Squamish Climbers - the '80s - Photos

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Climbing dropout

Trad climber
Vancouver, BC
Topic Author's Original Post - May 2, 2009 - 01:49am PT
The purpose of this thread is to spotlight the people who were Squamish climbers in the 1980's, home base was Squamish, so but we will include Yosemite, Bugaboos photos, where ever these people climbed and what, in the eighties. Otherwise there might not be many pictures of these folks, if we restricted this thread to Squish only shots in the 80's.


These are some of my pictures of Squamish climbers, first up, Uncle Bens on the Chief, a Burton and Sutton route, I believe. Which I did with Jim Brennan



Jim cleaning ....



Jim Leading ....




Croft ended up freeing this pitch, but of course I nailed it, to enable him.




Me cleaning ....



Jim leading .... etc, etc, until we got to the top.


lot's more pictures to come, I scanned 137 shots last weekend ...

By the way my name is Bruce MacDonald, drop me a note if you remember me from somewhere.

I was shooting with a 35mm Contax equipped with a Ziess 45mm f2.8 lens. Scans from slides were done with a Nikon Coolscan 5000. As I deal with more scans, if the edit timeout period allows, I will go back and update some posts with more pictures.
Mighty Hiker

Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
May 2, 2009 - 02:07am PT
Are the shots from Uncle Ben's from the time when Jim fell on the last (second last?) pitch and broke a wrist?
Climbing dropout

Trad climber
Vancouver, BC
Topic Author's Reply - May 2, 2009 - 02:11am PT
Hamish Fraser - Squamish's second greatest free climber of the 80's, after Croft.

I climbed a lot with Hamish Fraser. Here he is when he got the idea to free climb the Ten Years After face crack. He ended up making a route out of it involving some amazing slab climbing with bolts placed on lead to get there.

Anyway this was the first day, of what became a long project for him called Genus Loci. This is the prepping and exploration phase





Here is another shot of Hamish starting up one of our many trips up Grand Wall, armed with only a 1.5 friend, a #4 RP and a few stoppers and a bunch of biners.

Hamish going for the #4 RP placement at the crux of Apron Strings (10d), as we 4th class to the base of the Split Pillar.



Last pitch of Grand, the 5.10 undercling, 90 minutes later ... me arriving at Bellygood ledge



Climbing dropout

Trad climber
Vancouver, BC
Topic Author's Reply - May 2, 2009 - 02:14am PT
Anders, I wasn't going to mention that !!!!!!!

We got to the last pitch and then wham, Jim lands on top of me.

Jim is going to be pissed with you ....

What a way to start a great thread.
Climbing dropout

Trad climber
Vancouver, BC
Topic Author's Reply - May 2, 2009 - 02:46am PT
This is a tribute to Jean McCrae post.

Jean was one of the very few women climbers in Squamish. In fact besides Tami, and Candice, Simon Tooleys girlfriend, who else of that gender was climbing in the 80's ?

What happened to Jean ? Where is she now ?

This is Jean finishing up the last pitch of Grand Wall with me.



Jean leading the 2nd to last, pitch on Grandwall. Rated 5.9 Note the Whillans harness and EB's



Jean dealing with the Bellygood Ledge, traverse off of Grandwall. I think the original party crawled this section, hence the name.

neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
May 2, 2009 - 02:50am PT
hey there, say, climbing dropout... thanks for this wonderful share... kind of like a history lesson, too...

wow, great share... :)
MH2

climber
May 2, 2009 - 03:19am PT
Much appreciated, Bruce. I last remember seeing you at a lakeside in Whistler some years ago.

Hamish is well known for being a little known great climber. That Genius Loci whomped Catalin and me. I had seen a picture in Canadian Geographic of Greg Foweraker on the dike that leads back to the Split Pillar. The dike was a narrow strip of positive holds with nothingness above and below. Had to get there, and Genius Loci looked like the way. First mistake was starting with the first pitch when we could have gone to the 3rd, where Hamish in your picture is starting up from the standard traverse from Mercy Me to the Pillar. By the time I got to the relatively easy dike I was too far gone to do even that without a rest. In short, if Hamish calls a pitch 5.11 then don't expect to onsight it, and if he calls it 5.12 then don't expect to climb it, period.

Andy Cairns

Mike Bolte

Trad climber
Planet Earth
May 2, 2009 - 12:01pm PT
Nice thread - I'd like to think that Apron Strings is 10d. I always thought it was hard for the 10b in the book of the time. Cutting over from Merci Me to the base of the Pillar. Note the EBs with the leather panels sewn on the sides.

Mighty Hiker

Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
May 2, 2009 - 12:50pm PT
OK, my apologies to Jim. But it did happen, and was probably the first 'real' rescue from any of the Grand Wall routes. 1983 - I helped a bit with the rescue. They let me carry a rope or something. You guys just had a bit of bad luck.

Anyway, great stories and photos - reminds to get back to work and finish up the "Climbing at Squamish in the 1970s" thread. And all useful for the projected history of the first 50 years of climbing at Squamish.
Climbing dropout

Trad climber
Vancouver, BC
Topic Author's Reply - May 2, 2009 - 01:00pm PT
I concur, Apron Strings is 10d. I think Smailles grades in his guide book contributed to a lot of subsequent Squamish climbs being under graded.

Jim was rushing himself, and grabbed a loose block. He was only about 10 feet above me, but I took a big hit when he dropped on top of me with the weight of a huge rack of pins. Being kinda mentally stunned for the next while, I thought we were on our own up there, and racked up to do the last pitch myself, thinking it was the only choice, as me lowering and rapping the entire route with Jim in his condition was out of the question. I thought I could haul Jim up to Bellygood and get him off myself. I set up Jim with a sticht plate for the belay, with his one good hand. Before I set off, I looked at him, he was not even aware that he was supposed to belay me. His level of pain was very high, I guess he had gone into shock. So I pulled out a red sleeping bag and set it up as a flag. There were some climbers on Slab Alley, I started yelling to them for help. I think every Squamish climber there ever was, showed up to get us off safely..

