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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 7, 2015 - 12:38pm PT
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I have over 1000 different bolt hangers to show so I was thinking of hijacking Ed Hartouni’s thread, “Bolts from the Wayback Machine,” but then I decided it may be better to create my own bolt hanger thread.
On my first day of climbing with a rope, while on rappel I slipped and let go of the rope falling 40 feet and somehow I caught the rope just as I hit the ground. For my second roped climb I lead the Fresh Air traverse route on Camelback Mountain, and while leaning back on the belay anchors one of the bolts ripped out of the wall. I found it to be really exciting that now I had a souvenir from the climbing adventure I was on. As a kid I collected everything especially those Wacky Packages stickers, record albums, and beer cans. Now I was set on collecting bolt hangers because I had no money and hangers were basically the lowest cost item in the climbing catalog. In my mind I thought achieving the hanger monopoly would be easy since there were probably only 75 or so different hangers to locate. I later realized that there was no end to the different bolt hanger possibilities. So this thread is dedicated to all the climbers out there that also share the passion for bolt hangers. The beauty in the creation, the mission of getting it installed, the path it creates for everybody, the adventure in replacing or removing them, the statements the hangers themselves have made to other climbers, and the incredible climbing history that remains with each hanger.
 If you have created your own bolt hanger, may it be the newest most incredible design or a rusted angle bracket from your grandfathers 1930s chicken coop, I ask for you to PLEASE send me one of your hangers and story to include into the Karabin Climbing Museum archive.
Mailing address: Phoenix Rock Gym, attn: Marty Karabin, 1353 E. University Dr., Tempe, AZ 85281
karabin714@gmail.com
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The best way to start this thread is with Yosemite National Park mentioned in the first sentence. Already I can hear you cheering and giving this thread a five star approval! Going back to the year 1957, the Northwest face of Half Dome is climbed and the Nose Route begins. I have seen many photos of gear from the Nose, but I want to get some of the FA bolt hanger history locked in. Back in 1957 there were a few hangers sold in climbing catalogs:
Gerry Mtn Sports was selling a cut horizontal piton with drilled hole hanger (since 1948).
Gerry’s aluminum “pop-top” hangers didn’t surface till around 1958.
Ski Hut 1953 catalog shows a long strap hanger.
Mid 1950s REI catalog shows a rectangle metal bent hanger.
Holubar 1954/1955 catalog shows a ring bolt hanger.
LONGware hangers in 1957.
Hardware store - metal strap with ring.
Out of 125 hangers that were placed on the first ascent of the Nose route, none of the hangers shown in the catalogs were used, except for possibly the REI catalog hanger. All of the hangers used on the FA of the Nose have a homemade look to them, possibly all made by William Dolt Feurer. Ed Leeper told me years ago that Warren Harding did not make his own hangers. Below is a photo of the gear used on the Nose in 1957-58. The photo was taken at the base of the route during sometime when they were hauling supplies up the wall. In the bottom center of the photo is a pile of hangers which are rectangle in shape with a midway bend. These hangers look like the hangers shown in the REI catalog, but so far in any collection or museum, I have not seen this style hanger which has been retrieved from the Nose route.
The hangers in the Nose gear photo look like my 1957 FA hanger from the Northwest face of Half Dome, and this hanger in the Steve Grossman collection. So somewhere on the lower section of the Nose this style hanger was being used.
This two hole Dolt hanger was originally placed somewhere below the Stove leg cracks. This other two hole Dolt hanger is presently on another route in Yosemite, but notice the shape is in the opposite direction (bent the other direction). This just shows that more than one of these hangers were created.
The FA hangers I see the most of credited to the Nose is the rectangle with midway bend flat bracket that has a hex shape top and hex shape bottom. This hanger is a good example of what the majority of Nose FA hangers look like. The hanger below is from Robert Pinckney which was originally placed just below Dolt Tower.
This is a photo from the Nose FA archives which shows a long strap hanger with diagonal bend placed one or two feet below the Dolt Winch. The same strap hanger can be seen in a Nose FA photo of Bill ‘Dolt’ Feurer.
Many small rectangular hangers with the word “DOLDT” are seen in many collections. The DOLDT hanger I have is from a bolt ladder between Texas Flake and Boot Flake compliments to Bryan Law. Also compliments to Bryan Law is the King Swing hanger from Boot Flake.
