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deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 3, 2008 - 10:08pm PT
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Anybody know Herb? I got a chance to climb with him many years ago in the City of Rocks, super funny guy. A great climber too.
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deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 3, 2008 - 10:16pm PT
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I think back in the day he did some pretty impressive ascents in the Sawtooths, on the Elephant's Perch, the Tetons, and of course Yosemite.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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I bought his book on photography long before I found out in Downward Bound he was a climber.
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deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 3, 2008 - 10:18pm PT
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Wasn't he a black hat in Downward Bound?
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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" Difficult to rate- could be in zone 2 or zone 3. However, due to the inordinate amount of time he spends on photography, Herb probably deserves the lowly 7 rating...... "wonderfully zany"......latest outlandish rumor has it that he is presently in India under the care of a guru."
Batso
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EP
Social climber
Way Out There
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Herb was working for the Yosemite guides when I decided I wanted to learn to climb. I still remember threading the figure 8 knot over and over and over and over.
Thanks Herb.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Great thread idea, John . Hi folks. Herbie and I were friends back in 70-72. I really liked him. Insanely funny, well-defined character. Bev Johnson liked him too btw. Lived in this camper on a bigger pickup truck; I guess came out from Wyoming I think, seasonally. Had a large revolver in the camper too. Travelled a bunch, a gentleman, actually, made friends everywhere. Had no big mean project that was intended to cause us all pain; he was a real witty and actually sweet guy. Bigtimers tried to trivialize him because he wasn’t “hard” but look at us all now! Back then we did some stuff together, no big whoop, but respected him and always checked in with him as well in camp 4. Reminds me of Chuck Ostin and Higgins. Completely independent person. Again, awfully funny wonderful guy to be around socially. So where IS he now.....
P.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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I met him one afternoon in Camp 4 during the 80's.
He was standing around in oversized EB's and talking about pistols & marksmanship. He seemed an affable & whimsical character with a wry streak. Jane Sievert introduced us and I think she was marginally smitten by the old dandy.
Didn't he make some statement to the effect of "The Black Ice Couloir...I've outlived it!".
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Lower Yosemite Falls, West Side 5.5 A3 II FA 1959 Herb Swedlund Errol Bohannon
Moby Dick, Center 5.10a FA 1963 Herb Swedlund Penny Carr FFA 1963 Frank Sacherer Steve Roper
Lower Watkins Pinnacle A3 II FA 1957 Mark Powell Herb Swedlund Wally Reed George Sessions Merle Alley
Reed's Pinnacle Regular Route 5.9 FA 1957 Wally Reed Herb Swedlund
Remnant, The, Right Side 5.7 FA 1960 Wally Reed Herb Swedlund
Via Aqua 5.7 FA 1960 Dave Rearick Herb Swedlund Glen Denny FFA 1960 Dick McCracken Steve Roper
Dromedary Direct 5.10c FA 1971 Barry Bates Matt Donohoe Herb Swedlund
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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With Ray Jacquot, he made the first ascent of the Black Ice Couloir on the Grand Teton in 1961 - http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/grte2/hrs16b.htm
A few days earlier, he climbed the South Buttress Right on Mount Moran, thus bagging the premier rock and ice routes in the range in one week.
Google Herb Swedlund - there's lots. Interesting character.
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Worked with him teaching skiing at Badger 1985-1986. He did first free ascent of Bishops Terrace before I was born.
Ken
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scuffy b
climber
Stump with a backrest
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When Herb is on, he is one of the funniest guys I've ever known.
I believe he's still living in Jackson.
I wonder if he's started listening to CDs yet.
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PhilG
Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
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I remember Herb being involved in an epic rescue in the Tetons. I can't recall all the details, but the victim "lost his mind" and was swinging at his rescuers with an Ice Axe. Anyone know where one can find the complete story?
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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So where IS he now...
He showed some slides at a friends house in Dillon Montana a few years back. I think he might be still up in that neck of the nape, nape of the neck...
Probably somewhere's around where high end fly fishin' poles are made...
-Brian in SLC
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ec
climber
ca
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Ed,
Add this to your list: the FA of the original 1963 route on the South Face of Tehipite Dome with Fred, Ken Weeks and John Ahern.
 ec
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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Met Herb briefly in the mid 80's after cleaning and freeing one of his old aid lines(Ten Years After) in the lower falls amphitheater. Reserved, polite dude- class act.
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Watusi
Social climber
Newport, OR
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Definitely Heroic in my book!
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hhhhhhhhh
climber
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I did my first "real" climbing with Herb on Guides Wall. On the descent he mentioned to be careful. Being young and stupid, I claimed the worse that could happen was that I could die. He said No, the worse that could happen is that you could live. Wish I got to climb with him more. Great guy!
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Jennie
Trad climber
Idaho Falls
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I remember Herb being involved in an epic rescue in the Tetons. I can't recall all the details, but the victim "lost his mind" and was swinging at his rescuers with an Ice Axe. Anyone know where one can find the complete story?
PhilG:
I believe the incident you are refering to happened in July of 1962 during the rescue of several members of the Appalachian Mountain Club on the Otter Body Route of the Grand Teton.
There is a good write up in Pete Sinclair's book We Aspired: The Last Innocent Americans, page 109 to 142. My dad also had two old copies of Sports Illustrated, dating from 1965 that documented the rescue in depth, but I couldn't locate them after he passed away. But I believe they could be found in many libraries with back issues of popular magazines.
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