This was the only time anything even remotely bad ever happened during my climbing career.

The situation was a show stopper down on Highway 99. This shot also shows the original winding section of Hwy 99, which became known as Psyche Ledge.



More photos and stories from me to come after the weekend.

Mighty Hiker

Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
May 2, 2009 - 01:12pm PT
There is more or less a rest on Apron Strings, just before the crux on the first pitch. You place some gear, then step/bridge down and right to a foothold at the top of a blank groove. Not great, but helps. Knowing of the rest might reduce the number of spectacular plunges from that point though - people have a tendency of going for it at that point, often to their regret.

Most of Gordie's grades in the 1975 guidebook seem fine to me, though some were based on a single or few ascents - the Apron Strings crux might be 5.10c for a move or two. I first did it free in autumn 1974, so it can't be that hard.
Mike Bolte

Trad climber
Planet Earth
May 2, 2009 - 01:14pm PT
For those who have not been there, looking up at Merci Me (or is it Mercy Me? - that Canadian/French thing). The easy path up to the base of the Split Pillar (Apron Strings or Cruel Shoes are outstanding more difficult alternatives). On the right side of the photo you can just see the crack that is the left side of the Pillar. The classic Split Pillar route goes up the right side and can't be seen in this shot).


Squamish is an incredible place to climb.
Climbing dropout

Trad climber
Vancouver, BC
Topic Author's Reply - May 3, 2009 - 09:07pm PT
This is a tribute to Dave Vernon post.

Dave was a Squamish Climber I also climbed a lot with. He was poking around Squamish back in the '70s, and probably still is today.

Our best climb together was the West Buttress of the South Howser Tower - aka Chouinard Becky route.

We climbed it the same day as Croft and Hamish did it as an unroped simu solo together. They were an hour ahead of us onto the route, knowing Dave and I were the backup crew, should things go haywire for them.

Truly a stellar route and a very long day for Dave and I. Tami remembers the date. Dave wore his EB's and I had on some piece of sh#t, one size too large Vasque Ascenders which I wore for the approach and the climb. Totally frightening footwear, when it came to the 5.10c face climbing traverse out over the void, near the top.


Starting out the route, it was obvious what lay ahead above this overhang was some amazing climbing on quality alpine granite.




The lower 3rd of the route is not very steep at all.




The perspective of the route above changes, wildly, at this point, the Buttress headwall becomes very prominent



Being on the headwall is spectacular. After this is the dicey face climbing traverse left, which really puts you in space. The wall drops 2000 very steeply below you as you gain the grooves that comprise the final section which lead to an airy summit.



We were blown away by the chalk marks Hamish and Peter had left on the face to get to this belay. It must have been very mentally challenging for both of them to complete the ultra exposed face climbing traverse

Cloudraker

Big Wall climber
BC
May 3, 2009 - 11:22pm PT
Wow great stuff guys - keep it coming!
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
May 4, 2009 - 01:18am PT
Hi Bruce. Thanks for getting this started -- we've been stuck in the 70s for way too long.

By the time the 80s hit Squamish there was a big enough community that not everybody knew everybody else well -- although it was still small enough that most people knew most everybody else at least a little.

Here's a shot of somebody who played a big part in Squamish climbing then -- not so much for his climbs just at Squamish, but also in the mountains of southwestern BC. A fine climber, a fine partner, a fine friend, and a fine man: Don Serl.

klk

Trad climber
cali
May 4, 2009 - 10:35am PT
Wow, a Jim B sighting!

Tx for starting the thread, Bruce. I don't have many Sq pix left-- I'll see if I can find some more later this week.

Apron Strings always felt 10b to me. Although it still had a fixed pin the last time I did it.

And Mercy Me was the "easy" approach to Split Pillar only if you aided the last pitch. Otherwise it was 5.11, and that last bit before the Pillar was always the crux of Grand Wall for me, at least back when the upper bolt ladder hadn't been freed.
Mike Bolte

Trad climber
Planet Earth
May 4, 2009 - 10:43am PT
Yup - you can see Steve following that last bit in slings in the photo up there. I never found a 5.11 route up that bolt ladder. We french-freed it long before I'd ever heard that expression. I think this last short section of the traverse from Mercy Me to the base of the Split Pillar is part of the original Baldwin-Cooper line. Back in the early 80s when I did it, there were no hangers--you slipped the wires from wired nuts over some bent, rusty 1/4" bolts.
Climbing dropout

Trad climber
Vancouver, BC
Topic Author's Reply - May 4, 2009 - 01:32pm PT
Another tribute to Hamish Fraser post ....

Fall of 1989 I was in the Valley and having a wicked trip climbing a number of classic day long free climbs, with numerous different partners, including the DNB with Dean Hart.

Then Hamish showed up ....

Astroman was not on my tick list, but it was on Hamish's. He needed a warm up so we got on the full Rostrum to get him in the groove. Unfortunately I did not take my camera on the Rostrum, but I did have it with us on Astroman


This is looking up to the Harding slot, 3 pitches above, from the belay on top of the Endurance pitch. Hamish running it out on easy ground.



Hamish was pysched to get shots looking down the changing corners pitch as he had seen images of Ron Kauk there, in Time magazine that looked great. We are still waiting for Time Magazine to return our phone calls, or at the least, my negatives ....