Just below the Great Roof there is a small belay ledge/pirch. This is where the Nose hanger in the Nanook collection is from. The two Leeper hangers in the photo are not original to the first ascent. Just the Dolt hanger on the right in the photo.
This hanger has a more rounded design to it and is stamped “RK.” Jim Bridwell replaced it during a rescue from Camp 5. I don’t know who or what the “RK” represents.
Somewhere near the Glowering Spot these hangers are located.
The ASCA created an advertisement to educate the importance of replacing old hangers to climbers. In the ad it shows this FA Nose hanger from the summit pitch.
Another FA Nose hanger from the ASCA, not sure where on the Nose route it is from. Also another hanger found at the base of El Capitan with a metal detector compliments to Michael Price.
So overall it looks like Dolt supplied all (or most of) the hangers for the first ascent of the Nose route on El Capitan. The Nose route started July 1957 and completed November 12, 1958. 125 hangers placed in 45 days of climbing over 18 months time. For the final 14 hours, Warren Harding hand drills 28 bolts on the summit pitch during the night by headlamp to finally reach the summit.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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I believe this is one of Tom Rohrer's rap route anchors.
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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fro Stoney Point possibly something Boodawg created?
Love ur climbers museum stuff marty!
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norm larson
climber
wilson, wyoming
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Marty thanks for the great gear threads. Here is Dolt hanger that came my way sometime. Much more refined than the ones in your post. Do you have one of these? If not I'd be glad to donate it to you.
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 7, 2015 - 04:43pm PT
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Norm, Thanks for the wonderful offer! As far as Dolt hangers go I am missing the ones shown in yellow in the photo, two hangers of which should be easy to find. I patiently wait. I have a few Dolt Nose hangers but I don't have the Grossman/Cummins two carabiner hole Dolt Nose hanger. That one may be tough to obtain, but anything is possible!
Thanks guys for the early energy! I am totally psyched to share my bolt hanger collection with everybody and even more psyched to see what other creations have been made and their story!
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BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
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Pyro: Not mine!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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nice thread
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Tom Rohrer (aka the original Mad Bolter) used to include a small stamped tag at his Nose descent stations with instructions like "140' PEND RIGHT" to help folks down.
Anyone happen to snag one of these for show and tell?
The square edged hanger from my collection shown up thread came from the Leaning Tower so it is likely from the same batch of hangers as the stack shown with the large pitons at the base of the Nose. Doesn't get much simpler than this making a hanger from scratch; Cut, punch and bend.
The three hole "Dolt Ear" as I like to call it was made specifically to serve as a single bolt anchor connecting lengths of fixed rope low on the Nose. They weren't hauling station to station and instead chose to do longer hauls from the better spots with ledges. I need to confirm that Bill did in fact make these hangers the next time I talk with Mark Powell as he is the only one remaining from the original team and these hanger aren't stamped.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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The old bolt ladder on Headstone used to have a fine assortment of hangers. One was a ring-angle piton, sawed off, with the bolt hole in the spine.
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Pyro: Not mine!
Thanks Boodawg!
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 8, 2015 - 04:29pm PT
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During the first ascent of the Nose route there were a lot of things going on. Previous to the beginning of the Nose route Harding and Robbins had already developed an aggravation between them due to their different climbing styles. When Harding went up to establish a route on Half Dome and Robbins was already on the wall nearing the summit, Harding didn’t go after a different line on Half Dome, he reluctantly congratulated Robbins on the summit and then headed to the opposite side of the Valley. The Nose route was on since it was the next big thing, and as Harding states, it was away from Robbins. The climbing team of three is established being Warren Harding as the expedition leader, Mark Powell was the pro climber, and Bill ‘Dolt’ Feuerer was a accomplished (had balls) climber along for the adventure. Bill eventually found his place and climbing identity becoming the silly guy stumbling through the process and the Dolt of his friends, which then he titled himself the DOLDT. Bill was also handy because he was creating the gear that was needed to ascend the route as they needed it. Bill stamped DOLDT on all of his 1957 climbing gear and on a handful of hangers used on the FA Nose ascent. When 1958 came around Bill changed his DOLDT identity to Dolt. I wonder if at first he didn’t like to be referred to an an idiot (Dolt), so he purposely added the extra ‘D’ to his title?
