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rmuir
Social climber
From the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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Jul 19, 2018 - 12:21pm PT
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I found this photo of KP's butt somewhere in my photo archive. Is that Charles on the moves on Borson's Wall at Rubidoux?
No pads, can't see the shoes (but probably EBs laying around there somewhere), most likely in the mid-Seventies…
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Kinobi
climber
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Jul 19, 2018 - 01:28pm PT
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Sentite condoglianze a Paola e famiglia.
Stupiti ed addolorati.
Emanuele Pellizzari e Famiglia Marcolin (Dino, Beppina, Marzia e Mauro)
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dave yerian
Trad climber
the parking lot
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Jul 19, 2018 - 05:13pm PT
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Charles passed before his time. We've now lost Bridwell, Robbins, Higgins many others and now Charles. We are only here on this planet for a short time. Let's not forget one another. Share life with each other, this moment is all we have. Best, Dave Yerian.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
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Jul 19, 2018 - 06:23pm PT
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Didn't know Charles the lll but saw him often at the crags...The first 60 went fast , the next 30 will take half as long...
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Jul 19, 2018 - 06:48pm PT
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Good obit. I wish I could have met him
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Sport climber
moving thru
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Jul 19, 2018 - 07:43pm PT
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Wow, Steve Anderson, howdy. Were you one of us so graced to be at the "Ash Gordon" party? I think you remember Dan and I and our kiddos.....how was the movie, advertisement industry?
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BLUEBLOCR
Social climber
joshua tree
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Jul 19, 2018 - 08:09pm PT
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Thanks Rick
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jul 19, 2018 - 08:19pm PT
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Robs,
Powell is guessing this is Lechlinski bouldering.
He's certain that's himself in the headband, and perhaps Charles watching.
Looks to me to be Mike, maybe.
Might you do a higher resolution scan?
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Sport climber
moving thru
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Jul 19, 2018 - 08:29pm PT
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I've gathered a lot of info thru 8 years of climbing research. It seems Mike Lechlinski was a huge, but quiet presence in the climbing community.
Mari confirms this, Tarbuster.
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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Jul 19, 2018 - 08:30pm PT
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5.10 Mountain Masters were my favorite approach shoes. I am still using a pair for approaches in Colorado!
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Risk
Mountain climber
Marooned, 855 miles from Tuolumne Meadows
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Jul 19, 2018 - 10:36pm PT
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I'm very sorry to hear this news. I spent the most wonderful afternoon with Charles in 1986. All YOSAR climbers were summoned to the firehouse, and I showed up too. The Kalatarian search was well underway and they needed teams of two to climb every potential west face route on Mt. Clark. I was the least capable and last selected for the team, and chosen to pair with Charles for our assignment. Others, please fill in who all was there; Werner and Walling were along, I recall. Maybe Tarbuster? It was a party. We were flown to the base (normally an overnight approach) and sauntered from the LZ to the shear face, where each team spread out. Our climb was virgin because there were were too many rocks and flakes that needed to be cut loose just to safely proceed.
Charles was such a great partner and great person, understanding and patient that I was not some super climber, but could follow and clean quickly. Half way up, Kalatarian was located, so the remainder was all just pleasure climbing on one of Yosemite's most beautiful peaks. We took our time. About 8 pitches up we topped the ridge ahead of some of the other teams. It was great climbing, about 5.8 - 5.9. My memory of that afternoon with him stands out like the pinnacle among so many other great times back then. Thanks, Charles!
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Spencer Lennard
Trad climber
Williams, Oregon
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Jul 19, 2018 - 10:59pm PT
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Powerfully disturbing news.
I can easily recall the first early year Charles showed up at Hidden Vallley campground as the big, somewhat clueless new guy. He was nice, smart, enthusiastic, not a skilled climber in those days....but obviously motivated to try anything. Charles arrived every weekend In completely filthy clothing and seemed to clean spend much of the days following around the strong boulderers (Mike, Mari, Largo, Bachar, etc) and the evenings playing speed chess with Ricky at the picnic tables.
I once made the mistake trying to talk politics with Charles back then and discovered that we were coming from diametrically orientation and he was relentlessly committed to his side.
Charles (though obviously dealing with a lifelong inner torment, like so many others) was kind, compassionate and very big hearted.
He will be missed and was a gigantic and an unforgettable element of what made our climbing community cohesive.
Rest In Peace brother!
Spencer
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Gunkie
Trad climber
Valles Marineris
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Jul 20, 2018 - 05:07am PT
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So sorry to hear of his passing. CC3 was distinctly a person that helped guide free climbing into the modern era.
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Mike Leebolt
Big Wall climber
Redlands, CA
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Jul 20, 2018 - 08:09am PT
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Jul 20, 2018 - 09:27am PT
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From the Camp 4 “topo” book...
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Jul 20, 2018 - 09:31am PT
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Anyone have a better copy of Charles classic El Cap and Half Dome commentary?
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Jul 20, 2018 - 12:18pm PT
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There was good music on the am radio during the seventies, but then there was disco.
John Travolta starred in "Saturday Night Fever" in 1977 and for a span of several years, disco infected popular culture like a bad cold.
We always cursed and changed the channel when it came on the car radio.
Here are Charles and Gib on an x/c ski trip to Sequoia NP around that time.
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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Jul 20, 2018 - 01:09pm PT
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Damn, Rick, that gives new meaning to the Brothers Gibb!
I went searching for a LA Times profile that the elder Odenthal wrote on Charles but all I could find was this Getty Images link. I seem to remember a Rock and Ice or Climbing mag profile as well. It had a great and terrifying anecdote about him, solo, contemplating the final summit mantel after nailing a precarious nest of downward sloping pins.
What hasn't been said is that Charles could live--and climb--on the very worst diet imaginable. If I'm remembering what he told me right, he did Space almost entirely on Skittles and Coke with some Gatorade for variety, and topped out in full summer sun with water to spare.
Climbers respected him; Little Debbies feared him.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
Of THIS World (Planet Earth)
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Jul 20, 2018 - 04:34pm PT
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I just got home and thought I’d better check the records to see when I first climbed with Charles.
It was in July 1978 a party of five of us on Tahquitz.
We did El Camino Real to Pearly Gates 5.10a
Mike Lechlinski, Mari Gingery, Craig Fry, Charles and I.
After that he shows up in the records regularly.
Our first FA together was with Randy Vogel as well. On Tahquitz again.
Lik’en To Lichen 5.10b. June 1980
We climbed El Capitan together in June 1982.
Aquarian Wall (3days)
I remember finding a rattlesnakes rattle in a film canister when we bivvied at the base before we started, still have it.
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