Another shot, because this is such a great spot




Note to self, jam feet in crack to conserve strength, keep tongue in mouth to conserve for elusive and mythical Squamish climbers girlfriend back at campsite.



Serious climb, but not so serious Squamish climbers



We summitted in good time that afternoon as evidenced by the shadows in this picture, completing the route in a 7 hour time frame. That evening Croft showed up in our lower Pines campsite to congratulate us and inspect the backs of my hands for damage. There wasn't any so he was impressed. We felt awesome about the whole day and having Peter come by that evening to inquire about how it went, was really cool.



Gene

climber
May 4, 2009 - 02:58pm PT
Bump for a Climbing thread
MH2

climber
May 4, 2009 - 06:46pm PT

Jim Brennan halfway on Apron Strings, September 2005






Jim at the crux of Apron Strings

Climbing dropout

Trad climber
Vancouver, BC
Topic Author's Reply - May 9, 2009 - 03:46pm PT
Smith Rocks was good winter destination for us Squamish climbers in the early 80's. Drier but colder than Squamish

Here is Hamish getting ready to put up the rope, Dean Hart kicking back and venerable Smith rocks local Chris Jones, lurking in the background, making sure we get the full on "High" Definition Smith Rocks tour. Chris was a great host !




Dean leading something, I think it's Zebra to Zion



Dean doing a desperate clip, same climb. Hamish demonstrating the hip belay technique is possible while lying down. This probably would have been a ground fall with that belay !



Hamish putting up some rope on Z to Z



Hamish trying something on the Monkey. It's too cold and too hard for us, but Hamish was stoked because he just got his drivers license, so it was much easier for us to get him across the border this time. A permission note from his parents had not been cutting it in the past with the US border guards ....



EB's and Swami belts .... same climb as previous photo



Awesome scenery at Smith, no people what so ever. Had the place all to ourselves.

sagot

Trad climber
Vancouver
Jan 1, 2010 - 11:18pm PT
Hey Bruce
Here is an old photo of the traverse on Cruel Shoes. Taken by Bob Millward in 1982...I think. Scott


Here is one of our trip up the "Fomein Rimnys" (Roman Chimneys)
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Jan 2, 2010 - 01:54am PT
Jean was one of the very few women climbers in Squamish. In fact besides Tami, and Candice, Simon Tooleys girlfriend, who else of that gender was climbing in the 80's ?

Maybe there weren't thousands of women climbing at Sq in the 80s, but there were certainly more than the three you mention. I ought to know -- I was married to one of them.

Here's a shot of Corina, actually from the 70s, but it should serve to show that there were more women climbing than you may remember. In fact, in 1981, which is only the very beginning of the 80s, Corina made her second trip to Baffin Island.

And there were plenty of others. Not thousands, and not on the covers of the magazines, but out there pulling down.
spectreman

Trad climber
CO
Jan 2, 2010 - 10:39am PT
Here's a classic Squamish crack. Keep this thread going! It's great to hear about the history of such an amazing area.




bmacd

Social climber
British Columbia
Jan 2, 2010 - 04:29pm PT
Scott hello old friend !!

Ghost, yup your right ... as per Tamis recent rant on Becky Diamond there were more female climbers around Squamish than I recalled. Thanks for the reminder !

bmacd

Social climber
British Columbia
Jan 2, 2010 - 09:25pm PT
Sagot aka Scott Young on Wrist Twister A4 Squamish Chief

Photos of first interventionists Dean hart and Randy Aktinson, on Vision Quest 5.12a, The North Walls Squamish Chief.





Supertopian "Chief" bringing up Hamish on a free version of U-Wall


Us nailing U-wall feature now known as the Shadow. My partners are California wildman Kevin Duck and South African expatriate Ross Nichol


John Simpson and myself atempting a new line left of University wall. We left fixed ropes to this high point while we contemplated the next pitch which required a long bolt ladder to link the rest of the route. Someone chopped our fixed lines so that made our decision for us. Adam Diamond, many years later phoned to ask me about the route and completed it for us in 2000. It is now named Bald Egos and apparently is the longest route on the chief. It did not receive a second ascent till 2008. Nice work Adam !!



Enough spray from me for today, hopefully someone else has some cool Squamish shots


Chief

climber
Jan 2, 2010 - 11:12pm PT
Thanks for starting this great thread.
Sorry I never took any pictures.
I'm pretty sure that's Hamish with me on U Wall.
We bailed near the top of the fifth as a crucial pin had been pulled.
I'm not sure I agree that Hamish should be described as second best Squamish climber. He was one of the greats, period.

10D for Apron Strings? It sure can feel like it if you blow off the virtual no hands at the crux. Check out the huge ledge under the bush in one of the pictures.

Keep it coming, looking forward to more.

Perry
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Jan 3, 2010 - 12:12am PT
Great to see the pictures of Randy and Dean on the North Wall. Here's a story that may be of interest on that subject...

At that time (mid-80s), I was editor of the Canadian Alpine Journal, and I ran fairly long piece about what they were doing up there. Seemed to be a real step forward. I remember walking (crawling? groveling?) out across the ledge to the base of their climbs being completely blown away. A wild place, and some long and difficult climbs.

So I published the story, and got some fairly serious sh#t from people who felt that the real action at Squamish that year had been at Petrifying Wall. Why, they asked, had I glorified a bunch of stupid trad climbs way up there in the ozone, and ignored the super hard sport climbs two minutes from the road at Pet Wall? The 80-foot routes there were at least two letter grades harder than the six-pitch stuff on the North Wall, so why hadn't I featured them instead? Couldn't I see that these sport climbs were the wave of the future at Squamish?

