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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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May 19, 2009 - 12:53pm PT
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PRATT - A Day In The Life
By Dennis Miller
In May of 1974, after three previous failed attempts, I finally climbed the Salathe Wall Route on Yosemite Valley's granite monolith, El Capitan. My partner and I scaled the route in four marvelous days, in grand style, and somehow managed to make every ledge for our nightly bivouacs.
On the second day, we noticed a climbing team ascending the Shield Route just to the right of us. It was Chuck Pratt and Steve Sutton. They were about six hundred feet below us and climbing quite fast. By the time they actually got up the shield itself, we could only see them part of the time, but we could hear them calling back and forth to each other during their climb. We were the only climbing teams on El Capitan during those warm days of May.
The day my partner and I got down, we drove to the base of El Cap to see where we had been and to watch Pratt and Sutton finish their climb. I had a brand new spotting scope, and it was pretty cool to see where we had climbed and to watch Pratt and Sutton finish what I believe was the second ascent of the Shield.
Two days later, I was offered a full time job as a fire fighter in the Park Service's Helitack Division of the Forestry Department. All I had to do was cut my hair, purchase a uniform, and clean up my act. The Park Service actually gave me five days to sow the rest of my summer oats and report to the firehouse for my job instructions.
The next day, Chuck Pratt, Steve Sutton, Hugh Burton, and I bought two cases of quart bottles of Coors beer, and headed out of the Park to the Merced River just west of the small town of El Portal, just outside the Park's west entrance. We had sixteen quarts of beer between us, and we planned on drinking every last drop by nightfall.
By mid day we were pretty well toasted and decided to head back to the Valley and see what was kicking at Camp Four. We piled into my blue and white 1969 Volkswagen Van, named Herb Blueness, and started the slow motion journey back to the Valley and awaiting friends. We were fearless, drunken heroes returning to the scene of our gallant exploits - warriors, explorers, scoundrels, misfits, beer connoiseurs. We were on a mission!
We made it all the way to the Tuolumne Meadows turnoff before we needed to make a pit stop and opted to pull of at the small conversion dam turnout. After raising the level of the Merced River by at least seven inches, we piled back into Herb Blueness and continued our journey up the canyon toward Yosemite Valley.
I started hearing some sort of clanking noise coming from the rear of the bus, and looking in the rearview mirror, I saw Chuck perched on the rear bumper, his belt in hand, whacking the top of the van like a mule skinner would crack his whip over the backs of his mules. It was a hilarious sight!
Suddenly, Steve screamed out, "Pratt's down, eh!" Sure enough, there lay Charles Marshall Pratt in the middle of the road his gut full of beer and a smile from one side of his face to the other. Traffic began to pile up behind us.
Steve and Hugh were instantly out of the van standing over the fallen hero. I pulled over, yanked the parking brake, and joined them. Pratt seemed to be talking in tongues, some sort of language none of us understood, but we understood him well enough to know he was okay.
A man came running up from one of the stopped vehicles behind us, "I'm a doctor. You shouldn't move the victim!" We laughed at the absurdity of his comment, and the three of us picked Chuck up, somehow managed to get the rear door of the van open, and tossed our damaged goods in like a sack of Idaho potatoes. Pratt continued to speak in tongues as we drove off - our destination now Lewis Memorial Hospital - leaving a stunned and confused young doctor standing in the road scratching his head and mumbling something about the Hippocratic oath.
On the one way portion of the road, I drove the entire way to the hospital in the wrong direction without hitting another vehicle or being pulled over by a Park ranger. Truly, the four of us were invincible that day. Well, except for Pratt!
The following day, with a metallic drumming in my head and a stomach full of barking Chihuahuas, I went to see Chuck at the hospital to assess the damage he suffered in his fall. When I entered his room, Chuck was propped up in bed, looking like the Bruised Buddha in his pearly white gown, drinking something through a straw. His injuries amounted to scrapes, bruises, and a broken collarbone. It could have been far worse.
