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TripleS_in_EBs
climber
Poulsbo, WA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 27, 2010 - 12:14am PT
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Here's the original newspaper coverage of Harding and Caldwell's Wall of the Early Morning Light ascent from November 1970.
November 13
November 16
November 17
November 18
Thanks go to Tom Campbell for saving these clippings for all these years.
Enjoy.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Mar 27, 2010 - 12:24am PT
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Simply Awesome!
What history.
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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Mar 27, 2010 - 12:27am PT
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"A rescue is unwanted, unwarranted, and will not be accepted"
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Mar 27, 2010 - 12:51am PT
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Yeah!
History Lesson for the day… CHECK!
Thanks!!!
“The two were greeted by hugs and kisses from their girl friends despite Harding’s observation that “he (Caldwell) smells like a decaying rhinoceros, but I think I probably smell like a beached whale.”
HA!
What’s this you say, Mike? Replace what…?
(side note: not sure, but it seems like the ST feature where you can click on an image to get a new window with the full size version of the photo is not working, or maybe it’s just me…)
(edit: gotta like the Friday, the 13th rescue bit...)
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Mar 27, 2010 - 11:29am PT
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Thanks TripleS. this stuff is really important to get archived here. There a few people that are even doing some writing on this situation currently. Great!
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PhilG
Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
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Mar 27, 2010 - 11:32am PT
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Thanks for the great history post!!!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Mar 27, 2010 - 11:35am PT
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When it comes to climbing, the media always jumps on the wrong things for all the wrong reasons.
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Mar 27, 2010 - 11:48am PT
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I like the reference to "drilling pitons," and the section of rock that had never been negotiated by "human beings" before. Does that mean that it might have been ascended by aliens in, like, '68 or '69, maybe?
What a great piece of history! I love this stuff! Thanks.
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Dick Erb
climber
June Lake, CA
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Mar 27, 2010 - 12:55pm PT
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In response to Donini above. Unlike other climbers of the day Harding would notify the media before embarking on a major first ascent.
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Park Rat
Social climber
CA, UT,CT,FL
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Mar 27, 2010 - 01:54pm PT
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The friend on the ledge appears to be Jim Bridwell.
In Downward Bound Harding writes that Glen Denny and Jim Bridwell had been perched on a tiny ledge at the top of the overhang, the top of the wall. They had been photographing and observing.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Mar 27, 2010 - 06:03pm PT
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Nice, thanks. I always wondered how those pitons got into the rock.
I rented a big house on 15th NE in the U District
of Seattle. We had a giant banner up facing the street:
WARREN HARDING FOR PRESIDENT
It did produce a lot of wondering stares.
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Ihateplastic
Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
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Mar 27, 2010 - 06:21pm PT
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Barry Bates told me it was he who was perched on the edge asking if the boys needed a rescue. Dean Caldwell confirmed this to me recently. So, that may be Jim in the picture or it may be Barry. Either way, hard to tell.
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reddirt
climber
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Mar 27, 2010 - 11:18pm PT
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I just heard this story in detail from Glen Denny earlier this week. And then this *golden* post shows up.
Thanks Shipley's Shivering Shimmy in EB's - your timing (at least my little universe) is uncanny.
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John Moosie
climber
Beautiful California
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Nov 20, 2010 - 02:03pm PT
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The first ascent team went through a winter storm. Does anyone know how severe it was? And how they survived? Did they just get lucky with the icefall?
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spenchur
Boulder climber
oak park
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Nov 20, 2010 - 02:18pm PT
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this thread, though old, totally made my morning! makes me want to epic...
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Nov 20, 2010 - 02:20pm PT
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Moosie, it was four days, kind of like the one underway now. Maybe stronger. And I think there was another shorter one also during the ascent. They were up there for a month.
After Royal and Lauria did their second ascent a month or two later, I remember RR saying to me in his dining room that he was really surprised how good the climbing was, how hard the aid was, that it was clearly Harding's best route. He was immediately regretting having chopped the bottom third of the route. It was a very interesting situation for everyone.
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John Moosie
climber
Beautiful California
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Nov 20, 2010 - 02:46pm PT
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Hi Peter, thanks for the info. I was wondering though. How did they survive such a storm? I know that they were hard men. I fully accept that and have known hard men. I think the guys who just came down are likely also hardmen. Yet they chose to come down. I hear possibly because they were running out of time, but also because of the danger of the storm. So how did the first ascent team survive. If we accept that both teams were tough, then what makes the difference? Is it mostly luck that the first ascent team survived? I have been up to the base ( hauled pigs for friends ) and I understand that both rock fall and ice fall pound it, especially during the winter.
So how does one survive up there during a winter storm in an exposed place? Accepting that the person is strong. Luck of the draw?
Edit: I do know that there is strong, very very strong, and mind blowing strong. Both physical and mental and one can be strong in one and not in another. So is it part mind blowing mental and physical stamina, plus luck? And if so, then how much is luck/fate?
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Park Rat
Social climber
CA, UT,CT,FL
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Nov 20, 2010 - 05:51pm PT
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This is a description of Harding & Caldwell's Dawn Wall climb and the storm they endured.
"After 12 days the two were little more than a third of the way, and rations had long since been cut drastically. ("Thank heaven Dean, who figured out our provisions, is such a chowhound," says Harding.) Then the storms came. Rain, hail and snow pinned Harding and Caldwell immobile on the face for three days. They lay in water from Tuesday night to Saturday morning. Caldwell says, "During one storm I looked down and saw a pile of hail between my feet. I couldn't feel anything at all. Everybody knows it doesn't get cold in Yosemite."
"You get inured, inert," Caldwell explains. "It took me two hours to think of tying up the toot of the plastic bag I was in. That was no great piece of thinking, either. Pretty soon I was in water up to my knees."
Eventually the storms subsided. Frostbitten feet and all, the climbers enjoyed the great beauty of clouds of white vapor steaming off the wet cliff in bright sunlight. They pressed on to the long dihedral toward which they had been heading: and at the end of four more days they had almost reached Wine Tower".
I am of the opinion that Harding would have done anything to avoid needing a rescue. The fact that he had been rescued off of Half Dome was fresh in his mind. He would have hated being in a second rescue situation. I can hear him saying not again---no way---no how. Plus he learned from the experience and was probably better prepared. Warren was tough as nails and proud to boot. Their deciding to stay on the rock had a lot to do with Warrens needing to regain his sense of pride after the Half Dome rescue. Warren was as stubborn as a mule about this sort of thing. Saying that they were also very lucky, luck is always a factor in these adventures.
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hb81
climber
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Nov 20, 2010 - 06:05pm PT
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so how did the first ascent team survive. If we accept that both teams were tough, then what makes the difference?
I think if they'd had the same level of weather forecasts etc back then they might have bailed as well. What means of communication with the "ground" did have at all?
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the hobo
climber
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Dec 16, 2010 - 02:54pm PT
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Just bought these two AP wire photos of the FA of the Dawn wall.
Thought you guys would like them.
One is featured in the article on the first page. Interestingly, it has been hand retouched, maybe to copy better.
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