Anyway, for the 99% of Supertopians who don't know anything about Squamish, the sport climbing never really caught on (although there are sport areas a bit further north), but those North Wall routes have stood the test of time.

Someone (Perry?) ought to talk about The Northern Lights, and maybe some of the new stuff that has been done since.

D
MH2

climber
Jan 6, 2010 - 11:48pm PT
Just a bump to encourage more from the Squamish base in the 80s.


Comparison shots of the 3rd pitch traverse on Cruel Shoes, 1984 versus 2009:


Reilly

Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
Jan 7, 2010 - 12:32am PT
What happened to the poor bush?
Does the Sierra Club know it got yanked?
sagot

Trad climber
Vancouver
Jan 7, 2010 - 12:57am PT
I guess the bush got trimmed!

Top of the split pillar Aug. 1980
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Jan 7, 2010 - 01:05am PT
The tree may well have been trimmed, or have simply fallen out. There's some debate about why trees on the rock at Squamish seem to be doing fairly well. My belief is ice fall in winter has been the major limiting factor in vegetation growth, at least until recently. Squamish is very wet in winter, and its mean temperature near freezing. The cliff tops are somewhat colder. This means great accumulations of snow and ice plastered on and above cliffs, which come crashing down during warm periods, obliterating everything in their way. Including shrubs.

Until the 1980s, winters at Squamish were often cold and wet, but there have been few such lately. In springtime in the 1970s, there were often 10 m or more of snow and ice at the base of the Grand Wall, usually with rocks and trees mixed in. The Eryl Pardoe Hut, built on the Dance Platform in 1971, was severely damaged by ice fall within a few years.

Note that the El Cap Tree is the only significant tree on the the southeast or southwest face of El Cap, or at or near its base. Again, pummelled by ice fall, with that one tree protected by overhangs.

Some vandals have proposed removing the lovely cedar at the base of the Split Pillar, although it seems doubtful it has much to do with the stability (or not) of the pillar. The thing is a giant semi-detached flake, sitting on a small pedestal that's quite some distance from the little tree. Eventually the whole thing will come down, most likely due to earthquake or frost heaving.
klk

Trad climber
cali
Jan 7, 2010 - 12:24pm PT
Hey Scott!

Nice to see you posting. When things calm down, I still have a few slides to scan.
bmacd

Social climber
British Columbia
Jan 7, 2010 - 01:46pm PT







Mike Bolte

Trad climber
Planet Earth
Jan 7, 2010 - 11:14pm PT
This is a different view of the money pitch of the Split Pillar Right. Looking up from the base of the long corner.
guido

Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
Jan 8, 2010 - 02:56am PT
This is fantastic-keep it coming!
Wayno

Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
Jan 8, 2010 - 03:23am PT
Yeah, what Guido said. I have nothing to say but keep it coming.
bmacd

Social climber
British Columbia
Jan 8, 2010 - 03:39am PT
Aahhh thanks for the positive response guys. I will have to rent that slide scanner again. Here are a few more ...


Timmc

climber
BC
Jan 8, 2010 - 09:52am PT

Please keep scanning Bruce.

Gold.

TM
bmacd

Social climber
British Columbia
Jan 8, 2010 - 03:01pm PT
Timmc, as per your request !


Reposed from another thread, Timmc on "Perrys Lieback" Grandwall Squamish



Hamish hello to you out there if you are reading this !




More shots of another great Victoria/Squamish climber and old friend Mike Beaubien. Hey Mike are you out there ?


bmacd

Trad climber
British Columbia
Jan 8, 2010 - 11:02pm PT
Perry, here is a shot of Dave Dunaway back in '89. I remember him talking about climbing with you in Squamish. Holy f*#k did we tie on a buzz drinking vodka on this day.

Dave was a real life cowboy from Williams Lake as I recall. I'd love to be able to send him a copy of this picture.



eeyonkee

Trad climber
Golden, CO
Jan 8, 2010 - 11:09pm PT
Nice to hear from you, Perry! Been a long time. As much as I love the place, I haven't been back to Squamish since 1979. (Still sorry about dropping that rack).

Greg Cameron
Chief

climber
Jan 8, 2010 - 11:39pm PT
Bruce,

Holy stabs from the past!
Nice work with the scanner.
Great to see a picture of Dave aka "Too Tall" or "Thag Simmons".
Dave Vernon appears lounging with a naked man?


Greg,

Great to hear from the "Grug from Cameroon" after all these years.
Where the hell are you! You definitely set the bar with Pipeline.
I remember that day well, I think Tom and George were up on Freeway and you were without a partner or that was your excuse. Stuff of legends. We're in Josh and So Cal for a few weeks, be great to see you and Tom again.

Perry (pbeckham@shaw.ca)
eeyonkee

Trad climber
Golden, CO
Jan 9, 2010 - 11:08am PT
Perry. Tom and I are in Boulder, Colorado. I'll let him know you said hey. Fun times back the. Wish I had a better memory. I credit you with the inspiration for Pipeline (Pipeloads is what we had actually called the FA). Have a fun So. Cal trip.
bmacd

Trad climber
British Columbia
Jan 9, 2010 - 11:17pm PT
Greg Foweraker, (ST poster GCF) recruited me for Humpty Dumpty, a hard aid route on the main wall of the Chief. I found the route to be very challenging mentally and technically. We hammock bivied on the shittiest, rustiest, quarter inch bolts in the world.

Don Serl snapped these photos from the adjacent route, "Ten Years After" of us and gave me copies. He was climbing with Joe Buszowski whom I have some unscanned photos of somewhere I'm sure.

