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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 17, 2011 - 09:37pm PT
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A ha! It turns out that TopRoper is Richard, not Simon. Awesome!
The "I always rappel with a top-rope." photo, although of Simon, wasn't self-referential.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 17, 2011 - 10:05pm PT
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God damn Tami, what are those huge things on your chest?
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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May 17, 2011 - 10:45pm PT
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Dang! What a hottie.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 17, 2011 - 11:43pm PT
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John Wittmayer as Van Halen But I've been wrong only once in my life.
And now twice.
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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May 17, 2011 - 11:58pm PT
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OK so TopRoper is none other than Richard Suddaby (aka Scuttleboy?) Cool.
Could Van Halen be Death Fall Steve?
Nice shirt Tami!
More incriminating archival photos please.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 18, 2011 - 12:10am PT
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So give up the ghost, Ghost.
Wish I could. It's not John Wittmayer in the picture, but I don't know who it is.
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TopRoper
Trad climber
Vancouver
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May 24, 2011 - 12:04am PT
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Van Halen is not John Wittmayer or Death Fall Steve actually Lorne Stevens who died prematurely in his 40's of depression and alchoholism. He never went climbing with any other squamish climber but introduced another friend of his, a madman called Steve who rode a yamaha YZF up there at 80 mph with Lorne on the back. On the way home Lorne carried the coiled rope around his neck and a loop of the rope dropped down into the rear wheel and 10 feet was lopped off. Lucky he didn't die that day.
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TopRoper
Trad climber
Vancouver
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May 24, 2011 - 12:17am PT
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Tami That was one of the most amazing places I lived. I spent my childhood on that beach. Blissfully unaware of the spiritual cries from the dead. Once I went down to the beach and the tide had brought a floating layer of bark and wood bits so thick it looked like you could walk on it. I threw our cat in to test it and apparently it could not support the weight of a cat. The place had 2 huge cherry trees that we'd sit in and pig-out on cherries when they were in season. It also had a fishpond. I tried to backflip over the fishpond once. I should have practiced at least once on dry land but I just wasn't smart back then. I also dug a hole to China just outside our back door. Well, I started the project, but had to admit defeat after about 4 feet.
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TopRoper
Trad climber
Vancouver
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May 24, 2011 - 12:51am PT
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 24, 2011 - 12:52am PT
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I once met death fall Steve at a party, at one of the Spat places in North Vancouver. About ten years ago. Never met him in the 1970s, but got chatting with him, found out he was a climber, and eventually he mentioned his big fall. At which I butted in and exclaimed "Oh, you must be Death Fall Steve".
He was crestfallen.
But then, SuperTopo's MisterE has also taken a big fall out Seasoned in the Sun. Heaven knows how they do it - it's perfectly protectable.
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TopRoper
Trad climber
Vancouver
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May 24, 2011 - 12:54am PT
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 24, 2011 - 12:57am PT
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Nice photos! The one of Perry looks like Java Jive.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 24, 2011 - 01:24am PT
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Tami on the FA of BBB*, summer 1978. Richard and PC not in photo.
Posted upthread somewhere.
*aka Slim Pickins, now scandalously retrobolted and purportedly renamed.
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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May 24, 2011 - 01:33am PT
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Thanks for the photos Richard.
Nice archival shot of an an early foray on Java Jive.
We sure ran some eclectic garb, like what's with the fishnet longjohns and Tami in the Popeye rig? We haven't even got to Randy's fruit loop tights yet.
Sorry to hear about Lorne, too many of those stories over the years.
Death Fall Steve got his moniker for grounding out from the crux on Clean Crack and liebacking the chimney on the Right Side WAY ABOVE his last piece. He hated that handle and was actually strong as an ox and quite safety conscious. These things just happen I guess.
For the record I turf touched from sixty feet up RDD while belayed by Daryl.
Sprained my ankle and missed out on finishing Pan Granitic Frogman.
Been called a lot of things but never Death Fall Perry.
Wonderful stuff, keep it coming.
PB
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 24, 2011 - 02:00am PT
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I have a second slide from that day, when we did Bran Flakes. Which Peter (and perhaps Richard) had earlier started on. So the four of us did get to the top of the Apron somehow. Maybe BBB had had prior attempts - can't remember. Likewise the line of Slim Pickins was never clear, but the photo in Gordie's book shows it as starting as for BBB, or a touch left.
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bmacd
Social climber
100% Canadian
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May 24, 2011 - 03:26am PT
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great shots Richard, I remember being recruited by Peter for Slim Pickins one day along with Kevin Haberal. After the route joined Sparrow he untied and floated upwards on his own, leaving us to fumble on, on our own. My first multi pitch route. likely in '76 or '75
Ran into Steve McConnell a couple months ago, he's living in asia
Perry what the heck happened with your recent medical emergency ?
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 24, 2011 - 10:18am PT
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I also think Slim Pickens was further north ( between BBB & Sparrow ) & a different climb.......one with no pro
Slim Pickins goes pretty much directly up to the start of the second pitch of Sparrow. I remember John Wittmayer leading it in mountain boots. Great big heavy leather mountain boots. Was there any pro on that pitch at all? Endless 5.10 slab and he edged crystals the whole way. Dude could climb.
I have a feeling I've posted this somewhere before, but maybe not. It's John bouldering at the quarry in North Van.
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johnwitt
Mountain climber
winlaw
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Hey! These photos are really great...I lost all my photos over the years and have little to show. No one believes me now that I climbed a bit...but I sit here in my rockin' chair and remember those days fondly. Ah youth...it was f*#king glorious...be happy I didn't die too young though, eh?
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Welcome John Wittmayer! What's new?
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johnwitt
Mountain climber
winlaw
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Living in the Slocan Valley....still roaming the mountains...loving life!
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SuperTopo on the Web
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Let us know!