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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Aug 15, 2018 - 10:26am PT
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You are in good company souterhead, Donini taught all the greats, Whymper, Mummery,....
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Turok
Trad climber
Eldorado Springs, Colorado
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Aug 15, 2018 - 11:37am PT
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Hi Jim,
For me it would have been numerous clumsy attempts at roped climbing with Duncan Ferguson at "Coors Caves" South West of Denver in 1965. I was a Junior at South High School and Dunc was in 9th Grade at Merrill Junior High. Suffice to say we were exceedingly lucky.
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RBM
Trad climber
ARVADA CO
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Aug 15, 2018 - 01:48pm PT
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I was born December 1960 and raised on a hippie commune North of Ann Arbor. One particular day in the summer of 1968 some "grownups" from California came to stay and party. They told stories about climbing in Yosemite Valley and adventuring all around the country. They saw me climbing everything in sight and took me over to Grand Ledge. They put me in a Swiss Seat and let me loose. It was around July/August 1968. I TR'ed the easiest route fast and then had success on some harder climbs. I was seven years old at the time and the 40 ft cliffs seemed to go up to the sun. One of the guys soloed it to set the anchor. I nearly sh#t my pants with fear of him falling. It was a special day.
I remember one of them had a beautiful girlfriend and a sheepdog named Blue. He told me his brother had recently passed away in a climbing accident, "always be careful" he told me.
I wish I knew now who those guys were. They changed my life....for the better.
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Chris Wegener
Trad climber
Los Angeles
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Aug 15, 2018 - 04:50pm PT
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I did my first climb in 1967 with Ken Mcnutt on Tahquitz. I had done some top roping before but that was my first real roped climb.
I learned through the Southern California RCS but soon found other friends and interested partners.
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Jane Levy
Trad climber
CA
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Aug 15, 2018 - 10:17pm PT
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I'm in the 60 + club. First started climbing with a rope on Indian Rock in Berkeley in 1957, when I was 15. My friend Judy belayed me with a top rope and I fell off I-12 many times before I was actually able to climb it. I still have the moves in my memory. Later that year I went to Yosemite with the Sierra Club and climbed Lower Brother and Lunch Ledge on the Royal Arches.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Aug 15, 2018 - 11:58pm PT
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Forgot to mention learning to chimney to the roof of my garage in Hollywood in 1939. The gap between buildings was just right. The technique was forever useful.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Aug 16, 2018 - 12:43am PT
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...August, 1964
About nine and a half years after you: January 1974, had been home from Vietnam for about three weeks and just started at SIU. Was soloing around Giant City SP in Southern Illinois taking pictures of plants, lichens and mosses in pockets in the beautiful sandstone. It was like Alice in Wonderland, but someone finally got a rope on me soon after and that was that.
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Loyd
Big Wall climber
Roseburg, OR
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Aug 16, 2018 - 07:49am PT
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1964 mid-summer Monday Morning Slab with Sheridan Anderson
Loyd Price
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lcote
climber
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Aug 16, 2018 - 09:38am PT
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Missed the cut by two years. I took a rock climbing class from EMS in North Conway In September 1970. I was hooked and spent the next several years commandeering my friends to climb with me.
Still going strong, just back from a trip to Alaska's Arrigetch Peaks.
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Rick Bradshaw
Big Wall climber
Los Alamos, NM
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Aug 16, 2018 - 11:37am PT
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Hey Jim, glad to hear you’re still around (not surprised but still kinda amazing). I was fortunate enough to go on some trips sponcered by the Youth Science Institute based out of Alum Rock Park in San Jose CA, which included some rock climbing and mountaineering. My first trip was in 1966 (I was 9) backpacking into Pine Valley in the Los Padres National Forest (CA). We only top-roped and rapelled, plus some bouldering, but I was hooked. Later that summer we climbed Cathedral Peak, not too technical but we roped up for the last bit. I dabbled here and there until my family moved to Salt Lake in 1972 (where eventually I met you). Been obsessed ever since...
