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Melissa
Big Wall climber
oakland, ca
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 10, 2005 - 01:56pm PT
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I thought last week's history thread was really interesting. Whenever I hear about the Golden Age and the Stonemasters' era the mentions of what women were doing, apart from providing inspiration, are few and far between and generally limited to just a couple of well-known women, although I know that there were more gals doing some interesting climbs than I've ever heard about.
So, older Supertopo friends, please post your stories about the gals who were climbing hard back when.
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Jan 10, 2005 - 02:04pm PT
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what was the first female solo of El Cap?
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Melissa
Big Wall climber
oakland, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 10, 2005 - 02:09pm PT
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Woman's solo: Bev Johnson, Dihedral Wall, 1978.
Jody...that would be great. Do you have any of those excellent old school photos?
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Jan 10, 2005 - 02:15pm PT
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oh yeah, now I remember...cool! pretty bold!
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Nibs
Trad climber
Humboldt, CA
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Jan 10, 2005 - 02:31pm PT
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How about stories about Jan Conn? Herb and Jan Conn established many routes in the Black Hills Needles, and Reservoir areas in the '60's (late 50's too?) Try some of their run out routes, and remember that they established these in deck shoes. Even with sticky shoes these climbs got our attention! But then, some of the bolts looked original!!
They climbed Seneca Rocks too, didn't they? Can anyone shed some light on Jan's accomplishments?
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Edge
Trad climber
New Durham, NH
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Jan 10, 2005 - 02:44pm PT
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Herb and Jan Conn also did the FA of Conn Course (III 5.8) on Cannon Cliff, NH in 1945. If anyone is familiar with the modern day Moby Grape route, it roughly follows the same line, but parts of the original were lost to rockfall.
In the 1920's, Mirriam O'Brien (later Underhill) was very active in NH, mostly to train for visits to the Alps, where she made the first all-female ascent of the Grepon and the Matterhorn.
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Melissa
Big Wall climber
oakland, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 10, 2005 - 02:50pm PT
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Does anyone have any stories about Ellie Hawkins. I read about her in one and only one place and basically all I read was a tick list of some of her accomplishments...which seemed beyond compare for the other female wall climbers of the day.
I read of her leading the cruxes on the Sheild in '73, when it was probably still one of the harder routes, but since she was partnered with men this accomplishment doesn't seem to have etched itself very deeply into the history that we commonly hear about. I think there's a pic of her leading on the NA in Yosemite Climber.
She also was noted as having the first woman to solo Half Dome and the first (only?) woman's wall solo FA (Dislexia on Ribbon Falls Wall).
It's odd that she would have stayed so far below the historical radar.
Bev Johnson was sort of a hero of mine when I started to get interested in climbing walls. As I've learned more about her, it's interesting to me to see her part in bringing the media into climbing (She married a film director, got into film herself, often highlighting climbing and/or climbers and other X-treme pursuits of the day.) Although I'm sure that she was a rarity, I can't help but wonder if part of the reason why she's one of the only women that we hear about in that era (in Yosemite) is because of her closeness to the media and her selection of ascents that would be notable firsts. Surely there must have been others that were doing cool things in Yosemite, but not necessarily the 'first' and not necessarily preserved by the press.
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ThomasKeefer
Trad climber
Monterey, CA
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Jan 10, 2005 - 03:28pm PT
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I read a great book about EARLY women climbers. I think it was called leading out. Most of it is kinda dry but there are a number of accounts of how to rig your skirt with a series of drawstrings and such so that you can raise or lower it when needed. Shorts were out of the question at the time.
The other challanges were in finding info on peaks since men of the time deemed a peak no longer a worthy ascent if a woman had climbed it.
Overall, since it is collection of shorter stories, it is worth putting in the basket next to the john...
As for the Conn's I did some routes in Seneca they had done. The were aptly named Conn's East and Conn's West. I think that I also remember seeing their names attached to some routes in the Leavenworth Washington area (or at least somewhere up in the Pac NW)
Have Fun!!
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 10, 2005 - 03:44pm PT
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Mellissa
Yea, Bev got married to Mike Hoover. I ended up working many jobs with Bev and Mike over the course of the years in many far off places. Bev was a master at cuting through the third world diplomatic bullshit that we had to go through sometimes. She was also the C4 fee collecting ranger at one time believe it or not. I thought she wrote a book about herself?
Eli Hawkins was what about 100lbs or less. She had to use a mechanical advantage hauling system to haul her bags when she soloed ( I forgot which route it was) El Cap. Her husband was Bruce Hawkins who died a few years back I believe somewhere down south. Car accident....go figure.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Jan 10, 2005 - 03:50pm PT
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Sibylle Hechtel and Anne Marie Rizzi were contemporaries of Bev Johnson in the early-70s Valley scene. Sibylle was Bev's partner on the first all-female ascent of El Cap (Triple Direct); Anne Marie wrote a memorable account about climbing Half Dome NWF. Elaine Matthews, originally a Gunkie, did a few wall climbs in this period as well. Some fondly recall her cover photo on Vulgarian Digest.
In Colorado, Diane Hunter was leading hard free climbs in the early 70s. Godfrey & Chelton's book has a classic photo of Diane flashing Wide Country.
Melissa's suggestion that reputations depend partly on access to publicity applies equally to male climbers. Although a few people are outstanding enough to get written about by others, many (most?) of our best legends are from folks who well blew their own horn. Nothing wrong with that IMO.
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Jan 10, 2005 - 04:12pm PT
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One woman who I believe played a major role in leveling the mental playing field between men and women in climbing is Mari Gingery. She was both free and aid climbing at a high standard so long ago, yet kept a low profile. Lynn's and her first all female ascent of the Sheild, using no mechanical advantage for the hauling says a lot about the two. She was leading 5.11 plus back in 77 or 78, not to mention her mastery of hard bouldering.
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 10, 2005 - 04:21pm PT
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Mari Gingery was an awsome climber and boulderer. I believe Largo or Bulwinkle would do her justice in their tales. Bacher used to tell me she could do boulder problems guys couldn't and I've seen.
Sewellymon
I saw Anne Rizzi last year when she passed through here. I can't remember what she's doing now. Merry talked with her for some time so I'd have to ask her.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Jan 10, 2005 - 05:57pm PT
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I remember seing Mari float up sume stuff at J tree efortlessly 10 years ago or so.
The Mendenhalls and Wilits were both fixtures at lunch rock (Tahquitz)almost every weekend in the early 70's.
Only met Bev Johnson once, when a stunning woman in a meticulously pressed smoky bear outfit saw the rack in camp and told us that between 5:00 and 6:00 was a good time to go bouldering, but to try to pay at least a couple of times a week so her boss wouldn't figure out the book keeping discrepancies.
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 10, 2005 - 06:02pm PT
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TGT
You where there! No one would of known that one unless they were. It was 50 cents back then.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Jan 10, 2005 - 06:08pm PT
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I was never a valley regular and only hit camp 4 for a couple of weeks in the early spring (School break) 71 and again in 72 I don't remember which time it was I met her, but it shocked the hell out of me that a ranger was telling me how to avoid paying. That may have been the year of the plane crash. Anyone who was anyone was absent and there was a weird secrecy vibe going.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Jan 10, 2005 - 07:05pm PT
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Jody wrote, I am sure I can get some Irene Ortenburger stories for you from the 50's.
My guess is that its been many years since Irene Beardsley has gone by that name...
First American and woman's ascent of Annapurna?
Anyhoo, was pleased to meet her and she signed my Stanford Alpine Club book (was a bunch of women in that book...) at Snowbird a couple of years ago. Great book.
Brian in SLC
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Melissa
Big Wall climber
oakland, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 10, 2005 - 07:12pm PT
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Speaking of women climbers at Snowbird...
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bulgingpuke
Trad climber
cayucos california
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Jan 10, 2005 - 08:18pm PT
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Sibylle Hechtel is one of the coolest people i have ever met. Not only has she climbed bigwalls and hard free climbing but she also has some awsome history in the himalayas as well.
One of the nicest in the world for sure.
~TY~
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Jan 10, 2005 - 08:48pm PT
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I have a friend who met the Conns in the early 90's/late 80's, I'll have to get him to repeat his stories and get back about em.
I do remember him saying that following any of their Needles SD routes was a challenge, and that they were very nice people.
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Holdplease2
Trad climber
All over
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Jan 10, 2005 - 08:54pm PT
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Melissa:
I think you have one of the most complete listings of female climbing accomplishments in the Valley on iamthewallress.com.
Maybe you could take some submissions, like pics from Jody, or bits of history (stories) and put them up on that web site?
Not like you have the time, but you've already got something there that doesn't exist anywhere else, and will eventually be lost if someone with an interest, like yours, doesn't keep it organized and available.
The vagueness of the responses to this querry demonstrate that the history of women's climbing is murky to most. It will only get worse with time.
I'll help you if you want. I don't know Jack about the websites, but I could learn.
-Kate.
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funkness
climber
So,Ca.
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Jan 10, 2005 - 09:01pm PT
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"Mari Gingery was an awsome climber and boulderer."
"I remember seing Mari float up sume stuff at J tree effortlessly 10 years ago or so."
I saw her at Rockreation in west L.A. cruising up and down the campus board and doing some hard boulding a only a couple years ago...very impressive, I'm sure she's still crankin hard these days too!
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Melissa
Big Wall climber
oakland, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 10, 2005 - 09:02pm PT
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Unfortunately, Kate, it wasn't that complete at all. I started that list a couple of years ago one weekend when I was rehabbing the knee and stuck in the city. I made a list from what I could find on the web, but I never even brought in my Reid Big Walls book to include the female FAist listed in the back. Not that there were a million female FAists, but it was a pretty greivous omission from the list. Then, as I asked around, it seemed that there were scores of women that I'd never even heard of who'd been doing walls, partnered with guys, gals, or solo, for a very long time. They never publicized their tick lists, so it's not data that gets entered into history. The other problem with the list was that it kind of pandered to 'all-women' climbs and FA's, particularly on big walls. Women that were climbing hard (free or aid), but with men, didn't turn up as much info, nor did women who were just sending, but not doing FA's.
I didn't feel good about declaring that one woman had done somethign 'first' when really what I meant was, "I couldn't google another example..." Also, giving a different distinction to a woman for doing a climb with a similarly skilled woman vs. a similarly skilled man seemed to me to imply that having the guy around was inherantly an advantage...and, of course, I don't think that it is.
Another issue that I had with "firsts" was that at some point, there were piles of undone female firsts that were at a level lower than the standard for the best women climbers of the day. There just weren't enough women playing the game to have had them all get ticked off in repeat ascents the way the boys had done. I wasn't sure how meaningful it was to say that someone did something first when the reality of it was that it was a goal that the more capable women just didn't care to persue. Doing a first ascent says that you went where no one had gone before. Bev Johnson and Sybille Hechtel went where no women had gone before. I'm not sure that if we found out that no all-women team had done Lurking Fear (Just as a bogus example...It's been soloed by at least one woman .) that doing one would be noteworthy...especially when it's been freed by a woman, and women have done other A4/A5 routes. I've got mixed feelings on this though...If firsts are motivating, then I think that it can be good to have the info available. Also, there's not much out there in the way of 'elite' female wall climber lore for us to get psyched about...so seeing what Jill Everygirl is up to is still really appreciated (at least by me.)
Anyway, after I asked the question today, I went and looked at the list. I've never even looked at the visitor log. Whatdya know, but that site has gotten about 1000 hits in the last few months, mostly from people who hit it via google searching for the name of one of the people on it?! Embarassed, I was, that I'd left it up. Anyway, in that it was incomplete and potentially very inaccurate, I took it down today. It's a worthwhile project for someone who has the time to do it right though.
Somehow, though, the little story about Bev Johnson helping a brother OB camp whilst working the ranger desk is as interesting or more to me as anyone's ticklist. For me, already having a notion that nameless faceless women did hard things a long time ago, I'm even more interested in learning a story or two about them as people. Like, Russ' pictures of climbing at the height of 80's fashion creates this excellent sense of nostalgia for me for a time when I wasn't even around. It's a story that's told one way or another here almost every day, and part of the reason why I like this site the best. It's just that women are almost never part of that story.
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vegastradguy
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV
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Jan 10, 2005 - 09:13pm PT
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although not in the Valley, Joanne Urioste was one of the foremost climbers developing Red Rocks during the late 70's and early 80's.
Joanne and Jorge put up a huge number of classic routes in the area, many of them still well travelled today.
Larry D'Angelo and Bill Thiry's book Red Rock Odyssey relates the tale of a couple of first ascents (Cat in the Hat and Lady Wilson's Cleavage) in which Joanne was the driving force of the route's development.
and of course, Joanne was the author of the original Red Rocks guide book- The Red Rocks of Southern Nevada.
although I have not had the pleasure of meeting Joanne, I understand that she is still known for dragging the boys out with her as she tackles whatever climb strikes her fancy....(in fact, more than once, my meeting of Jorge Urioste was delayed due to Joanne's snagging him for another day on the rock)
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Jan 10, 2005 - 09:59pm PT
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THere's a woman who climbs in the red, (KY), she's up with the access fund and stuff like that, also climbs hard sport, not sure about the trad or bigwall, I can't think of her name, but I met her at an SCC meeting several years ago.
Anyway if you were trying to put something together about women climbers, she should be in it.
And Melissa, I agree with you that it is pathetic that all woman stuff is given precedence over mixed teams. Hell MAYBE the woman was the better climber and did all the hard putches.
I know I've seen boulder chicks do stuff I'll never do.
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Holdplease2
Trad climber
All over
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Jan 10, 2005 - 10:10pm PT
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Shannon Stuart-Smith
The founder and (until recently) the executive director of the Red River Gorge Climbing Coalition.
Definately an excellent woman.
I'd love to hear some stories from the big-wall dudes around here about walls where your female partner did an equal share...of the hauling, of the leading, of the cruxing. Who were they? Any of you boys climb with the super strong women?
-Kate.
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mike hartley
climber
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Jan 10, 2005 - 10:22pm PT
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Back in the late 70's or early 80's I remember a nice woman who climbed at Smith often. One day she asked about a particular climb and whether I'd recommend it. I told her it was a great climb but a 5.11 handcrack and really strenuous. Of course what I meant was "fancy footwork won't help you up there. It ain't no girl's climb". Later I watched her cruise it no sweat. Catherine Freer forever changed my perception of what was and wasn't a "girl's climb".
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Jan 10, 2005 - 10:25pm PT
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The only reason Mari Gingery is not a household name in the climbing world is that she always remained in the background and never spoke much if ever about her many accomplisments. In the old days at Suicide, she often climbed the hardest routes a lot easier than we did. And out at Josh, where she and Mike Lechlinski have a crib, she's been ripping it up for going on 30 years. She's the stuff, alright.
JL
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 10, 2005 - 10:28pm PT
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Kate
There was Sue McDevit who did numerous walls with her husband Dan. She and Nancy Fagen did the first all female one day ascent of El Cap [Nose]. She could really hold her own with the guys.
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bulgingpuke
Trad climber
cayucos california
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Jan 10, 2005 - 10:28pm PT
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Hey kate you ever hear of Chelsea Griffie?
She completly kicked my ass in boulder everytime we went. She hung out in yosemite for a long time. She taught me many of the free techniques i know today.
girl climbers kick ass
~TY~
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 10, 2005 - 10:36pm PT
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Kate
One more although I feel reluctant to say because it feels like spray. My wife Merry she was the first woman to do El Cap in a Day [Nose]. We did several other routes together on the big stone.
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Holdplease2
Trad climber
All over
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Jan 10, 2005 - 10:54pm PT
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Werner - It ain't spray if its the truth! Thats excellent. I'd like to meet you guys someday, maybe when I am lurking around I will find you.
Nope Ty, but strong free climbing isn't something I follow. If a woman can lead 10b/c, thats more than enough to evoke hero status. Thats the hardest I've ever seen a woman trad lead.
And I don't go near boulders after what happened to Aaron Ralston. Sheesh. Boulders are dangerous.
-Kate.
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troutboy
Trad climber
Newark, DE
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Jan 11, 2005 - 09:49am PT
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The Conns are indeed well known in caving circles, mostly for their efforts in exploring and mapping Jewel Cave in South Dakota (one of the longer caves in the US).
The Jewel Cave Adventure chronicles their exploits up to the mid-or late 1970's. It's a pretty good read, actually.
I've never met them personally, but I have numerous friends who have known them. Nothing but kind words and fond memories about the Conns from all of them.
And to answer an earlier query: Yes, the Conns put up numerous routes at Seneca Rocks, WV in the 1940s.
TS
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Burt Bronson
climber
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Jan 11, 2005 - 10:15am PT
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CHRIS, BURT BRONSON HERE.
PLEASE DELETE THIS THREAD. IT HAS NO BUSINESS HERE.
BURT BRONSON
THE LAST BASTION OF THE HARD MAN
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Ted
Trad climber
San Rafael, CA
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Jan 11, 2005 - 10:47am PT
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One name not mentioned so far is Liz Robbins (Royal's wife). I believe she had the first female ascent on a couple of HD and El Cap routes with Royal. I believe they also did some FA's together as well.
I remember seeing a slide show by Royal and he casually mentioned that Liz was probably one of the best female wall climbers of her time.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Jan 11, 2005 - 12:50pm PT
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I can add a few facts about the Conn's. They started out in the forties in Washington, DC, learned to climb at Carter Rocks on the Potomac. and climbed at various Eastern crags, most notably Seneca. However, their 1945 ascent of Cannon Mountain, the Conn Course, done with no information other than the fact the people had climbed the cliff somewhere (far from the central line they took, as it turned out), with borrowed gear, and a difficulty pushing 5.8, established them among the country's best, if least recognized, climbers. I think Herb was a civil engineer and Jan a musician.
They were the original "drop-outs," at least a decade before "alternative lifestyles" became fashionable for the educated middle class. In the Needles in South Dakota, they found a rock paradise barely explored by a few visits from Fritz Wiessner (who erroneously predicted it would become a major US climbing destination) and the aid bolting of a 5.7 face by a very young Fred Beckey.
They bought some land in moved into the "Conn Cave," an overhanging boulder they walled in. Eventually, they broke down and built a garage for their VW van, but as far as I know, they have always lived in the Conn Cave.
With Jan as the driving force and the primary leader, they climbed most of the spires in the Needles. Their gear consisted of tight sneakers, either a 50 or a 100 foot goldline rope, a few soft iron pitons, and quarter inch bolts drilled on the lead. Many of their leads were very run out, especially by the standards of the day. In modern terms they got up to 5.8+ (on the East Face of the East Gruesome in 1959) and 5.7 X, and they downclimbed everything they climbed up (with toprope protection on the harder routes rather than rapelling). That 5.8+, by the way, is fully the equivalent of 5.9 routes at Tahquitz, and this meant Jan was, in her day, one of the better climbers in the country, regardless of gender, and certainly deserves a position of honor in the pantheon of the country's women climbers.
Herb indulged his civil engineering abilities by surveying and mapping the Cathedral Spires, Needle's Eye area, and Outlet rocks. These incredible maps made it possible for visiting climbers to enjoy the area without spending the years exploring that the Conns had. Herb also worked as a seasonal Mount Rushmore repairman, rappelling down and patching cracks in George's nose.