I said I was sorry for what had happened, and he raised his hand and shook his head, Chuck's way of saying it was okay. I said I was sorry again, and he just smiled. I came to try to make him feel better, but instead, he was trying to make me feel better. Chuck, with a frown and in a raspy but very firm voice, said, "You guys finished the beer didn't you?" I said we had and he, with obvious relief, smiled and added, "That's good news, you should never waste good beer!"
Editor's Note
Some readers may find this story just slightly distasteful in that it relates illegal activities and some obviously poor choices in civic conduct. Without condoning their behavior, one must remember the context. These guys were young and were all big wall climbers - they had just been thousands of feet above Yosemite Valley, matching their skill as climbers against the ever present dangers of scaling one of the most imposing granite monoliths in the world. Mistakes in the vertical world can be fatal. They hadn't made any – they "were invincible". Living for days on a Yosemite wall is not a picnic. It has been described as "... entail[ing] awkward climbing, difficult piton placement, hanging belays, heavy hauling, hammock bivouacs, scraped knuckles, numb feet, coughing, cramping, torturous sun, threatening clouds, never enough water, rurps, and skyhooks - all the ingredients of a great Yosemite adventure." These guys were happy to be alive.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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May 19, 2009 - 01:02pm PT
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Breedlove ... Breedlove ... where have I heard that name before?
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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May 19, 2009 - 01:35pm PT
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Funny picture, Don. I don't remember it.
This, folks, demonstrates the original meaning of "spray," when applied to climbers. We still had to work out the kinks.
So, Don are you commenting on my posting--trying for a effervescent ‘pop’ and getting soaked instead?
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 19, 2009 - 04:18pm PT
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An amazing thread!
Dennis Miller's article notes Pratt and Sutton as doing the second (third?) ascent of the Shield, in May 1974. Yvon Chouinard and Bruce Carson did the Nose hammerless in 1973 (?). Were those the last ascents of El Cap by the leading climbers of the mid 1950s to late 1960s 'golden age'?
Of course, Tom Frost returned in the last decade or so, and climbed the Salathe and North American Wall (and more?) with his son.
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Topic Author's Reply - May 19, 2009 - 04:20pm PT
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OK, this is cool. We're starting to get a better view refracted from all our directions. Thanks, compadres.
Peter, good catch posting up the shot at Chuck's chopping block. It was taken by Jim Herrington, who is amassing portraits of the Golden Agers. He's good. jimherrington.com
Notice his clothesline in the background? Someone at the memorial mentioned that Chuck would oil his clothespins. Perfectly in line with his (pithy?) aphorism "Take good care of your equipment and it will take good care of you." It also echoes something Chouinard said that afternoon, about how lightly Chuck lived on the earth -- "a hell of a lot lighter than I do."
With full respect for your CP pin Todd (bet it fell right out in your hands...), I wish I had one of those clothespins to remember him as I hang out my fleece.
Don, thanks for posting up the Millis piece. I was starting to fret about where I could find it. Classic! And absolutely essential.
Carry on, we're getting somewhere here.
Edit: Hey, could one of our digital archivists (Clint? Dr. Ed?) sort out a list of Chuck's FAs?
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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May 19, 2009 - 06:32pm PT
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What a remarkable thread, a touching memorial tribute and wonderful writing all together. Thank you very much!
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MaxJ
Trad climber
Davis, CA
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May 19, 2009 - 08:22pm PT
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Here is an incomplete list of some of Pratt's FA's in the Valley. I put this together for myself, but as there seems to be a demand for something like this, I'll post. I'm sure someone else can put together a better list that includes more obscure routes, and his aid routes.