Greg doesn't say much on here, so I'll keep the backstory and verbal description to a minimum. Except to say this was supposed to be a training climb for us in preparation to go to the Yukon with Daryl Hatten .... I ended up jamming out on the Yukon trip with visions of endless alpine A4 in my head


(Insert the sounds of Darryl heckling us from the ground here) - "You're Light !"


The climb went very well for us, no falls, the worst parts were the rusty 1/4" bolts with rusty leeper hangers, at the belays.



Often I make things out to be a much bigger deal in my mind than they ever were in reality.


Anyway this post is for Foweraker .... thanks for all the good times
bmacd

Trad climber
British Columbia
Jan 10, 2010 - 01:24pm PT
Greg this is from our first road trip together to Leavenworth, with Hamish. You had your sights on this route, Brass Balls. So with your permission I'll post it. I'm not sure what year this was, but it was the weekend after we first met and did the Bastille. Possibly late 70's ? Hope your life endeavors are going well these days.


I like the grainy, foggy format of these old pics, it's soo authentic.

I thought all those pitches on Humpty Dumpty were hard, the expando sickle, the rurp pitch, hooking the dyke. Amazing achievment by Hamish, soloing that thing before we got on it.
Mike Bolte

Trad climber
Planet Earth
Jan 10, 2010 - 01:36pm PT
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Jan 10, 2010 - 02:46pm PT
And Scott finished the first ascent of Humpty Dumpty solo, in 1977. He and Carl and Dick and others had fixed several pitches over winter 1976-77, starting from the end of Mercy Me, and Scott did the last two or three on his own. PDH.
sagot

Trad climber
Vancouver
Jan 17, 2010 - 11:21pm PT
Bob Millward trying Zombie...1982ish
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Jan 17, 2010 - 11:41pm PT
Bob Millward trying Zombie...1982ish

Complete with Whillans and EBs. Even in 82 that was retro.

Last time I saw Bob (which is probably 15 years ago), he was deeply commited to building fly rods. From bamboo I think (but that could be wrong).
Watusi

Social climber
Newport, OR
Jan 17, 2010 - 11:52pm PT
Nice thread! Chief, is that you Perry Beckham? I'd also like to know how Hamish is as well...Peace, Michael Paul.
Oplopanax

Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
Jan 19, 2010 - 04:00pm PT
Hey Ghost if the Zodiac climbs are the real deal and Pet Wall not so popular then how come on the average weekend in Squamish there are 20 or 30 climbers at the PetWall and none on the Zodiac?
bmacd

Trad climber
British Columbia
Jan 19, 2010 - 11:18pm PT
Memories 4 the Squamish crowd

Craig Thompson was a dedicated Squamish climber in the 80's. He and Darryl Hatten established Darryls last new wall route immediately right of the Black Dyke, on the Chief, named the "Negro Lesbian" It is probably a better route to aid solo than any on the chief because of the complexity. Jim B. please comment on that ....

Craig was someone who knew how to enjoy life and always had a beyond positive attitude ...



He also made parties at my parents house a big hit !! Like destroying my moms family heirloom collectors china ceramic dolls while describing a climbing route using wild hand gesticulations .... oh god that was funny - meanwhile Darryl is passed out cold but upright in a poofy chair in the most conservative family setting he has ever encountered ... too f*#kng funny. The pictures I never took.

Hey you ST. Squamptons lets hear a few stories about Craig living on Judd road ! But what if his kids know about google ?

Squamish Chief photo scarfed from the Metolius site ...

The Roman Chimneys
bmacd

Trad climber
Beautiful British Columbia
Jan 28, 2010 - 02:14pm PT
My apologies for posting something about climbing ....

But by request today from Squamish, more 80's nostalgia shots of the squampton crowd in action, squish, yosemite, and elsewhere

Click images to see larger size.















Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Jan 28, 2010 - 02:49pm PT
The "aid climb on the Chief with Jim B" may be Cannabis Wall, pitch 2. Nice photos!
bmacd

Trad climber
Beautiful British Columbia
Jan 28, 2010 - 02:59pm PT
I think it's Slow Duck now that I look at it. I hadn't done much of Cannabis except for unsuccessfully trying to link into Freeway from it as a free climb.
Chief

climber
Jan 28, 2010 - 03:01pm PT
Nice work on the scanning Bruce, keep up the good work!
I think Jim B. is on Slow Duck aka Dead End Dihedral?
Maybe I'll try to scan the thirty or so pictures I took in about as many years of climbing.

PB
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Jan 28, 2010 - 05:14pm PT
Sorry to hear about Bryan. I knew him fairly well and climbed with him back then, but lost touch long ago. Maybe I didn't know him as well as I thought, but he certainly didn't seem headed for that ending. RIP

As to the mystery pitch, it doesn't look like Cannabis to me. And speaking of Cannabis wall in the 80's I posted a story about it on an ST thread a while back. Those interested can view it (and the cartoon Tami made of it) at http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=877110&msg=878064#msg878064

But the title "Hard Men, Soft Poo" should give you fair warning. Click on it at risk of losing your lunch.
bmacd

Trad climber
Beautiful British Columbia
Jan 28, 2010 - 05:42pm PT
Perry we are all very eager to see your pictures, "all" meaning all supertopo members, I am sure. Please contribute because I'll run out of shots very soon. The problem is I don't recall many of us carrying cameras BITD, therefore every photo is great value.

Slow Duck is definitely the Mystery pitch, I am sure Tami free climbed it with Peter in the end.

Bryan was a fragile soul, very unfortunate he chose the path he did. Avoiding the challenges in this life thru suicide is a guarantee you are assigned even harsher difficulties in your next 3D iteration. I'll take my bad medicine here and now instead.
MH2

climber
Jan 29, 2010 - 03:29am PT
Something about climbing?

And about Squamish?

Bruce?


