Wanted: Classic Dirtbag Photos for a Climbing Documentary

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Last Wild Mountain

climber

Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 20, 2010 - 10:38pm PT

Hey there Supertaco!

A few of us folks have been working on a documentary called The Last Wild Mountain: Portrait of the American Climber for the past couple of years (check out the synopsis below). We have traveled across the country in search of stories, journeyed into the depths of archives to find those perfect pictures, and even interviewed a few Supertopo members for this project. Now we are putting everything together and looking for proof (aka pictures) in the universe that climbing “dirtbags” existed!

Basically, we want to have a collection of photos of climbers from the 60s and 70s to illustrate some sort of common thread of the “climbing lifestyle.”

Do you, or someone you know, have pictures of…

Cars/vans/vehicles from your dirtbaging days (although we’re sure plenty of you are still dirty dirtbags today). Or how about hitchhiking or freight-train hopping? Come on, we know you were out there doing it!

Seasonal/day jobs/can collecting/fruit tramping/ or whatever job you had to support your life in the climbing world.

Campground life—Your lovely abodes in tents, cars, trees, caves, under picnic tables, etc., in anywhere from Uberfall to Camp 4!

Photos that portray what you think of as the “Climber’s Lifestyle”. Your interpretation!

We’d love to use these in the film as a collective portrait. You’ll definitely get credit for your picture (haha we know, big incentive...but unfortunately we have no $$$, although we do have some hand screen-printed t-shirts to offer)!

If you would like to contribute, please send an email to kali@lastwildmountain.com, or personal message through supertopo, and I will forward along details of exactly how to get a copy of your picture(s) into our hands.

And, if you’re getting interested in the film, check out our site www.lastwildmountain.com for much more information.

Synopsis of Last Wild Mountain: Portrait of the American Climber
The daughter of a one time 1970s climber follows the adventurous and cerebral roots of American rock climbing by moving back and forth in time between two worlds: pioneering climbers of the late 1950s and 1960s to the visionary climbers of the 1970s. Rock climbing culture was forged on some of the most beautiful rock in the world, and on the backs of free-minded individuals defying the norms of society. The pioneers of American rock climbing were often shunned as "dirtbags" and deserters of the American Dream, but our film seeks to show that climbing roots were inextricably linked to the culture of greater America and its growing pains, shifting from the last "unknown" continent in to a developed superpower. This story contrasts the electricity of adventure with the fragility of life, while encouraging thought on our existence in an evolving and disappearing natural world. Through interviews, photographs, writings, and retro footage, we weave together this important story of the life, culture, and adventure that surrounds the search for the last wild… anything.

Peter Haan

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Oct 21, 2010 - 12:21am PT

Kali, I would be glad to help with photos. Sounds like a good project too. Email me the particulars; he knows my direct email.

survival

Big Wall climber

A Token of My Extreme

Oct 21, 2010 - 12:46am PT

I'll be keeping an eye on this dirtbag project for sure!

Hmmmm, I wonder where that picture is of me sitting under the tailgate of a truck rolling a bone in the rain???

guido

Trad climber

Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific

Oct 21, 2010 - 01:06am PT

BooDawg

Social climber

Polynesian Paradise

Oct 21, 2010 - 01:10am PT

Kali, I'll be pleased to send you pictures in larger file sizes than those I've already posted here on S.T. Let's start here: Click on my BooDawg avatar and that will bring up my profile. Then click on the "Photos" tab, and that will bring up all the pics that I've posted so far on S.T. There are LOTS of Dirtbag shots from the 60's-70's there. If any are useful to you, PM me which ones you want, and I'll send them to you in large file formats for your project. Check out the ones of Kor, etc., working at Chouinard's Skunkworks in Burbank. That was a seasonal job for dirtbags like Kor. Meanwhile, I'll look thru my scans that I haven't yet posted and the slides that are waiting to be scanned and post up the ones that are ready to go now, and make some time to scan some that are already sorted for that purpose.

Did you see the "Ancestors and Archiving" thread that I posted earlier?

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1271817/Ancestors-Archiving-Crossings-of-California-T-R

I'll get back to this thread soon. Cheers!

TomCochrane

Trad climber

I've lost track...

Oct 21, 2010 - 01:15am PT

Peter Haan

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Oct 21, 2010 - 01:24am PT

Peter Haan

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Oct 21, 2010 - 01:31am PT

Don Lauria

Trad climber

Bishop, CA

Oct 21, 2010 - 09:40am PT

A bump as directed by guido

survival

Big Wall climber

A Token of My Extreme

Oct 21, 2010 - 09:52am PT

C'mon Don, we know you've got some killer dirtbag photos.

Quit holding out.

guido

Trad climber

Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific

Oct 21, 2010 - 11:46am PT

Jeeez Don- put down the Bon Bons and stop watching "For How the World Turns" or whatever Tv and dig into the "Archives of Antiquity".

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Oct 21, 2010 - 12:35pm PT

I just noticed those two slides of The Blank say Sep 79. I expected to see Sep 59.
They look like Mathew Bradys!

hooblie

climber

from where the anecdotes roam

Oct 21, 2010 - 12:41pm PT

pretty good for a pinhole rig. prolly developed in the sink over at the chevron. i tell ya we were dirtbags!

BooDawg

Social climber

Polynesian Paradise

Oct 21, 2010 - 01:21pm PT

Hey Kali! I really DO think that it's best for you to go through my previously posted Taco photos and see what's there that might be suitable.

Meanwhile, here are some classics that I've scanned but (mostly) haven't posted:

OfBlinkingThings

Boulder climber

Los Angeles

Oct 21, 2010 - 01:41pm PT

Do you want modern stuff? I'm 29 so I don't have any pictures older than the early 2000's

ydpl8s

Trad climber

Santa Monica, California

Oct 21, 2010 - 02:06pm PT

This is probably one of my favorites, John Pearson, Jimmy Newberry, and Scottie Gilbert from, I think, about 1975, Philo would probably know. I think that you'd have to get permission from Jimmy, who still lives in Cimmaron Co. I know that he lurks on here, you might just ask him to contact you, or I know Philo has contact info.

Cole

Trad climber

los angeles

Oct 21, 2010 - 02:12pm PT

Wow, it's hilarious how similar our current project titles are though we both have been working on them for years.

Yours: "The Last Wild Mountain: Portrait of the American Climber"

Mine: "Stoney Point: Portrait of an American Crag"

Kind of funny right?! Great minds.

Anyway, sounds like a cool project. When I get home I'll dig through my stuff and see if I can find any classic dirtbag pictures, I sure know I have some contemporary ones...

Also, since we both make docs, if you ever need a hand, or whatever, just let me know as I would love to help out.