1958 The Cleft 5.9 R, Chuck Pratt & Wally Reed
1958 The Cookie 5.8, Chuck Pratt & Dick Sykes
1958 Lower Cathedral Spire Northeast Chimney 5.8, Chuck Pratt & Steve Roper (No topos)
1958 Split Pinnacle, East Arete 5.10c, Chuck Pratt & Krehe Ritter
1959 Astroman (to be) 5.11c, Chuck Pratt, Glen Denny, Warren Harding
1959 The Crack of Dawn 5.9, Chuck Pratt, Royal Robbins, Tom Frost
1959 The Ski Jump III 5.7, Chuck Pratt, Bob Kamps
1960 The Rostrum, West Base Route 5.10c Chuck Pratt,John Fiske
1960 Chounaird-Pratt 5.11 Middle Cathedral: dirty, no topo, not done anymore?
1961 Crack of Doom 5.10a CP, Mort Hempel
1961 Salathe Wall, CP, RR, TF
1964 Lost Arrow Chimney V 10a, Chuck Pratt & Frank Sacherer
1964 Crack of Despair, CP, FS, Tom Gerughty
1964 Midterm 5.10b, Chuck Pratt & Tom Frost
1964 South Face Mt. Watkins, WH, YC, CP
1964 North America Wall, YC, RR, TF, CP
1965 Chingando 5.10a, CP
1965 Crack of Redemption 5.9, CP, Chris Fredericks
1965 Cross-Country Crack 5.9, CP, Tim Kimbrough
1965 Entrance Exam 5.9, CP, Chris Fredericks, Larry Marshall, Jim Bridwell
1965 Higher Cathedral Spire, Southeast Side, East Corner 5.10a, CP, Tom Gerughty
1965 Juliette's Flake, Left Side 5.8, CP and Jim Bridwell
1965 Kindergarten Crack 5.8, CP & John Evans
1965 Lower Cathedral Spire - Pratt-Faint variation 5.9
1965 The Slack, Left Side 5.10b, CP & RR
1965 Twilight Zone 5.10d, CP & Chris Fredericks
1966 The Sequel 5.8, CP & Joe Faint
1967 CS Concerto 5.8 CP, YC, Mort Hempel
1967 The Mummy's Revenge 5.9, CP & Tom Kimbrough
1968 Flatus 5.9, CP & Tom Bauman
1968 SW Face North Dome 5.9 CP & Bev Clark (No topo, arrow for route start)
1970 Galloping Consumption 5.11a, CP & SR
1972 Capital Consumption 5.8, Chuck Pratt, Bruce Price, Jerry Anderson
1973 Deception Gully 5.9, CP, Tim Auger, Jerry Anderson
1973 Inner Reaches 5.7 CP, Tim Auger, Jerry Anderson
1973 Knob Hill Rapist 5.8 R/X ditto
I dream of one day completing all of these climbs, but the prospect of doing so frightens me deeply. Thanks everyone for the stories and shared memories.
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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May 19, 2009 - 09:13pm PT
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1964, South Face of Mount Watkins
It was not Tom Frost, rather it was Harding, Pratt, and Yvon
Chouinard
edit, no disrespect intended, great list, just to set the record straight!
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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May 19, 2009 - 10:39pm PT
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DR, you have a wealth of tales to tell. Keep them coming. This is some sweet history. Thanks.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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May 20, 2009 - 01:19am PT
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What a remarkable man and great thread.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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May 20, 2009 - 04:40am PT
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Does anyone know what Chuck did during his winters in Thailand (other than the obvious R & R for which the country is famous)? Did friends from the U.S. meet him there, did he hang out with tourist types, non female locals? I was curious about the statement earlier on that he talked with friends about cremation and scattering his ashes in the Mekong a couple of times in the days leading up to his death. Does anyone know with whom?
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dogtown
climber
Cheyenne,Wyoming
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May 20, 2009 - 05:28am PT
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Oliver Wrote; But I might add that you too are one of the finest people any of us has met.
I second that statement! And a true Alpinest if there ever was one.
All the best Doug!
Bruce
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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May 20, 2009 - 11:41am PT
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Notes on the letter Chuck sent to me.
"Barney Bruin," et al, is the bear that trashed Chuck’s car.
Here is a picture of my car after a similar attack.
