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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 3, 2014 - 02:09am PT
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Hey I was just lurking way back in the archives & uncovered this post which I found really interesting. I'm hoping I can learn some history here.
aldude
climber
Monument Manor
Nov 28, 2005 - 11:19pm PT
This thread reminds me of another disputed solo. Paul Bornes' onsight solo of the first seven pitches of Flying Buttress Direct (12a). This route had never been freeclimbed A3. Paul said he was a little high and thought he was on Steck Salathe. On the second pitch (11c/d) it was too late to retreat and he continued to the crux Guillotine Flake which he barely pulled off. By the time he reached the top of the Flying Buttress a snow storm moved in and he a nd another party were dropped supplies from a chopper to rap outta there. No one in the Valley believed him but he didn't care because for him it wasn't a solo since he rappelled (weighted the rope). At the time it was the hardest onsight solo in California 1989 - until now. BELEIVE IT OR NOT!
Tried to search around a bit but couldn't find out anything else. Anyone got more on this story/myth, super interesting if true & really great lore if not. What's the scoop? I found some info on Paul Borne however & he seemed like a really great guy & solid climber- RIP. Based on some of the stories written on his memorial thread an ascent like this would not have been at all out of his ability level. Out of respect I didn't feel the other thread was an appropriate place for my question about this possible way under the radar but way ahead of its time ascent.
Thanks!
This quoted post above was taken from here:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/123220/Romantic-Reardon
The Paul Borne thread:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1386506/Shout-for-my-pal-Paul-Borne
Or maybe I got trolled by a 9 year old post? Again.........
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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I believe it. Borne was badass.
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Bullwinkle
Boulder climber
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There's a lot more to that story. . .oh and he was much more than, a little high, and somehow he lost most of his clothes and was doing jumping jacks to stay warm when S.A.R. got to him. . .
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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nuts! it has to be true if it ended like that.
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WBraun
climber
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This story is true as far him being on top of the Flying Buttress getting rescued by NAS Lemoore.
Was the Chief on this one?
I witnessed the this sar so it's true.
As far as which route he took to get to the top of the Flying Buttress I don't recall.
Dill would remember or have it in his notes somewhere ......
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 3, 2014 - 10:02pm PT
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Thanks for the info guys. Sounds like its worth letting the legend live on. I was just surprised the story wasn't really more popular since it' sounds pretty bad ass. What's a route that would be similar length/difficulty? You ever climb this thing Werner?
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 3, 2014 - 10:38pm PT
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Woah. Thanks Ed.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Ed nailed it. ha ha.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
extraordinaire
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Some cherry-picked Tarbuster quotes ... On rare occasion people trying to do the Steck Salathe have veered instead on to the Flying Buttress ...
But the best one I’ve heard ... is about (his) Al Dude's buddy Paul Borne, on-site free soloing the thing, including tales of go for it 11D, eventually topping out on the buttress. And if the fumes I’m running on which serve as a memory are correct, it then began to rain and he was rescued from that position.
So that bit of 5.12 at "The Cleaver" in the first topo, that likely was Paul Borne's section of reported 11d, ONSIGHT SOLO.
Am I the only from the 80's who remembers this?
In the mid 90's I worked on A Steven Segall (sp) film with Borne & he then confirmed pretty much what I'm sloppily dredging out of memory here ...
Borne AKA "The Lizard Man" at the time, or some such.
'Solo's the thing dressed only in track shorts, or maybe even a "speedo" as triathletes wear, then plucked by YOSAR from the top of the Buttress due to rain & hypothermic onset.
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nah000
climber
canuckistan
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nice find RyanD.
12a, onsite, first ascent, free solo, 1985, drugs, multipitch, rescue...
these are ingredients for one hell of a story.
it's too bad the protagonist isn't here to regale us with a first hand account...
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WBraun
climber
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plucked by YOSAR from the top of the Buttress
No
Plucked by NAS Lemoore.
Navy guys.
Get your facts straight .....
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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I remember this, and actually had a conversation with Paul about it when I'd heard he was rescued in the rainstorm wearing only a T-shirt and a speedo. I did not know Paul and never did get to know him well, but he proceeded to tell me that he had intended to free solo SS but ended up on the FBD. I knew nothing about the route and when he told me he had freed an aid variation unroped at 5.12, I did not not believe it. I told him that I thought he was either mistaken or he was full of sh#t. His reply was something like "you don't believe it because you can't comprehend it, its just way outside of your scope".
Now, this was the mid 1980's and he was an unknown climber at that time, so it was absolutely hard for me to believe. Not even the likes of Bachar had soloed something so out there. But Paul went on over the next years to become a very well known climber. A super strong and bold one at that.
Who knows? Over the years though I've thought about that conversation and in retrospect I think he probably did in fact do it.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 31, 2014 - 03:34am PT
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Forgot about this one. Thanks for the replies & quotes everyone.
Great lore.
edit- The chief, were you in fact there? Would love to get your take if so.......
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jan 20, 2018 - 07:30pm PT
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Bump for the awesome Lemoore pilots that saved so many people. Those guys used to set a skid down on a small post top during YOSAR rescue training exercises just to let you know they had their sh#t together and could be trusted completely in action which was a real source of confidence when they had your life in their airship.
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originalpmac
Mountain climber
Timbers of Fennario
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Jan 21, 2018 - 12:38am PT
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Awesome. Very awesome.
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