Jann became the Custer town librarian and a prominent local musician.
In the fifties, the Conn's became a standard stop for climbers travelling from the East to the Tetons and beyond. Their hospitality was legendary, and visiting climbers were treated to some Needles classics, which, however, often proved to be at a higher standard in terms of difficulty and especially commitment than they were used to.
About 1959, at the peak of their climbing prowess, the Conn's turned their attention to the exploration of Jewel Cave. Herb had noticed that a wind blew into the cave for days and then out for days, and based on some rough standing wave engineering estimates, concluded that the cave might be among the biggest in the US, if not the world. As in the Needles, Herb took to surveying and mapping everything they explored.
The Conn's routes put Jan among the country's top climbers in the fifties, but it is impossible to view the Conn's climbing and lifestyle through the lens of the contemporary climbing scene, and they would have neither recognized nor understood accolades based solely on the difficulty of their leads. The Conn's were explorers, and in the Needles they found a small but intricate paradise. Difficulties were resolved when they presented obstacles to exploration, but I never knew the Conn's to pursue difficulty for its own sake. Indeed, they were proudest of their ability to find devious and cunning easy routes up forbidding spire complexes, and I don't think they ever attempted a second route on a spire once they had climbed it.
The Conn's lived their climbing and daily lives off the grid in a sense that eclipses modern proponents of the same approach. They climbed, and shared their knowledge, with a simple joy in being "out there" that can only be viewed as unique, even for the kinder and gentler times of their active days.
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Roger Breedlove
Trad climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jan 11, 2005 - 01:10pm PT
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Hey Melissa:
In your opening comment, you say that there must have been more female climbers than just those mentioned. Ms Johnson and Ms Hawken were the two that stand out in my mind.
Ellie was with Bruce the whole time I knew them and I didn't form a picture of her that has withstood the time. She was tiny. I remember watching her climb something hard at Arch Rock that she was not built for. She did not give up until she figured it out.
Bev, was single, acted independently and was a regular in the Valley. She had a wonderful personality and was easy to be around and to be close to, whether in Squaw Valley for the winter or in the Valley. I think that the reason that she stands out amongst women climbers is that she cut her own path. It was not that she cruised up the hardest climbs, but she carried her own weight and took climbing skills seriously. She was very much part of the core climber's community.
Her nature was self reliance and self motivation. And she was tough as nails. But she could also turn on the Southern, debutante charm in an instant. One argument she won with me was about "Why should women get their own kudos when they do the first female ascent? If women are serious about equality, then they should compete directly with men." (These were still the early years of women's liberations. I was still learning the hard lessons of leading with my chin.) She instantly soften her pose, tilted her head, did a slow bat of her eyes, and drawled sweetly: "Ah, come on, Roger. Can't we have our own little category?"
I think the women climbers today are more likely to climb at relatively higher standards than the earlier generations. I think that Lynn Hill is the perfect example of what everyone should aspire to--male or female. But Bev is the first female climber that I knew who had that sense of independence. No one ever ‘took’ Bev climbing.
The last time I can remember seeing Bev was probably 30 years ago. But I have very fond memories and it is easy to miss her.
Best, Roger
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Jan 11, 2005 - 01:32pm PT
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I can add to Rgold's excellent post that my pal who met the Conns did say that they climbed in tight keds back in the day. if you don't remember them, or have never seen them, Keds were a light canvas sneaker style shoe, with what appeared to be a medium soft gum rubber sole with a little bit of texture, and some sort of thin low white rubber 'rand'. They were flat shoes, having no heels. The canvas was very thin, and there were 3 or 4 pairs of holes for laces.
Interestingly, as I recall, I am describing the women's Keds, based on what my mom and sisters had in the late 50's early 60's. It sounds a little like a climbing shoe, doesn't it? I THINK the men's Keds were a heavier build, and might not have been as good for climbing, but that's just my speculation.
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crotch
climber
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Jan 11, 2005 - 03:49pm PT
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I've only seen pics of Liz Robbins and Joanne Urioste following pitches, rather than leading, and the text I've read never clarified whether they got on the sharp end 1/2 the time or at all. Anyone care to enlighten me?
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Jan 11, 2005 - 07:56pm PT
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I think Joanne Uroste is on the sharp end frequently. When we did Split last year she'd done one of the ugly loose 5.9 ridges the week before. (Summit register note)
The look on Liz Robins face in the guide book shot of her following The Open Book says it all. I've seen that look before!
As has any other man in a LTR. We know what it means!
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Larry
Trad climber
Reno NV
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Jan 11, 2005 - 09:09pm PT
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Who did the second female solo ascent of El Cap? What year & what route?
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Gunkie
climber
I don't get mad, I get stabby -- Fat Tony
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Jan 11, 2005 - 09:46pm PT
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Barbara Bein, 1st female free ascent of Foops (5.11) and probably the fifth overall in the Gunks, circa 1975. Foops is no 'slab' climb.
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Curt
Boulder climber
Scottsdale, AZ
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Jan 11, 2005 - 09:50pm PT
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Elaine Matthews from the Gunks also. Perhaps the first woman to climb El Cap?????
Curt
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jan 12, 2005 - 03:55am PT
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I was sorry to see that Melissa has decided to take her list off the web - it could still be of value. For example, it can answer some of the questions that people (Ted, Curt) have posed on this thread.
So I have resurrected it in a slightly modified form - a reduced number of climbs, in chronological order:
http://www.stanford.edu/~clint/yos/women.htm
It includes a brief bibliography so people can find some of the good stories that are out there!
Ellie Hawkins is active as a climbing guide:
http://outside.away.com/outside/destinations/familyguide2002/weekenders_6.adp
Her solo on Half Dome was the Direct NW Face.
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Matt
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Jan 12, 2005 - 04:02am PT
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i also know chelsea-
maybe not the equal of some of the old-mom names on this thread (in terms of accomplishments) but certainly a good climber.
we did new dimensions together and she put the 3rd & 4th pitches together, walking a single #1 cam for like 30' of what would have been the 4th pitch- stout and runout- you go girl!
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DIMITRIBARTON
climber
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Jan 12, 2005 - 11:11am PT
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Both Melissa and Clints lists' don't mention Sue Harrington. She soloed El Cap perhaps more than once and no doubt soloed wall routes no other woman had previously. Sue was a stud!!!!
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 12, 2005 - 11:50am PT
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Thats right Dimitri....I think the wall she soloed was Zodiac?
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DIMITRIBARTON
climber
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Jan 12, 2005 - 12:02pm PT
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Sue was quite a strong climber and went on to rescue/climber ranger work at Tetons. There was an article about the destruction of our public lands by our wacko leaders regarding oil and gas drilling around Utah, Outside mag? Sue has been very vocal about Bush and idiots f*ching-up our public lands. Bravoooo...Sue!!!
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jan 12, 2005 - 05:27pm PT
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Anyone know Kim Walker? I climbed with her in Vedauwoo in the late seventies. She was leading 5.10 cracks (including OW) back then. She headed west around ~1980 or so. Some time around then she climbed with (and fought off advances from) Warren Harding. I think I heard she was with Alan Bard on the Eastside a couple decades back. Anyone know whatever happened to her?
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Jan 12, 2005 - 06:46pm PT
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Certainly another climber who deserves mention is Maria Cranor. Smart, determined and competent she first came to notice in the 1970s in So Cal for her no falls lead of all 3 pitches of Vahalla at Suicide Rock [1st female]. In Yosemite, she was [I believe] the 1st female (partnered by Dick Shockley) to climb the So. Face of Mt. Watkins (circa 1980).
From the mid 1970s through the 1980s she was one of a better female climbers in the country. Such climbers as Lynn Hill and Mari Gingery were both inspired by and her contemporaries. She later was one of the principal forces behind the formation of Black Diamond Equipment Company from the ashes of Chouinard Equipment, and can be credited with helping it become the successful company it is today.
A true Renaissance woman, after retiring from Black Diamond (and apparently climbing) she has pursued success in Academia.
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Larry
Trad climber
Reno NV
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Jan 12, 2005 - 07:49pm PT
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DIMITRIBARTON & Werner -- yes, Sue soloed Zodiac for the 2nd female solo, I think '82 or '83.
Jay, yes I remember Kim Walker (you and I have many of the same roots). She was a pal of Dick Nicholas, who lived across the dorm hall from Mike Nicksich and me ('74). I think. It's hard to remember sometimes.
I don't know what ever became of Nick. He went to South Dakota after he got married then we fell out of touch.
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Larry
Trad climber
Reno NV
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Jan 12, 2005 - 09:08pm PT
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Getting back on topic...
Is it generally known that Catherine Freer was invited on the women's Annapurna expedition, but declined? I can't say for a fact, but I think she felt that the caliber of the rest of the expedition wasn't high enough to be safe.
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DIMITRIBARTON
climber
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Jan 12, 2005 - 09:23pm PT
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Larry, didn't Sue H. also do the first solo of an El Cap route.... Horse Chute?
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Larry
Trad climber
Reno NV
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Jan 12, 2005 - 09:36pm PT
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Dmitri,
That sort of rings a bell. Others above have said she might have soloed El Cap more than once. I've lost touch with her as well. Last I saw her she was drawing up plans to build a house in Wilson Wyo.
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Jonny D
Social climber
Lost Angelez, Kalifornia
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Jan 15, 2005 - 12:27pm PT
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Are we talking only about american women here? What about Sylvia Vidal who soloed the Sheep Ranch, led the crux of Reticent and went on to pioneer some hardcore walls in Patagonia and elsewhere.
Reportedly, she's barely 5ft tall.
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Mimi
Social climber
Seattle
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Jan 16, 2005 - 02:48pm PT
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Let's not forget CO climbers Coral Bowman and Beth Bennett. Both were very prolific climbers and true hardwomen.
And no mention of the Pocket Russian? What gives? She partnered on Bad to the Bone not to mention a ton of hard Valley climbs?
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phillip mike revis
climber
snowbird, ut
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Jan 16, 2005 - 10:33pm PT
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maria crannor kicks ass!!
the queen victoria of alpinism
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jan 16, 2005 - 11:10pm PT
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Pocket Russian?
aka Short Spy?
Lydia P (slovenian) is alive anw well in Reno. After quiting climbing (for years) to undergo too many rotator cuff surgeries, she was seen pulling down hard in Rifle this summer.
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nature
climber
Flagstaff, AZ
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Jan 17, 2005 - 12:04am PT
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Kitty Calhoun - was cranking and suffering long before I started climbing. Will probably outlast me.
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Anne-Marie Rizzi
climber
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Jan 18, 2005 - 06:05pm PT
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Melissa:
You wonder about women who were climbing in Yosemite in the 70s. There were many more than are ever mentioned. The following list shows the ones I knew (and whose names I could remember) in Yosemite from 1970 to the mid-70s. It is in approximate chronological order, with their main climbing home area shown. Most of them initially or eventually climbed hard free routes, climbed walls, and/or climbed in all-women ascents. All of them were avid climbers.
Elaine Matthews (Vulgarian)
Bev Johnson (southern California, then Yosemite)
Margaret Young (Bay Area)
Judy Sterner (California, with Vulgarian ties)
Anne-Marie Rizzi (Yosemite)
Lora Hein (Yosemite)
Liza Andersen Paschall (Yosemite)
Gail Wilts (southern California)
Janet Wilts (southern California)
Sibylle Hechtel (Oregon, then various California)
Tina Hargis (Washington, then Yosemite)
Ellie Hawkins (Washington)
Diana Hunter (Colorado)
Barbara Bein Devine (Gunks)
Julie Brugger (Washington)
Catherine Frier (Washington)
Carla Firey (Washington)
Linda Halvorsen (Yosemite)
Anne Woessner (Yosemite)
Diane Russell (Colorado)
Barb Eastman (Colorado, then Yosemite)
Molly Higgins (Colorado)
Beth Bennett (Colorado)
Sue Giller (Colorado)
Coral Bowman (New Zealand)
KB (don't remember her full name)(Yosemite)
Catherine Culliname (Yosemite)
Mariah Cranor (southern California)
Anne-Marie Rizzi
I don't normally visit this website but an old climbing friend told me my name had shown up. This will probably be my only post.
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Jan 18, 2005 - 06:49pm PT
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I spent two spring climbing seasons (76 & 78) climbing in Yosemite with Washintonian climbers Julie Brugger and Carla Firey. They were leading hard 5.10 and 5.11 crack climbs and dragging me, kicking and screaming, up behind them. This was before Friends and SLCD's. It took a huge committment (something modern climbers have difficulty understanding) to launch out on a long, steep crack with a single rack of hexes and stoppers. If you pumped out you plummeted.
I also climbed with Bev Johnson. One day we did Stone Groove and
as we rapped off she noticed a little scrape on my left hand. She admonished me for using improper techinique and cutting myself on the climb. It had actually happened the day before on the Vendetta (a true hardman off-width, I can't believe we did that with just a couple of 4" tube chocks). She let me off the hook after hearing my excuse.
Cheers,
Bruce
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Curt
Boulder climber
Scottsdale, AZ
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Jan 18, 2005 - 08:45pm PT
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In addition to her climbing prowess, Elaine Matthews' bare breasts looked spectacular on the cover of the "Vulgarian Digest" magazine. I thought you would want to know, as an additional point of historical interest.
Curt
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slobmonster
Trad climber
berkeley, ca
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Feb 17, 2005 - 03:17pm PT
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Anyone have any stories about Chris-Ann Crysdale? Lives in Durango nowadays, with her husband Steve, and still puts up many hard(er than I can climb...) routes in the desert.
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Ouch!
climber
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Feb 17, 2005 - 03:35pm PT
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Don't leave out Crimpergirl. Strongest climber since King Kong.
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Ca
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Feb 17, 2005 - 05:58pm PT
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Melissa, KB would be Kathy Brown. I don't have a clue what happened to her but she was around about the same time as Bev and Mariah. She climbed with all of us in the mid to late 70s in JT.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
St. Louis
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Feb 17, 2005 - 06:00pm PT
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It's all due to my vitamin intake...
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Feb 17, 2005 - 07:12pm PT
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In truth, and I don't take the truth lightly, you may well need to reserve a place in climbing history for Crimpy.
I sent her some pics of some nice unclimbed rock, and her ears perked up. With those high caliber thumbs, there should be no stopping her.
She did say I would have to wear the skirt though. I said I would if she will lead.
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Feb 17, 2005 - 11:35pm PT
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Women were climbing long before the '70s.
Three years ago at the Sierra Peaks Section banquet, Ellen Wilts was the speaker. We went expecting to hear a lot about Tahquitz and Chuck, and instead were treated to a wondeful slide show of first ascents in the Canadian Rockies. She and Chuck were very active in the '40s exploring and climbing throughout Canada. Her slides were simply amazing, real treasures. Even better were the stories that went with the slides. Using only the crudest of equipment they went where no one had gone before.
She is white-haired now, but sharp as a tack, and a very lovely lady to boot.
Barbara Lilley was also an active mountaineer in the '40s. She is still leading ski and peak climbs for the Sierra Club.
No to mention women like Louise Werner who were not famous, just out climbing peaks throughout the desert southwest on a continuous basis.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Feb 10, 2007 - 01:26am PT
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Welcome Anne-Marie... you had posted once a long time before.
Re-reading this thread it occurred to me that Frank Sacherer's wife was a climber too (divorced Frank before his move to Switzerland?).
Don't know about her...
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 10, 2007 - 01:41am PT
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KB = Katherine Besio?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 10, 2007 - 01:48am PT
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I've got to try and remember the reference, but going back a ways in Yosemite lore, say 50's and even 40's there were a few compelling women doing stuff. I'm thinking before the big wall Golden Age of Robbin's et al.
I recall vaguely some good information on an accomplished women from the 40's who went to Stanford?
Someone help me out here...Ed?
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 10, 2007 - 02:03am PT
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There's quite a good book of essays by climbers, called Rock and Roses. Edited by Mikel Vause, published 1990. It includes essays by Rosie Andrews, Beth Bennett, Arlene Blum, Julie Brugger, Catherine Freer, Sue Giller, Linda Givler, Sibylle Hechtel, Cherie Bremer Kamp, Ruth Dyar Mendenhall, Dorcas Miller, Alison Osius, Wendy Roberts, Laura Waterman, Annie Whitehouse, and Elizabeth Woolsey. Some previously published elsewhere, some never published before.
Many of the essays are from climbers active in the 1970s and 1980s. Well worth reading, if you can find a copy. It may have been reprinted a few years ago.
In the late 1970s, a group from Seattle was often in the Valley in spring and autumn. Carla Firey and Julie Brugger did some very impressive climbs together, and were (and are) darn good climbers.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 10, 2007 - 02:25am PT
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Julie Brugger was a power house, C Freer about the strongest woman I ever met and some of you from the 70's probably remember another WA climber; Annie Tarver, who was a real pistol.
Have we not seen Catherine Destivelle and Jill Lawrence listed?
Here's a recent photo of Ellie Hawkins relaxing in T Meadows with Phil Bircheff:
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Feb 10, 2007 - 02:37am PT
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Jan Baker - Colorado climber... married to Frank Sacherer 1966 - separated 1970?
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Feb 10, 2007 - 02:49am PT
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Melissa, there's no climber ever (male or female) that could take a personal dream and translate it into reality better than Catherine Destivelle.
Kim Czismazia can do any type of climbing, and was the first woman to climb as well as the best men on ice and mixed ice and rock.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Feb 10, 2007 - 02:59am PT
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where the fukk did this thread get bumped from??
if i had to make a list of all the swole wimmen climbers i encountered between 75 - 85, it'd run pages.
these days, i get peiced out by begining FEEMMALS daily, weekly and monthly.
wtf, is this some kind of news item????
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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Feb 10, 2007 - 08:41am PT
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Maybe cause I was younger than most, liked to read books and converse about non-climbing subjects, I got to pal around with some awesome women in Yosemite in the second half of the 70's. And your right, though well respected for their climbing ability by the dudes back then, they have stayed below the historical radar.
Ann Tarver-sweet crankin tabacco chewin
Anne-Marie Rizzi - captured the times like no one else with her writing
Barb Eastman and Sue Giller-also impressive nordic skiers
Catherine Cullinane (on ST as CathC)
Ellie Hawkins - who broke the granite ceiling at YMS
Shari McVoy-also a fantastic photographer
Mari Gingery -as stated above bouldered harder than most
Kathy Besio (KB) - my soul friend and also a pioneering female YMS guide
Beth Bennet - orbited through from Boulder, first female to do the Naked Edge I think.
Our own Blinny was a notable character back then and of course still!
Amy Laughlin (not sure about last name) - the Mari of Indian Rock
Julie Bruger - a regular spring visitor, very strong
Barbara Bein-from the Gunks came through regularly
Sybille Hechtel - back in C4 just a few years ago, still crankin
Maria Cranor - now an astrophysicist in Utah
Sue Harrington - bad ass and positive
The Wilts Sisters - where are they now?
Catherine Freer - 2nd ascent of Zenyatta Mondatta while it was streamin with water
I am sure I am forgetting someone.
Those were the days, the community of committed climbers was relatively small and anyone serious came to the Valley for extended periods. Nice to see this thread resurrected triggering many great memories.