The mystery for me had been that Slow Duck appeared in the Jim Campbell topo guide but doesn't show in later guides.


Here is Seattle climber Darryl Cramer on that corner, in the early 80s.

Wayno

Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
Feb 6, 2010 - 02:39am PT
Great pics Bruce! Sorry about your friend Bryan; Tami is right, suicide is the most tragic...

That's a classic dog story Jim. I used to take my dogs on mushroom hunting forays with me until I realized I spent more time keeping track of dogs than finding choice edibles. They seem to excel at finding dead sh^t to roll in or hornets nests to disturb.

Keep the good times rolling ...
Wayno

Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
Feb 6, 2010 - 02:58am PT
So I imagine your dogs have gone through the Northwest My Dog Likes Dead Salmon sickness that our "best friends" acquire from eating dead salmon. They get really sick the first couple times and then they become immune and it's open season after that.Fun Times.

Sorry for the thread drift.
Wayno

Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
Feb 6, 2010 - 03:22am PT
I know, it really is that simple. Humans, as a species, tend to make things a lot more difficult than they have to be.

So I was wondering... It's a little late and I'm a little buzzed and I'm not totally clear on the cast of characters, and all this can make me a little slow, but is Climbing Dropout and Bmacd the the same entity? If so, then, KICKASS thread Bruce.

I don't know how many good climbs I have left in me, but I want at least a couple to be in Squamish. Yerian needs to join me.
MH2

climber
Feb 6, 2010 - 03:42am PT
If only humans had the capacity to revel in dead salmon, there would be less war.


Plus, it's hard to get upset at people when your dogs can take you completely away from your "problems" with just a fart. Our dogs like to rub their heads in decomposing seagulls, crows, or whatever they find, and they seem to be proud of and generous with their breath odours.

Bruce, that Deadend Dihedral we only followed for 2 pitches. I think the topo showed a 5.12 move either at the end of or just after p2. We didn't do any 5.12 move. The climb goes a lot higher, now, but seldom gets done.


Thanks to all the contributors to this thread.
Chief

climber
Feb 6, 2010 - 04:27pm PT
Thanks to Mighty Hiker for forwarding this photo of yours truly as a young, aspiring crag rat. Circa summer of 77, turning the roof (1st pitch?) on the third or fourth ascent of the original Sherrif's Badge route. Photo, "The Bear".

bmacd

Trad climber
Beautiful British Columbia
Feb 6, 2010 - 05:26pm PT
Awesome Perry ! keep em comming, I know you have more.
MH raid your brothers photo stash again !

Hey Wayno got any Squamish wall shots ?

Wayno

Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
Feb 6, 2010 - 07:48pm PT
Only in my dreams. The only walls that I have done are in Yose.

So if I wanted to do a wall at Squamish, what would be a nice moderate one for old washed out geezers?
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Feb 6, 2010 - 10:52pm PT
Not to mention The House On No Name Road. Even Zaumen stayed there once.
bmacd

Trad climber
Beautiful British Columbia
Feb 6, 2010 - 11:35pm PT
GF - Are you saying you gave up climbing ? Hard to believe. When was the last time you got out ? On CPF It was my camera, so I am sure it was you as I also have Bircheff Williams pictures of you from the same trip or so I thought.

Wayno check out Uncle Bens. I'd like to do that one again.

Anders just post up your brothers squamish wall shots for crying out loud, I am sure he won't mind.

Anyone talk to Craig T. lately whats going on with him ??

Thread title is "Squamish Climbers - the photos" can be anywhere ... if you have already posted to this thread then you are exempt from any date restrictions on subsequent photo postings.
---
Chief

climber
Feb 6, 2010 - 11:41pm PT
Greg,

I remember freezing our asses off at the bivis, thinking we were done when that crevasse bridge collapsed and feeling like a real mountaineer when we summited Alpha on a clear winter day. I think there's some photos of some bad late Serratus/early MEC one piece wind suits, now that was horrendous!

Wayno, ditto fro the U Wall, classic anyway you do it.

Judd... Hey Jim, remember Daryl gazing out the window and saying,
"Hey guys, check it out, two horses..on two horses."

Medusa, the shoulder sucks.
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Feb 6, 2010 - 11:46pm PT
My brother has started to get his photos scanned. He gave me a CD with about 40 on it, mostly from Squamish climbers late 1970s - early 1980s. Some I passed on to those in the photos, e.g. Perry. When I get a chance, I'll ask if I can post the other photos. Maybe one of you should send him a link to this thread, and he can see what's here and whether he'd approve?
bmacd

Trad climber
Beautiful British Columbia
Feb 6, 2010 - 11:49pm PT
Hamish is reading this thread so maybe he will pop the question to Peder

Anders I can color correct and post process for you on my computer if Peder says yes before posting so they look A1
bmacd

Trad climber
Beautiful British Columbia
Feb 7, 2010 - 12:08am PT
Photo time again .....













Wayno

Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
Feb 7, 2010 - 01:39am PT
A little late night bump. There is more good stuff coming out of Canada now besides the Olympics.
bmacd

Trad climber
Beautiful British Columbia
Feb 7, 2010 - 02:21am PT
Right on Jim, those count bigtime. I would edit the thread title if I could.



Wayno

Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
Feb 7, 2010 - 02:21am PT
Wow Jim, those are some awesome shots. You start with the moon over the approach chopper; a little buildup suspense...
Then you open up into a nice shot showing much potential and a climber in pose...
And then a nice, "I'm on top of the fecking World" shot.
Beauty.
That must of been quite a fun trip.
bmacd

Trad climber
Beautiful British Columbia
Feb 7, 2010 - 02:55am PT
I hope I die as noble a death as Darryl did ...

