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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 10, 2010 - 10:50pm PT
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Ode to Chuck Pratt
Produced with love and admiration by Amy and Forrest McCarthy
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Jun 10, 2010 - 11:19pm PT
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thanks for the link, Roger...
...it made me a bit sad though.
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Jobee
Social climber
El Portal Ca.
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Jun 10, 2010 - 11:23pm PT
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I am smiling as well.
The man had presence, incredible presence.
Wish I could have shaken his hand.
Jo
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 10, 2010 - 11:39pm PT
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You would have liked him, Jo. He would have liked you too, I think.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Jun 10, 2010 - 11:40pm PT
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Thank you so much Roger for drawing attention to this! I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face.
Unfortunately I did not see Chuck after the 1960's, but this film helps me understand his subsequent life. He looks so happy and self contained in his own ironic way, right up to the end.
For me, this past year has been all about coming to some kind of closure with previous relationships and old climbing friends. Watching this film completes another karmic circle.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jun 11, 2010 - 12:23am PT
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Thank you very much, Roger, for the link. Before I ever set foot on a Valley climb, Pratt was already my hero, just by reading the climbs he did in Roper's Red guide book. I'm glad I got a chance to meet him in the Valley, and get to know a little bit of what he was about.
John
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Jun 11, 2010 - 12:41am PT
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Thank you Amy-that was beautiful and yet sad.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Jun 11, 2010 - 01:20am PT
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How many Pratt's cracks are out there?
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BooDawg
Social climber
Paradise Island
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Jun 11, 2010 - 06:28am PT
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What a GREAT retrospective! Chuck was always one of my heroes, and for many reasons WAY beyond his climbing achievements and abilities. I admired him for the man he was, the way he treated people, his humility and his humor and much more.
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Roxy
Trad climber
CA Central Coast
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Jun 11, 2010 - 07:49am PT
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that was beautifully done. Bravo!
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 11, 2010 - 10:08am PT
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MR. CHARLIE,
Short, bald American graybeard, 60, smoker, drinker, gambler, seeks dark-skinned Thai girlfriend, 20-25, beautiful, non-smoker, non-drinker, non-gambler, no children, no extended family, allergic to gold and silver, uninterested in jewelry or television, fluent in English to discuss existentialism over shared bowl of noodle soup from a street vendor. Respond to CHARLIE, Sarah Guest House, 20 Thapae Rd., Soi 4, Chiangmai.
Good one, Chuck.
Well done Amy.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jun 11, 2010 - 11:00am PT
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On my first trip to the Valley Sally Crum went on and on about Pratt, but sadly I never got to meet him.
Here's to a life well lived.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Jun 11, 2010 - 01:35pm PT
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Mr E and Reilly just climbed the Pine Creek Pratt's Crack yesterday.
I'm so jealous. I've been oogling it for years. Chuck's heart must have been all a-twitter the first time he laid eyes on it.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jun 11, 2010 - 01:37pm PT
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Tough route finding??
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Jun 11, 2010 - 02:14pm PT
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Quote: "Tough route finding?? "
LOL^^
Well... Personally- I'm so bad a route finding I think I could get lost on it.
PS: I know there's more Chuck stories out there.
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scuffy b
climber
Eastern Salinia
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Jun 11, 2010 - 10:01pm PT
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What a beautiful production.
Thanks much.
It seems there were also some shots of the late Heather Paul
in there.
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go-B
climber
In God We Trust
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Jun 11, 2010 - 11:21pm PT
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The person with the biggest smile on their face is the best climber, that's Chuck!
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Jun 11, 2010 - 11:44pm PT
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Beautifully done!
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Jun 12, 2010 - 10:22pm PT
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That's a beautiful piece. Anything with Chuck in it is
a beautiful piece. I spoke with him for quite a long time
by phone a short time before he passed away. He told me about
his newfound love for photography, how satisfying he had found
photography. He also told me most of the details of his climb
of the Twilight Zone, of which he spoke very little through
the years to anyone. I was grateful to have that information in
my book Wizards of Rock. That was one of the great climbs of all
time, especially in the style he did it. I was pleased also
that he chose his Watkins piece for my collection "Climber's
Choice." I think he believed that was his best piece. I believe
so also. I made some remark about how we all wished he'd written
more, and he confessed writing was too difficult, that he had
to put so much into it. He told me how many drafts of "Deadhorse
Point" he sent to Roper, and they were returned, back to the
drawing board... Chuck was my friend.
I cherish the memory of routes we did together, Sentinel Rock,
various off-width routes in Yosemite... times we spent in Camp 4...
I cherish postcards he sent me telling me to get to the Valley
so we could climb. I regret eternally a day he invited me to climb
the Lost Arrow direct, and I wasn't in the mood. I introduced him
to my friend Tom Ruwitch, and later I realized I had passed up a
climb with Chuck. How stupid. I remember visited him at his
apartment in Berkeley, and he was trying to learn auto mechanics,
working on his own VW, as I recall. He showed me his shelf of books,
a collection of which he was proud, and he pulled out my "Swaramandal"
and said he really liked it. That was one of the great endorsements
I ever got. I loved him, just as I love all my friends from those times,
such as Royal and Higgins... and many others. Thanks for keeping his
memory alive...
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