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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Dec 29, 2008 - 06:20pm PT
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Raffi's big contribution was inventing and selling a lighter aluminum carabiner.
Just yesterday a friend gave me a Bedayn Oval. I'll try to get a picture of it posted.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Dec 29, 2008 - 06:24pm PT
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(I can't find my photo of the Bedayn memorial engraving in the rock under Columbia Boulder. The "Sunday morning coffee with Jesse" rock.)
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Dec 29, 2008 - 06:38pm PT
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God I liked Raffi. Our nickname for him was Raffles, by the way. I knew him partly also from his business of converting old warehouse space in Berkeley into work/live units back in the 60's-70's. Really a fun, warm guy and friend to everyone.
Thanks Chris for putting this up!
rip, ph.
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Thorgon
Big Wall climber
Sedro Woolley, WA
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Dec 29, 2008 - 07:42pm PT
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Great Tribute to a great man!!!
Thanks Chris,
Thor
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Dec 29, 2008 - 11:40pm PT
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Thanks for the post, Chris. Roper's first Climber's Guide to Yosemite Valley came out when I was a teenager, and I checked out a copy from the local library before I knew anything about Valley climbing history or, for that matter, techniques. Being Armenian myself, Raffi's name was one of the first I noticed (along with Torc's, of course.) I bought my first Bedayn carabiner in 1967 for $2.00.
Although I lived in Berkeley from 1969-73, and spent a LOT of time at Indian Rock, I didn't meet Raffi there. I met him in Camp 4 in the early 1970's, when he was trying to convince all of us to join the AAC. That's the wonderful thing about climbing. Simple, recreational climbers like me can meet heroes of the sport in person, and sometimes actually climb, or at least boulder, with them.
I think that's something I most appreciate about this forum, too. We get to talk, listen and argue with the history makers of our sport, many of whom, like Peter, regularly contribute here. Thanks all.
John
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PhilG
Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
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Dec 30, 2008 - 08:28am PT
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Thanks Chris
Great post for us lovers of Yosemite history.
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Bill Hutchins
Trad climber
Maryland
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Dec 30, 2008 - 10:33am PT
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Great article, good man! I still have some of my old Bedayn 'biners around here. Don't use them for clmibng these days (got a bunch of these paper clip like wire gate things). But I keep the Bedayns with my old pitons. They remind me what it was like to be young. Thanks for posting.
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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Dec 30, 2008 - 12:47pm PT
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Like others have said, great little article on Bedayn. And I too have several Bedayn biners in my collection. I do no think people realize that he came up with the idea to switch to aluminum.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Dec 30, 2008 - 10:59pm PT
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Here is the real deal...
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Great article Chris! Thanks for posting it.
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Tuolumne
Social climber
Orinda CA
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As the author of the Raffi Bedayn article, let me report that it was a rare privlidge to do something for this outstanding individual, even though it had been 45 years since I saw him last, and more than 40 years after I gave up rock climbing (after a scary descent off The Thumb, outside Boulder CO). One ancedote about Raffi that didn't make the final version was about the WWII home movie from Seneca Rocks WV. He showed it at the Boy Scout right after Jim Whittaker's talk about the '63 Everest Expedition, and one scene showed the instructors chowing down on big, thick steaks, at a time when there was strict meat rationing, and most of the dads in the audience were ex-GIs, who promttly gave Raffi a huge razzing, all quite spontaneous.
Readers of this forum may be interested to learn the latest edition of the Yosemite Gazette has a feature story about Scott Stowe and his efforts to help disabled climbers scale ElCap. I contribute the regular crossword puzzle, and this one is based on Scott's achievments. I also has constructed over a dozen crossword puzzles with Yosemite themes, and will be happy to share them via email to c/w enthusiasts - they print out in MS Word on a single sheet.
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Classic Raffi:
Harper and Hennek worked with Raffi for years whenever they came out of the mountains and needed the buckeroonies. I remember one funny story they related about an episode hanging out on the end of a steel I beam that Raf had just welded a flange onto. Raf asked if they thought it was cool enough yet? he reached out and grabbed it and burnt the hell out of his hand! After work they would stop at Brennans, have a couple pints and some Scotch and race each other home to see the next episode of Startrek. Fun and heady days in old Berserkely. Harper also worked with Anton Nelson during this era and has many a tale to tell. Shame we can't get either of these lads to come online?
cheers
Guido
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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I had only one encounter with Raffi, but it has stuck with me.
In the early 70s, Raffi asked a mutual friend, maybe Pratt or Roper who lived in Berkeley, if I would come by and visit him when I was in town.
As I remember, Raffi wanted my take on then early efforts to create a guide certification program.
I droved around the unfamiliar industrial flats at the end of his work day and finally found his office. He was about the same age as I am now--late fifties--and, if things haven't changed too much, he probably could see more of him in me than I was able to see in him.
But he was very gracious and hospitable: he asked if I wanted a drink and some snacks. Without waiting for a confirmation, he turned in his deck chair, opened the credenza and produced a bottle of whisky, Scotch, I think, the snacks, and a couple of glasses.
We had a great chat.
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Ain't no flatlander
climber
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"Raffi's big contribution was inventing and selling a lighter aluminum carabiner."
For the record, this is false. The first aluminum carabiner was made in 1941 by Bill House and ALCOA for the Army. Raffi appears to have made the first commercial biners from a different alloy but those came about a decade later.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Guido, I could be wrong, but thought I saw a post from Dennis Hennek somewhere on the Taco Stand.
Great article Tuolumne.
First met Raffi at Indian Rock, and then ran into him in the Valley. Saw him a lot at Indian Rock. Very nice man.
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RonHahn
climber
San Francisco, CA
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Here is a carabiner from one of the first batches of the Bedayn aluminum carabiners. Note that it is marked "Bedayn Calif". Later batches spelled out California in full. The original price, in the early 1950's, was $1.40.
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Thorgon
Big Wall climber
Sedro Woolley, WA
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Jan 22, 2009 - 12:26am PT
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SMC, must have gotten the patent at
some point because I have a bunch of
these biners, but the have the SMC stamp!?
Thor
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jan 22, 2009 - 12:59am PT
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No patent on carabiner design back in the early seventies if at all before that. SMC put out a rigid crampon and carabiner pretty early on based existing designs. Their stainless steel bolt hanger was also the best available for quite a while.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jan 22, 2009 - 02:03am PT
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The SMC and REI aluminum ovals were the first aluminum ovals of which I am aware that would open under body weight. This made aid climbing easier and safer in the days when we used three aid slings, rather than a pair of aiders. Before then, the Chouinard carabiners were the first that could open under body weight, but they were a modified "D" shape (rhomboid?). Before SMC/REI's, I remember Eiger aluminum 'biners, but their gates couldn't be opened when loaded. In any case, I thought Raffi's were better.
John
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