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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Dip him in bronze, and let's move on 8-)
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dougs510
Social climber
down south
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Tom, I love that picture of those guys at el cap.. All they need is a peace sign! too funny.
John, thanks for all the information in your writings. They were invaluable when I first got started.
Also, you seem like such a humble guy.
Doug
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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werner -- classic spoof shot! that photo of those three guys has become so iconic it IS about timke we strted letting some of the air out of it...
anybody else seen those plastic blow-up dolls of that guy in meunch's "the scream"? there may be an untapped item for the novely gift market here...
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10b4me
Ice climber
The Happies
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Werner,
that is fvckin hilarious.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Werner that IS hilarious!
BVB I have one of those scream™ blow up dolls, hmmm?
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Largo is simply THE Main Man. Still. Can't even begin to express his impact on climbing, and on me. Suffice it to say that what climbing is today is the direct result of people like Largo.
Too funny Werner... Brilliant!
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville
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Holy smokes John! You've got a fan club!
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SammyLee
Trad climber
Memphis
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Memories of things that never happened. That's part of my climbing experience. Just last night, my wife said that if in the 70's, I've have known about camp 4, I'd have made my way there. And been some part of that crazy, wonderful group.
Before I started climbing in the real world, I went to the library and checked out a bunch of books and a video. Without realizing it, just picking the ones that looked like they might teach me something and be entertaining at the same time, they all were by this one guy. Our big Largo.
Plenty of times, when I'm trying to go to sleep or just daydreaming, I think of what it was like "back in the day", those halcyon days, of the beginning of modern climbing. Wishing I had been there, seeing images in my mind that my eyes never beheld. Often, I realize that my heart is pounding from cruxes and falls that I never experienced. Now that's a hell of climber and writer.
I hope John reads all these, just so he'll give us more. And John, if you run out of Stonemaster stuff, hell, make something up! Good on ya, brother man!
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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WTF!
Why is the snowBird wearing a dress?
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Ouch!
climber
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Werner, did you build that magnificent sculpture? One for the ages.
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Ouch!
climber
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It would make a great cover for the book that you should write.
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Apr 10, 2006 - 04:57pm PT
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I only know one thing about John Long.
When my friend Jim Okel was dying, I noticed that JL had visited that james character who almost died free soloing.
Well I knew my pal Jim admired John Long, so I wrote Long an e-mail asking him to say something to Jim Okel.
And he did it.
You should have seen the look on Okel's face when I asked him, hey Jim, get any good email lately?"
John long is priceless in my book.
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Apr 10, 2006 - 06:02pm PT
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Too funny Werner! You can really crack me up.
Dirt – Good story, he has always been there to lend a hand even when you don’t ask.
I took this yesterday, John on the left with his crew, the Wheelmasters getting ready to ride the tunnel trail in Santa Barbara.
Hard trail on a Mt. Bike but these guys put that to shame.
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Apr 10, 2006 - 06:46pm PT
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"Gee Wally, they're not really gonna' ride unicycles on trails...are they?"
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Apr 11, 2006 - 12:27am PT
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Largo can be credited with enhancing our lexicon by coining such terms as "royal brisket".
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Apr 11, 2006 - 12:34am PT
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"chiseled brisket"
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James
Social climber
My Subconcious
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Apr 11, 2006 - 05:07pm PT
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It was a Long visit.
My vision was fogged with morphine. I blinked twice as the hospital bed tilted me into a seated position. He turned sideways to fit through the door. His feet lumbered him into the room. Within a moment he was cemented in a blue metal chair at the base of the bed.
My mom shot a quizical look at him, and then me. He was twice my age and didn’t look like the Ted Kazcinkis that I called my friends.
“I’m John Long,” he said with the authority of the ten commandments. “I just swam in from LA to see the boy. Ho-man, he took a big fall. When I was his age I was doing the same thing, living in sub-sharan squalor just to lose dermis on the granite around Joshua Tree.”
There was an audible thud as my chops hit the tile. Tales of Tobin Sorenson, Yabo, and other Stonemasters shot through my head. Here was the man who could spin a yarn better than an Amish farmer.
“Oh, so you rock climb? You don’t do none of that free climbing do you?” My mom was already starting to embarrass me.
“Used to, but now I’ve got a family.” John turned towards me. “I brought you some tapes and a discman. This stuffed helped me through my rehab when I tore out my shoulder. Listen to it.”
My head bobbed like a buoy on a windy day as my jaw started jammering questions.
“Ever get on Equinox? What was it like back in the day? You know Bachar? That problem, Largo Lunge out by Pumping Monzonite, is pretty cool. You have to jump to get those holds or you just reach? You climb a lot in the valley?”
John nodded and sat quietly.
“So what kind of stuff did you do?” I’d memorized the first ascent list two years ago but I was hoping he’d sequeway into an epic climbing story.
“You know, rock climbs.” His modesty was exasperating. I’d been listening to my mother read from Revelations for a week and I wanted to hear about climbing the Nose in a day or Yabo soloing Leave it to Beaver.
“Well got to get back to my ark in LA. Take care boy, listen to those tapes, and heal,” with that the tornado left. I thought more about what he didn’t say then what he did.
My mom adjusted a pillow under my head. “Who was that?”
“Him?” I smiled, “I guess he’s just another climber.”
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