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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 12, 2005 - 11:19pm PT
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Like Hud said, "Horses, dogs, men...no one gets out of life alive."
I can't say I knew Walt, though I met him a few times and was left both spitting coffee out my nose as he told big tales and sipped a "malted beverage" in the driveway at 9 in the morning. Someone needs to do the man justice with a few Way Back Machine moments.
"Don't be late..."
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Jan 12, 2005 - 11:23pm PT
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I coudn't agree more marty. Russ, Klaus give us some first hand stuff on Walt.
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 12, 2005 - 11:39pm PT
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It's kind of lame to reply to your own post, but I just wanted to add that climbing obituaries can be some of the best writing anywhere. They cut through the sh#t, and in the case of Largo's tribute to Yabo (the Climbing mag ultra-classic), communicate something much deeper about those partners and visionaries who lived a lifetime before dying.
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Bishop is DEAD, long live JT
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Jan 13, 2005 - 01:25am PT
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One of my faves, real quick style:
In the MR Bar he once had a drawing of an octopus that instead of 8 arms, had 8 penises. No idea where he got this 8x10, but the detail was top notch, and was close to museum quality in scale and accuracy. So.... he would approach young ladies in the bar and sit down next to them and strike up a conversation..... so far so good.... we all knew what he was up to so we watched from afar.... after a few minutes of polite chatter he would ask the female if she liked art work..... this is when he would whip out Octo the Octopenis and show it to them without a grin..... but you could see the smile starting to boil under his calm surface.... the woman was usually horrified, and just as she was about to go on tilt, Walt would grap the picture and bolt for the door, in full hysterics. We of course were pissing ourselves having the best view in the house. Then we would see him lurking around outside the big windows waiting for the lady to leave so he could do it again with another unsuspecting victim.
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Flash
Ice climber
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Jan 13, 2005 - 02:00am PT
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that is classic!LOL!
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Jan 13, 2005 - 10:36am PT
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A few years before Walt sequed outta this life and into another one, a friend and I were in the midst of a sub 24 hour LA to LA jaunt up the Sun Ribbon Arete. We were on the crux face pitch when we looked down and saw some dude finishing up the traverse pitch below us.
All we could see was a wide brimmed pate protector on this guy who wasn't wearing any climbing shoes and didn't have any gear. As we are nearing the end of the pitch (he'd waited until we cleared out of the difficult section) he cruised on up to us and yup, you guessed it, it was Walt out for a little exercise en-route to meeting up with a client somewhere behind Temple Crag. He zipped past us and when we got back down, we found him and a friend chillin near the base. We chatted and went on our way. Little did I know that would be the last time I saw him in this life.
Walt was a one of a kind that's for sure
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10b4me
Trad climber
Near the Rose Bowl
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Jan 13, 2005 - 12:31pm PT
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Save the Clavey
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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Sandpoint, Idaho
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Jan 13, 2005 - 02:42pm PT
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Somebody tell the story of why Walt was finished working for Curry Company. I heard it second or third hand from Tucker and wouldn't get the details right.
F'n classic!
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jan 13, 2005 - 05:44pm PT
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"Walt's Birthday Binge"
I was actually a witness to part of that. I was belaying on to of Bebop Tango, staring into space when this guy walks up to Semi Tough(?)(10d lieback crux). I watch as He puts on his shoes and I expect a partner to show up, but no, the guy (who I didn't recognize) starts climbing. He gets up to the thin lie back move and hesitates, Finally, he goes for it. His right foot pops and I think one of his hands does too. He fumbles a second, barndoors dangerously, looks like he's gonna deck, then gets all points on and cruises to the top.
I let out a loud congratulatory roadrunner meep, that echoes throughout the real hidden valley.
'JayThe OWM!" he yells back.
"who the fark is that?, I'm still not recognizing him.
On the way back to camp we caught up with him and he told us the story of the birthday binge, I don't remember the other climbs.
"yeah, soloing at my limit, really smart," he said in that self deprecating way he had.
We wished him a happy birthday and probably gave him a beer of something.
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bigwalling
climber
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Jan 13, 2005 - 05:46pm PT
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what was Walt's free climbing limit???
