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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Jun 27, 2009 - 02:39pm PT
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Hopefully adding to Steve's history, here's what
JStan was doing many moons ago. . .
I finally found these in my archives. . .
Sorry about the size--I've been having problems with my
photobucket stuff. . .
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Jun 27, 2009 - 04:49pm PT
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At Steve and Mimi's wedding I got handed a copy of the classic '73 Chouinard catalog to sign my clean climbing article. Happens often enough; always an honor. This time I hesitated awhile, though.
Didn't go for the usual:
Climb hard
Climb clean
Go for it
And stay mindful.
Instead, I started thinking about the clean climbing revolution and why it worked:
This revolution succeeded not because of the moral imperative to save the rock,
But because the challenge it presented was intriguing,
And just plain fun.
What's next?
That feels like an important clue about how to frame any future revolution, and we need a few, right now.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 28, 2009 - 03:00pm PT
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Velvet Revolutions are the exception, arising as they do from a desire for peace, freedom and a better world rather than from anger.
The clean climbing version was successful because of the way that it was framed intellectually. The arguments for it could not easily be countered with any real strength or conviction, only personal weakness and indulgence.
Save South Crack by RR set the table for the future by forcing a step back to examine the gains and losses involved in climbing by force. Piton damage and the grim legacy of a hammered future were there for all to see on every free climb.
Serenity Crack and its history of being loved to death is the darkest of poetry. I wonder if Les Wilson had any premonition?
Once the fix was in, there was no turning back.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Jun 28, 2009 - 08:09pm PT
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I mean, I have never even gone up there in these 46 years; Serenity Crack has been a frightfully embarassing thing since the late sixties. Ever since John Stannard, that well known Mass Conquistador of the Useless wrecked it with his big Choice Hammer.
It is so bad that we need to epoxy-and-stone-dust it all back up and then saw in a new one. (g).
God, people loved the RURP and knifeblade back then. Especially young climbers starting out. It was clearly fetishistic. Like women trying on size 3 shoes or Tarbaby making a huge batch of tiny rabbit-pelt musettes for no one in particular! Another kooky example was Center of Little John; it was pinned out to about 1-1/8" wide x 1-1/8 tall x 1" deep by 1965. Everyone wanted the 5.9 A4 rating!!! lol. The pressures you normally have to develop with those tiny pins meant of course that the rock got excavated from placement # one, bigtime.
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jstan
climber
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Today's challenges are just as large as those faced forty years ago. In the late
sixties, during the early stages, we were making the same mistakes in framing
the issues as are being made today. Almost identical mistakes. The turning
point I saw came during the climbers' meeting called by the Mohonk Preserve.
There was no anger. There was no outrage. The problem was allowed to take
center stage. It just simply was not about us. Neither individually nor
collectively.
Being able to separate oneself from a problem is a critical first step on the path
to a solution. It ceased being a personal issue.
Seen appropriately, today's issues are no more about we here today than rock
damage was about us back in the seventies. What were the issues then and
what are the issues today?
What kind of world shall we leave to our grandchildren?
Will they have a chance to be excited and challenged? Will they have a chance
to explore and to seek adventure in a natural world?
Can we, whose lives have been so blessed by these incredible gifts, leave any
less to those who follow?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 4, 2009 - 04:19pm PT
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Thou shalt not trash the place...
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 5, 2009 - 01:02pm PT
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Do what is best for climbing, as Bob Kamps would say, and demand your own best effort.
Black Diamond catalog 2002.
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Sheridan Anderson, of course. The last page of his classic Baron von Mabel's Backpacking. Followed by this Sheridan rundown, also pretty classic:
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 5, 2009 - 05:31pm PT
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Great cartoon, Doug! I had lost track of the source of that hilarious line. Thanks for posting the long version.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 10, 2009 - 10:31pm PT
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Classic Frost Bump!
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jstan
climber
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Would that Anderson had not gone away. A priceless and unique variety of humor.
Lost forever.
We are never more powerful than when we are laughing.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 5, 2010 - 03:40pm PT
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Preserving the Wise Cracks Bump!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 6, 2012 - 02:51pm PT
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Long overdue bump...
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LilaBiene
Trad climber
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Incredibly educational for me. Inspirational, too.
Goethe, Tolkien and Tom Frost all together...it doesn't get any better to me!!
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Oddly, I've always really enjoyed the first pitch of Serenity. Used to run the whole thing out just to showboat for whoever might be watching. Now, when I see photos of the first pitch, my primary emotion is nostlgia.
'jus sayin.
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Marty Lewis
climber
Bishop, CA
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Nail 'em till they go free. Then free 'em on gear. Trad ethics right?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 7, 2012 - 10:39am PT
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Trad climbing is doing your best to leave the stone and its beautiful challenge intact for yourself and those that follow.
It isn't bang so your gang can hang and free the thang, Mr. Lewis...
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Marty Lewis
climber
Bishop, CA
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Steve. Just havin' a little fun. Not sayin' its right.
I do know that Serenity to Sons is a super popular top-rated free climb.
I'm guessing without the pin scars it would be a bolt protected 5.11+ seam. Way mo' better.
Just to be clear, I don't like pitons for free climbing. If you can't use clean gear, then place a bolt.
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