickle. Another camp would have been needed above the Rock Band. When Whillans — at the end of a traverse to the right — reached the crest of the South Buttress, he could see moderately angled slopes leading up to the normal route just below the South Summit. Should they abandon the Face for the sake of a summit “victory” at the last minute? The public at large would no doubt consider the expedition to be a full success, but mountaineers think differently. The 1970 ascent by way of the South Col was judged a failure in leading Japanese climbing circles, since the clearly stated objective of the expedition had been the Face. IHE 71’s goal too was the summit by way of the Face, and not “victory at all costs”, by any route. Whillans acted accordingly and returned to Haston. Together they climbed 300 feet up an icy couloir in the Rock Band, fixing ropes. But then they too had reached the end of the line. There was still some oxygen left at Camp VI, but no more butane and precious little to eat.

For more than three weeks they had lived at high altitude without coming down to Advance Base once — a world record and dramatic proof of their incredible toughness, as well as of the superb oxygen system developed by Duane Blume! The combination of snowstorm, intense cold, rockfall, avalanches and faltering supply lines put an end to the struggle.

On May 21 news of the expedition’s failure was announced to the outside world.

6. Folk heroes crystallize the culture -- the norms, symbols, customs, beliefs, fears, etc -- of the community that swaps stories about them. So another way to think about this is, who most exemplifies the culture of the community? Anti-heroes fair game.

3. The why is important, because your why could be different from others'. In short, what did the legend do for you personally - inspiration, aspiration, etc.