Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 12, 2005 - 11:19pm PT
|
Like Hud said, "Horses, dogs, men...no one gets out of life alive."
I can't say I knew Walt, though I met him a few times and was left both spitting coffee out my nose as he told big tales and sipped a "malted beverage" in the driveway at 9 in the morning. Someone needs to do the man justice with a few Way Back Machine moments.
"Don't be late..."
|
|
T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
|
|
|
Jan 12, 2005 - 11:23pm PT
|
I coudn't agree more marty. Russ, Klaus give us some first hand stuff on Walt.
|
|
marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 12, 2005 - 11:39pm PT
|
It's kind of lame to reply to your own post, but I just wanted to add that climbing obituaries can be some of the best writing anywhere. They cut through the sh#t, and in the case of Largo's tribute to Yabo (the Climbing mag ultra-classic), communicate something much deeper about those partners and visionaries who lived a lifetime before dying.
|
|
Russ Walling
Social climber
Bishop is DEAD, long live JT
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2005 - 01:25am PT
|
One of my faves, real quick style:
In the MR Bar he once had a drawing of an octopus that instead of 8 arms, had 8 penises. No idea where he got this 8x10, but the detail was top notch, and was close to museum quality in scale and accuracy. So.... he would approach young ladies in the bar and sit down next to them and strike up a conversation..... so far so good.... we all knew what he was up to so we watched from afar.... after a few minutes of polite chatter he would ask the female if she liked art work..... this is when he would whip out Octo the Octopenis and show it to them without a grin..... but you could see the smile starting to boil under his calm surface.... the woman was usually horrified, and just as she was about to go on tilt, Walt would grap the picture and bolt for the door, in full hysterics. We of course were pissing ourselves having the best view in the house. Then we would see him lurking around outside the big windows waiting for the lady to leave so he could do it again with another unsuspecting victim.
|
|
Flash
Ice climber
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2005 - 02:00am PT
|
that is classic!LOL!
|
|
can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2005 - 10:36am PT
|
A few years before Walt sequed outta this life and into another one, a friend and I were in the midst of a sub 24 hour LA to LA jaunt up the Sun Ribbon Arete. We were on the crux face pitch when we looked down and saw some dude finishing up the traverse pitch below us.
All we could see was a wide brimmed pate protector on this guy who wasn't wearing any climbing shoes and didn't have any gear. As we are nearing the end of the pitch (he'd waited until we cleared out of the difficult section) he cruised on up to us and yup, you guessed it, it was Walt out for a little exercise en-route to meeting up with a client somewhere behind Temple Crag. He zipped past us and when we got back down, we found him and a friend chillin near the base. We chatted and went on our way. Little did I know that would be the last time I saw him in this life.
Walt was a one of a kind that's for sure
|
|
10b4me
Trad climber
Near the Rose Bowl
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2005 - 12:31pm PT
|
Save the Clavey
|
|
Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Sandpoint, Idaho
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2005 - 02:42pm PT
|
Somebody tell the story of why Walt was finished working for Curry Company. I heard it second or third hand from Tucker and wouldn't get the details right.
F'n classic!
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2005 - 05:44pm PT
|
"Walt's Birthday Binge"
I was actually a witness to part of that. I was belaying on to of Bebop Tango, staring into space when this guy walks up to Semi Tough(?)(10d lieback crux). I watch as He puts on his shoes and I expect a partner to show up, but no, the guy (who I didn't recognize) starts climbing. He gets up to the thin lie back move and hesitates, Finally, he goes for it. His right foot pops and I think one of his hands does too. He fumbles a second, barndoors dangerously, looks like he's gonna deck, then gets all points on and cruises to the top.
I let out a loud congratulatory roadrunner meep, that echoes throughout the real hidden valley.
'JayThe OWM!" he yells back.
"who the fark is that?, I'm still not recognizing him.
On the way back to camp we caught up with him and he told us the story of the birthday binge, I don't remember the other climbs.
"yeah, soloing at my limit, really smart," he said in that self deprecating way he had.
We wished him a happy birthday and probably gave him a beer of something.
|
|
bigwalling
climber
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2005 - 05:46pm PT
|
what was Walt's free climbing limit???
|
|
Russ Walling
Social climber
Bishop is DEAD, long live JT
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2005 - 05:51pm PT
|
Let's say I took over more than one lead for him in the 11a range. Walt used to say "soloing onsight at your limit is the best way to keep it pure" .... man he was pure!