Peter
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cintune
climber
Penn's Woods
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Feb 10, 2007 - 10:03am PT
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Henriette d'Angeville
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Feb 10, 2007 - 10:29am PT
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Although not a 5.11 climber, Cyndie Bransford, of Joshua Tree is one of So. Cals most well-traveled climbers, having climbed over 1000 climbs at Joshua Tree, as well as climbed in almost every state in America, and climbed in Europe and Australia too. More of a mom (she has 2 boys) than a super athlete, she is an inspiration to all working class single moms by showing us that through hard work and many days at the crags, many fantastic adventures and challenges and be accomplished. She also has climbed many S W desert towers, and authored a number of first ascents in Joshua Tree, all hand drilled on the lead. Her work early on with Friends of Josh and Access paved the way for many pro climber policies which are around today, thanks to her determination and deplomacy working with climbers and gov. agencies.
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Roman
Trad climber
3 hrs. from Seneca
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Feb 10, 2007 - 11:17am PT
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Nibs,
Jan Conn was a local to my area. Both Herb and Jan both did massive amounts of climbing all around the country including several FA's at Seneca (Conn's east and west and tons of others). Jan Conn was also the first woman to climb devils tower and that account has been posted onto the internet by her here:
http://www.nps.gov/archive/deto/all_girl_climb.htm
-
Roman
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Feb 10, 2007 - 11:23am PT
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Here's a sleeper. Sheryl Haber; over 3000 different climbs at Joshua Tree, as well as climbed many places and climbs in the Western U S as well as all over back east. Many first Ascents too at Joshua Tree. ...she ticks the routes!
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Feb 10, 2007 - 12:15pm PT
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Cool thread Melissa,
There were several women that climbed regularly in Yosemite during the '30's and '40's. Among them were Marjorie Bridge (Farquar), Olive Dyer, Doris Corcoran (Leonard), and Mildred Bennett.
Ken
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HalHammer
Trad climber
CA
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Feb 10, 2007 - 12:17pm PT
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Yeah that Rocks and Roses book is pretty cool. Found it on my Moms shelf the other day and started reading it, bunch of old stories by female climbers.
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Mateo Pee Pee
Trad climber
Ivory Tower PDX
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Feb 10, 2007 - 05:38pm PT
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Glad to see Liza Anderson and Linda Givler listed. Over a period of several days in 1973, I remember Liza doing her first three ice climbs, NW Coulior on Middle Teton followed by the Enclosure and Black Ice on the Grand. We threw in the Snaz, Irene's Arete, and a couple of other climbs in for good measure. As Ed Barry used to say, she was a gem of a climbing partner. Does anyone know her whereabouts?
Climbing Pico Colon in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta with Linda in 1979 was another great experience.
Climbing has been fortunate to attract so many great people, I love seeing these names again.
What happened to Hitchy (Dave Hitchcock) and Ed?
Keith Hadley
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Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
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Feb 10, 2007 - 05:46pm PT
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All I can say is chick that rock climb harer than me are a beautiful sight!
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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Feb 10, 2007 - 08:24pm PT
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hey Keith,
They are not chicks but chicks dug them, I saw Ed Barry and Dave Hitchcock 4 years ago at an East Side camp 4 reunion. Ed is living near Sonora in Jamestown. Hitchy at the time was a golf pro part time in Palm Springs and part time at Pine Mt. Lake near Groveland. By the way another reunion is being planned for early July.
Is Liza Anderson the Liza who became Liza Paschal for some years? If so, she is a kick ass fly fishing guide in Idaho, and manager of the Elephants Perch store. I always have a nice encounter with her at the OR show.
Peter
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 10, 2007 - 11:15pm PT
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Hitchie's back on the Eastside Pete, poundin' nails in Mammoth.
So some things go full circle, sort of.
Hitchcock & Dave Bircheff, last summer:
I know, I know, it's 'sposed to be a chick thread, but just consider this a little foyer/coffee talk in the lobby post during intermission, half way through the show.
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Feb 10, 2007 - 11:18pm PT
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Margie Floyd (Now Margie Evans) has quite an impressive climbing resume;.....from Sierra peaks, first Ascents all over, lots of desert towers;.....just a bee's dick over 5 feet tall, and a climbing machine. (She's now mostly retired from climbing and is addressed as "Mom" .) She is awesome.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 10, 2007 - 11:20pm PT
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How tall is that again Todd??
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Feb 10, 2007 - 11:28pm PT
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Just a bee's dick, beadwagon....
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 11, 2007 - 01:31am PT
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Let's have a look then...
Yup.
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Feb 11, 2007 - 01:41am PT
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That's the one, beadie... she kicks butt....(Who's the old dude with her?... )
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Ricardo Carlos
Trad climber
Off center, CO.
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Feb 11, 2007 - 01:48am PT
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Todd Looks like a Kayaker I met on the Colorado River. about 95?
Todd MR E one and the same
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Feb 11, 2007 - 01:52am PT
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The handsome gentleman with the lovely Margie Evans, is, in fact, Mr. Evans...Mr. DAVE Evans, sir....(yes sir.)...First ascent of Figures on a landscape, and someone who has climbed THE Totem Pole .(As well as all sorts of gnarly other climbs everywhere/all over the place)...(Bow down, please...) Bad Azz Mo Fo.
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Mateo Pee Pee
Trad climber
Ivory Tower PDX
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Feb 11, 2007 - 01:48pm PT
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Didn't mean to start a thread drift but thanks to Peter and Tarbuster for the Hitchy/Barry update. Damn, Hitchy looks younger now than he did 30 years ago!
As you may have seen there is a new apprecation thread for Liza.
She's awesome in every respect.
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Janet Wilts
Trad climber
Moose
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wow, lot of people from the past mentioned here....
you've named most of the ones that climbed in the old days....to catch some of you up to date....
Sue Harrington was last in the Moab area....
Barb Eastman is still going back and forth from salt lake to tetons
I'm still a ranger in the tetons....(last 18 years)
Gail's in Jackson, WY...near me
lot of others are still in the Bishop area....
Janet
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 1, 2007 - 09:59pm PT
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Welcome, Janet! Thanks for posting!
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Cyndie Bransford; climber.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Nice pic of C Bransford.
Yes, Marlene put in her time on the rescue team; very sweet and tough too, fought off cancer in the mid 80's.
But whutabout those Wilts girls...
Welcome to the forum Janet!!!
Tell us a story, please.
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G_Gnome
Sport climber
Everywhere, man...
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A name I haven't seen in this thread is Eve Uiga/Laeger. Eve has many first ascents to her name, led hard 5.11, and has done more peaks in California than anyone else I know. I believe she was also the first woman to free climb the Harding Route on Castle Rock Spire. Eve is now one of the experts on California native plants and is also doing work on lichens and mosses in Alaska and California.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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There is also Sharon Wood of Canmore,Alberta. She was the first North American woman to summit Everest, and was on the team not through tokenism (like the American expeditions of that period) but because she could keep up with the guys. Sharon has done the Cassin in poor conditions (early 80's?) hard routes in Peru, most of the West Butress on Makalu, hard climbs back home. She was also the first or one of the first women in Canada to gain full international guiding certification.
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Anne-Marie Rizzi
climber
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Mar 31, 2008 - 01:01am PT
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I got on this writing roll, after one of the other ST posters bought my old hammer on eBay. And it reminded me of what I really wanted to say originally on this post.
First female ascents? Let's see, Angie O'Neal and I climbed two routes in one day, After Six and the Iota. May have been my very first female ascents. I remember having to borrow an extra hammer from Peter Haan. And all the regulars (except Barry Bates) making fun of us. Very sophomoric. Talking about a 5.6 and a 5.4 route. 1970.
When Lora Hein and I climbed Snake Dike, it was a grand adventure for us. Hiking down, we met a bunch of the regular climbers fighting a fire in Little Yosemite Valley. "Here come the dykes after climbing Snake Dike" comments prevailed. 1971.
Oh, and the first female nude ascent of Monday Morning Slab with Judy Sterner. We climbed naked except for swamis and shoes. We carried packs with rain gear and beer and threw empties on retreating climbers below us, once the rain began. Going back to camp after that hilarity is when I met Liza Anderson, with whom I went on to climb many many first female ascents. 1971.
One of my FFA highlights was climbing the West Face of Mount Starr King with Tina Hargis. It was possibly the second ascent---full pitches with very little protection. Tina's husband hiked out to find us, expecting we needed a rescue, because we were running late, but we met him on the trail. 1974.
Liza and I climbed what was probably the first clean ascent of Goodrich Pinnacle to the Oasis. And a FFA. And considered a wall. 1974.
And one of my absolute favorites was when I soloed the SE Buttress of Cathedral Peak.
You see where I am going with this? The only time FFAs got mention was when they were on walls. Bev and I backed off of the Leaning Tower after she got attacked by wasps from the first belay tree (and our backing off became more important than the fact we were up there in the first place). 1972.
Sibylle Hechtel and I climbed the South Face of Washingtons Column (just days after Bev soloed it) and that was "important." 1973.
There were countless firsts. Forget the "history of women climbing in the 1970s" stories. They leave out so much.
All these firsts were extremely personal and vibrant for those who experienced them. Creating memories, not history.
Now I'll shut up.
Anne-Marie
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Robb
Social climber
Pick Up Truck Heaven
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Mar 31, 2008 - 01:50am PT
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Nice Anne Marie. Good on you & blessings going forward.
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
a spaceship built for two
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Mar 31, 2008 - 01:51am PT
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"Now I'll shut up."
please don't.
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nita
climber
chica from chico, I don't claim to be a daisy
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Mar 31, 2008 - 02:35am PT
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Earlier in this post- Jaybro mention Lidija, but forgot her last name...Lidija Painkiher. Photo By- Phil Bard,mid 80's
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Mar 31, 2008 - 10:46am PT
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Lydija has a lot of spark!
She was pretty much "one of the boys" too; very feisty.
Known affectionately as the Pocket Russian. (Just ask Walleye).
One of my favorite quotes ever comes from Lydija,
After she came back to the Meadows from an ascent of the Harding route on Mount Conness:
"What was I thinking going out there and climbing that thing, it's nothing special,
In the dolomite there are hundreds of route like that -- I could instead have been climbing on Medlicott with Bachar!".
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Mar 31, 2008 - 12:57pm PT
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Nice thread.
It's interesting because back in the late 70's I climbed a lot with a gal named Cheri Richardson. I think she did many Female firsts in Oregon. I think she did the first female lead of Karate Crack at Smith Rocks, the first female ascent of East Face of Monkey Face (It was an aid route back then) and many others. She was really good but got distracted by another man....oh well....
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Mar 31, 2008 - 01:04pm PT
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Great thread!
Glad I read all of it as most names I would have brought up have all ready been mentioned, with one notable exception.
Katy Cassidy. Brilliant climber and a real hard woman. She established lots of routes in the desert and the Black Canyon. She co authored a fabulous coffee table book called Canyon Country Climbs with Earl Wiggins. Katy is a great lady!
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Mar 31, 2008 - 01:07pm PT
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When I was young and really climbing 'chicks' were who left you because you climbed too much.
Now that I am not young they are who I hope I can get to rope gun for me.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Mar 31, 2008 - 01:22pm PT
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Good call Philo:
Katy Cassidy.
She was my close neighbor for a few years out in Marshall at Paul Sibley's place.
She's got true grit!
Here's Katy leading the first pitch of Crack Wars on the Rectory.
That's a burly Charlie Fowler route, with some upper pitches of offwdith and an overhanging fist crack.
Katy leading, for her, a routine pitch on the Battle of the Bulge Buttress:
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Mar 31, 2008 - 01:31pm PT
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Holy photobucket Tar! Do you have a picture of everyone??
Your files have got to be amazing, and you're far more organized than I am too! Ha!
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Denver, Colorado
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Mar 31, 2008 - 04:22pm PT
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Molly Higgins and Diana Hunter, Diana especially because she made me realize that you don't have to be a ripped muscle man to elegantly climb severe routes. A real inspiration for a skinny little kid that was always picked last in team sports (me). Saw her climbing in Eldo once, superb footwork, made Northcutt look like 5.5 May she rest in peace.
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Tahoe climber
Trad climber
a dark-green forester out west
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Mar 31, 2008 - 05:02pm PT
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Awesome thread.
More, please?
Anne-Marie - please post up more stories for us! Naked climbing? Are you kidding - that's freaking hilarious!
Pelting retreaters with beer cans is classic.
-Tahoe Climber
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Paulina
Trad climber
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Mar 31, 2008 - 05:28pm PT
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Anne-Marie and others, please more!
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Pewf
climber
nederland
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Mar 31, 2008 - 05:28pm PT
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When I was 16 or so, having boldly toproped each of about 10 accessible routes near Gunnison a handful of times each, I bought the 1988 edition of Bjornstadt's Desert Rock. I used to lie in bed reading it.
It was formative for me to see Katy Cassidy listed on FAs in that book. I didn't know what the A1-A5 ratings meant, and though my mom had given me her old pitons, I didn't connect them with "pins", "LAs", etc. But I distinctly remember thinking that if this gal could be up there on the first ascents of some of those beautiful routes, I should be able to gain the expertise to repeat at least some of them. (as an aside, I remember also wondering if there were any routes in the desert that hadn't been climbed yet. ha)
Around that same time, maybe a little later, there was an Outside magazine article about Kitty Calhoun leading Himalayan expeditions and the like. That was another inspiration for me, seeing that this sport of climbing was something where women could be as good as men. What a discovery for a teenaged girl!
Thank goodness for woman pioneers.
Amanda
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dit
Mountain climber
eastside
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Mar 31, 2008 - 11:20pm PT
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Anne-Marie
We had a surprise visitor today. Do you recognize her?
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Anne-Marie Rizzi
climber
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Mar 31, 2008 - 11:55pm PT
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Absolutely.
Partner on some of my earliest climbs: Lora Hein!!!
(Tell her hi if she's still there.)
Anne-Marie
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 1, 2008 - 11:26am PT
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What a treat to come home from a trip and find this thread on the FP w/ such fabulous additions to it!
Thanks so much, Anne-Marie. That's exactly the sort of thing I was thinking about when I started the thread. You read about the Dad's big accoplishments and the stuff that was personally meaningful and memorable in between, but the stories of naked chicks hucking cans as passers by from the tops of climbs BITD, great times on moderates, hard-earned bails, etc. are harder to find. The next time you have some great memories floating around inside of you that you'd like to share, I hope you'll think of this thread again!
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 1, 2008 - 11:33am PT
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It's recent history, but the stories that Pewf wrote of her adventures on the walls were really inspirational to me when I was as green as grass and finding my own direction in climbing. I'd love to see some of them reposted here.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Yes Tar Baby,
Tell us a story won't you?
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matisse
climber
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'manda hon,
You know yer getting old when...
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 1, 2008 - 01:28pm PT
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Don't sweat it...I think I'm older. 'manda was just an early-starter.
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More Air
Big Wall climber
S.L.C.
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Amanda's Zion (Emerald Pools Area) wall solo was in my opinion, harder than any of Piton Ron's solo climbs. Really enjoyed the account in the AAJ. Soloing a Zion wall ain't for the timid.
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Pewf
climber
nederland
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Thanks, Melissa, that's really flattering.
Sometimes I get a little embarrassed thinking about those old stories. I've gotten a lot more shy now that I'm such a mature old matron.
If I get brave, I'll see if I can summon up some recollections. At least when seen through the lens of time I should be able to forget all the boring and self-congratulatory bits.
Manda
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Leroy
climber
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Carol Black,Super climber and a Knockout.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Carol's Crack, Deto, a classic!
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Pewf
climber
nederland
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Somewhat motivated by this thread, I googled Sibylle Hechtel (as mentioned up thread, she and Bev made the first all female ascent of El Cap) and found she's still in Colorado. We went for a hike yesterday, enjoying some fine spring sunshine in Boulder.
She's healthy and happy, working as a ski instructor and a writer (science, guidebook, and other) in between climbing trips. Her son is seventeen and growing up to be a fine climber in his own right. In fact, he's taking a year off before college and he and his mum have an around the world climbing trip on the calendar.. I don't remember all the locales. Potrero Chico, Squamish, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Australia, Thailand and/or Nepal, on and on.
I first met Sibylle in the mid 90s in Yosemite, though we both lived in Boulder. I hadn't had the opportunity to climb with very many women, particularly longer trad routes. It was a real treat to go out with a lady who was so comfortable and competent on the rock.
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Erik
Ice climber
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Anne-Marie;
Funny you mention Judy Sterner -- we were at the University of Calgary (department of archaeology) together a few years back, and we'd always talk about Yosemite...if only I had known about that naked ascent story!
I remember her telling me how one night there were a bunch of you around a fire with Royal Robbins, and he said something to the effect that "it'll be a long time before you see a woman climb El Cap"... Judy said it wasn't so much a sexist statement as it was a challenge to the women folk, to stoke their fires... Hope I remember that story right.
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TrundleBum
Trad climber
Las Vegas
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Funny:
I wanted to make a plug for two women,
one briefly mentioned and the other I did not see come up at all yet.
As a native New Englander I have to root for Miriam Underhill...
When I googled her name I discovered that the American Alpine Club has an award in her and her husband's name.
http://www.americanalpineclub.org/pages/page/83#underhill
On that page^
I discovered that the second lady I wanted to root for...
had been given the Underhill Award in 1994 and the Literary Award in 2007
That being Alison Osius.
Where is she now?
She still the editor of one of those big climbing mags?
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Anne-Marie Rizzi
climber
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Judy Sterner and I were great buddies.
She was a Californian but somehow got granted status as a Vulgarian. She used to go to the Bugaboos with the Vulgarians and was often called "Jugs Judy" by that group. I think there is a photo in one of the VD's that is titled "Jugs Judy."
We cleaned toilets and rooms at Mammoth one winter. In fact, now that I remember, we skied across Tioga to the Valley, probably 1970 or 1971.
We learned to climb aid together.
In 1972, we took off on a grand western climbing adventure, hitchhiking throughout. First stop Squamish where we started the Grand Wall (having recently learned to aid climb) but retreated for reasons lost to memory. I remember leading off of some pitch and stepping on her breast by accident, which lead to many jokes about "Boob A1."
Then we went on to Calgary where the darn woman decided to stay. And stay. And stay. She went on to accomplish some significant mountain routes, and stayed to get a Ph.D. And, as far as I know, is a high-faluting academic.
(Meanwhile, I continued on the grand western climbing adventure, hitching the rest of the way myself via the Tetons and the Wind Rivers. Got back to the Valley in time to climb my first complete wall on the Chouinard-Herbert for my 21st birthday. But those adventures are entirely another story.)
Anne-Marie
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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great thread .. I just discovered it, bump it up
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drljefe
climber
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My high school librarian's name, in Tucson AZ, was EVE TALLMAN. She was instrumental in getting me to climbing back in 87. I know that she soloed all kinds of walls in the Valley and Zion when there weren't many chicks doing that. Some of you Yosemite locals must know/remember her. Funny note- she sold Kinnaloa stuff 'under the counter' in the library! If you're out there Eve...hey now!jefe
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bundle
Mountain climber
Wellington, NZ
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Jul 28, 2008 - 07:53pm PT
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Does anyone know the whereabouts of Katy Cassidy these days? I climbed the Shield with her back in 1980 amongst other things and have lost contact.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jul 28, 2008 - 07:57pm PT
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BVB could probably tell you what "Eve Tree" Tallman is up to.