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Bishop is DEAD, long live JT
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Jan 13, 2005 - 05:51pm PT
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Let's say I took over more than one lead for him in the 11a range. Walt used to say "soloing onsight at your limit is the best way to keep it pure" .... man he was pure!
Always liked his quote, "I've never been in better shape....." and then pause...... "....but I've never been in worse shape either." Never saw him do a pull-up in my life.
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yo
climber
NOT Fresno
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Jan 13, 2005 - 07:10pm PT
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Don't claim to have known him, but I sat in on a couple conversations here and there, as seems to happen. One was at night, either before or after the ranger show in the lodge ampitheater. Somehow I sprayed, regrettably, to the group, which included Walt, that I'd gotten up Mescalito or something. Ten minutes later I'm in the nice chrome bathroom by the MR and somebody sidles up next to me. Yeah, guess who. Whilst pissing he leaned to me, a little in my space if you know what I'm saying, and said, "Aid climbing is chickensh#t. It's all about free." Proceeded to piss for another minute and a half, zip, and leave. And I just stood there with my dick in my hand till he left.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jan 13, 2005 - 07:26pm PT
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"Always liked his quote, "I've never been in better shape....." and then pause...... "....but I've never been in worse shape either." Never saw him do a pull-up in my life. "
Lepton used to begin many a discourse with, "Now I've NEVER been in good free climbing shape....."
Anyone know whatever happened to him?
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Jan 13, 2005 - 08:48pm PT
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Last I heard of Lepton, he was living in Sonora and doing his woodworking. He was always fun to be around.
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 13, 2005 - 10:46pm PT
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Hey Russ....tell em the story when you had to rescue him from the Black Pope at the Mountain Room bar....Lol
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Mimi
Trad climber
Seattle
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Jan 14, 2005 - 01:39am PT
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Thanks to Mussy telling me about this forum, I am posting my first thread. And wouldn't ya know, it would be about Walt. Somehow I missed the one about the octopenis. That's a classic! I first saw Walt in the new MR Bar playing a balancing game with his chair and falling over backwards. It was in '83. Russ and the gang were also at the table providing the necessary encouragement. We didn't meet officially until a couple years later and I feel so lucky to have done so. I remember telling Walt and other friends goodbye in the Lodge lot when I split for good in '87 after two awesome years living in the Valley. Little did I know it would be the last time. I found some old letters awhile back that included one from him. He described a climbing trip to S. America and he fussed at me for not coming back to climb. Boy, was I a moron to not listen. Now, I'm too old and chicken to climb hard again and he's gone. I did make his "funeral" gathering and I think we did a pretty good job of celebrating his life although I think most of us were still in disbelief that he was really gone. What a loss but we all know what a full life he led. Don't be late!
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 14, 2005 - 11:47am PT
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Mimi is that you...?
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Jan 14, 2005 - 12:00pm PT
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A Walt S. solo for the ages is the on-sight free solo ascent of "Woodrow" on the S. Face of Mt. Wilson (1,600 feet with a 2,000 3-5th class approach), a sketchy 5.10b face climb on pliable holds and nebulous route finding. Makes my palms sweat just thinking about doing that route on the 3rd.
A one-of-a-kind dude was Walt.
JL
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 14, 2005 - 12:09pm PT
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bigwalling asked: "what was Walt's free climbing limit???"
He trancsended all that number bullshit dude, and went right to the core....going for it the best he could and it was some of the most amazing stuff if you ever saw it.
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 14, 2005 - 01:20pm PT
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Mimi--Hey, didn't you slug a hippie or break a trustafarian's guitar at Walt's memorial?
I think two of my favorite Walt stories were somwhat non-climbing related. One was about a ranger in ther Meadows nearly getting skulled by a OE tall that someone had chucked off a cliff, leading to the short-lived banning of OE at the store...except for a private stash (read: crates stacked high) for Walt and Billie to unwind with after a long day of guiding.