In September 1957 Powell breaks his ankle and is unable to climb. Warren Harding however was anxious to get back on the Nose route no matter what. Bill Feuerer took Powell’s side and said the route has to wait, but Harding got a few other climbers to help him continue on and finish the Nose route. Dolt enjoyed the fun climbing adventure/party with Harding, but was a little upset that Harding continued the route by breaking up the original ascent team. Many emotions fall into place here. I have hundreds of first ascents and I know how it feels when somebody else takes your FA glory. All the time and moments you put into a route and in the end your name is nowhere in the books. However my routes are just one or two pitches long. Dolt was involved in a 34 pitch route, yipe!
The Yosemite Park service didn’t necessarily approve of the Nose ascent because of the media and curiosity it was creating with the tourists. The climbers were given an ultimatum to finish the route by Thanksgiving. Other climbers helped to push the route higher up like: Al Steck, Wally Reed, Rich Calderwood and others. Finally on November 12, 1958 Warren Harding, Wayne Merry and George Whitmore top out on the Nose route summiting El Capitan and are overcome by a large amount of newspaper and magazine press. Dolt and Powell get no congratulations in the newspapers for their efforts. In the FA stories of the Nose, Powell and Feuerer are noted in the history but not for being on the summiting team. Powell goes on elsewhere being the superstar climber. Dolt finds his place becoming the gear supplier to all climbers, and Harding takes the overall fame of the Nose route.
I believe that Dolt really wanted to be one of the summiting team members, but his personal pride within the situation prevented him from getting back on the route, and it didn’t slow Harding from reaching the summit. Probably the reason Dolt became a gear manufacturer was that it made him feel that he was part of THAT Nose summiting team. He wanted to be a big part of that climb and wanted people to remember him. Example: The Dolt Tower, Dolt Hole, Dolt winch, Dolt Cart, Dolt pitons, Dolt Hangers stamped DOLDT. Through William Feuerer’s gear being used on the Nose route, the Dolt name became as huge as Harding in the history books……..but yet Dolt never summited. Dolt continued to supply the FA Nose climbers with needed gear, but Powell and Dolt never rejoined Harding on the route.
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In 1958 Dolt puts out a catalog showing hammer holsters, hammers, bolt hole scrapers and more, but he shows no bolt hangers being available. I am not sure why Dolt just supplied the whole Nose route with hangers, but shows no hangers in his 1958 catalog. Dolt creates a set of 13 angle pitons which are all basically the same width in measure. They only differ in length and angle taper, but they still fill a void in what gear was available at the time.
In 1960 Dolt puts out a new catalog which has photos of two different hangers. One hanger is a “step on” hangar (hanger) and one is not. Both are available in 1/4” or 3/8” sizes. I have seen these hangers with and without the Dolt stamp. The hangers shown in the 1960 Dolt catalog photos have no logo Dolt stamp. In the photo below two hangers are shown along with the catalog photo. One is the “Step on” hanger and one is a further modified Step-on hanger. The second photo below is a ’Step On’ hanger from the Nanook collection.
Tom Frost and Dolt are friends and create a bunch of larger bong pitons to be used on the second ascent of the Nose September 1960. The ascent is by Royal Robbins, Chuck Pratt, Joe Fitschen and Tom Frost.
October 1960 William “Dolt” Feuerer is on the front cover of Summit Magazine on the Traitor Horn, Tahquitz.
In late 1960 Yvon Chouinard offers to the public a set of four steel bongs which were the same design of the Frost/Dolt bongs. And in 1961 Chouinard offers to the public the same set of bongs but in aluminum. I am not sure if this second time that the Nose route and Dolt had an ugly moment together caused this, or it was a rift of friendship between Chouinard, Frost and Dolt, but January 1962 Dolt decides he is out of the climbing business.
Strangely enough at the time when Tom Frost joined forces with Yvon Chouinard creating the Great Pacific Iron Works, Dolt announces he is back in business and both companies create the greatest quality climbing gear in the United States. A Dolt advertisement in Summit magazine May 1967 lists four hangers that Dolt has for sale. The Model V and the Model H in 1/4” or 3/8” bolt hole sizes. The Dolt June 1967 catalog shows photos of the Model V and Model H hangers. The chrome versions of the Model V hangers I believe were made in 1970. These were not the first die cut hangers made. Gerry made die cut aluminum “pop-top” hangers around 1958.
Dolt filed for a patent on May 1967 and the drawings show a few different shape pitons and a bolt hanger. Don Lauria found this Dolt hanger in Dolt’s toolbox when he obtained the Dolt estate. I still have not seen a second of these hangers.
A Dolt advertisement shown in Summit magazine October 1968 shows the Dolthanger Model HK Keyhole hanger available in two sizes.
