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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Aug 14, 2009 - 10:50pm PT
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We shall see. "The History of the Fall and Decline of the Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbons was also six volumes.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Aug 14, 2009 - 11:01pm PT
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Tamara,
I say this because I first met your parents...September of 1966... and spent a bunch of time with them in the formative years of your family businesses. Perhaps here or in a different thread, could you--- on your own----please give us more of these images (and script?) from long ago?. This was an interesting time, Tamara, when you had just arrived and then grew. Some 38 years ago. It is a great opportunity for you, but for us all here as well, certainly!
Here is your very wonderful photo from 1975, cleaned up. You look so much like Liz:
Peter Haan
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jstan
climber
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Aug 14, 2009 - 11:41pm PT
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I think we need some history here. One night I slept in a barn in the
Shenandoah. The next morning the farmer came out and told us how they had
to move all the stock into the hills every time Phil Sheridan came through. Now
Phil was a banty rooster and the Virginians were very proud of Robert E. After
more than 100 years I could still hear the Virginian contempt. West Virginian's
did not want to be dragged into someone else's war, especially if they were
acting so damned superior. And they weren't dragged into it. I was in a
political/high technology meeting once run by someone from the mountain
state. A horsefly was cruising around until the discussion leader rolled up his
sunday paper and slammed it down on the poor fly. His point made he said,
"You were saying?"
It is good to know that there are people whose central core may be tied to
issues being confronted.
Now Tamara, from my own experience I will construct something regarding
yourself. Minutes after my daughter was born she looked up at me and I knew
what she was thinking, To wit, "Just what is your function at this little
ceremony?" To some degree I had been dealing with the question of how some
one so much like me could be a girl. That ended with the look. Even though
just a placid New York State boy my universe had been turned on its head, in an
instant.
OK. So if I may. Your dad can, and will, write any (......) thing he pleases.
I leave the West Virginia words to your imagination.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 15, 2009 - 02:04am PT
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Well, Gibbons' The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire did, with all due respect, cover considerably more in its six chunky volumes than it is likely that Royal has to say, even given the tendency of 18th century historians to go on and on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_History_of_the_Decline_and_Fall_of_the_Roman_Empire
At least in English-language autobiographies and biographies of climbers, I haven't seen any that are more than one volume. Although most are the traditional 200 - 300 pages, at least somewhat ghost written, and stretch to fill the space. Somehow I don't think that Royal will have any difficulty filling say six booklets of 100 or so pages each. Looking forward to it, and that sure is a nice picture of Tamara upthread.
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Royal Robbins
Trad climber
Modesto, California
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Aug 16, 2009 - 04:28pm PT
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Hi, everybody. I am kind of new at the "social media" but I am willing to learn. First of all, many thanks to my defenders, especially my daughter, Tamara, who is even more beautiful now than she was in that picture taken so many years ago. And thanks to Largo (John Long) for his eloquent and kind words. If John likes what I have written that means a lot to me as in my opinion he wrote the best climbing short story ever written ("The Only Blasphemy"), an account of soloing with John Bachar in Joshua Tree. Thanks, John. I see I stand accused of having a monster ego. Tamara has defended me well on that charge, but I would have pleaded "Guilty". Who cares? My main question would be "Is he or she honest?". I think that honesty is the real measure of the person, and of writing.
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rick d
climber
tucson, az
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Aug 16, 2009 - 04:46pm PT
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welcome RR!
stay and sit a spell.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Aug 16, 2009 - 05:01pm PT
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Glad to see you chime in here Royal. There really isn’t much to this “social media” thing. The hardest part may be issues surrounding the anonymity of the internet. I am also very glad you are participating on this forum. Too many of us older climbers aren’t yet contributing even when it would be a great thing to take part---- everyone would benefit.
How fun that Tamara also is here. Many of us are looking forward to reading your latest work and of course the anticipation might be getting the better of some. I am sure it is going to be a great read. I know how very important writing is and has been to you so hearing from you again now in later years should be fascinating especially since you seem to imply that because honesty is the vital principle in writing or your writing, there will be some very frank and open accounting of this enormous life you have been living.
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Aug 16, 2009 - 05:20pm PT
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Welcome RR! I doubt if you remember, we met briefly at Lover's Leap a long time ago. You had a group of Boy Scouts (I think) there.
At least 15 years ago you gave a talk at UC Santa Cruz. I apologize (very belatedly) for having had vaguely negative preconceived notions about you when I walked in the lecture hall, but I have to say it was one of the most inspiring presentations I have ever seen. I walked out of the lecture hall a better person with my sights set a little higher.
Roger - do you know if that the same Dawn Erb in the photograph who grew up to be an astronomer?
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
Sebastopol, CA
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Aug 16, 2009 - 05:38pm PT
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Royal, Welcome to the "taco stand." We've sure appreciated you and your presentations here in Santa Rosa for the Rock Ice Mountain Club. Thanks for the laughs and perspectives.
See you at Pinecrest.