The other tale (and I only have vague details) involved Duane Raleigh, an upscale lodge, and the PA. Seems the management wasn't so keen on climbers, but did have a thing for some manicured French poodle. Anyhow, Walt somehow gets into the lodge's intercom/muzak system and records a whole garbled canine-man love/sex saga complete with monologues like, "Come to me Frenchie...make me bark..." The tape then plays throughout the establishment...maybe for days, maybe for hours...at just low enough a volume to ignore or inflame, depending on your mood. These would be dipped-in-gold artifacts to find, but in all likelihood they're bound to remain the stuff of legend.
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Bishop is DEAD, long live JT
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Jan 14, 2005 - 01:27pm PT
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A little fuzzy on the Balck Pope Werner....?? was that when he was making some off the wall comments to that dudes wife and then a huge guy (Linebacker) follows Walt into the MR bathroom...... I of course follow, and then there was some sort of witty exchange?
How about Walt doing the post breakup freesolo of Mt. Conness??? Was it the Harding route?? (yikes)
Marty writes:Mimi--Hey, didn't you slug a hippie or break a trustafarian's guitar at Walt's memorial?
Say, at the same gathering did'nt Billy Russell grab some hippies Didgeri-Do and stuff it in the fire saying "Walt would have hated that shit". Sweet!!!
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Tradboy
Social climber
Valley
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Jan 14, 2005 - 01:35pm PT
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The post breakup solo was Keeler Needle in a storm. Hard.
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 14, 2005 - 01:44pm PT
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Tradboy, he did Conness also....and on Keeler, the day after the storm.
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climbera5
Trad climber
Sacramento
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Jan 14, 2005 - 02:10pm PT
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Sorry to hear Walt has departed. I met him for the first time on one of the biggest days of my life. I had just finished soloing the Zodiac ('87) and was sitting down for a celebatory deli sandwich and beer at the Village. Walt scampered over with a pizza on his tray and sat next to me. After a brief introduction and discourse I find out he just finished soloing the NA Wall. We swaped stories and highlights.
Walt was feeling his oats, very confident and alive with enthusiasm. Then a remarkable thing happened. In one of those brief and salient moments I saw something unfold. His eyes became focused with a distant look of certainty, alive with possibilities. The NA had given him validation and he began exploring his imagination for new and distant projects. He talked about what came next and his desires for more grand adventures. We then shared a couple more beers and went our own way.
It was a brief but poignant moment in which two climbers share a rarified moment of personal triumph and passion. Rarely have I felt more alive. God bless Walt and all who knew him.
Mitch
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jan 14, 2005 - 02:57pm PT
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"He trancsended all that number bullshit dude"
-Truer words were never said. the criteria walt used to pick his favorite routes had little to do with difficulty.
-Steck Salathe
Walt cornered me on the slide show benches moments after I came down from this route.
"How'd you like it?"
"er, I just did Steck Salathe," I said, thinking to myself that this bonified Yosemite hardman must have thought I did some other, more substantial climb.
"I know, I've done it twice, it's one of my favorites."
Then followed an ode E-fueled discussion of the merits of that climb and the world in general, many parts in particular.
-2 Nutcracker - has ANYONE (besides maybe Werner) climbed this as many times as Walt did?
-3 El cap east Butt. He once told me that he thought those two 5.7 knob pitches might be the best in the world.
"....going for it the best he could and it was some of the most amazing stuff if you ever saw it. "
Too many instances of this to recount right here (Mt Broderick in particular). Anybody who wants to try to experience this vicariously needs to go climb "Day in Court'" on Courthouse Butte in Sedona. People don't put up crazy, pure, routes like that with out being in touch with their inner, something!
and went right to the core....going for it the best he could and it was some of the most amazing stuff if you ever saw it.
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Mimi
Trad climber
Seattle
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Jan 14, 2005 - 03:19pm PT
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Yes, Werner, it's me! How's it going? I might see you this Spring. I'll have to figure out how to deal with that crazy 7-day limit crap.
No, I didn't slug a hippie. Heck, I sorta used to be one myself when I lived in AZ, was a veggie, wore Birkenstocks, and hung out with bearded ladies.
Yes, Billy Ray did that du justice. The kid just wouldn't quit playing the damn thing despite our pleas and boy was that a big fire. He pulled it out but it was scorched pretty good. It did convince him to quit playing it for the night. LOL!
Yes, Walt's breakup solo (one of a few) was the 10.c route on Conness. His story about doing the crux traverse was great as usual.