”Elizabeth” was the Valley’s reining beauty who worked for the Curry Co and had a large apartment behind the Post Office. Chuck met her once and could barely contain himself—like a gaga teenager. He when on and on later about what beautiful lips she had--embarrassing. Elizabeth was very charming and he, as I had been, was dumbstruck that such a poised, beautiful, and clearly above-our-station woman would take an interest in climbers. I have no idea who he discussed my relationship with, up it does point up the coursing surges we all had in relationships with beautiful women.
Chuck didn’t think much of my apparent plans to climb the Zodiac in winter: it was cold, forcryingoutloud, and, apparently, he wasn't sure I knew what I was doing. This letter is the only evidence that I was contemplating climbing the Zodiac. Maybe it was related to breaking up with Elizabeth. As has been noted from the beginning of time, the ability to forget is key to human progress, at least until you can recall low moments as if they belonged to someone else and post about them on ST.
"Pacific Stereo" was one of the early discounted electronic stores. Chuck had a huge record collection and getting better gear was always necessary. Nowadays, with computer designed speaker and low cost electronics, stereo equipment is mostly all good quality and very inexpensive. As far as I know, stereo equipment magazines are no longer published—folks are even happy with the very low quality sound production of iPods.
Anyone know what Chuck did for music in the Tetons?
I don’t think that Chuck and I would have had hot toddies for Christmas. We both liked red wine. And he like sake and I liked scotch.
"Williams/Bream" refers to John Williams and Julian Bream, both British classic guitar performers who collaborated. Chuck is correct: they did make two recordings. After I returned to college, I received my degree in music and played classic guitar. Then I got a real job. And a suit. And. And. And.
"Jani" is Jani Roper. She and Steve had recently divorced. Anyone know where Jani is these days?
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scuffy b
climber
Bad Brothers' Bait and Switch Shop
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May 20, 2009 - 12:28pm PT
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Roger,
I haven't heard anything of Jani Niece (Roper) but thinking of
a great photo of hers.
Somebody leading the 2nd pitch of Reed's Direct, black/white,
typical angle, from the parking area, I guess.
Not much of a white strip of rock next to the crack.
It was used on a catalogue from DMC as I recall. I'm not sure if
it was published in a magazine or book.
DMC (Donner Mountain Corp.) was one of the Ski Hut offshoots.
Ski Hut=retail, Trailwise=manufacturing, DMC=importing/wholesale
distributing.
George Rudolph held onto DMC when he sold Ski Hut and Trailwise.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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May 20, 2009 - 12:41pm PT
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I too have a very nice B&W photo by Jani hanging in my sunroom. I have had it since the mid-70s. Maybe we should post both of them on another thread and try to draw Jani out.
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scuffy b
climber
Bad Brothers' Bait and Switch Shop
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May 20, 2009 - 12:59pm PT
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That sounds great except for the fact that I don't have one
to post.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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May 20, 2009 - 01:35pm PT
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Roge, I am thinking you and Chuck had matching VW squarebacks....pls advise.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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May 20, 2009 - 02:30pm PT
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Frankly Peter, I am a little confused about the sequence and don't remember all the facts. Some time after the bear torn into my VW and after I had replaced the doors (and installed locks--it's only $7.50!) I bought a 68 VW van, probably in 1975. I think I sold the car in the photo to Chuck, but I don't recall the details or what happened to Chuck's station wagon. I do recall that Chuck rebuilt the engine after I had rebuilt it and had the timidity to criticize my mechanical skills and my workmanship quality. I thought it was pretty cheeky since he had just learned mechanics by reading library books!
In any case, I think my car was close to the same year as Chuck's original VW station wagon.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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May 20, 2009 - 03:21pm PT
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Pratt was my hero from the time I read Roper's Red guide book, with his description of the left side of the Worst Error and the Crack of Doom. Perhaps because of this, when I finally met him, it was like meeting a god.
I was lucky enough to buy a couple of old-style Bugaboos from him, with the CP still visible. They are, without a doubt, my most prized climbing possessions.
John
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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May 20, 2009 - 05:19pm PT
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Last I heard Jani was married and living in Moab? With Clyde Deal(sic)? Ran into her in a coffee shop in Moab in 86.
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