Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
|
|
I would second what is written in The Alpinist. "342 Hours on the Grand Jorasses" is a must read. I think the only English translation of the book is in the compendium "Total Alpinism".
Chapeau Rene,
Bruce
|
|
Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
|
|
Wow.
Total Alpinism. Great read.
Weren't there "RD" climbing shoes?
-Brian in SLC
|
|
captain chaos
climber
|
|
Rene Desmaison was as tough as they come, his contributions to Alpinism were huge... Bon journey Rene
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
My first smooth soled climbing shoes were RD's. brown, slick 'n' wide, then I had 'em resoled with eb rubber, look out!
When I got to the Needles they were edging machines!
Later, I regrooved em with that weird green eye rubber, as well.
RIP Rene, and thanks for the shoes and the inspirational mtn stories.
weren't Superguides 'RD's' also? Mine are still going, though a little tight.
|
|
TYeary
Mountain climber
Calif.
|
|
Ditto, Jaybro.
The choice for smooth soles was RD's or PA's, until EB's. My Super Guides are a bit long in the tooth, but I still use them now and then. I bought them in '72.
Rene Desmaison was an Icon. Total Alpinism is a must read.
Tony
|
|
Jonny D
Social climber
Lost Angelez, Kalifornia
|
|
One of my childhood hero, growing up in France. Great read those books are.
|
|
Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
following Gary Hemming leads got me to this obit of Rene Desmaison
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/rene-desmaison-396013.html
and the thoughtful quote:
Reflecting on the price to be paid for success on extreme alpine routes he wrote: "It is for such moments of triumph as this that the mountains exact their pitiless toll. Logic asks why; but the question itself is meaningless. Only the passion and the agony are real."
|
|
Kalimon
Trad climber
Ridgway, CO
|
|
One of the Early Alpine Pantheon passes onward . . . break on through Monsieur Desmaison!
|
|
Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
the OP was 2007... sad that so few on the STForum recognized this passing at the time...
|
|
Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
|
|
Missed this one first time around - IIRC I was in Yosemite, post-FaceLift.
RD, another of the post-war French greats.
|
|
guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
|
|
Desmaison gave a fabulous slide show in Santa Cruz in the mid 70s. One of the all time greats in alpine climbing and interesting to see the problems he had with the guiding establishment, similar to Bonatti's problems in Italy.
|
|
Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
|
|
Logic asks why; but the question itself is meaningless. Only the passion and the agony are real."
That has always been my favorite description of alpine climbing.
|
|
SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
|
|
Definitely a hard man.
RIP, Rene.
|
|
Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
|
|
Climbing in the Dévoluy fall of 2009, stopped to check out an old church...
Had no idear he was buried there. His grave is within sight of Pic de Bure. His route on that peak looks massive...
|
|
cliffhanger
Trad climber
California
|
|
Here's a very good reason to read his books:
From 342 Hours on the Grandes Jorasses: "It's so difficult to accept nothingness... You would like to know how things really are beyond life, be sure it's not all a big joke, but, as big as it may be, how can a joke survive for millenia? Look how beautiful are the stars in the coal black sky, those little twinkling gems, those little fantastic worlds. You've got Creation before your eyes, here, on this same mountain that's taking your life and you can't hate, not even now. And what if truth is really here, amongst these pyramids of granite?"
|
|
survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
|
|
WTF, they tucked a knot into his waistband and gave him a pen to hold for the photo?
|
|
Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
|
|
Lost my Superguides along the way over the years. Great alpine boots, a bit heavy, but then a lot those alpine boot were back then.
|
|
Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
|
|
Jaybro I also had RDs (and PAs). Then EBs came along.
|
|
mark miller
Social climber
Reno
|
|
I also grew up reading tales of Rene, Gaston and Pierre Mazeaud(sp), After kinney's waffle stompers I finally got a pair of chouinards in 78 and then got them resoled with Green dot from Wheeler boot repair.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!