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Good Morning!
climber
Prescott, AZ
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Jan 14, 2005 - 04:30pm PT
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Ok, I've got some pictures of Walt here somewhere - I'll try and post em. Standby...
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jan 15, 2005 - 12:54am PT
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Walt was part of a film crew that covered "freedom fighters" fighting against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. It turns out he was there when a woman I went to school with died of Hepititus before they could evacuate her. They were in a sketchy, whacked situation and it seemed bizaare to me that I should know two such different people who coincidentally shared this intense time so far away.
Of course, Walt was a total specialist on the subject of intense. He was a super intelligent guy, an engineer, and felt things intensely. It seemed like he needed to up the ante on life to keep it interesting, but then it could be overwhelming, so he have to be wasted or solo something, and then that lead to even more intensity.
So I enjoyed hanging out with him, hearing his beta and animated stories complete with full body re-enactments of key sequences. When I finally got to do a miserable job climbing Crucifix, Walts voice was in the back of my head, warning me about sketchy blocks at the top of some amazing fist crack.
A lot of times his sense of humor was at the expense of young ladies passing by the Deli. Sometimes I wanted to hide under the table when I thought he was going too far.
But his (last?) girlfriend (Stephanie?) was sweet and it was cool to hang with them together up at the terrace where she lived.
and the deli has never been the same since he died. I'm sure he would have approved of himself dying doing something rad. Lots of us still miss him.
I know he was one of the funniest guys alive. Puppet shows, wild stories, but he was an amazing big hearted complex guy who defied any simple charactarization. I don't believe he was quite ready to "rest in peace" I think he's just run out on another epic, and after shaking out and composing himself, will be pulling the crux and clipping the anchors.
Peace
karl
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DE
Mountain climber
Tustin, Calif.
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Jan 17, 2005 - 12:49pm PT
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I remember Walt in connection with one of the best wildlife sightings of my life (early 1980's). He, Billy R., Roy Mcclenahan and myself were hiking up Queen Mtn, Roy and I en-route to an early ascent of White Rain, a Walt Josh classic. We were just about up to the plateau level at the top when someone spotted a GILA MONSTER! He was tucked in a crack and the 4 of us crowded around and gaped in wonder. There were some comments about doing some sort of test to see if they really bite and never let go, but....even Walt didn't go for it. Our ascent of WR went well (Roy led) mostly because Walt had recently returned to it and ADDED a bolt before the runout into the thin crack part near the top. Walt had been criticized for leading it without said bolt as it had been ridiculously run-out before. It was still scary.
I went home and looked through the natural history section of my home library and found a reference in one of my Reptile books which stated that Gila Monsters were very rare but that there had been sightings in the Josh area years before. Went by that spot a month ago and looked around, didn't see any GM's but thought of Walt.
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 24, 2005 - 11:28am PT
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I think klaus that happened to the other guy. This did happen: Some guy tried it once and burned his whole face. They had to take him to the clinic. Monkey see monkey do.
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Bishop is DEAD, long live JT
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Jan 24, 2005 - 12:27pm PT
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I was there for the firebreathing show.... the first one.
We were in the old Rescue Site, right around dinner time. The side show that night was John Barbella cooking dinner.... he go to test the temp of his meal, and whoopsy... the whole thing slides off the Svea 123 and onto the deck. Walt is warming up for the show..... The white gas probably came from Barbella... anyway, Walt takes a mouthful and spits/blows/expells the white gas out of his mouth and toward a flaming stick he is holding..... WHOOOOOSH!!!!!! A GIANT fireball explodes in the air just like it is supposed to. We are busting up and wowed and generally looking on in amazement. Barbella is cooking his second dinner now...... Walt decides to do it again.... he gets a mouthful, gets the stick in place and unleashes another giant fireball..... but this time he starts laughing during the event and instead of blowing out mightily, he is letting the gas dribble down his chin.... uh-oh..... the fireball comes back toward his face and promptly sets it on fire...... so he does what any of us would do... tries to put it out by patting his face with his hands..... he pulls his hands away from his face and they are now on fire too.... with all this commotion, Barbella dumps his second dinner and gives up on eating for the night..... Walt races away, still smouldering, to the bathroom to douse the flames and soak his head...... He comes back looking pretty burned and blistered.... He takes off and disappears for at least a week. We find out later he went over to stay with Hy Zornes who had a site at Upper River. Guess it was a rough week.... when he returns, he is very scabby, has some sort of weird beard going with leaking wounds all around his mouth and down feathers stuck in some of the scabs from a leaky sleeping bag. He was one sad puppy for a while after that.
