Yosemite 1967 Photo - Can you identify these climbers?

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Ihateplastic

Trad climber
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Apr 28, 2009 - 04:42pm PT
So here is another voice... I just heard from Royal,

"Sorry, no, I don't know who they are. What a bunch of skinny bastards. Don't they ever eat?

Best Regards,
Royal"
stevep

Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
Apr 28, 2009 - 04:53pm PT
To add on to what Roger is saying, if Frank is (3), then Who's on first?

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

And while I'm as more guilty than many of contributing to OT threads, it is threads like this that really make the Taco. Looks at all the years of history and experience we've had chime in to this simple question.
tithaf

Trad climber
Colorado Plateau
Apr 28, 2009 - 05:55pm PT
Sounds like RR is the one who needs glasses ....
survival

Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
Apr 28, 2009 - 06:09pm PT
Can't we scrape some DNA from that photo??

Wait.....here they are...AGAIN!!!!


I think that's Madsen on the left, Sacherer is second from right, and of course that's Bridwell third from right.....

jstan

climber
Apr 28, 2009 - 06:24pm PT
I have to ask. How is it this Kimbrough guy thinks he knows so much? Eh?
Ihateplastic

Trad climber
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Apr 28, 2009 - 06:30pm PT
Reporting from Britton Hill, Florida's high point at 345 feet we now have input from Steve Roper...

Hi, Simon. #1 sure isn't Sacherer in my opinion. I'd say 4 is more likely, given his slouch and distance from the rest. #2 is probably Kim. #5 might be Tom Kimbrough. #8 looks like a chap named Steve Williams.
Roger Breedlove

climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Apr 28, 2009 - 08:06pm PT
What do you say Eric, is number (8) 'Lightning Slings?' I can sort of see the resemblance.
Mighty Hiker

Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Apr 28, 2009 - 08:28pm PT
Can't be Bridwell - he'd be wearing paisley. Colourful paisley, as Lynne likes so much.
Dick Erb

climber
June Lake, CA
Apr 28, 2009 - 09:28pm PT
The ones I am most sure of are;
4-Dave Bircheff
5-Tom Kimbrough
8-Steve Williams, aka Lightning Slings(Beckism)

Also;
7-Not Eric Beck
1-Not Jim Madsen, maybe Boche?
2-I can see why some might say Kim Schmitz, I'm not so sure
TomKimbrough

Social climber
Salt Lake City
Apr 28, 2009 - 10:03pm PT
I still say # 1 is Madsen and #2 is Schmitz. You gotta remember how many mind altering drugs this entire group must have consumed along with their breakfast Wheaties. I'm sure that accounts for any missing glasses, odd hair, strange expressions, etc.
I would expect Lighting Slings to be with this bunch but I don't see him.
Well, I'm off to take my mind altering drugs and head to bed.....
Kimbrough
yo

climber
I drink your milkshake!
Apr 28, 2009 - 10:11pm PT
So what's the story on Lightning Slings? Slow?


Bored edit:


L to R: Joe Fitschen, Klaus, Mom(?), Chris Mac
Eric Beck

Sport climber
Bishop, California
Apr 28, 2009 - 11:57pm PT
5: Kimbrough
8: Steve Williams aka Slings

I do not see myself, although might not recoginze him.

Slings got his name from an ascent of Swan Slab. He was leading the 2nd pitch (aid back then). It was very early season and had gone into shadow and I was getting cold. I inquired what was going on up there. He replied "Lightning slings Williams here". This name proved to be particularly sticky, especially after Kimbrough, one day greeted him with "Hi Slings".
TomKimbrough

Social climber
Salt Lake City
Apr 29, 2009 - 09:39am PT
A note on the grim side: Assuming that #1 is Madsen (although no one seems to agree with me that it is) and assuming that it is indeed 1967, Madsen has only months to live if it is Spring and only weeks if it Fall.
He and I, along with Schmitz, were in Peru that summer and Madsen was killed late that Fall.
(I think I have this timing right.)
Slings was the first person to find Madsen's body and I don't think he ever quite recovered from it.
For those that don't know of Madsen:
He was the brightest young star of those years.
He rapped off the end of his rope at the top of El Cap while checking on Pratt and Fredricks who had been stuck on the Dihedral in an early season storm.
Peter Haan

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Apr 29, 2009 - 10:00am PT
I agree with Eric Beck. All we have is Kimbrough and Steve Williams.

It was weird for me to see Williams from 1967, having known him only later, from 1970-1972 after he had obviously thrown so much away. And it took me a bunch of looks to recognize him after Roper pointed out his identity. Sheesh.

No way that is Schmitz, sorry. Too short, too ugly. Not Madsen, Not Sacherer.
Roger Breedlove

climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Apr 29, 2009 - 11:46am PT
Hi Peter, I had the same impression when Steve pointed out Slings. I only knew him in 1970 onwards. Folks were crazy to take so many drugs.

I think that the Dave Bircheff is there too. It just looks like Dave's face and body language. I also tried to figure out the relative size of number 2 as Kim relative to number 4 as Dave. It seems to me that they are both about the same distance from the camera in which case, number is 2 is too small to be Kim.
Barry Bates

Boulder climber
Smith River CA
Apr 29, 2009 - 12:37pm PT
Hi Peter and Roger

It took me a few times to recognize slings, by the 70's he had shoulder length hair and looked a lot different. I still remember him for his great sense of humor. He and Klemons always seemed to have a friendly battle going on giving each other a bad time about everything. Bircheff told me when they did the Bircheff williams at some point in the climb steve untied from the rope for some reason, at the same time he stood up on a sling clipped into a pin,the pin popped steve dropped just a few inches, his feet landing on a very small ledge, Dave looked down to see steve arms extended out spinning in the air to maintain balance and not go over backwards into oblivion. One of those heart stopping moments!!
Jan

Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 29, 2009 - 12:45pm PT
If you look carefully at #2 he is wearing glasses (a magnifying lens helps). I don't recall Schmitz ever had glasses. Also I agree that the guy in the photo isn't tall enough and his hair seems way too dark as well.

Meanwhile I'm wondering if Bircheff was good at crack climbing? Since he looks so much like Frank from the neck down, I'm wondering if all the speculations about Frank's narrow torso being particularly suited to crack climbing applied to Bircheff as well?
Roger Breedlove

climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Apr 29, 2009 - 12:50pm PT
Hi Barry,

Great to have you joining in. I too remember Slings' humor and easy going nature. He always seemed to have a wry 'editoral' comment on what ever was going on at the moment.

All the best, Roger

PS: Is that you in the position 3?
jstan

climber
Apr 29, 2009 - 12:55pm PT
One of ST's expert photoshoppers needs to go to the Saturday Review and get a print that has not been half toned. It should not be any problem getting the print as there is a new article about Jim Madsen for that magazine just waiting to be written.

A heart breaker.
Barry Bates

Boulder climber
Smith River CA
Apr 29, 2009 - 01:16pm PT
Roger

Your right that's me number 3 I've managed to maintain that position for almost 40 years now.

Barry
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