Another hanger that Don Lauria found in Dolt’s toolbox is this aluminum angle. This style hanger is first shown available in the 1964 Holubar catalog listed as a Holubar hanger. Not sure why Dolt made this hanger or when it was made, but for now I have it listed as a Dolt prototype hanger.
If Dolt had got past his pride and continued on with the Nose route with Harding, then just imagine how the top of the Nose route would be today. …….then take the DOLDT ladder up to the worlds greatest King Dolt Swing then through the Great Doltroof. Dolt would have been the climber to get hit in the head with the Stove leg piton instead of Harding, so the area would have become known as the Doltering Spot. And the summit pitch would have been made with 28 gold plated Dolt hangers all signed by the FA party members. Once on top of the route climbers can enjoy the view from the Dolt Scenic Overlook. Also within the Dolt Scenic Overlook is the Dolttree, which stops the running time for the Nose speed ascents. In reality if Dolt had just continued on with the Nose route and summited with Harding, Dolt would have become the biggest Yosemite legend of them all. His gear products would have been distributed worldwide and the Nose route would be the Dolt companies foundation. Dolt would have owned the Nose! Even if he had never climbed another route in his life again, he would still be huge! History of course has its way and the FA Nose summit goes to Harding, and the “overall legendary Yosemite gear creator” goes to Chouinard.
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MisterE
Gym climber
Being In Sierra Happy Of Place
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Bandito bump!
Cool thread, Marty! I bet you have one of these:
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 10, 2015 - 09:41am PT
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Before I move on with this thread I want to give a few final Marty thoughts on the First Ascent of the Nose. I believe that Harding did the correct thing by continuing on with the route, If Powell had sprained his ankle the route could have waited until the ankle was healed. But in this case Powell shattered his ankle where already healing time for the injury would be over a year. They were presently 1/3 of the way through their route project and now Powell becomes a question mark. The biggest question is will Powell’s ankle even when healed be strong enough to get back onto the route. There was already media attention going on with the route and I am sure in Hardings mind he felt that if his ascent party didn’t stay with the climb, other climbers could steal the First Ascent. I am sure that Powell understood the situation and was cool with whatever decision was made. But Dolt decided to hide behind Powell for some reason and removed himself from being on the ascent. If I was Dolt I would have continued on with the route and understood the situation. Maybe Dolt enjoyed climbing with Powell and was uncomfortable climbing with just Harding so he proposed that the climb has to wait. Maybe Dolt had a vision on how huge he could become with the Nose route and it totally scared him so he used this Powell situation as an escape. History shows that at this time Dolt became disillusioned. So now Dolt steps away from being the climber, and remains within the climbing world as THE climbing gear manufacturer. I believe that the Nose route was one of the weighted bricks of pain that Dolt carried with him to his 1971 suicide. OK enough with the Nose route. So many more beautiful bolt hangers to cover.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jun 10, 2015 - 11:09am PT
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The old bolt ladder on Headstone used to have a fine assortment of hangers. One was a ring-angle piton, sawed off, with the bolt hole in the spine.
I remember that.
One correction on the Nose rescue thread -- the climber who pulled the loose block on himself at Camp 5 did it in the fall of 1972, not in 1973. I was benighted on the Powell-Reed that night and the searchlight-illuminated rescue provided the entertainment during our vigil.
Anyone have a close-up of the "recycled" hanger on Twinkle Toes Traverse in Pinnacles?
John
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Roots
Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
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Jun 10, 2015 - 01:25pm PT
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WORLD'S GREATEST BOLT HANGER THREAD
It's destined to be! Bump Bump
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Jun 10, 2015 - 01:31pm PT
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I need me a 'step on' hanger!
Super Plafond Hanger!
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tripmind
Boulder climber
San Diego
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Jun 10, 2015 - 02:04pm PT
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Do you think the RK stamp might be Ron Kauk?
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 12, 2015 - 07:51pm PT
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RK for Ron Kauk is something I didn’t consider but probably not. Ron was Born in 1957 and the bolt was pulled in fall 1972 (1973 mistake) so he would have only been 15 years old climbing the Nose. Also at that early age I don’t know why he would want to leave his mark on the Nose. In 1975 Ron free climbed Astroman with John Long and John Bachar. The RK hanger was very rusted and was there for quite a while. Jim Bridwell cleaned the rust off with a wire brush or something before he gave it to me.
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