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Mimi
Social climber
Seattle
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Jan 24, 2005 - 10:18pm PT
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Definitely one of the funniest stories ever!
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1legscott
Trad climber
seattle
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i was having one of those days today where i had walt on the brain and found this site on the net.
no way i could do justice to any of my old walt stories typing them online and god i regret there will never be any new ones
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
mun jae upso yo
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There's quite a few floatin' around, luckily.
Walt was out there, & in here, at the same time.
Some folks, huh?
There are a couple other Shipley threads in here, too, If you're a searcher.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Oh my gosh, I am laughing til I'm crying! Tears pouring down my cheeks! Too funny! I can just see him Bill Russell grabbing the diggery-do and chucking it in the fire.
I didn't know Walt very well, but met him plenty of times. Two things come to mind. The first is that no one - and I mean NOBODY - could hold forth round the campfire like Walt. He was IN COMMAND, and woe be the fate of anyone who attempted to overtake him.
And the second, was when Deucey was giving a slide show in the Cliff Room. This would have been the fall of '96. Warren Hollinger was showing his Baffin slides, too. Oi Deucey - you there? You MUST remember this! Walt and Bill Russell were heckling you, just like Tatler and Waldorf from the Muppets. It was, without doubt, the best display of Big Wall Heckling in the history of Yosemite! They were merciless, and their comments were peeling the paint off the walls.
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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cheers WES
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BASE104
climber
An Oil Field
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I have so many Walt stories, being cooped up with him in Chamonix in 1984.
I have a great shot of him laying a log on some glacier, but it stays in the top secret files.
This is the evolution of Walt over a summer. He slowly turned into a chimpanzee:
I miss just knowing Walt is AROUND. Hell, he might be looking over my shoulder right now trying to bitch slap me for making a big deal over him.
I loved Walt from the day I met him, right when he showed up in the valley til the day he died.
Stories will follow.
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BASE104
climber
An Oil Field
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OK. I wasn't around for some of these, but Duane Raleigh recounted them.
I left France a few weeks before Walt and Duane. There was a bar there that all of the beautiful people hung out in. We called it the "Video Bar." They had all of these screens showing wild solos and ski descents and stuff.
One night they had The Exorcist on. When Linda Blair did a 360 with her head and green goo oozed out of her mouth, Walt's eyes rolled back into his head, turned totally white, and he faints. Just kind of oozes to the floor. So Duane slaps him a couple of times and he comes to. So they split.
We were too cheap for the Bar Nash after a while, so when it was storming, we drank like hell. I was just drawn to Walt, although I had to act like I didn't know him on occasion.
We discovered that trappist ale stuff in a butcher shop. It was the strongest stuff on Earth per franc. It was the Olde English of France, and tasted worse. So one day, after getting drunk on a bench in front of the post office every day..the old ladies got to know us and would giggle and laugh as they walked by..we walked to the far end of town. There was this roundabout with some benches. So we drink and got totally thrashed. Walt has to piss and goes over to a phone booth. He picks up the phone while he is talking, and then I see him laughing hysterically out of his mind and jumping up and down. The bottom half of the booth was covered. Then this endless stream of foamy piss runs out the bottom as he is jumping up and down like he is peeing on an electric fence and laughing OUT of control. I was crying with laughter. Then these two girls come by on bicycles and ride right by him with the piss now turning into a river and running out onto the road. They kind of slow down at that and follow it up to Walt, who then breaks into an even wilder laughter.
The whole scene was mid day, flowers planted all around, and Walt was giving one of his first of many shows. Chamonix was so cool then, because as long as you didn't hurt anyone, you could get away with anything.
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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never met him. one of my friends learned how to rock climb just because walt taught at the Yosemite mountain shop......WOW!
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