Last I heard, Katy Cassidy, several years ago left Boulder and moved back to New Jersey.
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
Yonder (out in the sagebrush)
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Jul 28, 2008 - 08:08pm PT
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I proudly count Eve Tree Tallman among my friends. She is quite the "Wall-Chick"...Did a bunch of cool walls(she did, eh?).
Also fun & gracious on the ground....even tolerated my drunken blathering. She can hang with the best of 'em....
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Jul 28, 2008 - 10:37pm PT
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eve is doing well. after winning a very prestigious award two years ago for designing the "best small library in america" in moab, she took a job in grand junction as the county librarian for whatever county that is. she's still a sweetheart. sent me a lot of bitchin' poems by some of my fave writers last spring. still a machine when it comes to climbing. still trying to raise the literacy bar in america.
still crushing at scrabble. i never stand a chance.
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
Yonder (out in the sagebrush)
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Jul 28, 2008 - 11:07pm PT
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Nor will you, sir......(why should you be any different..)
Then there's the glorious "RavenHairs"......Chicks are Badass.
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homemade salsa
Trad climber
west tetons
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Jul 29, 2008 - 05:34pm PT
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Just ran across this thread and read it start to finish. Lots of my old heroes (don't like the word heroines as it seems like a derivative) are listed, accoladed.
I want to mention the women's Himalayan climbers of the 80s- Lucy Smith, Shari Kearney, Sue Giller who was named earlier, Annie Whitehouse, and various others- Kathy Phipps of the NW women for example. I learned a ton from all of them over the years.
I work the Women That Rock in the Tetons- we have been doing it for 13-14 years but have taken the last few years off due to babies. Some of those notables mentioned earlier show up: Beth Bennett one year, Kim Cz, can't forget Bobbie Bensman (we watched in awe at her forearms as she served herself salad at the climbers ranch), lately have had Angela Hawse, Karen O'Neill, Amy Whisler Skinner, Sue Miller, Robin Waxman, and always Evelyn Lees and Catherine Cullinane as great teachers/ guides/ inspiration.
Good memories climbing with Nancy Feagin in the early 90s, flipping coins for the hard leads but laughing and laughing, no matter how scared we were. Then Nancy with her baby blue eyes looking innocently at the ranger in some parking lot in Yosemite, "oh no, we would never dream of sleeping here in the parking lot." heehee
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Jul 29, 2008 - 05:50pm PT
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Kit Deslaurius,
Kitty Calhoun,
and
Kim walker,
have already been mentioned in this thread, right?
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 13, 2008 - 04:19pm PT
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Bumping some great female climbing energy. Maybe someone new is lurking and has something to add?
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AndySan Diego
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Sep 13, 2008 - 09:32pm PT
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Seems Lynn Hill needs to be mentioned a little more.
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Brutus of Wyde
climber
Old Climbers' Home, Oakland CA
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Sep 13, 2008 - 10:23pm PT
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Phyllis Munday was as b@d@ss as they come. On one of their attempts on Mt. Waddington, they were at it for 36 hours straight, and very nearly reached the summit.
We laughingly bring it up occasionally when my wife and I have had what we would think of as a "full credit" day. "If we were the Mundays, our 'full credit' wouldn't even begin to register for another 20 hours!"
Phyllis was a major force in the partnership: her husband Don had suffered injuries in "the War" (the first one) and Phyllis generally insisted on taking the most physical burdens upon herself.
Her reaction speed was legendary: on one trip, she describes shooting out a hand and catching a marauding mouse mid-squeek. Another time, she jumped to Don's aid just as he was beginning a potentially lethal fall, grabbed him, and stabilized them both.
But don't hear it third hand, from me: Get a copy of "The Unknown Mountain" and read it from the Munday's book for yourself.
Phyllis Rocked.
Brutus
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Sep 13, 2008 - 11:18pm PT
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Some Yosemite Valley FAs and FFAs with women team members (not all, I don't know how to resolve "Chris," etc.. in the list... any help would be appreciated...)
76 Degrees in the Shade 5.10c 2001 Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson
Absolutely Free, Left Side 5.9 1970 Jim Bridwell Bev Johnson Mark Klemens
After Six 5.7 1965 Yvon Chouinard Ruth Schnieder
Afterburner 5.11c 1993 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Are You Hard Enough? 5.10d Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson
Bad to the Bone 5.9+ A4 VI 1984 Jay Smith Lidija Painkiher
Betsy Pinnacle 5.9 1970 Betsy Nelson Rick Sylvester
Big Easy 5.11d 1993 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Birds of a Feather 5.7 1975 Kevin Worrall Jane Wituchki
Blackballed 5.10b 1987 Dan McDevitt Sue Bonovich
Boneheads 5.10b 1999 Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson William Anderson Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Boulderfield Gorge 5.9 1966 Royal Robbins Liz Robbins Mike Dent Victer Cowley
Bourbon Street 5.10c 1993 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Chairman Ted Scraps the Time Machine 5.10a 1987 Greg Murphy Melanie Findling
Chicken Pox 5.8 1972 Steve Wunsch Dianna Hunter
Chips Ahoy 5.12b 1991 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Church Tower, East Arete 5.5 II 1935 Ken Adam Olive Dyer Morgan Harris
Compass Rose 5.10- 1989 Tucker Tech Lynn Wolfe
The Cow, Left 5.8 R 1970 Ken Boche Mary Bomba
The Cracker, Southwest Corner 5.5 1969 Bill Sorenson Ann Rehder
Critical Path 5.11a 1991 Clint Cummins Anne Smith
Diminishing Returns 5.10c 1990 Hal Thompkins Lin Murphy
The Dove 5.8 1975 Kevin Worrall Jane Witucki
Dreams of Thailand 5.11d Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson
Dromedary - The Hump 1971 Barry Bates Bev Johnson
Dynamic Doubles 5.9 1991 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Dyslexia 5.10d A4 VI 1985 Ellie Hawkins
El Capitan, West Chimney 5.9 1937 Ethel Mae Hill Owen Williams Gordon Patten 1966 Galen Rowell Tom Fender
End of the Line 5.10c 2001 Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson
Energizer 5.11b 1990 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Eura Mura 1983 Knez Franabcek Lidija Painkiher Igor Skamprle
Eye in the Sky 5.10b R 1985 Mark Spencer Shirley Spencer Dan Abbot David Abbot
Falcon 5.10b 1981 Chris Cantwell Larry Zulim Becky Plourd Sue Moore
Fast as a Shark 5.11 1988 Ed Collins Joan Collins Ken Ariza Tucker Tech
Fifty Crowded Variation 5.10a 1987 Clint Cummins Nancy Kerrebrock
Final Decision 5.11b 1981 Anders Lundahl Eva Selim
Fine Line 5.10a 1985 Grant Hiskes Doe DeRoss
Fish Fingers 5.11b R 1985 Jonny Woodward Maria Cranor
Five o'Clock Shadow 5.9 X 1987 Jay Smith Penny Fogel
Fly-Girls 5.11a Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
The Footstool, Right Side 5.4 R 1959 Mark Powell Beverly Powell Bill Feuerer
For Your Eyes Only (Octopussy) 5.9 A3 VI 1988 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Free Press 5.10a 1971 Galen Rowell Sibylle Hechtel
George's Secretary 5.8 1988 George Watson Jim Edmondson Kyle Edmondson Mike Forkash Nancy Beebe
Ginger Snap 5.12b 1992 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
The Girl Next Door, Left Side 5.1 1972 John Bragg Bev Johnson
Golden Needles 5.8 1979 Jim Beyer Janice Linhares
Goodrich Pinnacle, Right Side 5.9 R 1964 Royal Robbins Liz Robbins TM Herbert
Grape Race 5.9 A5 VI 1974 Charlie Porter Bev Johnson
Great Escape 5.11c 1993 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Harding Route 5.7 III 1957 Warren Harding Bea Vogel
Hell's Hollow 5.10a 1985 Ken Ariza Doe DeRoss Nick Arms Mark Carpenter
Holidays 5.8 R/X 1986 Scott Cosgrove Jenny Naquin
Home-Boys 5.11a Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Hoosier's Highway 5.10c R 1974 Steve Shea Molly Higgins Larry Bruce Lou Dawson
Hooter Alert 5.10c Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson
Horse Play 5.9 A3 VI 1984 Steve Grossman Sue Harrington
The Hundredth Monkey 5.11b 1990 Deanne Gray Rolland Arsons
I Don't Know 5.10a 1990 Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson William Anderson
I Don't Remember 5.9 1990 Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson William Anderson
The Inconsolable Buttress 5.7 A3 III 1960 Mark Powell Beverly Powell Dave Rearick
Isoceles, Left 5.9 1972 Linda Halverson Rick Sylvester
John's Other Chimney 5.4 A1 II 1953 John Ohrenschall Marry Ann Corthell
Jump for Joy 5.9 R 1967 Yvon Chouinard Joy Herron
Just Do Me 5.10d Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson
Just for Starters 5.10a 1992 Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson William Anderson
The Kids are All Right 5.7 1986 Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson William Anderson
Knuckleheads 5.10b 1991 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Kung Pao Chicken 5.10b 1982 Dan Hare Kathy Cassidy
Laughing at the Void 5.9 A3 V 2000 Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson
Le Bachar 5.11b 1982 John Bachar Mike Lichlinski Mari Gingery
Leaning Tower, Traverse 5.5 II 1957 Chuch Wilts Ellen Wilts G.B. Harr
Lonely Dancer 5.10c 1979 Dave Yerian Shary McVoy Bruce Morris
Lower Arch Traverse 5.3 I 1957 Krehe Ritter Mara Unterman Judy Beyers
Lunatic Fringe 5.10c 1971 Barry Bates Bev Johnson
Lunch Ledge Direct (Space Case) 5.8 A4 IV 1961 Yvon Chouinard Wally Reed 1976 Ray Jardine Linda McGinnis
Lynnea's Birthday Surprise 5.10a 1986 Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson
Mac Daddy 5.11a 2002 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson
Marginal 5.9 R 1970 Ken Boche Mary Bomba Joe McKeown
Mass Assault 5.9 1972 Ken Boche Dennis Hennek Judy Sterner Russ McLean Sibylle Hechtel Tim Auger Mike Farrell
Middle Cathedral Rock, Northwest Buttress 5.6 II 1953 Bill Dunmire Marj Dunmire Jack Davis Dale Webster Dick Long Dick Houston
Middle Cathedral Rock, Northwest Face III 5.7 1957 Les Overstreet Jerry Gray George Ewing 1959 Margret Young Steve Roper
Mirror, Mirror Left 5.10b R 1985 Eric Brand Jonell Geller
Moby Dick, Center 5.10a 1963 Herb Swedlund Penny Carr 1963 Frank Sacherer Steve Roper
Mother of the Future 5.11a 1989 Joel Auger Clint Cummins Nancy Kerrebrock
Movin' Like a Stud 5.10d 1978 Pat Timpson Julie Brugger Bob Crawford Dave Anderson
Movin' to Montana 5.8 1992 Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson William Anderson
Mr. Pink-eyes 5.11d 1991 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Mud Shark 5.8 1980 Billy Serniuk Charleen Serniuk Jack Dodalou
My Rhombus 5.10a 1986 Dan McDevitt Sue Bonovich
Mystic Mint 5.11b 1992 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Nevada Falls, Left Side 5.6 A4 II 1960 Royal Robbins Lin Ephraim
New Suede Shoes 5.10c Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson
No Teats 5.10a 1986 Susan Lilly Tucker Tech
North Dome, South Face Route III 5.7 1957 Mark Powell Wally Reed 1960 Mort Hempel Irene Ortenberger Steve Roper
North Dome, Southwest Face 5.9 1968 Bev Clark Chuck Pratt
The Nose 5.9 C2 VI 5.13b 1958 Warren Harding Wayne Merry George Whitmore 1993 Lynn Hill
Nutcracker 5.8 1967 Royal Robbins Liz Robbins
Nutter Butter 5.12b 1992 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
On the Waterfront 5.9 A5 VI 1986 Steve Bosque Mike Corbett Gwen Schneider
Peter's Out 5.12 1978 Peter Croft Tami Knight
Pigs in Space 5.12 1978 Peter Croft Tami Knight Larry Zulim
Pink Panther 5.11a 1991 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Poker Face 5.10b 1986 Dan McDevitt Sue Bonovich
Polymastia 5.10d 1994 Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson William Anderson
Power Failure 5.11a 1975 Ray Jardine Linda McGinnis Mark Vallance
Priceless Friends 5.10a 1988 Mike McGrale Urmas Franosch Marlo Finney Marty Lewis
Pringles 5.11b 1991 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Psycho-Betty 5.9 1989 Eric Gompper Linda Gil-Martin
Reality Check 5.10c 1976 Ray Jardine Linda McGinnis
Reticent Wall 5.7 A5 VI 1995 Steve Gerberding Scott Stowe Laurie Stowe
Rixon's Pinnacle, South Face 5.8 A2 III 5.11d 1948 Chuck Wilts Ellen Wilts 1974 Tobin Sorenson John Bachar
Royal Cornpad 5.10a 1976 Ray Jardine Linda McGinnis
Sailin' Shoes 5.10d 1978 Bruce Morris Dave Austin Chuck Neifield Gary Robbe Peter Thurston Val Lecont
Sargantana 5.9 A5 VI 1997 Pep Mesip Silvia Vidal
Savage Amusement 5.11b 1988 Ed Collins Joan Collins Ken Ariza Tucker Tech
Second Thoughts 5.10a Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson
Sex Drive 1988 Tucker Tech Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Siberian Swarm Screw 5.10a 1972 Jim Donini Steve Wunsch John Bragg Kevin Bein Bev Johnson
Skinheads 5.10d 1991 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Slingshot 5.12a 1990 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Sloppy Seconds 5.5 1972 Jerry Anderson Elsie Anderson
Sloth Wall 5.7 1972 Steve Miller Jerry Anderson Elsie Anderson
Sorry Poopsie 5.8 1989 Don Reid Susan Reid
Space Case (Lunch Ledge Direct) 5.8 A4 IV 5.10c 1961 Yvon Chouinard Wally Reed 1976 Ray Jardine Linda McGinnis
Mt. Starr King, Northwest Face 5.9 II 1970 Ken Boche Mary Bomba
Stephanie's Corner 5.8 1991 Stephanie McCormack Walt Shipley
Strangers in the Night 5.10b 1972 Jim Donini Rab Carrington Bev Johnson Steve Wunsch
Supplication 5.10c 1971 Barry Bates Bev Johnson
The Syllable 5.8 1971 Rick Sylvester Sibylle Hetchel
Sylvester's Meow 5.11a 1986 Rick Sylvester Sue Odom
Teacher's Pet 1988 Dave Yerian Cade Loyd Ken Ariza Merry McGrath-Braun
Thunderhead 5.11d Jim Beyer Janice Linhares 1985 Jonny Woodward Maria Cranor
Tooth or Consequences 5.11b 1986 Charles Cole Lidija Painkiher
Twisted Road VI 2003 Paul Tureki Kristen Kramer Greg Collins
Unagi 5.10c 1988 Clint Cummins Nancy Kerrebrock
Unnamed but Beautiful 5.10c 2001 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson
Uppity Women 5.10c 1990 Lin Murphy Denise Matenson
Warm Up Crack 5.10a Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson
Watermelon Rind 5.9 A3 V 1971 John Svenson Sharon Young Kent Stokes Bob Schneider
Waverly Wafer 5.10c 1970 Jim Bridwell Barry Bates Bev Johnson
West Side Story 5.10b 1989 Tucker Tech Sue Harrington
William's Climb 5.10c 1989 Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson William Anderson Rob Kroeckel
Winter of Our Discontent 5.1 1989 Tucker Tech Sue Harrington
Winterlewd 5.10b 1990 Lin Murphy Jane Koski Mia Ongelma
Zoner 5.11b 1985 Mark Spencer Shirley Spencer Floyd Hayes
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Nutsonthechin, Wisconsin
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Sep 13, 2008 - 11:22pm PT
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Sue Bonavich and Sue McDevitt are the same lil' Sue..... FYI (marriage)
Tracy Dorton is 103% male
Butterfingers: Charley is a girl?
Freaks of nature: are they all girls? Cary Hansen?
Watkins S face: Brooke is a guy
Mud Shark 5.8 1980 Billy Sernick Charleen Sernick Jack Dodalou
(Billy is Blitzo aka Sally aka Bluto. His last name is Serniuk as is Charleens, his wife.
Check out the Blitzo Photo Gallery here on SuperTopo:
http://www.supertopo.com/rockclimbing/progallery.html?gid=23
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Sep 14, 2008 - 01:02am PT
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thanks for the corrections Russ...
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Brutus of Wyde
climber
Old Climbers' Home, Oakland CA
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Sep 14, 2008 - 10:43am PT
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Midwife Crisis 5.8 Lin Murphy, Nancy Kerrebrock
One member of the FA team was quite preggers (What was it Clint? 8 months?)
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scooter
climber
fist clamp
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Sep 14, 2008 - 02:04pm PT
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Mary Braun, sneaking away from Werner to solo 5.11-5.12 on the cookie. HOLY CRAP is Mary a bad ass!
P
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Sep 14, 2008 - 03:53pm PT
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> Midwife Crisis 5.8 Lin Murphy, Nancy Kerrebrock
> One member of the FA team was quite preggers (What was it Clint? 8 months?)
Yeah, Nancy was 7 or 8 months pregnant that weekend. Lin had that route name picked out far in advance, and just needed to borrow Nancy and find some new line to climb. I think they decided that route may have been done before. It is now listed in the supertopo guidebook as Stand and Deliver. While liebacking, the baby on board was kicking pretty hard when his swimming space was reduced! That was in 1993, May or June.
Later the same weekend, they did the FA of Baby Face, over by Mirror Lake. There was a third person on that FA, but I don't remember who - was it Em? Denise?
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Sep 14, 2008 - 03:58pm PT
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pretty cool history behind the route names...
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Sep 17, 2008 - 12:50am PT
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from the Andy's Inferno summit register... the first all female ascent (14th of the route) made October 13, 1974 by Molly Higgins, and Barb Eastman
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Nov 13, 2008 - 02:27am PT
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bump
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Nov 13, 2008 - 10:04am PT
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MisterE
Trad climber
One Place or Another
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Feb 25, 2009 - 11:05am PT
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Bump for the ladies
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SGropp
Mountain climber
Eastsound, Wa
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Feb 27, 2009 - 03:43pm PT
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I did Lunatic Fringe [10c] and the Center Route on Independence Pinnacle [10d] one afternoon in 76 with Julie Brugger.[sp?]
She led the hard pitches in fine style, but backed off one of the upper pitches of the Center route even though it was "only 5.9" It was steep, loose and dirty, so I got a turn.
She was a great free climber, short but really strong.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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May 10, 2009 - 01:52am PT
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Thanks to Ed Hartouni for remembering me (Jan Baker Sacherer). Unfortunately I will never know what my potential as a rock climber was, due to various circumstances. Certainly when I began climbing with Layton Kor in 1963, no one ever imagined that a woman would lead. In fact, most of us leaned over backwards to look feminine (ie. lots of makeup) in spite of engaging in such a masculine sport (see photos below).
