Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Apr 10, 2009 - 06:20am PT
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rodermck,
Thanks for adding to the legend and the mystery of Chuck Ostin. You knew him in the flatlands and saw his roots on the farm; that means a lot and adds dimension.
Glad you mentioned the night descents. They were so typical too, what with all the coffee hang time and leisurely starts and big party mass assaults.
Never a light in the whole party. It was like he was teaching us to epic, too, not freak out but just -- as got said for us in Apollo 13 -- "work the problem, gentlemen."
That's some of the darkest talus anywhere, that side of the Valley. Rock dark to begin with, add darker lichen and once you get out of the gullies where it might get easier you're on a north slope further shaded by oaks and the blocks get bigger and all you can do is crab walk feet first feeling for the dropoffs. Sometimes it would be way, way too late for the Four Seasons.
North Dome Gully was far easier with whiter sand and bleached slabs reflecting starlight and somehow the long slides possible down there were mercifully obscured.
Chuck was like a minor angel, maybe lonely but also full of self-sufficiency and kindness and showed a lot of us parts of the way toward being climbers.
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pc
climber
East of Seattle
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Apr 10, 2009 - 08:05am PT
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Excellent! To the best of the Taco.
Cheers,
pc
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GOclimb
Trad climber
Boston, MA
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Apr 10, 2009 - 08:22am PT
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Nice story, Jim, thanks for that!
GO
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fattrad
Mountain climber
GOP Convention
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Apr 10, 2009 - 10:01am PT
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A great read, thanks Jim.
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hossjulia
Trad climber
Eastside
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Apr 10, 2009 - 02:38pm PT
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this read got my hands sweating, even though that climb will likely never see me, I got to go look at it now, with these stories swiming in my head.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, all.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
the greasewood ghetto
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Apr 17, 2009 - 05:32pm PT
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Were you L-sitting the bar dips ?
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Alexey
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Bump for great climbing tail.
Jim, any story to tell us about FA of Leanie Meanie and Anticipation on Arch Rock with Mark?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 31, 2013 - 04:57pm PT
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Bump for Coz.
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Jan 31, 2013 - 05:13pm PT
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Thanks Jim. I missed this one the first time around too. Great story, great comments.
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MH2
climber
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Jan 31, 2013 - 05:29pm PT
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GUD bump
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coz
Gym climber
Belmont
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Jan 31, 2013 - 06:13pm PT
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Thanks Jim, no wonder I missed it, a climbing thread.
Been waiting for that story for years..
Nothing like getting above gear with no knowledge of the route above and just hoping for the best.
Madness!
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Jan 31, 2013 - 06:24pm PT
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This thread has it all. Could use a few more photos, someone shake Phil Bard awake and then it will be complete. Wow, good stuff.
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old toad
Trad climber
yosemite, Ca.
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Jan 31, 2013 - 06:33pm PT
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Great post! And a climbing post!! I went up to do this with Don Reid in the early 80's. I led the first pitch (5.9 not) with some effort and Don proceeded to fire the 5.11d second with what looked like ease. I thought just like you that after the bulge it went back into a high angle ramp. Boy was I mistaken, dead vertical and off fingers as well! I just made the belay totally pumped. I don't think I could have climbed another two feet. Never forget that day with Don, the master of the thin crack.
Ron
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