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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 7, 2010 - 06:27pm PT
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Hi Dennis,
Joe and Ken said you might join in. I know that you posted a few times last year and then took off, so to speak. I hope that with your recent post, and after the game, The need to watch the Superbowl, you stay awihle. Good to see you here.
Here is the list of Dennis' FAs in the Valley.
BHOS Dome, 1970, 5.8, A3, III, Doug Scott, TM Herbert, Don Lauria, Dennis Hennek
Higher Cathedral Rock, North Face, 1968, 5.9, A4, V, Chuck Pratt, Dennis Hennek, Yvon Chouinard, Bob Kamps
Mass Assault, 1972, 5.9, Ken Boche, Dennis Hennek, Judy Sterner, Russ McLean, Sibylle Hechtel, Tim Auger, Mike Farrell
Monday Morning Slab, Far East, 1965, Dennis Hennek, Ken Boche
The Mouth, Boche-Hennek Variation, 1966, 5.9, Ken Boche, Dennis Hennek
Psychedelic Wall, 1966, 5.8, A4, V, Ken Boche, Dennis Hennek
FA aside, many of us know Dennis for the iconic pictures (posted below) of him coming into view on an early top-out of the NA wall on El Cap and the cover of National Geographic climbing HD all clean.
Welcome to ST.
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Dick Erb
climber
June Lake, CA
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Hi Dennis, Welcome to the campfire.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Welcome Dennis!
Bring on the stories!
I had to borrow this one. From the top of the N.A., right?
Not everyone has the best things to say about that route, but I loved it.
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TrundleBum
Trad climber
Las Vegas
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This place so rocks!
Yet another of my childhood heroes steps into the virtual campfire light.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Hi Dennis
I've been one of your fans ever since the hammerless
ascent of Half Dome.
Grace us with some of your stories!!!!!
Thanks!!!!
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mark miller
Social climber
Reno
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Wow .....Hudon , And Dennis Sh#t next thing we known Sir "Bonnington" will drop by.
Thanks to my heroes of the 70's for stickin' it out and being real 30+ years later.
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That's Papajoto to you son!!!!!
Social climber
Oatmeal Arizona
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I bought many old DH pins from John Fisher back in the day..... I still have this thing called the crack tack on my key chain.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Dennis-
Welcome to the taco stand. I'm gonna go get some popcorn and sit back and wait for some stories.
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MH2
climber
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Man, oh man. Time travel.
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Big hardy Welcome Dennis!
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 8, 2010 - 02:29pm PT
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Dick, I cannot help but notice that the campfire picture that you posted on "Weclome Ken Boche" had a nice warm feel of flames arising from a campfire while on "Welcome Dennis Hennek" your fire seems to have a demonic, all engulfing feel.
Are you telling us something about Dennis?
Hehee.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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I liked Dennis's one word post on one of Ihateplastic's contest threads.
Why?
Don't worry, I think he'll loosen up, once he discovers how many of his old partners in crime are hanging around here.
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Dick Erb
climber
June Lake, CA
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Dick, I cannot help but notice that the campfire picture that you posted on "Weclome Ken Boche" had a nice warm feel of flames arising from a campfire while on "Welcome Dennis Hennek" your fire seems to have a demonic, all engulfing feel.
Are you telling us something about Dennis?
Ken got the campfire picture because his thread came first. Dennis is good natured through and through. Even his devilishness is good natured.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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RB: "FA aside, many of us know Dennis for the iconic pictures (posted below) of him coming into view on an early top-out of the NA wall on El Cap."
The second ascent of what was then considered the world's hardest wall route, in 1968, with Don Lauria. The photo (taken by Royal Robbins) of Dennis coming over the top is remarkable.
As for satanic photos - I thought that was Harding's bailiwick?
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Dennis is a pretty cool character, and whether it is climbing or construction or fixing his classic GMC Carryusall, he really gets totally submerged in his project.
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BooDawg
Social climber
Paradise Island
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I first met Dennis in junior high school, and we became fast friends then. Here is a photo from our school yearbook from about 1959.
Here’s a 1966 Stoney Point shot of him working with Goldline rope, that stiff, almost cable-like twisted rope that was often used before the specialized non-twisted and sheathed climbing ropes were developed.
Dennis worked for Chouinard, making hardware, between about 1964 when he was based in the “SkunkWorks” in Burbank (where he’d grown up) through Chouinard’s move to Ventura in 1966 and on into the 70’s. The 1969 “Servicio Particular” photo shows him driving one of Yvon’s trucks of the day.
Yvon hosted several climbers’ parties at his first beach house in Ventura. It was at one of these gatherings that the pic of Dennis, Yvon, and Malinda was taken.
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BooDawg
Social climber
Paradise Island
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The following, almost surreal, 1969 photo of Dennis (with twisted white nylon rope) seems to embody the spiritual aspect of life in The Valley that Doug Robinson captured so insightfully in his seminal article, “The Climber As A Visionary” which appeared in the 1969 issue of “Ascent.” Part of Stewart Green’s summary of Doug’s article reads, “Doug attempts … to look beyond the everyday mundane reality into the deeper reasons why we climb and how climbing affects both our brain chemistry and our soul.”
Very early one quiet spring morning, Dennis and I had entered a state of hyper-awareness, similar to what Doug expressed in his article, as we walked from Camp 4 to the Merced River. As we arrived at the river, quite alone, we saw an unoccupied bench facing the river. In very philosophical states, we KNEW that the metal and wood from which the bench was made wanted to get back to their natural states, and it was obvious that we’d been chosen to help them in this transformation. So we picked up the bench and threw it in the river! Every time I think about that morning I break out in joyous laughter!
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Dennis Hennek
climber
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Thank you Roger for the welcome to ST. Thanks also to Dick Erb for the campfire
photo and to Joe McKeown and Ken Boche for your photos, some that i've never
seen before, and others that should be placed on Dick's campfire.
Friends have been asking me to join this forum for some time, but until recently
I've been happy to just visit and read some great stories and see good photos.
Don Lauria just sent web links for copiers and scanners and information about
what's needed to begin posting here, so i'll start sorting slides, photos, letters,
and thoughts.
Laissez les Bon Temps Roulez, Dennis
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 8, 2010 - 09:18pm PT
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Your welcome, Dennis.
I think it is very cool when climbers get interested in unlocking the joy in their old slide boxes. Tami could do us up a fine cartoon.
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