I did go out to Yosemite in 1965 to spend the summer climbing, but broke my wrist the first week there, catching a heavy guy on a 40 foot leader fall while belaying in slings. My wrist was jammed up against the hauling bag. It was almost worth it though since a lot of men in those days wouldn’t climb with a woman, claiming that she couldn’t hold a leader fall. At least no one ever ran that by me again! However, several tourists in Camp 4 that summer (it was the pet campground then) did take it upon themselves to ask me when I was going to give up my climbing nonsense and get married and have children "like a real woman". When I did get married, my husband who was a great climber, didn’t want me to climb?!
Later after I was living on my own again, I introduced Barb Eastman and Molly Higgins to the Valley in the fall of 1973, (we had all taught together at Colorado Outward Bound that summer), doing my first leading with them on a typical Valley chimney. After that I departed for easy snow mountains in the Himalayas and graduate school in Europe, and academia took over my life.
I did take great pride in Molly and Barb however, when they sent a photo to me in Nepal, of themselves on top of El Cap after they became the first all woman team to do it.
Go girls!
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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May 10, 2009 - 02:13am PT
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Here's a couple of historic gals, right now
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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May 10, 2009 - 02:35am PT
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So BTW, where is the El Cap parasol portrait of the OP?
This thread is left wanting, without it!
Some help here?
Edit;
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Holdplease2
Big Wall climber
Yosemite area
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May 10, 2009 - 03:52pm PT
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Thank you, Jaybro, for posting this up.
Melissa is a great all-around climber and great climbing partner. We were on Zodiac in that shot, which she thought was a good choice for my first Yosemite wall. We were climbing in good style, fashion-wise anyway. Good times. Thank you, M.
-Kate.
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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May 10, 2009 - 04:32pm PT
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That was your first El Cap route, Big wall Kate? Too funny! Melissa is as cool a person as I've ever met in the last , 52+yrs. The only 'serious' climb I've climbed with her was ' el cap in a day in a gym' based on that, and various other conversations, I would go out and climb anything! with her. Not sure where she belongs, on the Chick history thread, but she is a big part of it it, though she would never tell you...
( Did I steal your photo? I don't mean to offend, and will take down anything)
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Evel
Trad climber
the cliffs of insanity
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May 10, 2009 - 04:49pm PT
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Lotus Steele?
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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May 10, 2009 - 09:56pm PT
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no chance, evel. . .
even though I've not seen Lotus for years, I know that
isn't her in either. the first is probably Pamela Pack. . .
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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May 10, 2009 - 09:57pm PT
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oooops... my bad...
I thought the title was:
"The Chicken History Thread".
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Evel
Trad climber
the cliffs of insanity
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May 10, 2009 - 10:15pm PT
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Not a guess, I'm including her on the list.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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May 10, 2009 - 11:14pm PT
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Jan Baker Sacherer
North Face of the Maiden - Boulder
December 1963
Photo by Layton Kor
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murcy
climber
San Fran Cisco
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May 11, 2009 - 12:11am PT
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Wow, are you the very Jan in the (amazing) photo? Tell us more!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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May 11, 2009 - 12:34am PT
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Yes.
That last photo from Jan really takes the cake !!!
AND has histr'y.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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May 11, 2009 - 02:14am PT
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This is the only other photo I have from this era. It was taken on the same climb of the Maiden in 1963. Note the swami belt, carabiner breakbar, and state- of- the- art Kronhoffer klettershoes. This photo also by Layton Kor.
It does seem amazing that we were ever that young!
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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May 11, 2009 - 02:20am PT
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Summit photo from the first all woman ascent of the Nose on El Cap 1977. Molly Higgins and Barb Eastman.
This photo was sent to me by Molly and Barb while I was working in a village in Nepal where the women showed their subservience to their husbands by washing their feet at the wedding ceremony and sipping some of the footwater. Needless to say, it was a very depressing place for a woman and this photo improved my morale more than Barb or Molly will ever know.
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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May 11, 2009 - 02:32am PT
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I always liked that one!
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TomKimbrough
Social climber
Salt Lake City
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May 11, 2009 - 09:34am PT
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Jan - Hi from Barb Eastman! Cheers for us ladies!
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Carolyn C
Trad climber
the long, long trailer
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May 11, 2009 - 12:37pm PT
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Love that photo of Molly and Barb. 1977 was my first year climbing in the Valley, and their feat seemed impossible to me. Wow...great days.
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Srbphoto
Trad climber
Kennewick wa
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Jul 16, 2009 - 11:39pm PT
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How about Jo Whitford, Karine Croft, Mary (I can't remember her last name, tall, hung out with Jo). There were others in the late eighties, early ninties hanging in the Valley.
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dfrost7
Social climber
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Jul 16, 2009 - 11:48pm PT
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Did anyone mention Rosie Andrews or the Divine Miss "M" - Maria Cranor? Bobbi Bensman or Isabelle Patissier?
Edit: I see Rosie and Maria are mentioned, bump those two anyway!
Didn't see Bobbi or Isabelle but they're most likely mentioned.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Jul 17, 2009 - 01:54am PT
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Has anyone mentioned Barbara Washburn? First woman to climb Denali way back in 1947. Probably did a fair number of other peaks with her husband, Bradford Washburn.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Jul 17, 2009 - 02:05am PT
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Melissa- Didn't you do the first female ascent of eagle's way in the early 90's?
Mucci
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Dr. Duct Tape
Trad climber
La Honda, CA
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Sep 17, 2009 - 04:48am PT
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I am reliving some of my distant past on this forum and was delighted to see this thread. I spent my first summer in Camp 4 in 1971 at age 15 and spent $30 for 2 days of climbing lessons with the Mountaineering School. My instructors were Bev Johnson and Barry Bates.
Being young and innocent, I was not a real threat for hitting on the women in Camp 4 and learned a great deal from their complaints and candid conversations with me about what they want (and don't want) from men.
I am ever grateful for their words of wisdom, some of which I still remember and have helped me stay happily married for almost 30 years.
I am also grateful for the other women who taught me my first lessons in outdoor play. I took my first XC ski lesson from Carolyn Tiernan at Summit Meadows in 1973 and won the Nordic Holiday XC ski relay with her and Bud Rice in 1975. I learned whitewater slalom kayaking from Candy Clark, horseback riding and jumping from my wife Janet, race car driving from my sister Patty and off-road driving from Daphne Green.
Here are some of my memories and belated thanks:
From Bev Johnson:
To Gail Gross, in 1972: "It's not how many 5.10 climbs I've led but how many 5.10 climbers I've laid".
To me, in 1976 (when she was Ned Gillette's girlfriend) "Rich, you are a good XC racer, but would be really fast if you had some form"
Thanks to Tina Hargis for her teachings on winter wildlife and letting me stay with her and Mead in Tuolumne for much of the winter in 1975.
Thanks to Annie-Marie Rizzi for letting me lead the crux of C.S. Concerto in return for planting the rumor that I lost my virginity on that climb (sadly, that didn't happen for another year).
Thanks to Donna Pritchett, Lora Hein, Darren Ross, Peggy Kuropat, Ann Baker and Marybeth Harder for patiently inspiring me to be more of a naturalist and less of a teenager during the 3 months they endured me and John Dill on our expedition to South America and the Galapagos Islands in 1973.
Except for my wife Janet, I have lost contact with these exceptional women. Donna, Bev and my sister Patty are no longer with us and I miss them.
Regards,
Rich Lee
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Jennie
Trad climber
Elk Creek, Idaho
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Sep 17, 2009 - 01:39pm PT
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Nice photos, Jan !
You are beautiful.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Sep 17, 2009 - 02:42pm PT
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I didn't see Betsy White listed. She's had a long and interesting history in the mountains. Her husband Gene died last year. Both of them quiet, wonderful and interesting people.
Perhaps someone who knows Betsy better can remind us (and me) of some of her climbing.
Fred Glover
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 17, 2009 - 03:30pm PT
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I'm happy to see this post circulating again.
As I said in her very own thread, the recent article by Tami in the Alpinist is not to be missed. Be forwarned: It's a two hanky read.
Thanks for the appreciation, Kate and Jaybro. I missed it before, but I'm smiling today.
Mucci, I haven't been climbing that long, and never turned out to be much of a wall climber anyway. Would be cool to be "that" Melissa. I'm not sure who she is.
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hooblie
climber
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Sep 17, 2009 - 07:03pm PT
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i've got to say, i'm coming to recognize that i'm a guy who just bumbled through, semi oblivious. lucky for me i got to the valley early enough to climb with bev johnson, though her story didn't unfold for me prior to the event, rather after the fact. i knew she had climbed with some of the greats, but in such a small world that made sense. what did get my attention was that she was gung ho enough to go climbing with a cast on her arm. we did some low angle thing below the lower brothers area that diagonals pretty good, and it made sense that mostly footwork was required so ... good to go.
shary mcvoy was a darn stout off width wrestler who impressed me with, maybe taught me about, taping procedures. did generator crack and others with lucy parker and felt like i was playing both sides of the fence when i loaned ron an ice ax after she burned his tent down. i kept running into pat timpson and julie brugger till it started to get silly, no matter which state. she made it crystal clear that girls can crank.
but i would have to say the lady climber that made burned an image for the ages was K.B., kathryn besio. we were both pretty darn limby and when i watched her move up on the thin stuff i had something of an epiphany. it came to me that i got up stuff for the same reason that she got up stuff and it wasn't by way of overwhelming force. i haven't had that feeling watching anyone else and i've always felt like we were in cahoots from opposite sides of the gender gap.
the great thing about what the women have shown us is that tenacity, finesse, and will pretty much trump a bunch of reckless puffery
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Sep 17, 2009 - 07:52pm PT
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Melissa-
I think her name is Melissa Swan?
anybody know her
I think she did the 1st female ascent of Eagles way in the early 90's with C Clance.
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The Chef
climber
Topsfield Ma
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Sep 18, 2009 - 10:18am PT
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I'm a new climber (this is my 3rd year) and I'm not very social, so I don't know many people in the community. I was however introduced to climbing by a female co-worker. Man could she climb.
Anyway, I enjoy history, so the second book I picked up was a history of climbing in the Northeastern US. I don't know, really, any history aside from what I've read. This very cool book (which I would recommend to any East or West coaster) "Yankee Rock & Ice" was written by Laura & Guy Waterman.
A few names I found, which I don't think have been mentioned.
1920s
Margaret Helburn
Elizabeth Knowlton
Florence Peabody
Marjorie Hurd
Jessie Whitehead
1930s
Betty Woolsey
Thelma Bonney
Red McDonald
Marguerite Schnellbacher
Hellen Fair
Maria Leiper
1940s
Bonnie Prudden
1950s
Krist Raubenheimer
Ann Church
Dorothy Hirschland
Ruth Tallan
Trudy Healy
Chicks climb hard, always have.
Joe
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Double D
climber
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Sep 18, 2009 - 12:29pm PT
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hooblie wrote,"but i would have to say the lady climber that made burned an image for the ages was K.B., kathryn besio..."
werd. KB was an amazing climber and really cool person to boot.
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
Idaho, also. Sorta, kinda mostly, Yeah.
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Sep 19, 2009 - 07:55pm PT
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Mucci, I know Melissa Swann.
She was around the Valley, mid '90's.
Did a fair amount of Wall Climbing.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 19, 2009 - 07:57pm PT
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Those two women are hugely inspirational to me and probably most of us, but the reason that I started the thread was to learn about the non-famous women or the non-famous stories about the famous ones. As I said before, there are piles of these tales for the fellas, and I'd like to see the less well known stories of female climbing adventure and tangentially associated debauchery be told more completely.
Lists of names are better than no info, but seeing someone's pics or hearing about post-climb fun from BITD fills a different kind of gap for me anyway.
To quote my own self upthread..."Like, Russ' pictures of climbing at the height of 80's fashion creates this excellent sense of nostalgia for me for a time when I wasn't even around. It's a story that's told one way or another here almost every day, and part of the reason why I like this site the best. It's just that women are almost never part of that story."
Thanks all for sharing
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Sep 19, 2009 - 09:35pm PT
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Here is a piece on Bonnie Prudden from Climbing 1988. I posted this on the Gunks thread initially.
Classic 75 North American Climber ad shot of Bonnie's Roof in the Gunks which she put up with Hans Kraus in 1952.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Chela Varrentzoff started climbing in high school in San Francisco where she first got interested in mountain climbing through books (stories of the early attempts by the British on Mt. Everest, etc.)
Her first climbing was done at Taquitz with a family friend who invited her on a Thanksgiving trip there with the Berkeley Hiking Club. The year was 1959 and Chela was only 16. Eventually she met Sharon Bachman and a friend who in turn invited Chela to go climbing with a college friend of theirs at Cragmont Rock in Berkeley. They were often mentored by older Sierra Club climbing mentors, like Steve Roper's father and Carl Weissner. Their new college friend meanwhile, turned out to be Frank Sacherer who practiced with the girls until he felt confident enough to climb in Yosemite.
When Chela decided to become a "certified leader" in the Sierra Club Rock Climbing Section, she had to complete a check list of skills ad finally a number of climbs from their list with a "Sierra Club Qualified Leader". Chuck Pratt and Bill Amborn took her climbing on several routes in Yosemite Valley including Higher Cathedral Spire, and had her do all the work of hauling ropes, setting up rappels, and belaying the leaders, as the paperwork required. Chuck then completed all the paperwork necessary and she mailed it in. Even though he was not technically qualified to evaluate her, since he was not a Sierra Club member, Chuck's climbing reputation was such already, that she was happily accepted as a certified rock climbing leader anyway.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=861139&msg=1029332#msg1029332
Chela occasionally led her own climbs since "following and getting out big bong-bong pitons from lieback cracks was almost worse than leading". She also had an epic on the infamous Royal Arches descent. She got marooned with her climbing partner somewhere near Washington's column when they turned to go down from the Rim too soon and had to spend the night on the wall. Chela remembers she had to do some creative, near horizontal, rappels wearing both their backpacks while carrying "twisty goldline prussik slings" in case she couldn't reach the next tiny tree way off to the side. As Chela puts it, "That experience as a 16-year old taught me a lot about just expecting to "be taken care of" "because I was just a girl".
I first met Chela in Yosemite through Frank when she was in college at Berkeley and climbing at a high standard with her soon to be husband, Paul Kunasz. Later they moved to Boulder where she is currently head of FOTSI (Friends of Tibetan Settlements in India).
http://www.kunasz.com/TSI/Newslet/news2009.pdf
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Fogarty
climber
BITD
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Miri Gingri
35 Years of kick ass climbing and still going strong.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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the OP was in Jan 2005, it's nearly 5 years later, certainly close to a climbers "peak" activity longevity...
There must have been women who have interesting, important stories to tell just recently!
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Climbing dropout
climber
X-Whistlerite
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I nominate Tami Knight to this thread. How many dozen FA's in Squamish have your name on them Tami ?
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Here's some Chicks rocking history right now as we rub the sleep out of our eyes, and jones the first cup 'o' Java....
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Climbing dropout
climber
British Columbia
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Tami do you remember sandbagging me with your boyfriend as the second on the FA of Slow Dyke near Arrowroute ? I removed the only piece of pro, just before the crux, and was suddenly looking at a ground fall even though i was seconding .... no wonder you passed on it.
Jaybro nice work, this thread needs a ton more photos !!!
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 1, 2009 - 09:54pm PT
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5 years? Time flies by too fast. Thanks for the bump and the sweet additions (esp. for adding pics of some ladies near and dear.)
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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I've often wondered about all of those girls (who worked for Curry) who used to put up with us. I fell in "love" with like fifty of them over the decade of summers I hung in Yoz., and they (mostly) were always so gracious and I was always so loud and obnoxious. A couple of those girls still bother my sleep.
Where have they gone? The experiencs blend into the river of time but a touch, a sigh, a moment of kindness still lingers. One time, hunkered in a dorm room, one of those girls put her hand flat on my chest and quietly said, "You're not who you seem to be." She knew. Maybe they all did.
There was more than climbing . . .
JL
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Pretty sure I've posted this picture somewhere on ST before, but it really belongs in this thread. This chick made a bit of climbing history, but that was before she got thrown in jail for child endangerment. She's out now, and last I heard she'd taken up circus life. Too bad about that -- she had a real future as a climber
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richross
Trad climber
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Gunks climber Barbara Devine in Colorado 1977.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Dec 14, 2009 - 02:21pm PT
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A couple more that have been overlooked
Hollis Marriot aka 'The Last Pioneer Woman' of the Devil's Tower and So Dakota Needles guides. Fa's of many routes in those, and I imagine, other areas. Musician, State Botanist emeritus for the state of Wyoming, I've known her since about the late seventies I ran into her in Blair Wyo (suburban Vedauwoo) summer before last and she's still going strong, though appears to be more into trail running than climbing, right now.
More obscure, but the first woman to climb Devil's tower, back in 1895. Alice Ripley. Odd ascent style by modern standards (wooden stake ladder) but ahead of it's time nonetheless.
"The first ascent was on July 4, 1893 when cowboys William Rogers and W.L. Ripley climbed a ladder of wooden stakes pounded into cracks with lengths lumber attached. A crowd of 500 people watched their daring ascent. Afterwards a party of five climbed the ladder. Alice Ripley, wife of W.L. Ripley, climbed the ladder two years later, becoming the first woman to stand atop it. A dozen other people also ascended the ladder prior to the climbing ascent."
I wonder if she wore cowboy boots? Pretty sure she knew Cat Ballou!
-from facts about Devil's tower http://climbing.about.com/od/wheretoclimb/a/DevilsTower1.htm
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Dec 14, 2009 - 02:35pm PT
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Em of Wyde in action last Saturday
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richross
Trad climber
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Dec 14, 2009 - 02:47pm PT
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Taffy Bunt after descending the Crevice at Skytop,1980.
The best climber waitress at the Mohonk Mountain House.
Taffy on Grey Face.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Dec 14, 2009 - 04:17pm PT
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Geraldine Lucas
Second woman on top of Grand Teton
Sixth ascent of Grand Teton
58-59 yrs old
1924
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L
climber
Fish do WHAT in this water???
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Dec 14, 2009 - 05:07pm PT
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I have a new hero since our first on-site at Thanksgiving:
The Mighty Em of Wyde
As strong in spirit
as she is humble in demeanor,
lending a helping hand before you even have time to ask,
an excellent chef
and an evil purveyor of The Demon Chocolate (the best I've ever tasted),
full of gentle humor and wisdom
and an abundance of compassion
(even for big black hairy spiders in kitchens)...
yet will throw herself at a quartz-monzonite gristle-fest OW in the blink of an eye,
with a damn the torpedoes! sort of glee which makes Real Men feel kinda Real Whimpy...lol!
She's my new hero...The Mighty Em of Wyde.
(see Jaybro's photos above)
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Here's a photo of Dianne Westman, one of the girls Frank Sacherer climbed with in his early days, along with Chela Varrentzoff Kunasz.
In 1969/1970 Bruce Albert worked as a page at the Seattle Public Library where Dianne worked as a librarian.
They went climbing in Leavenworth once or twice and she described having climbed in Yosemite with Frank, Steve Roper, and others & related having been somewhat terrified by stuff Frank did unroped.
She also gave Bruce two or three old Chouinard carabiners which are stamped "KLR".