Cheers,
Jerry
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hooblie
climber
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Aug 16, 2009 - 05:48pm PT
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honesty. sounds like a great start. throw it up, and like a rorschach, it defends itself. this may just be the free-est land in the world of letters. so many ways to approach it, i hope you try enough of them to amuse yourself. we'll tag along in a sort of staggered realtime. glad to have a second chance to be among your contemporaries, in a kind of ephemeral rough and tumble. now that i'm thinking about it, seems like it will be a great fit, good call
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Gobee
Trad climber
Los Angeles
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Aug 16, 2009 - 07:03pm PT
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Basic Rockcraft(1971) $1.95
Advanced Rockcraft(1973) $2.95
Royal Robbins .........Priceless!
Mt. Pacifico, Because RR was there.
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Tamara Robbins
climber
CA
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Aug 16, 2009 - 08:28pm PT
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Hi Pops! Nice to see you here. Phew.... now you can take over... :) -just kidding, all....-
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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Aug 16, 2009 - 08:28pm PT
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Hey is that Royal in one of Simon's BAT shirts?
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Aug 16, 2009 - 08:56pm PT
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Hi Royal,
I look forward to reading your new book given the favorable comments here, especially given its writerly focus.
Best, Roger
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Aug 16, 2009 - 09:31pm PT
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Well, Royall, the Taco can now honestly claim to have enticed two Robbins into the nest. It was good to see you at John's memorial, and good to hear your words. Wish we had gotten a moment to chat but it was a busy time with so many good folks to catch up with. Hopefully there will be another time in the future.
Your autobiography, of course, has been anxiously awaited for years by those of us who've been so positively influenced by your climbing career (earlier), and lately by the emergence of what seems to be a truly wise and deeply compassionate side of yourself. Whatever form you choose to tell your story and share your insights, you will find an avid audience of old fogies and young upstarts ready to devour as many words and volumes as it takes.
All the best to you and Tamara!
-JelloIsJeffLowe
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Aug 16, 2009 - 09:51pm PT
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Welcome Royal!
Although you probably don't remember me (you being, at the time, one of the Olympians whereas I never made it past Apprentice Kitchen Deity), we met on two occasions and climbed together once.
We first met in Chicago around 1965 or 66---you gave a slide show and were kind enough to socialize with the star-struck youth of the University of Chicago Mountaineering Club. You had, apparently, made a trip to the Needles (the South Dakota Needles) and had repeated the rather run-out route Don Storjohann and I did on the Needle's Eye in 1964. (I've posted an account of this climb here on Supertopo...) Your comment was that you were surprised at the difficulty because you had never heard of us, a comment that made perfect sense in those days: there were few enough climbers that it was possible to imagine that one knew everyone who was any good.
Perhaps a year later, we met in the Gunks and climbed Matinee together. You led the crux second pitch (now rated a somewhat sandbagged 5.10d) and I fell off trying to imitate your method, which involved a burly fingertip layback. On my second try I did some tenuous stemming, which is how I've done that pitch ever since---I really ought to have tried laybacking it at least once more...
As Peter has noted, virtually none of the forefathers of the Golden Age of Yosemite has participated in an on-line discussion group. Your presence here is already unique, as is the one-two punch of a father-daughter combo. Welcome, and we look forward to the exceptional perspective and insights only someone of your stature and experience can provide.
---Richard Goldstone
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Aug 16, 2009 - 10:59pm PT
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Welcome Royal!
Aren't we lucky to have such cool daughters indeed.
Look forward to your contributions to ST but beware it can become addictive. There are actually quite a few of us from the early 60s, mostly lurking in the background with occasional bursts of nostalgia.
Joe Fitschen, "oldguy" will be found on the Pratt thread and he too has written a book on the early years but is still looking for a publisher. Combination of Robbins and Fitschen memoirs, back- to- back, would be a rich contribution to the heritage of American climbing.
My best to Liz and it was great to see the two of you at the Nose Reunion.
cheers
Joe McKeown
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BBA
Social climber
West Linn OR
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Aug 16, 2009 - 11:19pm PT
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I think the only issue is that the writing is good. A book is a big investment by its author, and like a first ascent is out there for people to look at and judge - but only after having read it. Just like judging a first ascent, you have to go out and do the climb to be able to judge it. One could have said Hemingway was an egotist, but so what. His writing was good. Writing a book is a hard job, and pre-judging is a terrible thing to do, like a kind of censorship. I say buy and read the book.
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Curt
Boulder climber
Gilbert, AZ
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Aug 16, 2009 - 11:47pm PT
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...I would love to read a "single volume" autobiography of RR"s life. He was an amazing climber who blazed a trail still being followed by contemporary climbers. But let's put things in perspective, Royal's major contributions to climbing covered a decade and a half. I haven't seen any biographies of Einstein, Ghandi or Churchill that spanned six volumes...
The Official Biography of Winston Churchill, by Randolph Churchill (vols 1,2) and Martin Gilbert is now at 24 volumes the longest biography ever written (per Guinness Book of Records) and still not complete, with a further 7 companion or document volumes in process for the period 1942-1965.
Heh.
Hey, donini, didn't we climb some choss together in eastern WA about 20 years ago?
Curt
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