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Abissi
Gym climber
,Grand Rapids, MI
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Aug 17, 2018 - 01:52pm PT
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I did my first climb as a 10 year old back in 1967. I was with the Boy Scouts on my first campout in Macedonia State Park in Kent Connecticut. Except for a few college years Climbing has been my passion, I own a plastic Palace (climbing gym) now and do a bit of guiding too. I think I am a definite candidate for the club
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Eric Beck
Sport climber
Bishop, California
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Aug 19, 2018 - 10:30am PT
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Learned with the San Diego RCS while in high school, early 60s.
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Peter Lev
climber
Ouray
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Aug 19, 2018 - 02:04pm PT
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Started climbing when I turned 16 in 1956.
That was when got to finally use the family car; what a coincidence.
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Steven Amter
climber
Washington, DC
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Aug 20, 2018 - 12:11pm PT
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Seeing how I am nearly 62 and have "only" been climbing 46 years, this thread makes me positively feel young!
Climbing truly can be life long sport.
My question is: what should be the qualifying age to join Team Geezer?
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TomMc
Trad climber
Massachusetts
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Aug 20, 2018 - 12:11pm PT
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First rock scrambling was in the Adirondacks in the mid 1950's with my father who started climbing in Boulder in the early 1930's. Thus, he introduced me to one of my favorite "bad habits". First roped climb was 3rd Flatiron in 1960 including a painful descent off the back by body rappel. First lead was at Seneca Rocks about 1964-65. Last time climbing was at the Gunks maybe 5-6 years ago. Don't climb much anymore, but always miss it on a nice spring or fall day in New England.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Aug 20, 2018 - 03:16pm PT
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I'm going to post something here on behalf of 2 other incredible climbers who will never lurk here.
Jimmie Dunn uses his cell phone, and surfs the web, but he never checks in here. George Hurley is still putting new routes in at 83,
and did numerous early 1st ascents in Colorado, and elsewhere. George is a humble guy, and only lives 2 miles from me, and he still gets excited about climbing.
Jimmie still gets out on the rock, and hasn't hung up his climbing shoes for the last time. Anybody who has been around climbing for a while knows a few Jimmie Dunn stories.
I'm sure most people who post here can name 2-3 others who would make the over 50 club.
RichG-I can think of 2 in the Gunks who would make the 60 year club.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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Aug 20, 2018 - 03:54pm PT
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Hmm, I know someone who is eligible for the seventy year group. He's now 98, and still active, including managing to fall off a ladder a year or two ago.
The mountaineering club I belong to has had two members reach 103 1/2 - both males, at that.
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lars johansen
Trad climber
West Marin, CA
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Aug 20, 2018 - 05:50pm PT
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In 1962 I took my Mother's clothesline down and had a friend lower me down a nearby cliff. I untied on what I thought was a 'ledge', and fell 20' and broke my ankle. This misadventure was the first of many. In 1966 Doc Dunn of the Sierra Club RCS took me actual roped rock climbing on a trail maintenance trip in the Idaho Sawteeth-lars
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Evel
Trad climber
Nedsterdam CO
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Aug 21, 2018 - 02:30pm PT
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Well, got started at 4 with my pop. Turned 54 this year and still at it.
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Heinrich Majewski
Trad climber
Scotts Valley,CA and Munich
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Aug 22, 2018 - 04:27am PT
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Started climbing in '65.In '68 got stormed off the Bonatti Pilar. That part of the Dru is gone, but both my partner of that adventure and me are still climbing together.
Funny, that you did this posting, since we were joking on a recent trip about our little “adventure“, lightening,repelling 10p off the pillar and another 10+ in the couloir, all via the “Dulfer“ method.
Bet my ass that most of todays climbers don't even know what the heck that is.
But otherwise, still enjoying Moving over Rock.
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