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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 7, 2009 - 12:42am PT
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A classic account of the first alpine style ascent of Cerro Torre by Steve Brewer and Jim Bridwell from Climbing Jan/Feb 1980. The culmination of an amazing series of attempts on this most enigmatic of summits. A major highpoint for the Bird.
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gunsmoke
Trad climber
Clackamas, Oregon
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This was probably the Bird's greatest climb. They were, perhaps, only the second team to actually stand on the summit.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 7, 2009 - 12:52am PT
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FA means first ascent...
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slabbo
Trad climber
fort garland, colo
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I was introduced to Bridwell by Al Rubin while he was doing the slide show thing for this climb and a route in the Kichatnas with the late Dr Embick. It was totally cool meeting him , especially since the Birds hair at the time was as he decribed "disco".
Was this really 30 years ago ?????
john
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Slabby D
Trad climber
B'ham WA
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15 pitons, 15 nuts
It amazes me, the rack climbers use to find completely adequate. What do people need now? Probably 20 nuts and 20 cams?
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Yeah, what do you mean Gunsmoke? They stood on virgin snow. There is no doubt.
You are right though. It was at least, one of his greatest climbs, from my armchair point of view.
Arne
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho-dee-do-dah-day boom-chicka-boom-chicka-boom
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The Bird changes the game.
How many times did that happen?
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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this tale is told so simply that you have to use some imagination to fully comprehend what actually went down. they banged off what was at the time the world's most inaccesible summit in a couple of days using a skeleton rack of borrowed equipment. they'd just met. they descended in epic conditions. the whole thing is still a little mind-blowing to me, 30 years later.
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WBraun
climber
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As I remember Brewer gave Jim hepatitis, Jim didn't know that Brewer had it until he got it.
The whole way up there, they're sharing water bottles and food.
When we were in Africa a lot of the local natives where we were had tuberculosis. So we all kept our water bottles away from them.
One day we come back to camp and one of the sherpas is drinking out of Bridwell's water bottle and a moment later we turn and see Jim chugging out of his bottle. We yell over at him that the sherpa just contaminated his water.
He spews all the water out and hucks the bottle off into the desert and starts to go raving mad while we watch and laugh our ass off.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho-dee-do-dah-day boom-chicka-boom-chicka-boom
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Someone once told me it was John Bacher and Mike Graham . That was many moons ago. At least for Bacher that seemed really out of character so I've always been dubious of that report.
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norm larson
climber
wilson, wyoming
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Though an obvious momentous ascent of the Torre and not to deny there accomplishment in any way this was NOT the first ascent of Cerro Torre. It had been climbed twice before from the west face.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Right you are Norm, and you were supporting the team (Bragg, Wilson, Carmen) that did the second, and first alpine style, ascent of Cerro Torre.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 8, 2009 - 11:37am PT
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Thanks for the clarification. Who did the actual FA via the West Face then and how did they go about it?
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WBraun
climber
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Someone once told me it was John Bacher and Mike Graham
They originally went with Bridwell, and a series of events unfolded where they returned to the states and Bridwell was left to find another partner.
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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OK, maybe i goofed. My armchair memory suffers. I'm going to have to back and re-read the history again. Alpinist had a great issue
Arne
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 8, 2009 - 12:23pm PT
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The best part about these historical threads is the knowledgeable contributions by those STers that were directly involved in the events under discussion or know the particulars.
GunSmith wasn't entirely accurate either.
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Yeah, but still sorry, Gunsmoke.
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gunsmoke
Trad climber
Clackamas, Oregon
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ionlyski, no prob. As Grossman alludes to, Supertopo has an incredible wealth of collective, first-hand knowledge which gives us all more latitude to say it how we remember it.
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slabbo
Trad climber
fort garland, colo
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Was not the f/a of the West face by the Lecco Spiders in '74 ?
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Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
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Wonder if that coupon is still redeemable....
I'd like to be able to climb inverted/overhung roof cracks like a machine!!!!
(like the guy in the pic on the coupon!!!)
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