Team Machine Billy Westbay NIAD PO Wall Yosemite Climber

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List

This thread has been locked

Messages 1 - 18 of total 18 in this topic

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Topic Author's Original Post - May 25, 2013 - 03:57pm PT

Tucked away in George Meyers' wonderful Yosemite Climber is this classic Billy Westbay account of doing both the Nose in a day and the Pacific Ocean Wall FA.

Big Season!

Mark Hudon

Trad climber

Hood River, OR

May 25, 2013 - 03:59pm PT

Westbay was always on of my big heroes!

RyanD

climber

Squamish

May 25, 2013 - 04:43pm PT

Thanks Steve! Awesome article.

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

May 25, 2013 - 09:24pm PT

One of my all time favorites!!

rick sumner

Trad climber

reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska

May 26, 2013 - 12:28am PT

Spent almost a month camped out with Billy and crew- Cito, Dan, the spring of '74 in camp 4. Billy was a hell of a guy,a friend to all, would literally give somebody the shirt off his back. I was saddened to hear of his passing from liver cancer years ago.

Peter Haan

Trad climber

Santa Cruz, CA

May 26, 2013 - 01:04am PT

Bridwell in the foreground, Billy in a "state" mid area, unknown dudes trying to climb, Camp Four wall area, like near Cid's Embrace, Henley Quits, I think. 1972-4, say.

then much later,

Roy Tarbuster should step in here too.

Crump

Social climber

Lakewood, CO

May 26, 2013 - 01:47am PT

As a protégée of Daniel McClure, after meeting Billy when I was 14 in the Black Canyon, I was truly lucky to have him and Daniel, along with Mark Hess,, Larry Bruce, and Harry Kent... Be my personal skiing instructors on this Texans's first day on the slopes...

I was then 18. It was A-Basin, and there is more to the story... But it is that...z

Billy Westbay taught me to ski... Way back then...

To me he was just the greatest guy, a C-Springs hardman. And a real man of grace and always with a gift of a smile and a glint in the eye...

Johnny K.

climber

May 26, 2013 - 12:27pm PT

Awesome stuff,thanks!

BASE104

Social climber

An Oil Field

May 26, 2013 - 02:40pm PT

I've never seen a picture of his face. Post up.

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Topic Author's Reply - May 26, 2013 - 03:44pm PT

The NIAD photo doesn't show his face?

Hard to find good shots of Billy.

rottingjohnny

Sport climber

mammoth lakes ca

May 26, 2013 - 07:30pm PT

Yeah...thanks steve for the important historical value...RJ

Largo

Sport climber

The Big Wide Open Face

May 26, 2013 - 10:06pm PT

Billy could do it all - from hard bouldering to grim off widths to new wall climbs. One of the great master climbers of that era.

JL

Mike Bolte

Trad climber

Planet Earth

May 27, 2013 - 01:15pm PT

That article is one of my one or two favorites of all time. I dug that out for my son to read just a month ago as he is getting on his first walls.

Peter - up a few photos at Camp 4 wall, don't you think that is Wunsch (or maybe Jardine) in the foreground not Bridwell?

EDIT: so werner, is it bridwell? I'm looking at the big beard.

EDIT 2: maybe that that's not a big beard, just hair masquerading as a beard

WBraun

climber

May 27, 2013 - 01:20pm PT

It's not Wunsch.

Those of us who know Bridwell can recognize his body language very well.

It's extremely unique .......

the idle rich

climber

Estes Park, CO

May 28, 2013 - 12:39am PT

Those are all great photos of Billy in his element and having fun. Just to lend some contrast, here is one of Billy while working as a ranger at Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain NP. We had a supervisor that came up with a brilliant plan to solve the problem of human waste disposal in the backcountry by incinerating it with a modified weed burner. Here is Billy taking his turn at trying to waste the waste with the torch in one of the pit toilets. Needless to say, Billy had some choice words about the assignment. How far the mighty have fallen!