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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Jul 11, 2018 - 09:32pm PT
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January 1973 on rotten granite held together by frozen ice in a small quarry next to highway 95 at the top of Steak-House Hill, Moscow Mountain, Idaho.
That is 5 years from now more or less. I think my brother started a month earlier than me.
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Bad Fiducci
climber
Wilson, WY
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Jul 12, 2018 - 04:49am PT
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Capitol Peak, knife edge, there was a rope somewhere... 1963.
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okay, whatever
climber
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Jul 12, 2018 - 05:06am PT
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Just about there... in August of 1968 I was 14 years old, and climbed the Sharkstooth in RMNP (only 5.5 or so, but if you fell you would die, and hence a roped climb for a beginner, which I was in 1968). I did Kiener's on the east face of Longs that August as well, though it's really just 4th class scrambling, except for Lambs Slide, once the snow has melted for the season... we had a rope but never used it. We also lugged a half dozen pitons, and a hammer and carabiners and slings of course, along with us, though they turned out to be utterly unnecessary dead weight. The nut revolution, and Friends and so on, were just ahead, time-wise, but had not blossomed yet in 1968. And really, what made this possible for me was that I spent my summers, from 1967-1974, as a camper and then a counselor at a summer camp near Estes Park. So, I ended up climbing Longs 27 times, by various routes, from all sides... and climbed it in February once, which was no fun at all.
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Todd Eastman
Social climber
Putney, VT
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Jul 12, 2018 - 05:36am PT
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In the Fall 1968 my dad and his climbing buddies marched me up Old Rag in the Shenandoah. Got tied into the Goldline, pounded out some pins, climbed on the amazing granite, and got hooked.
Have been having fun adjusting this crazy sport to life's demands ever since.
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okay, whatever
climber
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Jul 12, 2018 - 05:44am PT
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Goldline, and Columbian Nylon... woven ropes we had before the core/sheath mantled ropes obsoleted them!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 12, 2018 - 06:38am PT
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Mighty Hiker has a point...”club” may not be an appropriate term for this august but somewhat aged group. Something more medieval perhaps.....like “guild.”
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TomKimbrough
Social climber
Salt Lake City
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Jul 12, 2018 - 06:59am PT
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I'm in. 1960, Chattanooga, TN area. No instruction except "Starlight and Storm". The first climb was also a first ascent as there were on other climbers in the area at that time.
Now I am shooting for 5.11 on my 80th B-Day in October.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jul 12, 2018 - 07:49am PT
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Guild? More like cabal.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 12, 2018 - 07:59am PT
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I’m going to go with illuminati.
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Alois
Trad climber
Idyllwild, California
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Jul 12, 2018 - 08:44am PT
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PhilG
Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
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Jul 12, 2018 - 08:55am PT
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Brother Paul and another climber (Mike Smith) took me up a route on the North face of Tahquitz in the fall of 1961. Late start and climbing slow caused us to be caught by darkness. After spending the night we were rescued by Riverside Mountain Rescue team.
Paul had taken me rappelling in the canyons near our house before that, but this was m first "real" climb.
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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Jul 12, 2018 - 08:56am PT
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I’m going to go with illuminati.
Physicist Mike Sogard, Snake Dike, mid-70s.
Illumination courtesy solar fusion and Earth atmosphere through disposable camera lens.
Oh, and elation.
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EdwardT
Trad climber
Retired
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Jul 12, 2018 - 09:09am PT
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Still a couple years shy of 50 years.
Did a "route" called Directissima. A 30 foot climb at summer camp. I still remember the adrenaline buzz after finishing. And I remember my best friend saying "if you can do it, I'm sure I can". He didn't get 10 feet.
A few weeks later, I went on a trip to Linville Gorge. Three day trip. We had the place to ourselves. Being there cemented my love of wild places. Don't remember the climbing as much as the body rappels, on goldline.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jul 12, 2018 - 09:41am PT
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Funny you should ask.
My first roped climb was fifty years ago this Saturday.
edit; oops, its Tuesday
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TWP
Trad climber
Mancos, CO & Bend, OR
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Jul 12, 2018 - 10:03am PT
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By your definition, I started climbing when I tied into a Goldline and got top roped up a short, scruffy little choss in Elk Creek drainage, below Vestal and Arrow in the Weminuche Wilderness in 1967 at Colorado Outward Bound.
Climbed Grand Teton via Exum Ridge with Dave Dornan working for Exum Guide Service in 1969. A roped party of nine. Dave didn't bother to stay tied. Most of the time, as I recall, he moved around shepherding his flock up the climb.
By a stricter definition, roped climbing on the sharp end, - with no mentor nor other assistance of any kind - I started in 1972 in Arizona on a scruffy route on the Four Peaks outside of Phoenix. Scared witless/shitless.
So, am I "in" or "out?"
P.S. And what do members of this club/guild actually get? A sponsorship from Depends?
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Jul 12, 2018 - 01:08pm PT
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Terry--Good one!
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Jul 12, 2018 - 01:24pm PT
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You guys should start a tontine.
I say this as someone who is still quite a few years short of being a member.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 12, 2018 - 01:39pm PT
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More like OldDadzDrool
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Social climber
Wilds of New Mexico
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Jul 12, 2018 - 01:45pm PT
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You guys are an inspiration! I'm still about 20 years out but I definitely hope to join the club once eligible!
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Jul 12, 2018 - 02:19pm PT
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There's a fairly funny old British movie revolving around a tontine, called the Wrong Box with Dudley Moore, Michael Caine, Ralph Richardson, and Peter Sellers.
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