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Margaret Young, alpinist.
Tom Cochrane recently posted a nice trip report on the first recorded winter ascent of Temple Peak (Wind Rivers), with Jim Richardson and Margaret Young, around New Year's in 1966.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1116586&msg=1136769#msg1136769
Jan suggested more should be posted about Margaret Young, in this thread.
Here is her obituary, by Arlene Blum, from the 1980 AAJ:
MARGARET YOUNG
1932-1979
Margaret Young, an AAC member since 1973, died of cancer on
June 17, 1979, after a 27-year mountaineering career including climbs
in the U.S.A., Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, Kenya, Iran, Afghanistan,
Russia, Nepal, and England. Among her first ascents were Monja
Grande in Ecuador, and the south summit of the Moose’s Tooth in Alaska.
She made numerous first ascents and first winter ascents of peaks and rock
climbs in the Sierra Nevada, and first and last ascents of rock routes
in the Glen Canyon area of Arizona (last because the routes are
now covered by the waters of Lake Powell). She delighted in making
first descents, for example the first descent from Upper to Lower Yosemite
Falls by rope and rubber raft.
Margaret made a major contribution to the development of women’s
climbing. In 1970 she was a member of the first all-women’s team
to climb Mount McKinley. In 1972 she reached the summit of
Noshaq [24,580'] in Afghanistan, and with Alice Liska shared the altitude record
for women from the Western Hemisphere. Among her climbs with Vera
Watson, her frequent climbing partner, were Mount Robson, first ascents
of two peaks on the Grueningk Glacier, the first all-women’s ascent in
winter of Pigeon and Howser Spires, and in 1977 the first all-women’s
ascent of Sajama (21,424 feet), the highest peak in Bolivia. Of all her
peak climbs, Monja Grande in Ecuador was her favorite.
She brought her analytical skills to bear on her favorite activities -climbing,
flying, caving and hang gliding-accepting inherent risks and
proceeding with maximum control and safety. A superb photographer,
she made stereo pairs of peaks and climbing routes for scientific study
and for planning climbs. Less widely known are her sensitive photographs
of the minutiae of the mountain world-small flowers, mineral crystals,
knotty wood.
In August 1977, Margaret was thrown from a horse and paralyzed,
but she maintained an extraordinary level of activity. Having time to
devote to her longtime interest in solar energy, she designed a solar
heating system for use in her home. In the fall of 1978 she was a member
of the National Science Foundation’s panel on science and the handicapped.
She contributed to the American Women’s Annapurna I Expedition
by making concentrated wine by a process she had invented, as well as
pickets, flukes, cable ladders, etc.
In her last years Margaret had many cruel blows-paralysis, the loss
of her friend Vera Watson, and finally cancer-but she treated them
calmly and matter-of-factly.
Margaret had rare imagination and determination-truly a unique
woman, an innovative climber, and an inspiring friend.
ARLENE BLUM
Denali Damsels slideshow, on Arlene Blum's site:
http://www.arleneblum.com/chap8_10_comp/index.html
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MentalEnergy
Trad climber
Riverside, California
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Apr 19, 2010 - 11:24pm PT
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Hello everyone!
Does anyone know where Annie-Marie Rizzi is located? I found out about her being on the www.supertopo.com website, by using the Google.com search engine. I have not seen Annie-Marie Rizzi, or any other Yosemite Valley rock climber, I knew in 1972, in over 35 years!
I do not know if Annie-Marie Rizzi, remembers me at all! My name, before I changed it, was 'Roy Naasz'. I lived, worked at the Curry Village Mountain Shop, and rock climbed ( I was leading 5.10c ) in Yosemite Valley National Park, around 1972. Some how, I met Annie-Marie Rizzi, at the Yosemite Lodge or the old Camp 4. I ended up climbing with her, in Yosemite Valley, on the climb mentioned in the
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing message below:
Discussion Topic
The Chick History Thread
Apr 5, 2008 - 09:22pm PT
" ... climb my first complete wall on the Chouinard-Herbert for my 21st birthday ..."
At least, I think Annie-Marie Rizzi, was the young girl, I climbed the Chouinard-Herbert, on Sentinel Rock with! I remember the night we bivouaked, on a small ledge, about half-way up that climb. We both answered the call of nature, hanging off that small ledge. We finished that climb, when it became dark, so we bivouaked again, on the very top of Sentinel Rock. I was bitten by a small rodent while I was sleeping, I was about 24 years old at that time, was 5'11" tall, weighed 175 lbs and wore John Lennon type silver metal eyeglasses.
Let me tell everyone why I am trying to contact Annie-Marie Rizzi! This is going to sound very strange, to Annie-Marie Rizzi, and everyone else reading this message. About a year ago, Annie-Marie Rizzi appeared in a night time dream I had! She talked to me in that dream, for a few moments, then gave me a hug, and then that dream abruptly ended!
That dream shocked me! Never in my life, has a friend or relative, appeared in my night time dreams! I did remember Annie-Marie Rizzi, in Yosemite, once in a great while, but my memories of her, were just past history. I never thought I would ever see her again. But for this whole past year, I have been thinking about that dream, I had of talking with her! I kept trying to figure out, how Annie-Marie Rizzi, could appear in my dreams! I thought she was dead, and somehow, from the next realm, Annie-Marie Rizzi was communicating with me.
Many times in the last year, I kept thinking I should try and track Annie-Marie Rizzi down, using the Internet, to see if she were even alive! But I made no effort in that direction, until today! Just in the past week, the memories of a friend, I used to know, when I was in high school, were coming into my mind. This morning, I called the business, where my friend used to work, many years ago, and asked them if they knew what happened to him. They said he had died!
When I heard that my friend, whom I was starting to remember again, had died, I was galvanized into action! I decided immediately, that I had to find out if Annie-Marie Rizzi was even alive! I was having memories of her, from that dream, I just mentioned, and I wanted to know what the reality of Annie-Marie Rizzi's existence was!
As I said, at the start of this message, I found out about Annie-Marie Rizzi being on the www.supertopo.com website, by using the Google.com search engine. Until this morning, I did not know the www.supertopo.com website, even existed! I immediately registered as a member, on that website, so I could send this message.
So now, Annie-Marie Rizzi and every other rock climber, who might be reading this message, if what I am saying to you is correct, about my having climbed with Annie-Marie Rizzi, over 35 years ago, let me know. I would like very much to hear from Annie-Marie Rizzi or other rock climbers, who knew me in Yosemite Valley around 1972.
I now live in Riverside, California ( Didn't Annie-Maria Rizzi, used to live here? ). I changed my name from 'Roy Naasz', to 'Derek Starr', in 1990.
What ever Annie-Marie Rizzi, or any other rock climber decides to do, with regards to reading this message, have FUN! And definitely say hello to these two other girls, who I have also climbed with: Sibylle Hechtel ( Leaning Tower) and Bev Johnson ( Mt Clarence King, while Bev worked at 'West Ridge' with Don Lauria, 1969 (??) ).
Derek Starr
Just a little note; I put up the Joshua Tree rock climb - "Walk on the Wild Side", mentioned in the following Internet links, while I was attending UCLA, as mathematics major ( I rock climbed, more than I studied! ). I called the climb - "Walk on the Wild Side" - because leading and putting the bolts in on that rock climb, took me three seperate weekend trips, from UCLA to Joshua Tree. I just kept getting rained off that route ( Fall of 1969 ), as I was climbing it. The name "Walk on the Wild Side", seemed appropriate, given the rainy weather, I kept having to put up with.
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/california/joshua_tree_national_park/sheep_pass_area/105721828
http://www.climbing.com/exclusive/classicclimbs/wildside/
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Apr 20, 2010 - 03:38am PT
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Derek,
Her most recent post to this forum was in January 2010, so most likely she is still alive.
Having an old friend appear in a dream may feel significant to you, but it will probably not feel significant to them, because random factors influence dreams.
But if you have some good memories of the times you spent with a person, that could be a more acceptable reason for contacting them.
I don't know Anne-Marie or you, but I did know Andy Embick, and he once told me about the accident with you on Lost Arrow Direct.
There is some discussion of it on a thread here at supertopo:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=373143&tn=20
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MentalEnergy
Trad climber
Riverside, California
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Apr 20, 2010 - 02:33pm PT
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Clint Cummins,
Thank-you so much for your reply to my message, about Anne-Marie Rizzi. I did have a good time with Anne_Marie, on that Chouinard-Herbert ascent, otherwise, I would never sent my message to SuperTopo. You say everybody has dreams, for different reasons, and I agree with you. I had serious misgivings about composing the SuperTopo message, that you just read. But, I just decided to go for it! I sent that message, and started wondering what was going to happen in my life because of SuperTopo?
You live in the San Francisco Bay area. My very last memory of Anne-Marie Rizzi, was visiting her at her apartment in the Bay area. That visit occured, a year or two, after I left Yosemite Valley, in 1972/1973.
But, that is enough discussion, about that topic. Thanks for giving me that Big Rock, SuperTopo link. I definitely remember Randy Vogel, and of course Andy Embick ( I have not seen Andy, since I lived in Yosemite Valley. ) Some of the climbers, who mentioned my name, on that Big Rock, discussion, I may not remember that well. But I am grateful, that those climbers remember me! I am going to try and contact Randy Vogel, thru SuperTopo, in the immediate future.
Derek Starr
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Apr 20, 2010 - 03:13pm PT
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Derek, Wow great to see you posting here. It has been a long time since we have talked. Sent you an email with hopes of getting more memories of early Joshua Tree climbing
Derek also established Orange Flake, White Lightning and Scared Bare [freed and now called Desert Song]. He was way ahead of his time in exploring Joshua tree's potential outside of Hidden Valley.
Anyway, hope all is well with you.
R Vogel
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#310
Social climber
Telluride, CO
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Apr 20, 2010 - 07:26pm PT
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I talked with Anne Marie 2 days ago. I just emailed her to check this thread. Anne Marie gets email and the web at her local library and does not always surf through all new Super Topo stuff. I am not sure when she will get to the library to check mail and super topo - probably by the end of this week.
Margaret Young was a huge mentor to Annie Whitehouse and taught Annie how to climb. I was glad to see Margaret appear in this thread. Annie just left the US for a 6 month assignment with Doctors Without Borders in Africa.
Kathy
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Vulcan
Sport climber
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Apr 20, 2010 - 07:29pm PT
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Katie Brown
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Apr 21, 2010 - 02:30pm PT
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Wow, more tales from the old school, popping out here on Supertopo!
Thanks Derek.
You need to start your own Climbing Recollections thread, and get off this chick history thread,,,,
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Apr 21, 2010 - 02:37pm PT
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Hi Derek
Thank you for that story! Very cool.
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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Apr 21, 2010 - 03:20pm PT
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There are a number of other female climbers from the early days of climbing in the Northeast that surely deserve a mention on this thread. Miriam Underhill, from Boston, was one of the leading female climbers of the 1920s and 30s. Most of her best climbing was done in the Alps where the Via Miriam on the Torre Grande in the Dolomites is named in her honor. As well she participated in the first ascent of the traverse of the Aiguilles du Diable in Chamonix which was one of the hardest granite rock routes of the era. Both these were guided ascents, as was typical of the era, but Miriam also participated in a number of first guideless womens' ascents of major alpine routes. In this country she accompanied her husband, Robert, the leading US climber of the time,on numerous New England ascents, as well as in explorations of various western ranges. Elizabeth Knowlton was another noted New England climber of the era who participated in, and wrote a book about, an early expedition to Nanga Parbat. Even earlier Fannie Bullock Workman was a very active Himalayan explorer and climber at the beginning of the 20th century. Given the gender barriers and biases of those years all of the early women climbers had to have been amazingly strong and determined individuals. As has been mentioned before, this thread has focussed primarily on North American women, and there is a much greater pool of examples amongst overseas climbers. Just one, of many, worth mentioning is British climber Gertrude Bell, who made several very impaotant ascents in the 20th century, but then went onto a career in the British Foreign Service dealing with the Middle East,amongst other "accomplishments"in the aftermath of the First World War she was the primary architect of the country known as Iraq!!!!
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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Apr 22, 2010 - 12:21pm PT
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Steve, Betty Woolsley is another of the top female climbers of that period, most active, I think, few years after Miriam Underhill and Elizabeth Knowlton--who participated in significant new routes both east and west. I really should have included her in my previous post. I think that it is particularly interesting how many active and highly capable women climbers there were, at least in the northeast, during the 1920s and 30s, but then the numbers, and position near the cutting edge, dropped drastically from the '40s through to the late '60s (Bonnie Prudden being a notable exception). I have no doubt that general social and demographic trends throughout society were key contributing factors for this state of affairs, but it is noteworthy nonetheless. By the late '60s, at least in the Gunks, women climbers were again becoming more numerous and more active in climbing (and leading) harder and new routes. There were the "Vulgarian" women such as Gerd Thuestad and Elaine Matthews, and a bit later Patti Crowther and Cherry Merrit (Austin)were all climbing particulaly well--leading on to Barbara Devine--who really was in a different league entirely--until a young woman from SoCal arrived in the Gunks.....!!!!
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OldEric
Trad climber
Westboro, MA
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Apr 22, 2010 - 12:54pm PT
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Another name that from that in between era that Al mentions that I think is noteworthy is Jan Conn. Probably not recognized so much on her own as she was a early example of "Bradgalina" - answering to "HerbandJan".
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EdBannister
Mountain climber
CA
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Apr 22, 2010 - 01:07pm PT
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I remember going to see Mike Hoover and Bev Johnson (they were married) at their home in Eagle Rock, dropping off some gear as they prepped for another trip to Antarctica. Bev was checking out her Gyrocopter which she would fly, and film from at the same time. She was zipping around the yard showing me stuff, and wanted to show me the thick, prebent poles on her noth face tent.. HER noth face tent, a giant half pipe upside down that could be set up in 110 mile and hour wind. It was her design and North Face, had been so cool to build it for her. Bev was so enthusiastic about leaving for the trilp. and all the shots they would get with the second Gyrocopter with longer range... all told as she speedily hobbled aroung the yard in her plastic ankle foot orthosis bracing a recent fracture.
That, was Bev.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 22, 2010 - 05:53pm PT
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Al- I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Bonnie Prudden in three sessions totalling ten hours. The highlight was a four hour session with Dick Williams talking all about her Gunks days. I will get into some more detail on the Gunks thread.
Two other women climbers were mentioned by Bonnie, Ann Gross and Maria Millar. Do you know much about these two gals?
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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Apr 23, 2010 - 11:52am PT
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Steve, I really don't know anything about either of those 2 women other than that they were amongst the Gunks climbing community of that era--and that Maria has one of the more popular Gunks routes named in her honor. I'll be fascinated to read the account of your interview with Bonnie Prudden. She undoubtedly was the most significant female climber in the Gunks until Barbara Devine arrived 20 years later. By the way, I hear through the grapevine that there will be another Gunks reunion--the 75th anniversary of climbing there--over Columbus Day weekend. It would be fantastic if Bonnie and some of the other women could show up and, maybe, make a presentation similar to the Vulgarian panel last time.
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BBA
Social climber
West Linn OR
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Apr 24, 2010 - 10:34am PT
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I ran into the name of Mary Ann (Corky) Matthews in the Mt. Starr King register as the leader of a couple of Sierra Club trips up there in 1966-1967. I also saw Mary Ann Corthell went up Starr King in 1953, and Mary Ann (Corky) Corthell is in the YCA site. Then there are references to just "Corky" with no last name on Supertopo. These are all the same person. Barry Bates said in his welcome thread, "Corky (Mary Anne) Matthews, who climbed in Yosemite during that period, was one of the people who taught me to climb, so it didn’t occur to me that Bev’s climbing was anything unusual for a woman to do." So Ms. Matthews was one of the early climbers, and she had a bent for teaching others. She stayed a long time having credit for a Valley first ascent, John's Other Chimney, in 1953 with John Ohrenschall, and she led trips and taught others. Bill Amborn
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Double D
climber
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Apr 24, 2010 - 11:45am PT
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Clint, thanks for posting the story on Margaret Young. I had the privilege of going to high school with her son Collin and climbing Mt. Shasta’s Whitney Glacier with her in late ‘76 and she was a “rock.” This was after several drought years and the ice was a translucent-blue that was almost impenetrable with tools requiring an acute balance. She was so strong that I didn’t even realize that she had cancer.
She was truly an amazing woman in the history of North American climbing.
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bmacd
Trad climber
Beautiful, BC
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Apr 24, 2010 - 02:32pm PT
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 27, 2010 - 07:45pm PT
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Al- When Fritz first went climbing with Bonnie, he readily recognized her talent and remarked "it looks like we have another Maria Millar."
I hope that Bonnie came manage a visit to the Gunks gathering this Fall because she is a wonderful person and you would certainly enjoy meeting her. I will be seeing her very soon to try some further encouragement.
A panel of Gunks Gals would be awesome! Great idea and it might help my sales pitch! Otherwise a Fritzfest would be grand enough.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Jan 23, 2011 - 11:18pm PT
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Liz Holley never climbed but she knows more climbers I'm sure than any other woman in the world! And more climbers are scared of her than any other woman in the world. i only met her once, but she's a real character.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jan 23, 2011 - 11:24pm PT
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Just upthread, but long ago, Bruce asked about Alice Purdey. Alice is alive and well and living in Burnaby with Fred Douglas. She spent many years as a community health nurse, particularly in the Smithers area and then in Nepal, southwest of Kathmandu. But she's been living back here now for some years, and is more or less retired. She's still very active in the outdoors, particularly through the BCMC, but also has two grown and married children, and at least one grandchild.
Glenn (Tricouni) ahd Hamie (Hamish) could say much more about Alice's feats during the 1960s, when she was perhaps Canada's leading female climber.
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Apr 12, 2011 - 09:09pm PT
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I'm gonna jump in here at this late date to mention an almost completely unknown woman climber: Anne Carrier (now Anne Raubach, my wife!) We met in 1980 in Cleveland, Ohio on a business call to a client. I got invited to go out to a local area called Hinkley (site of an annusal buzzard festival!) for some toprope climbing and bouldering after the business call. She showed a lot of real promise and at that time considered herself a "Gunkie" or Gunks climber. She moved to Boulder in March 1981 and we became good friends and regular climbing partners. That Summer, I introduced her to the joys of Eldorado Canyon, Boulder Canyon, and the Lumpy Ridge. Her first Lumpy Ridge climb was Osiris, and after I hyperextended my left shoulder on the first lead, she took over the lead with my coaching. It was her first-ever experience with hand jams and was lots of fun. I felt better after a while and resumed the lead for the cave exit. Our list of Boulder and Estes Park Classics grew to over 35 climbs that Summer and we took a trip to Yosemite that August.
In Yosemite she really blossomed into a pretty fearless leader on some classic runout climbs: Grack Marginal and Grack, Right Side. We also bagged The Surprise with the 5.10a thin crack finish...the site of her very first whipper.
I plan to at some point post an appreciation thread for her, as she is now terminally ill with Huntington's Chorea (Huntington's disease is a neuropsychiatric disease characterized by deterioration of the brain and associated motor skills).
By the late 1980's Anne had become the leading woman climber in Fremont Canyon with the first (as far as I can determine) female ascent of "Gleaming the Cube," 5.12a. She abruptly quit climbing in 1992 upon the death of her Father.