In the end, the good samaritan was a total lightweight relative to Darryl's final sacrifice
Wayno

Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
Feb 7, 2010 - 03:48pm PT
A wee bump to keep this thread on the front page just a little longer. It's way cool to hear from other member of the "Loyal Order Of Hattini's Hammer."
MH2

climber
Feb 8, 2010 - 01:28am PT
Two other old-timers: Neil Bennett and Gordie Smaill (might have to invoke the 70s inclusion)
Thanks Bruce!




bmacd

Trad climber
Beautiful British Columbia
Feb 8, 2010 - 01:40am PT
MH2 thanks, a most welcome addition !! Where were first the 2 shots taken ? Is it Clean Corner ? I recognize Skaha granite in the other ones.

Thread drift at this point is essential to keep this one going.

I would like to see the people posting here and already featured in the photos follow Jim Brennans example and post pictures of their adventures in faraway and alpine places. 70's 80's 90's and beyond. Jim your stuff was great to see I hope there is more. What about your Karakorum trip ?

Pull out the shoe boxes of slides boy's and start scanning. Anders informs me that London drugs and Walmart will scan slides for you.
MH2

climber
Feb 8, 2010 - 02:15pm PT
Is it Clean Corner ?

You're right. Most of today's climbers would not recognize it. Just that the approach was seldom done.


Jim Brennan's trip to Waddington was excellent.


There are bound to be great images from the 80s still out there, too. If only Peder would suffer a lapse of judgement and join in. But maybe via Anders. Hoping.
sagot

Trad climber
Vancouver
Feb 19, 2010 - 11:04pm PT
Here's a butt shot of S&M's Delight - freshly cleaned. 1981??ish (Sorry, running low on photos. There must be more out there...)
Bin Dur

Sport climber
BC
May 19, 2010 - 03:35pm PT
Hi everyone. This is great folks!

As I get older my partners get younger, and my goals mellow. Here we are bigwalling a local tr crag:



Bruce way to go . . .
Oplopanax

Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
May 19, 2010 - 03:58pm PT
This was intended for use in Alpinist back when they used to do those climber profiles with the super serious b&w mug shots in every issue...
Bin Dur

Sport climber
BC
May 19, 2010 - 04:41pm PT
. . . and from the '90s, with proper attire

bmacd

climber
Relic Hominid
May 19, 2010 - 05:49pm PT
Bin Dur is in the house !! Right on !

Oplopanax identity revealed !!
MH2

climber
May 20, 2010 - 03:53pm PT
Bin Dur is in the house !!

That is great!

Wonderful pictures, too.
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Aug 14, 2010 - 03:26pm PT
Sad news about Ed, although not unexpected.

A year ago, after he was diagnosed, a bunch of us got together for a day of climbing and fun. Here we are:
Ed second from right. A few SuperTopians in there, too. And yes, we were being a bit goofy.

Takk for alt!
MH2

climber
Aug 14, 2010 - 08:53pm PT
And we paddled uplake joyfully

Beautiful, Tami.

Ed seemed unfailingly cheerful to me, even a couple months ago.
bmacd

climber
Relic Hominid
Aug 17, 2010 - 12:07am PT
Rest in peace Ed ...
sad news for sure.
ß Î Ø T Ç H

climber
Aug 17, 2010 - 03:21am PT
Squamish is always great on ST . Tami's post - easily the best writing this month , or the whole summer for that matter .
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Aug 17, 2010 - 09:30am PT
Sad news. Ed was one of the warmest-hearted people I've met.
matisse

climber
Aug 17, 2010 - 12:11pm PT
Oh NO!!!
I've been friends with Ed for years. I'm so sorry. He never told me he had cancer, it is rough to find out about it this way. Ed was (god it hurts me to type "was" instead of "is") one of my closest friends while I lived in Vancouver, we lost touch some when I moved to So Cal + he moved to Auz, but stayed in touch a bit through facebook.

I had taken up cycling and was riding out near UBC in about 1986 or so when Ed came up behind me and slowed down to chat (he never could pass up a girl on a bike). We spent a lot of time hanging out after that. I spent an awful lot of time looking at his bum, desperately trying to keep up with him on the north shore hills..he was a good climber and I was a sprinter. In the spring of '87 I did my first race and there was Ed the night before truing my wheels and making sure my shifters worked. Ed took up sewing his own lycra jerseys, but I was a better seamstress than he was so I made us complementing jerseys in bright cobalt blue with back and white leopard spot insets. He also turned me on to poptarts and baked potatoes as cycling food BITD before bars and gu and crap.

aw Ed I'm going to miss you.
Sue

I just remembered Ed's little Orange Fiat. There was a cat who insisted on leaving cat tracks on the windshield. Drove Ed nuts, he was always on about that cat.
LyttelStone

Trad climber
Lyttelton, NEW ZEALAND
Aug 22, 2010 - 04:07am PT
Ahhh loving this and loving being reminded of the characters that made Squamish such a cool place to do all-too-brief time in at the tail end of the 80s

for my 10c heres a shot of Dean Hart at work on the upper roof of the Black Dike...

and from my first ever Squamish mission...
On my first visit to Squamish I wandered in to the Psyche ledge camp area and was immediately was accosted by an uppity schoolboy>> Guy Edwards who ordered me to dump my pack and play hackysack...thanks for all the great memories Guy !

Cheers
John the Kiwi
survival

Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
Aug 22, 2010 - 11:31am PT
Love that pic at the top of this page. So uh....revealing.

Powerdrills are A-ok at Squamish!!
Chief

climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
Aug 23, 2010 - 02:01pm PT
Very sad news about our old friend Ed being taken way too young.
I don't remember Ed being anything other than large, orange and smiling all the time.
Condolences to all. Hope there's a wake in the works.