Always liked his quote, "I've never been in better shape....." and then pause...... "....but I've never been in worse shape either." Never saw him do a pull-up in my life.
|
|
yo
climber
NOT Fresno
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2005 - 07:10pm PT
|
Don't claim to have known him, but I sat in on a couple conversations here and there, as seems to happen. One was at night, either before or after the ranger show in the lodge ampitheater. Somehow I sprayed, regrettably, to the group, which included Walt, that I'd gotten up Mescalito or something. Ten minutes later I'm in the nice chrome bathroom by the MR and somebody sidles up next to me. Yeah, guess who. Whilst pissing he leaned to me, a little in my space if you know what I'm saying, and said, "Aid climbing is chickensh#t. It's all about free." Proceeded to piss for another minute and a half, zip, and leave. And I just stood there with my dick in my hand till he left.
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2005 - 07:26pm PT
|
"Always liked his quote, "I've never been in better shape....." and then pause...... "....but I've never been in worse shape either." Never saw him do a pull-up in my life. "
Lepton used to begin many a discourse with, "Now I've NEVER been in good free climbing shape....."
Anyone know whatever happened to him?
|
|
can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2005 - 08:48pm PT
|
Last I heard of Lepton, he was living in Sonora and doing his woodworking. He was always fun to be around.
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2005 - 10:46pm PT
|
Hey Russ....tell em the story when you had to rescue him from the Black Pope at the Mountain Room bar....Lol
|
|
Mimi
Trad climber
Seattle
|
|
|
Jan 14, 2005 - 01:39am PT
|
Thanks to Mussy telling me about this forum, I am posting my first thread. And wouldn't ya know, it would be about Walt. Somehow I missed the one about the octopenis. That's a classic! I first saw Walt in the new MR Bar playing a balancing game with his chair and falling over backwards. It was in '83. Russ and the gang were also at the table providing the necessary encouragement. We didn't meet officially until a couple years later and I feel so lucky to have done so. I remember telling Walt and other friends goodbye in the Lodge lot when I split for good in '87 after two awesome years living in the Valley. Little did I know it would be the last time. I found some old letters awhile back that included one from him. He described a climbing trip to S. America and he fussed at me for not coming back to climb. Boy, was I a moron to not listen. Now, I'm too old and chicken to climb hard again and he's gone. I did make his "funeral" gathering and I think we did a pretty good job of celebrating his life although I think most of us were still in disbelief that he was really gone. What a loss but we all know what a full life he led. Don't be late!
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
Jan 14, 2005 - 11:47am PT
|
Mimi is that you...?
|
|
Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
|
|
|
Jan 14, 2005 - 12:00pm PT
|
A Walt S. solo for the ages is the on-sight free solo ascent of "Woodrow" on the S. Face of Mt. Wilson (1,600 feet with a 2,000 3-5th class approach), a sketchy 5.10b face climb on pliable holds and nebulous route finding. Makes my palms sweat just thinking about doing that route on the 3rd.
A one-of-a-kind dude was Walt.
JL
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
Jan 14, 2005 - 12:09pm PT
|
bigwalling asked: "what was Walt's free climbing limit???"
He trancsended all that number bullshit dude, and went right to the core....going for it the best he could and it was some of the most amazing stuff if you ever saw it.
|
|
marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 14, 2005 - 01:20pm PT
|
Mimi--Hey, didn't you slug a hippie or break a trustafarian's guitar at Walt's memorial?
I think two of my favorite Walt stories were somwhat non-climbing related. One was about a ranger in ther Meadows nearly getting skulled by a OE tall that someone had chucked off a cliff, leading to the short-lived banning of OE at the store...except for a private stash (read: crates stacked high) for Walt and Billie to unwind with after a long day of guiding.
The other tale (and I only have vague details) involved Duane Raleigh, an upscale lodge, and the PA. Seems the management wasn't so keen on climbers, but did have a thing for some manicured French poodle. Anyhow, Walt somehow gets into the lodge's intercom/muzak system and records a whole garbled canine-man love/sex saga complete with monologues like, "Come to me Frenchie...make me bark..." The tape then plays throughout the establishment...maybe for days, maybe for hours...at just low enough a volume to ignore or inflame, depending on your mood. These would be dipped-in-gold artifacts to find, but in all likelihood they're bound to remain the stuff of legend.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!