More to follow...
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Gene
climber
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Apr 12, 2011 - 09:20pm PT
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BDC,
My thoughts and prayers are going out to your wife and you.
g
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Apr 12, 2011 - 09:39pm PT
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Gene-
Many sincere thanks! Actually, Jan suggested this as a way of honoring my wife and her accomplishments as a rock climber. Anne also was a successful Bugaboo climber with a female-led ascent of the Kain route on Bugaboo Spire.
Her better accomplishments were in Fremont Canyon and Joshua Tree. She managed a no-falls toprope ascent of Butterfly Crack on Trashcan Rock in 1885, a real accomplishment for a "reach-challenged" climber. (She's only 5'0" tall). Did an early female ascent of "Dillingham Blues," 5.10c, at Fremont, too. She and Kelly Moore were working on a Route that Kelly later finished with another partner after she had to deal with her Father's terminal illness. They had completed a first 80 foot lead to a sling belay on "Rogue Warrior," 5.12b.
Gene-
I received your second message, and for some reason I can't respond through my personal e-mail; thanks and that's just the way I feel about her.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Apr 13, 2011 - 09:25am PT
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I'm looking forward to seeing some climbing photos of Anne as well.
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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Apr 13, 2011 - 09:53am PT
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Great addition Roger, post some shots of your wife if you have any older shots! Prayers will be with her and hope the two of you are still enjoying a life of love together!
Peace
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Apr 13, 2011 - 11:53am PT
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Jan and Ron-
Thanks for the very kind comments. here's one that I was able to scan from an old kodacolor print. Everything else is on kodacrhrome slides that need to be digitized. I'm presently going through 20 boxes of slides and viewing 6 carousels to find some GUD stuff.
Anne had enormous upper body strength in those days, and could do 22 pullups at a set. It really offset her height disadvantage.
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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Apr 13, 2011 - 01:33pm PT
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And she's a BABE to boot! Thanks for the photo, hope you post up more of them!
Peace
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Apr 13, 2011 - 06:00pm PT
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Hi Rodger,
I am sorry to hear about Anne. I wish the best for both of you.
Roger
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 13, 2011 - 07:06pm PT
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Brokendownclimber, thank you so much for sharing and honoring your wife. Reading backwards, I was hugely impressed by her skills and then saddened to read of her illness. What a rotten affliction for someone who was so physical.
The phenomena underlying Huntington's Disease was a big part of my research. If you ever want an opinion or explanation for a paper or study or something that the doc said, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm not an M.D., but I'm happy to help if I can.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Apr 14, 2011 - 03:56am PT
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Back to a chick!
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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May 27, 2011 - 06:57pm PT
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Here's a picture of Anne in her prime!
It's a very reachy move to get up over this little overhang on tiny crystals for holds.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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May 27, 2011 - 07:21pm PT
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That Waltzing Worm is no give-away and a proud send. Wishing Anne and you the best through this difficult time.
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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May 27, 2011 - 07:31pm PT
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Another confession here--going back to the original post from Jan: it was my heavy falling a$$ that she caught on the right side of Koko Ledge (A3 at the time)which broke her wrist. We were helped out by some of our Colorado compadres--Tom Fender and Roger Dalke--who were at trhe base watching us climb, who helped us get off the route and Jan over to the clinic. I went back a few days later and completed the route with Peter Williamson (RIP, drowned in Bridalveil Creek 1984).
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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May 27, 2011 - 07:40pm PT
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Ron is that the Kern River limestone, Holey Power or something?
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mctwisted
Social climber
superslacker city
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May 27, 2011 - 08:06pm PT
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these gals carried me on this wall route i had started. was shut down on the solo attempt with bad weather , good weather came and we all went up and sent! (f.a. early 90's) fifi buttress
pretty wild doing a f.a. wall route with three awesome gals!
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mctwisted
Social climber
superslacker city
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May 27, 2011 - 08:17pm PT
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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May 28, 2011 - 10:02am PT
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A "bump" for all the real Babes of Super Topo!
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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May 28, 2011 - 02:15pm PT
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ArmandoWyo
climber
Wyoming
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May 28, 2011 - 05:15pm PT
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Any conversation of women rock climbers should go back at least to the 1930s when modern rock climbing techniques with ropes for belay and pitons for anchors, pro, and aid were introduced and used for first ascent in Yosemite and the High Sierra.
Dick Leonard, one of the leaders, speaking of the women climbers of the era, said that there were “some very fine ones.” He went on to name a few:
“Marjory Farquhar, a great photographer, took some pictures on the Higher Cathedral Spire . . . . She made the second ascent of the Higher Cathedral Spire. Also there was Olive Dyer another fine young climber . . . also made the third ascent of the Cathedral Spires. And my sweet wife [Dorothy Leonard] . . . she made the first ascent of the Bridelveil Falls. We went over some overhangs that were so difficult that 5 young teams of male chauvinist piggies in their teenages, 18-20 years old, couldn’t climb it. They were horrified, that here a women could climb something on a first ascent that they couldn’t follow.”
In the 1980s, Eric Brand and I raised some money to take video and oral histories of the leading climbers of that time. We filmed the histories of Marjory Farquhar, Dick Leonard, David Brower, Glen Dawson, Jules Eichorn, and some others. Although the video histories were completed and are available, we never finished our own film of these amazing pioneers. Videos of their climbs and histories have been used by others, for example in Kristi Denton Cohen’s Vertical Frontier and Mike Carville’s film.
That’s just a little background for this statement: Marjorie's interview was by far the most enjoyable. She told us of the effort and guile, she and the other women had to use to make these climbs. Margory was still complaining about being excluded from the first major ascent, Higher Cathedral Spires, and instead was relegated to film maker, something the rest of us now appreciate, since she left us such a great record of the climb. Even though they were climbing with the men, these women had to argue and demand to climb.
I don’t have before me the transcript of her interview. Regret that in storage, but perhaps I can dig it out and put some of these stories into her own words.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - May 28, 2011 - 05:44pm PT
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Is the inteview w/ Marjory Farquar that you're talking about the Sierra Club oral histories project, or is it another? I'd be very interested to see your video. I've been researching stories of women climbing before WWII. There were tons, many leading and establishing FAs too. After the war, they were sort of forgotten by most.
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ArmandoWyo
climber
Wyoming
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May 28, 2011 - 06:24pm PT
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Melissa,
No, it's not the Sierra Club project. Just one that Eric and I did. I would glad to help you anyway I can. Please write to me directly at armandowyoming@gmail.com.
armando
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - May 28, 2011 - 06:25pm PT
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Thanks so much. I will be in touch!
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marv
Mountain climber
Bay Area
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May 28, 2011 - 06:37pm PT
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Ruth Mendenhall
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
SoCal
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May 28, 2011 - 08:20pm PT
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Those are coming from your cookies Charles. I'm getting retirement ads. :-(
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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May 28, 2011 - 08:49pm PT
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I'm getting flyfishing equipment ads.
More on topic: this is a fabulous thread!
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Jun 12, 2011 - 05:41pm PT
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I'm gonna' bump this thread for the ladies of Super Topo.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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this thread should be bumped every once and awhile,
in particular, shouldn't the traditional histories of Valley climbing include the contributions of everyone?
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
merced, california
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Apr 16, 2012 - 12:27pm PT
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If anyone still cares about "Women Climbers," then I can tell you about Annie Rizzi. We last climbed together at Suicide in 1972. My then-wife, Dolores, and I were living in Oxnard (Okie Flats on 101, more properly Nyland Acres). We picked up AR in Northridge. My van, the white whale Econoline known as DORF, took us there in fine style, as usual. Dolores just read a book or something while Annie showed me her fanny on a climb next to the Pirate. I mean, she had some cut-offs cut way off and I am sounding sexist, aren't I? But gee, she ought to have included her damn undies, I'm sorry. Maybe she just wanted me to really watch her as I provided her belay, but what guy can guess a lady's motives? Annie was a lady, no matter her outspoken liberated mindset.
She was a Valley Girl who became a Valley Climber, and I hate all this gargle about "Women Climbers" who are,simply, "Climbers." Why use that sexist modifier, Dear People? I think we can all agree it simply don't mean anything in our modern world. Who's the free-nose firstie? A climber who happened to be a girl. I rest the case.
Back to Annie and our history.
We climbed the Gunsight the day before I was scheduled to begin a new job in The Mountain Shop. They had hired me, Bobby Ashworth, and Andy Cox. I needed to get to the U-shaped Bowl on MCR to retrieve a haulsack left there several days prior. Annie volunteered to go and we planned to climb the NW Buttress, which is a route hardly ever done since Al MacDonald, I think it was, did it. He was a rarity who, like me, apparently enjoyed routes which were literally "off the walls" and in gullies, chimneys, etc., per Mr. Riper in Camp 4, which I just read again last night, so I think my history is good. Doesn't matter, we got to our objective, eventually.
So we got in the vicinity, I climbed up a straight-in jam for many feet, found an old soft piton and we just figured this had to be it. I don't know how long this took to go from there to the summit, but I remember a lot of open rock then brush then more rock then a pine and more brush and it was a challenge to find a route, but nobody complained and we shared leads. She could break brush with anyone except a bear, who is the undisputed king of the brush. Annie way, she took to it and I was glad to have her company. Guys I know would've bitched and moaned the whole day, but she reserved comment. A lady, like I have indicated. This was not an "easy day for the ladies," either. Pretty hot out there in the brush. And looking for snakes, of course, we saw none. (It's only when you are unprepared. I don't hate snakes, even though I'm the Mouse. I just don't like to be a-scared when I ain't expectin' to be, as the Okie Flatters might could put it. I love Oxnard like I love the brush.)
When we arrived at the Bowl, she stayed up top while I rapped down, tossed off the pig, and then she belayed me back to the anchor. As it happened, the gear Millis and I had in the bag got spread out in the forest and talus down below. I did yell out a warning, of course. Chuck Pratt was wandering around down there, of all people, at the base of the Chouinard-Pratt route, which was what Dillis and I had climbed. He was able to watch as the bag unloaded in its descent and piled our loose gear by the naughty pig. What a prince! We'd never have tracked it all down when we got to the base as it was like 3 a.m., our batteries were fried by then, and we were very tired after butt-walking down the Cathedral Chimney and the talus. Night ranging, it's called.
It happens that CP performed the same kindness in 1974 when my partner dropped a guide pack off the 3-D from above Mammoth Terraces. Life is no stranger than it can be when you are in the Magic Kingdom. God just has a little thing for coincidence there, I guess.
Annie and I got down waaay after dark. She and my lady, Dolores, were good with the late night as they had a mutual trust. And I made it to work on time. Thank you for the experiences, Ms. Rizzi. I am lucky to have climbed with you. I wish I could do so again.
Oh where oh where has Anne-Marie gone, oh where oh where can she be?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 16, 2012 - 12:29pm PT
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Anne-Marie has participated here in the past and will likely join in if she hears about your postings.
Do a forum search for Anne-Marie Rizzi and you can get in touch with her directly.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
merced, california
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Apr 16, 2012 - 12:38pm PT
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Hi, Grocer. Thanks. I'm all new here the last couple weeks. I appreciate it.
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nita
Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
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Apr 16, 2012 - 12:53pm PT
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Mouse from Merced. I last heard from Rizzi two years ago, and she was living in the South west. i lost her addy when my old computer died... try emailing her through SuperTopo.
Not my picture, but one of my favorites..................I have many fond memories hanging with Rizzi....
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Splater
climber
Grey Matter
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Apr 16, 2012 - 01:59pm PT
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Mouse, great stories!
Per your comment: "I hate all this gargle about "Women Climbers" who are,simply, "Climbers." Why use that sexist modifier, Dear People? I think we can all agree it simply don't mean anything in our modern world. Who's the free-nose firstie? A climber who happened to be a girl. I rest the case."
I would say that firstie is what proved the case. Before Lynn Hill it was not so clear.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Jan 25, 2013 - 06:46pm PT
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Bumping this thread for the climbing content and to remind that boobs aren't women's only assets - or controversies.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jun 24, 2013 - 01:29am PT
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hey there say, all... nice that mouse, and then jan, had recently bumped this...
here we go... nice bump...
:)
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Fletcher
Trad climber
The great state of advaita
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Jun 24, 2013 - 02:36am PT
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Thanks for the bump Neebee. I'd missed that early vintage Mouse post. Good stuff!\
Eric
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Jun 24, 2013 - 10:09am PT
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I'm gonna bump this thread again by including a photo of our own Jan!
This was taken at the summit (per Clint Cummins!) of Monday Morning Slab, June 1965 by Roger Dalke.
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Jun 24, 2013 - 10:30am PT
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For those who've been following this thread over the past 3 years, an update on Anne Carrier (Raubach) seems in order. Her Huntington's Disease continues progressing rapidly and she no longer able to walk. An unscrupulous lawyer rammed a divorce through on "her behalf," based on some Paranoid delusions and Schizophrenia. Her life expectancy ins now less than a year. My thoughts and prayers are always with her.
I last visited her at the nursing home in Minnesota 2 1/2 months ago, and she still has memories of her rock climbing days. This was one of her favorite photos:
P.S. added in edit: Date was Spring, 1985.
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MikeL
climber
SANTA CLARA, CA
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Jun 24, 2013 - 10:32am PT
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Great thread. (Good to balance out all of the testosterone around here, anyway.)
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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Jun 24, 2013 - 12:12pm PT
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So sad, Rodger.
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Michelle
Social climber
1187 Hunterwasser
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Jun 24, 2013 - 01:04pm PT
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Wow, sad news.
Love this chick thread, glad my name-doppelganger started it!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jun 24, 2013 - 01:18pm PT
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Cool. This looks like the top of Monday Morning Slab, rather than the base.
You can edit the captions of your photos, although there is a limit on the length of text.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Jun 24, 2013 - 01:28pm PT
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Not sure why I don't look as happy as Rodger in this shot. Hangover perhaps?
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SpokaneBob
Ice climber
Spokane, Washington
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Jun 24, 2013 - 02:19pm PT
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Dear All,
I thought I could add a few names of impactful female climbers from the 1960s and 1970s from the Pacific Northwest. I never climbed with these persons, but I did meet and have conversation with several. My general recollection is they were every bit the committed climber as the men of the time, and led difficult pitches. One is Carla Firey (FA on Snow Creek Wall, Levenworth, WA). Another is the wife (sorry I cannot remember her first name) of Al Givler, who died, I think, in 1976 climbing in Alaska (I think--someone should fact check me). Another who did a fair amount of FAs in the Stuart Range near Leavenworth, WA, who partnered with Mark Weigelt, was Julie Brugger (sp?). Nearer to my home, Spokane, WA., there was a very athletic woman (sorry name escapes me--but it will come to me) who broke the stereotype of the time, which was women only seconded, never climbed anything harder that 5.8, and never ice climbed. She came along and within a short while was climbing easy 5.10 and ice climbed in the winter--this would have been 1971/72. I recall that the role of women climbers in Spokane was never the same after she showed up. She now lives in Alaska, but I do not know if she still climbs. Generally it seemed that by the late 1970s (at least in the local climbing scene) competent, athletic female climbers were no longer a novelty. Within the larger culture many things had changed for women (ex., 1960s womens' liberation movement, Title 9 in athletics, etc.). So in retrospect it is no surprise that as the 1970s wore on and enter the 1980s that women in greater numbers with greater commitment, skill, and fitness were entering climbing. Sorry I am not more help, but my recollection of those people from 40 years ago is a bit weak.
Cheers,
Bob Loomis, Spokane, WA.
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Jun 25, 2013 - 02:53pm PT
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To answer Jan's self-question: we were both pretty hot and thirsty, but I was still smiling about being outta' the Army after 3 years.
This is somewhat more typical!!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jun 25, 2013 - 03:30pm PT
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SpokaneBob,
Carla Firey, Linda Givler, and Julie Brugger are mentioned several times earlier in this thread. It will take some time to read through, but maybe it will also jog your memory on the person's name you can't recall at present.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jun 25, 2013 - 06:55pm PT
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One of my favorite threads bump
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Stimbo
Trad climber
Crowley Lake
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Jun 25, 2013 - 07:48pm PT
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I'm pretty sure Kim Walker is still in Bishop. She got married to Jeff Osterguard and they had a daughter that must be in her early 20's.
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yanqui
climber
Balcarce, Argentina
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Jun 25, 2013 - 08:21pm PT
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I think Silvia Fitzpatrick was the first Argentine (man or women) to climb 8a. As I recall she also got the first female ascent of Fitz Roy. The old school valley guys might recognize her name because she climbed the North Face of the Eiger with Bridwell. When she came to my hometown and bouldered with us on the nearby sierra about ten years back, she wasn't at her best because she was recovering from a pretty serious injury caused by rockfall. Well she must have recovered with a vengeance, cause since then she's done a couple of 8bs.
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Jun 26, 2013 - 06:59pm PT
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Bumping this for the testosterone-challenged members of S-T.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jun 26, 2013 - 09:07pm PT
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Stimbo, yes I've heard that! Em of Wyde recently talked to her as did another friend of mine. It would be cool to run into her, she was, and I'm sure still is, the real thing!
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Jun 27, 2013 - 12:22am PT
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Great adds BrokeDown...looking forward to seeing you soon!
Susan
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Jun 27, 2013 - 08:09am PT
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Kim Walker was seen just recently at the crags and supposedly getting back into climbing...?
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jun 27, 2013 - 09:25am PT
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Go Kim!
And Broke, hoh man, my heart goes out to ya.
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Jun 27, 2013 - 08:21pm PT
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Hey, thanks Jaybro. The upside to the lawyer story; last October the police raided the f*#k's home and confiscated his computer which had been traced as receiving downloaded CHILD PORN! He was charged with 2 counts of possession, and in Wyoming each count was worth 12 years in Rawlins. A day before the pretrial hearings began, he saved the taxpayers of Wyoming a lot of $$$ by going to the City Park where he blew his polluted brains out.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jun 27, 2013 - 09:11pm PT
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Yikes! There in Douglas?
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Jun 27, 2013 - 09:16pm PT
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Casper! That's where he lived.
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Ihateplastic
Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
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Jun 27, 2013 - 09:43pm PT
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Was Catherine Cullinane mentioned in this thread? She should be. I also saw only a single mention of Kathy Besio (KB).
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jun 27, 2013 - 09:54pm PT
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Was Catherine Cullinane mentioned in this thread? She should be.
3 times.
I also saw only a single mention of Kathy Besio (KB).
4 times.
To count these, I clicked on Show All to put the entire thread on one page, then used Find (in Chrome) on Cullina and KB, and checked each occurrence .
Counting references is not as interesting as reading stories, though.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jun 27, 2013 - 10:22pm PT
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Here is something slightly better than a count, but photos aren't as good as stories...
Catherine Cullinane
(has posted here as CathC, mostly in 2007)
http://www.supertopo.com/inc/view_profile.php?dcid=Ojo9PTg_OSE,
photo posted by Simon and a short recollection from Werner:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1262633
J Crack at Lumpy Ridge, ~1978, photo by Rick A
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=264400
climbing at Indian Creek w/ Renny & daughter Jane, 2011
"Renny [Jackson] worked in the Tetons for years, but in the early 90's he and his wife Catherine moved to Talkeetna, Alaska, where he worked on Denali for a few years. ... Catherine Cullinane was the first woman to guide for the Exum Guide Service in the Tetons, so she holds her own in the climbing world."
http://ralphsclimbingblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/climbing-with-jacksons.html
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Ihateplastic
Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
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Jun 28, 2013 - 12:34am PT
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Clearly... I am a lazy sod.