PB
bmacd

climber
Relic Hominid
Aug 23, 2010 - 03:53pm PT
Keep us in the loop gf, thanks
nooska

Mountain climber
Canada
Sep 22, 2010 - 01:29am PT
Daryl Hatten was my friend,he was a great person to know. I like to remember the best and it's not that hard to remember..There were alota good times he was a hoot.. Always friendly, open heart sorta guy, the ultimate climber..take care my friend ,always in my thoughts Doug :)
bmacd

Trad climber
Grade V, Level III Kook, certified 100%
Sep 22, 2010 - 02:22am PT
Regarding Ed Spats wake, here are the details
SteveW

Trad climber
The state of confusion
Sep 22, 2010 - 07:56am PT

Tami
Check your email. . .
Chief

climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
Sep 25, 2010 - 12:34pm PT
Thanks Bruce,

The Squamish Climbing website said Oct 26.
Glad I followed Jim's advice and checked this thread.
See you tomorrow.

PB
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Sep 30, 2010 - 02:30pm PT
I was greatly saddened by Ed's death, and regret not being able to attend the memorial for him in Squamish yesterday. I hope his many friends were all there, and did quietly have a beer in Ed's memory last night, at the FaceLift end party.

As some know, I spent a lot of time over the last year restoring a route called Slab Alley at Squamish, the first route on our Apron, done in 1961 by Jim Baldwin and Tony Cousins. Perhaps our first real "multi-pitch" free climb. Cleaning it up, re-placing bolts, establishing some small variations, plus learning a lot about its history, and the history of climbing at Squamish then. Culminating in an ascent of it with Tricouni (Glenn), who did its third ascent in May 1962. Anyway, the project had several motives, but in part was in memory of Jim and Tony, but also of Ed.

Edit: Met Peter and Dave V. in Bishop yesterday, and took a little time to remember Ed.
bmacd

Trad climber
100% Canadian
Nov 17, 2010 - 10:38pm PT
Ed we will never forget you ....


Good 'ol swami balets and forest leg loops were awesome !

Peace out Brother !!
bmacd

Trad climber
100% Canadian
Dec 5, 2010 - 03:40am PT
more photos as per Jim's request …

A couple of us got lucky and landed summer jobs working glaciology for the government. Peder had a field position in 1978 and I got it in 1979

perswig

climber
Dec 5, 2010 - 08:09am PT
stellar addition to an already-amazing thread
thanks for putting the scanner time in, bmacd
you guys and grrls up North are badass

Dale
hooblie

climber
from where the anecdotes roam
Dec 5, 2010 - 08:18am PT
yes, great stuff!
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Dec 5, 2010 - 12:54pm PT
Nice photos, Bruce! I wonder if my brother has seen them?
bmacd

Trad climber
100% Canadian
Dec 5, 2010 - 01:20pm PT
MH - It's your brothers photos I want to see …

I've got Randy and Jim talked into coming over to my place for slide scanning sessions and post scan rendering. I have Craig Thompsons number now and will be calling him. I think he would have some good pictures of Darryl. Randy has some John Rosholt shots he wants to scan & post up to the memorial thread for John.

Peders writings about John Rosholt deeply inspired more than just a few people
MH2

climber
Dec 5, 2010 - 04:35pm PT
Wow! Feels like 1976 again. Especially nice close-ups and outstanding Lost Arrow shots. And good gentle pressure on others to contribute.
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Dec 5, 2010 - 04:49pm PT
Jim B did the Lost Arrow Direct with Jim Haberl and Bruce in spring 1982, when a big gang of Canucks were in the Valley. Some of us hiked to the rim to help with the Tyrolean and load carrying and such. At some point on the climb, Jim B lost his glasses - he's somewhat shortsighted. I bet the Tyrolean is just as scary even if you can't quite see everything.

A few days later, I gave Jim and two others a ride home, all four of us squashed into my 1969 VW bug. Pretty cozy. All Jim had at that point was his prescription sunglasses, so no night driving for him.
pazzo

climber
Vancouver BC
Mar 13, 2011 - 01:04am PT
Bruce, I’m about 15 months too late on this, but Hamish is on The Wrong Stuff at Pet Wall, not Flight of the Challenger at Petgill Wall ;)

Here’s the start of The Wrong Stuff (it shares a common start with Flight of the Challenger):
Relic

Social climber
Vancouver, BC
Oct 4, 2011 - 12:51am PT
Bruce, are those pics from Astroman still with you? A few of them went missing on the thread it looks like. They sound like they are good ones from the captions.
Relic

Social climber
Vancouver, BC
Oct 5, 2011 - 04:01am PT
Tami, GF, or anyone else know the story behind the Grinning Weasel pitch above the Left Side? Was it another mad englishman n doggy scene?
bvb

Social climber
flagstaff arizona
Oct 5, 2011 - 04:34am PT
I was introduced to Hamish by Brents Hawks in the early 80's, and had an opportunity to climb with him once or twice. He was sw0le. A master. Learned a thing or two.
Relic

Social climber
Vancouver, BC
Oct 18, 2011 - 11:34pm PT
Bumpin
dacooker

Sport climber
Vancouver, BC
Oct 18, 2011 - 11:40pm PT
Where's the Lycra?
Timmc

climber
BC
Aug 16, 2018 - 08:33am PT
Bump for Bruce! Some great stuff in this thread.
Peter Arbic

climber
Aug 16, 2018 - 11:19am PT
Not sure how I ended up on this wetback thread but Bruces photo's of Genus Loci remind me that we were on Ten Years After when you were bolting that! That and I finally figure out who Frostback is.
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