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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 24, 2016 - 10:07pm PT
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Details are scarce, but he was found by a friend, having passed away on his couch. Allen suffered from multiple sclerosis and had been experiencing ever more severe health problems which he documented almost every day on Facebook with great wit, sarcasm and humor. Many of us were deeply moved by his ongoing struggle.
For those who didn't know him, he was a filmmaker who had almost finished his film on the the Club Vagabond in Leysin, Switzerland, a hangout for climbing luminaries such as John Harlin, Peter Boardman, Dougal Haston, Chris Bonnington and Layton Kor among numerous others. Allen had spent hundreds of hours interviewing people connected with the place and era and had recently helped Layton Kor's son Arlan, get settled in Boulder when he moved here.
Hopefully others here, will have more details of his life.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Mar 25, 2016 - 03:20am PT
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hey there say, jan...
thank you for sharing, so that those that knew him, and learn what happened, and help, in any ways, etc...
i had never heard of him, so thank you as well, for a 'teaching'...
my condolences and prayers to his family and loved ones, at this sad
hard time...
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Camster (Rhymes with Hamster)
Social climber
CO
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Mar 25, 2016 - 06:16am PT
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Jan, I took that photo in the Montrose Mirror.
[This comment added: 3.25.16
At that point, we were both working on the film. I was supposed to write it, Allen was going to supply me with footage as we went along. His disease shut down that plan, as far as I could tell.]
Allen Hill made me nuts because he knew EVERYTHING.
He was a different kind of guy. A really brainy intellectual. Really brainy. And yet all his online posts were filled with grammatical errors. I loved that! Honestly, I felt scared being around him because he knew so much about climbing, he understood so much. You'd mention something minor, maybe about the 1966 Eiger climb or something, and Allen would just layer on thought after thought after thought, each time bringing in new information and, quite honestly, making me --- at least --- feel like a knucklehead. And, he never chided me for it. He seemed to really enjoy our talks even though I felt like I was discussing politics with Christopher Hitchens.
I spent oodles and oodles of time with just him and Layton Kor. I mean like weeks of time. We would spend full days sitting there in Allen's Denver home, looking at Layton's arm. Seriously. Allen was smarter about climbing than Winston Churchill was on British foreign policy in the late 19th, early 20th centuries. He was just brilliant.
A nice note from Allen in 2010...he always insisted we were on the same path:
"I suspect you've heard this, but if not i found it interesting. During the helicopter flight before the Eiger climb, Kor not only saw the key to the Harlin Direct, but also took in what would latter become the Japanese Direct. He explained that it struck him as safe a route as the face could offer; steep, thus free from rock fall but more important, horizontal cracks that could be nailed over to the West Flank if escape was warranted. The spring after the Harlin route he tried to get Don Whillans to climb it with him. He really tried from what I gathered. Then again a week latter Davie Agnew told me Kor was a total mess that spring who could normally be found sitting on the floor of the Vagabond bar with a bottle of wine and more or less catatonic."
Hope your well. Nice to hear your story is getting published. i can't wait to read it. If you are going to Arizona anytime soon I have some stuff for Layton... pitons. He rally needs pitons!
Allen Hill
RIP, my friend.
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crankster
Trad climber
No. Tahoe
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Mar 25, 2016 - 07:19am PT
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What an interesting story and man. Sorry he didn't see his dream project finished. I hope someone brings it to fruition.
Sorry for the loss to family and friends.
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Beatrix Kiddo
Mountain climber
ColoRADo
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Mar 25, 2016 - 09:53am PT
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I hope people remember him for the badass that he was. Wherever you are Allen, I hope its super awesome.
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Mar 25, 2016 - 10:18am PT
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Oh No!!!
What a shame! We were both Gunnison brothers, he was a little behind me at WSC. Allen was good friends with many legends and was an integral part of that Colorado Springs group. He hung out regularly with Harvey Carter, Jimmy Dunn, Bryan Becker, to name a few.
He will be sorely missed, RIP.
Moss
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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Mar 25, 2016 - 10:29am PT
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I had the pleasure of working with Allen as a couple of my high school friends worked as maids at Club Vagabond during it's heyday. Allen wanted to get it right and tell the whole story. I hope someone who has his drive and energy will finish the film.
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Camster (Rhymes with Hamster)
Social climber
CO
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Mar 25, 2016 - 05:47pm PT
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Shopping with Allen and Layton was pretty funny. This must've been 2010 . We went all through that City Market (I think it was a CM) near his --- I thought--- weird house. Layton, just as the history books promise, piled on all sorts of vegetables, mostly lettuce. I can't remember what Allen got. I got a steak. We then returned to Allen's, made a massive salad (thanks to Layton) then discussed all sorts of stuff---mostly, I think, Dougal Haston as Allen had a massive fascination with the Scot.
Sorry for typos, guys, my space bar doesn't work.
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Camster (Rhymes with Hamster)
Social climber
CO
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Mar 25, 2016 - 05:51pm PT
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Yeah, here we are sitting with Layton Kor and Allen---typical you old, mad, nut----wants to talk about Dougal Haston. Allen, you made me nuts. So many times. I'd never turn those times in for anything. Miss you, man.
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rick d
climber
ol pueblo, az
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Mar 25, 2016 - 06:15pm PT
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toast to allen,
here here.
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Gilroy
Social climber
Bolderado
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Mar 25, 2016 - 07:55pm PT
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To hell with "The Posting While Drunk" thread. Cheers right here for a badass, a visionary and a righteous fellow. Count myself lucky I got to meet him
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Lurkingtard
climber
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Mar 26, 2016 - 11:28am PT
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I remember seeing this movie years ago. I couldn't find it on YouTube.
Anybody got a link?
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Mar 26, 2016 - 11:37am PT
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Very sorry to read this.
My condolences to all his many friends.
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Mar 26, 2016 - 12:04pm PT
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Never got to meet Allen, we were geographically close one season in NZ, but always enjoyed my correspondence with the man. Wonderful to read the interaction from his wealth of friends over the years. RIP AFH.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Mar 26, 2016 - 12:40pm PT
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Rest In Peace.
My condolences to family and friends.
I hope the Club Vagabond film will soon be available. It's not far from finished, is it?
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2016 - 10:37pm PT
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It has just been announced that there will be a memorial celebration of his life sometime in May or June, possibly at the Alpine Club if they can find an open date.
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Oakley
Trad climber
WA
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Mar 27, 2016 - 09:00pm PT
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Allen shared this photo with me awhile back of an adventurous trip south of the border in a VW van with his friends Scott, John, and Mlada. I hope he wouldn't mind that I am copying here his description of the trip.
"John about to commit homicide in Baja...we cleaned up the van on that very beach but we forgot about the half smoked joint in the ashtray. I'll never forget finding it at that campground north of San Diego and smoking it with John and laughing and laughing. Remember pulling into the prison courtyard the night before? Or the weird drug deal gone bad on the beach just we went to sleep? Or the knife fight we witnessed in Ensenada a day latter? To think I continue to go down there!"
I have no idea when that would have been, but I'm guessing late 70s, early 80s?
I'm sorry to see you go, Allen. May you find yourself in a cosmic campground somewhere, laughing and laughing and laughing.
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