Thanks Clint!
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sibylle
Trad climber
On the road!
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i recall "pixie of the crags" Aussie Louise Shepard was very talented.....
Louise lead me up OZ in about 1980 (I think I fell across the crux). My son and I visited her in Natimuk, Australia in 2009, where she lives close to Mount Arapiles.
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sibylle
Trad climber
On the road!
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first met Sibylle in the mid 90s in Yosemite, though we both lived in Boulder. I hadn't had the opportunity to climb with very many women, particularly longer trad routes. It was a real treat to go out with a lady who was so comfortable and competent on the rock
In 1995, Manda and I had an awesome day: we were too hot in the Valley, so we borrowed her ex-boyfriend's truck (he was on a wall; she had the keys); drove up to Tuolumne.
Got there at noon, parked at the base of South Crack. These two guys saw us and started running up the slab to beat us to the climb.
I yelled up,"We're probably faster than you."
They lead, and belayed the first pitch. We soloed it, and Manda started up behind the second. Worried, he suggested there wouldn't be room at the belays for two parties.
"Oh, don't worry," I replied. "We'll simulclimb the route."
"Yuo girls plan to simo the whole route?" he asked, appalled.
"Yup".
By the time I got to the end of pitch two, both guys were waiting for us. They had decided to let us go first, and also asked us out to dinner ...
We turned down dinner, since we figured we'd have time to climb Fairview next. Started that about 3:15, and topped out 3 hours later.
Those were awesome times... and oh, Manda was leading hard 5.11 then.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Nov 15, 2013 - 12:40pm PT
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Bump for the babes. Good stories here!
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado, Nepal & Okinawa
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Nov 21, 2013 - 11:23am PT
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Here's a woman climber and mountaineer that I'd never heard of until Ghost posted some photos of her on another thread.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2274959/Terrific-collection-of-old-climbing-photos
http://www.wunderground.com/news/mount-hkakabo-myanmar-downgrade-20131120
The bio is from Wikipedia.
Fanny Bullock Workman (January 8, 1859 - January 22, 1925)
was an American geographer, cartographer, explorer, travel writer, and mountaineer, notably in the Himalayas. She was one of the first female professional mountaineers; she not only explored but also wrote about her adventures. She achieved several women's altitude records, published eight travel books with her husband, and championed women's rights and women's suffrage.
Born to a wealthy family, Workman was educated in the finest schools available to women and traveled in Europe. Her marriage to William Hunter Workman cemented these advantages, and, after being introduced to climbing in New Hampshire, Fanny traveled the world with William. They were able to capitalize on her wealth and connections to travel extensively around Europe, north Africa, and Asia. The couple had two children, but Fanny was not a motherly type; they left their children in schools and with nurses, and Fanny saw herself as a New Woman who could equal any man.
The Workmans began their journeys with bicycle tours of Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Algeria and India. They cycled thousands of miles, sleeping wherever they could find shelter. They wrote books about each trip, with Fanny frequently commenting on the state of women's lives that she saw. These early books about their bicycling tours were quite popular. At the end of their cycling trip to India, they escaped to the Himalaya for the summer months and fell in love with climbing in the mountains. They returned to this unexplored region eight times over the next 14 years.
Despite not having modern climbing equipment, the Workmans explored several glaciers and summited several mountains, eventually reaching 23,000 feet (7,000 m), a women's altitude record. They organized multiyear expeditions but struggled to remain on good terms with the local labor force. Coming from a position of American wealth, they failed to understand the position of the native workers and struggled to find and negotiate for reliable porters.
After their trips to the Himalaya, the Workmans gave lectures about their travels. They were invited to learned societies and Fanny became the first woman to lecture at the Sorbonne and the second to speak at the Royal Geographical Society. She received many medals of honor for European climbing and geographical societies and was recognized as one of the foremost climbers of her day. She demonstrated that a woman could climb in high altitudes just as well as a man and helped break down the gender barrier in mountaineering.
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LongAgo
Trad climber
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Nov 21, 2013 - 05:58pm PT
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Maybe already referenced on this thread, as I didn't go through every post. But for the record, from previous thread on Bev Johnson:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/194665/Bev-Johnson-Stories
Beverly and Astroman
I knew Bev from climbing with her some in the 70’s. We did a number of short crack climbs in Yosemite. She had an infectious energy, raw power and determination on the rock which I much admired. I also loved how she handled being a woman climber when there were few and when lots of men were threatened by the thought of a woman entering their prized mostly male sanctuary. She entered the holy place without knocking and blasted around with such confidence and verve it made all the chauvinism look utterly silly.
I have not told the following tale anywhere because it is hardly my proudest moment or hers (I can’t find any writing of hers on the climb either), but Beverley and I did Astroman in the early 80s, nearly coming undone in the process. I was determined to get it free within my old traditional standards of few falls, no hangs and starting over after falls from free stances or pitch starts. I was still in rebellion against style transitions of the day and prone to occasional mad proselytizing on the subject. Beverley respected my desire and knew about my stylistic warring but mostly just wanted to do the climb however we did it. Off we went.
All went well until the Enduro Corner. Beverley tried to lead it but half way up got tired and started hanging for rests. She was angry at herself the more she rested. I was quiet at first, and then in a rising pissy mood protested, “NO AID.” She told me to f*#k off. I said we should rap off if we couldn’t do it in good style. She challenged me right back saying something like, “Let’s see you do it right.” Now I was wildly fired up to give it a go, just the mood I needed looking back on it. Down she came and up I went. She was grim faced but I ignored her. We should have talked it out but didn’t. When I was about a third of the way up the corner, she told me she wouldn’t hold me if I fell and I’d just have to start over. “Fine” I yelled back. The camaraderie we had established over several climbs together was falling apart. I found there were a few edges on the right wall allowing rests here and there and managed to get near the end of the corner without a fall before the crack opens up. Suddenly a batch of swallows burst out of the crack into my face and off I went, screaming. Before I could say anything, Beverly, true to her promise and the very rules I touted for the climb, lowered me away to start again.
At the belay ledge I looked at her and said, sheepishly, “It wasn’t my fault!” She looked at me with her soft but penetrating eyes and slowly started to smile, then laugh. Our temper tantrum melted away thanks to her good heart. She, unlike me, was looking beyond the climbing to its meaning for two people who loved the walls. We sat and laughed for several moments. Then, looking over to Half Dome starting to turn golden she slapped my leg and said, “You’re a f*#ker!” I said back, “I know.” I remember that interchange like it happened yesterday. I guess it was what I needed, because I got the corner next try and Beverly followed it with only one fall and rest, and was fine with it.
Higher, the other remaining challenge for us was the Harding Slot. Beverly wanted a go at leading saying something like, “I want this sucker.” Looking up at it, I was happy to let her give it a go. I had never been on the route and was horrified by the slanting bomb bay look of it. She fired off the lower layback but had trouble getting into the slot. I told her to come down and try it again, though getting down from such an overhanging thing was not easy. She came back after some rope shenanigans, looked out at the waning light and told me to give it a go. Now we were comrades again, trying to get up the wall and get off with whatever combination of climbing worked. Perhaps it was because I was pretty skinny in those years but I found I could get into the slot as it widened without too much effort. The only problem was the minimal protection. In current parlance, I think one needs about a #6 to adequately protect the slot and we had nothing close.
A strange thing happened as Beverley followed: she turned the tables. She tried the chimney part twice without luck, but insisted on down climbing each time to start over. Down climbing the Harding Slot from almost anywhere beyond the beginning probably is harder than climbing up it. I couldn’t tell if she didn’t want to weight the rope or take a big swing. It was getting late. Now I was the one concerned about getting up before dark versus style issues. “Beverley, we’ve got to get going.” Or words to that affect. “Shut up Higgins. We’re doing it your way.” And those words are exactly hers. Even in my frustrated state I thought, What a woman. Third try she got it.
Above, there are a couple of strenuous laybacking pitches. I remember Beverley zoomed up one of them in waning light (I think it’s called Changing Corners). I got the last pitch in near dark, for me the toughest on the climb. While it’s face climbing, right up my alley, it was hard to see and protect and the rock seemed crumbly. Unlike me, Beverley didn’t whimper about the oncoming dark and try to hurry me. She followed with no problem or comment.
We had lights and got down the descent gully gingerly, feeling wasted and not talking much. The minimal dialog I remember with her, and the last we spoke to one another due to her untimely death, went something like:
“Not the best climb,” I said.
Unfazed, “It was OK.”
More skittering down the gully.
“Sorry I got pissed,” I said.
“OK, f*#ker.”
Farewell again, Beverly, good and brave soul you were.
Tom Higgins
LongAgo
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SeaClimb
climber
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Nov 22, 2013 - 03:28pm PT
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I didn't read the whole thread, but it would most definitely be incomplete without mentioning Julie Brugger...
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captain chaos
climber
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Nov 23, 2013 - 05:34am PT
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Great story Tom... Bev was a very special lady, not many like her in this world.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Nov 23, 2013 - 07:55am PT
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Long Ago, she's far away,
Still has you on belay.
Very, very good and revealing tale and good of you to come forth with it. Thanks.
Hard ladies are good to find.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Jan 26, 2014 - 04:04pm PT
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No Spare Rib. The Advent of Hard Women Rock Climbers. An article by Rosie Andrews in Mountain 97, 1984.
Joyce Bracht, Coral Bowman, Beverly Johnson, Barbara Devine, Alison Osius, Louise Shepherd, Lynn Hill, Carol Black, Jill Lawrence...
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Jan 26, 2014 - 06:36pm PT
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I love this thread, so "bump."
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 26, 2014 - 07:19pm PT
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She did not have food, anything for cooking, not equipment for bivouac. No one ever saw Wana again…"
She's around somewhere.
She was reborn 9 months later .....
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Jan 26, 2014 - 07:27pm PT
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^^^^^oh yes! She was a hero of mine. Same with Arlene Blum. Really really the best in my book.
This was a gift from Irene Beardsley, one of the Women on Annapurna. It's from Kathmandu.
Incredible legacy of these women.
This is a relatively new book but I haven't read it.
Susan
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Apr 19, 2014 - 03:41pm PT
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bump
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Apr 19, 2014 - 04:31pm PT
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Ed, you almost did it...filled the front page top to bottom!
Momma'd be proud!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Feb 19, 2015 - 11:12am PT
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hey there say, all... just adding this link, (thank you to jan for the idea to share it here) >:D<
did not want to rebump too much stuff, but WOW, i just
loved learning about this gal...
as we all know, times were different WAY back then...
but then, 'times be changing' as we all know, :)
JULIA ARCHIBALD:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=813147&msg=813147#msg813147
SOMEONE always has to go before...
and someone always forges NEW paths... :)
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Sharon Wood of Canmore managed to do in about a 6 year period in the 80's:
Cassin Ridge
Salathe and/or the Nose
Big N faces in Cdn Rockies
Most of the way up the W Buttress of Makalu
Everest
Big climbs in Peru
Much 5.11, difficult ice
She still climbs well at 58
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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I learned how to climb from Hansi Marte. She was a great face climber. She and her husband climbed the Salathe with Royal Robbins. I believe it was a guided ascent but I think she was the first woman to climb El Cap. She was a great person.
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Wow for Sharon Wood--'specially raising them kids!
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mastadon
Trad climber
crack addict
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I was lucky enough to know many of these young women in my early days in The Trench. The 70’s was a very colorful time for the young men and the women who managed to live and climb there and there was NEVER a dull moment. We all thought this lifestyle could go on forever and rarely gave a thought about the reality of what was to come.
Most of these pictures have been posted before on this or other forums but it seems a shame to talk about them without images to back it up.
And BTW-I'd hesitate to call some of these women "chicks" to their face. My only hope at that point would be to out run them and that's not very damn likely.
Here’s little Annie Tarver. She was indeed a beer drinking, tobacco chewing little vixen. She’s a PhD professor living in Seattle now.
Anne Tarver in 1976
Anne Tarver 1980
Anne Tarver 1980
Julie Brugger has hardly changed in the 45 years I’ve known her. She climbed hard then, she climbs hard now. She’s very motivated and has a hard time finding partners that can keep up with her. She’s a sweetheart underneath her somewhat intimidating exterior.
Julie Brugger 1974?
Julie Brugger 1986?
Catherine Freer or Cathy Freer as she was known before she became more dignified, was a hard core, bad ass climber. As Mayfield mentioned upthread, she did the second ascent of Zenyatta Mondatta. I guarantee she did her fair share of the leading. Julie Brugger lost her very best friend when Catherine died. We all miss you, Catherine.
Catherine-Ahab 1972
Kathryn Besio or KB, was an absolute doll. She climbed hard and could keep with the boys. I wonder what she’s doing now. In this picture, she’s on the right with MS. Mastadon on the left at the top of Cathedral Peak in Tuolumne.
KB 1980
Mary Darbosek was another Valley Girl. She climbed fairly hard and was always game for new adventures. She put herself through nursing school and, the last I heard, she was a radiologist somewhere.
Mary Darbosek 1980
Stephanie Atwood was friends with Molly Higgins and Barb Eastman. She was Bruce Carson’s sweetie when he died.
Stephanie Atwood 1976
Sorry Jobee, had to throw this one in there. You must have been what, 17 in this picture?
Jo Whitford 1979
Carla Firey is mentioned above in this thread somewhere. She was a VERY good climber and good friend of many Washingtonians.
Carla Firey 2002
I remember some of the others mentioned. Diana Hunter was a skinny Colorado girl that rolled her own cigs and who could out-boulder most of the boys. She certainly put Pat Timson and I to shame one day behind Camp 4. I was sorry to hear about her death at a too early age.
Bev Johnson was pretty awesome. Don’t have to say any more there. Several of us shared a house with her briefly in Sun Valley in the 70’s. I don’t remember the circumstances of her being there at the time.
Jan, I keep in touch with Bruce Albert. Who’s initials were KLR on the biners that Dianne Westman gave to him??
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Shetville , North of Los Angeles
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Mastadon...I visited with Mary Droubesk this past summer...She's working in Carson City...rj
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zBrown
Ice climber
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Feb 10, 2019 - 07:36pm PT
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Missed the anniversary by a month bump
Who is in charge here?
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Flip Flop
climber
Earth Planet, Universe
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Feb 10, 2019 - 07:38pm PT
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Sweet thread
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Jim Clipper
climber
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Feb 10, 2019 - 07:47pm PT
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Great pics. Climbers getting after it. Best.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Feb 11, 2019 - 01:33am PT
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oh no/? I forget what thread this was from? meant to take notes?
oh wait now I remember,I took A note,"After 1/2 Dome"
I don't know anything more, someone has to?
The ALWAYS Smilin'. Diana Dailey Credit: and partner,
Yo!! talkin' about crushing Cobra, Yosemite built and tuned Guns, A Well balanced Individual with early ~hard'as'it'gets~ climbing accomplishments, her legs were equally as impressive. Those pictures were perfectly exposed.
This one, was not & so has been treated to an upgrade.
(No, not, Yaniro's arm photoshopped,on, I think her's is biggererr)
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Feb 11, 2019 - 10:42am PT
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I think I posted this elsewhere way back, but it seems appropriate here also:
Sometime between April of 1966, when we opened our first little 600 sq. ft. store on Pico Boulevard, and September of 1969 when we expanded into our new 25,000 sq. ft. store on Olympic Boulevard, somewhere in that brief period, something wonderful happened at West Ridge Mountaineering.
Those early days at West Ridge we opened the store at 5 PM because the owners worked in aerospace from 8 to 5. We also only hired climbers to work sales. On that particular wonderful evening,I happened to be the working owner. As I recall two young climbers(Hennek and McLean)were also working that evening when a stunningly attractive young woman wearing an exceptionally short mini skirt entered the store.
She announced that she was a student at USC and was interested in rock climbing. She had no experience - zilch. She was a student taking ballet and gymnastics. All the while, she is doing these incredible stretching exercises - one leg up on the waist-high sleeping bag table, her forehead pressed to her knee. These are very vivid memories.
She wanted someone to teach her rock climbing. My co-workers that evening were crawling all over each other trying to set up lessons.
As it worked out neither of these handsome young lads was to land the job. Instead, one of our newest employees, and one of our least experienced, a lad named Alan Roberts, happened to be working the weekend she walked in and set a date for Stoney Point. Alan Roberts was, at that time, sort of the Woody Allen of West Ridge - not considered by his peers as anybody that should be teaching others how to climb.
Ends up, he took her to Stoney twice and then to Tahquitz - where they failed miserably on the White Maiden – the classic Tahquitz 5.1 route.
Alan went on to become a highly respected rock climber and Tuolumne climbing guide. She went on to become Beverly Johnson.
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mastadon
Trad climber
crack addict
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Feb 11, 2019 - 07:16pm PT
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Gnome, that’s a great picture of Diana Dailey. She died several years ago from a brain tumor. Diana was an irrepressibly upbeat person and I miss her dearly.
Here’s a couple pictures I somehow ended up with. Neither are mine.
Carla Firey, must be around 1970 at Peshastin Pinnacles in Eastern Washington.
Catherine Cullinane and KB (not sure how to spell Catherine’s last name)
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zBrown
Ice climber
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Feb 11, 2019 - 07:18pm PT
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[img] due to Jerry Roberts
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originalpmac
Mountain climber
Timbers of Fennario
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Feb 11, 2019 - 08:19pm PT
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I was climbing with Annie Whitehouse and some other friends in CO years ago. A friend of mine m, a guy who didn't know who she was was giving unwanted beta to her as she TR'd a finger crack. She was ignoring him until he made a comment about how her thin fingers must make it easier. She paused, looked down and said, "Fu ck you" Then she sent it. What a fox.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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Feb 11, 2019 - 08:47pm PT
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zBrown
Ice climber
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Feb 11, 2019 - 08:59pm PT
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Nice high five
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Feb 12, 2019 - 05:45am PT
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Some love for Loulou the Hard, s'il vous plait.
"In the 1930s, Boulaz was "the only woman in the race for the big north faces," historian Rainer Rettner writes. "She was met with a lot of distrust by men." [Photo] Sallie Greenwood
http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web17w/wfeature-local-hero-loulou-boulaz
http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP50/82-mountain-profile-the-aiguille-du-drus-1935
The Lambert Crack, Drus N Face:
After a bivouac, Allain and Leininger reached Lambert's highpoint. Allain saw a double crack above him, some forty meters high, with an overhang at the end. With his arms in both fissures, his feet in opposition on the slabs, he couldn't place a piton for the first ten meters.
Legendary alpinists who climbed the wall after him—including Lambert, who made the second ascent in 1936, with Loulou Boulaz—all confirmed that it had a difficulty without equal at the time in the entire massif.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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May 19, 2019 - 10:18pm PT
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hey there, say, ... just a bump...
as, mentioned by jan...
for the person, asking about yosemite... and influential climber gals...
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formerclimber
Boulder climber
CA
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May 20, 2019 - 06:21am PT
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FYI, "chick" is derogatory/offensive
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