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Rick L
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 31, 2009 - 07:30pm PT
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The Frank Sacherer thread reminded me of the unique beauty and history to be found at the Chamonix Cemetery. It is kind of hard to describe but the Cemetery felt very much "alive" and part of the commununty. Lots of people visiting- almost a celebration of life and not the grimness I usually associate with such places. Here are some photos. I wish I knew Frank was buried there- I would have paid him a visit. Only saw him once when I was hiking up to the top of Half Dome as a kid- he and Chuck Pratt were camped on the shoulder. As I was coming down, Frank was outside the cables working his way down "no hands" - consistent with his reputation.
[img]
http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv288/rcnlinkert/IMG_1815.jpg{{/img}}
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He is in pretty good company.
And, of course, the reason why climbers come to Chamonix
Best to all
Rick
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GDavis
Trad climber
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Jan 31, 2009 - 07:37pm PT
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Wow one of the coolest threads I've seen. Thanks man.
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
San Diego
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Jan 31, 2009 - 08:43pm PT
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Wow, Chamonix, the Disneyland of Mountain sports.
Got to get back sometime soon. Our daughter's name is Chamonix. The Euros love her name, Americans struggle to pronounce it, too funny.
Few places in the world where you can do state of the art climbing (of all kinds), skiing, extreme skiing, paragliding etc. etc. all so close in proximity and accessable. Well OK, there is the Eastern Sierras and that's why I love them so.
I will never forget meeting a young Japanese climber in the dorm in town and climbing Mt. Blanc on the 200 year anniversary of Bastille Day in the summer of '89 with him. He never had been on a glacier before. He fell twice on the way down from the summit due to exhaustion. Good thing I was in shape from a summer of climbing already and pretty fast in the arrests. That is when he confessed he had never been on a glacier before this climb. Somehow, he had all the gear though, and I just assumed. We had a great time, and he did well until then. I had to remind him "Just because we made the summit doesn't mean the climb is over. It's only half-over and we want to get back to celebrate it, right?" We had played a make-shift game of Battleship the night before in the Dome de Gouter(sp?) climbing refuge with prideful Frenchmen surrounding us. Only in Chamonix. Early morning alpine start with headlamps and a train of French climbers going up the Dome route. Weird alien scene. We went up one route and came down another. Sweet.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Jan 31, 2009 - 10:03pm PT
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I walked through the Zermatt cemetery on a rain day when the peaks were too stormy.
It was sobering to see, on so many headstones, the name of some fatal mountain.
"Killed by stonefall in the Triftjoch," one headstone read (in German) and that
froze me for a minute. We'd been there just three days before, dodging rocks.
Thanks for the photos and thread for reflection.
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Fletcher
Trad climber
the campfire just a ways past Chris' Taco stand
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Jan 31, 2009 - 10:12pm PT
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Wow, absolutely stunning and beautiful!
I must go now. Why didn't I think of this before?
Death is as much a miracle as birth.
Fletch
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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Jan 31, 2009 - 11:03pm PT
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Chiloe, I too have spent some time in the Zermatt cemetery on a rainy day. Though it may sound a bit morbid I was in search of a headstone that I had heard about. I wanted to read a well known epitaph that was all of four words - "I chose to climb". I found it interesting that the climber was from New York. In fact a quick search and ...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikebny/331953121
While in the Alps I found it strange to find crosses and other memorials to climbers right on the mountains themselves (rather than at the base). In fact, it gave me a bit of a cold chill.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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Way Special, Thank you so much for posting these pictures. Some of these people I have read about on the Taco Book Club. You have made them so much more real.....! Enjoyed all you posted more than i can relate in words. Grazi !!!! Joy and Peace, Lynnie
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Beautiful thread! Thanks.
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Now THAT is a thread that is evocative of the history and passion of climbing! Thank you.
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elcap-pics
climber
Crestline CA
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I climbed there in the summer of 69 and some in 70 and have never been back, unfortunately. I went through the cemetary there and the one in Zermatt. I was a young man, in my 20's and in love with climbing and its history. I read all the books as a kid and it was a wonderful experience going to those places I had only imagined and seeing the graves of climbers I idolized. I teared up constantly.. a wonderful memory now. In Cham I climbed with a guy named John Porter... camped in Snell's field with all the other guys there for the climbing and history... Glory Days, those Glory Days!!! It was all I hoped it would be!!! Thanks for posting the pics!!
Tom Evans
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Rick L
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 1, 2009 - 12:04pm PT
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Thanks for the kind words and I am glad you enjoyed the photos. Here is a photo of the memorial to all of the guides who have lost their lives in the mountains. Again-very sobering but beautiful. You can see the care that is poured into the Cemetary. People even come to have a picnic.
Here is an example of what I would call a celebration of life.
The trick seems to be to live life fully and enjoy what we have while we have it - everything - health, family, friends, the feel and smell of granite, the sound of running water...
Rick
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Chamonix bump!!
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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Rick L. Thank you, again, so Very much. Had no idea any of this existed. The pictures are moving and inspiring as we consider the lives they represent.
Your Thread gives another dimension to life and its living. It shows how one persons life can impact others when they live it simply and honestly, following their passions and dreams.
God Bless the Pilgrims of this World... continue to Inspire them, Ignite them and keep them and theirs. Peace, Lynne
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Really awesome and special accompanying thread to the Sacherer thread, thanks Rick!!
best p.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Rick-
Thank you so much for this posting and for linking it to the thread on Frank. It really helps those members of the Sacherer family who have not been to Chamonix to get a sense of where Frank ended up.
Jan Sacherer
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Rick L
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 2, 2009 - 11:03am PT
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Jan-
We all very much appreciate the thoughts and history you have graciously provided on this site. Frank is such an important piece of Yosemite history yet, like many of us, had a life that took him away from those roots. I hope the photos of the Chamonix Cemetery convey that he rests in a good place and is surrounded by kindred souls. Your writings reveal that you are a strong and thoughtful woman. I wish you all the best.
Rick
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Fluoride
Trad climber
Hollywood, CA
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Beautiful thread. This reminds me of reading "Kiss or Kill" where Mark noted the cemetery there was filled with men between the ages of 18-24 years old.
The "Lifetime Before Death" chapter about Fred Vimal. I take it he's buried there too? The taking his casket out of the church to AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" story has stuck in my head over the years. Climbers take care of their own.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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This is one of the most thoughtful and best-timed threads seen on SuperTopo in a while.
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Rick Linkert
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills CA
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I thought the Chamonix Cemetery thread might have some current relevance-now that the photos are back from PhotoBucket limbo. It is interesting how that climbing community deals with the losses. I found the celebration of life there very unique, comforting and inspiring. Walking amongst the ghosts of heroes lost on a rainy day is a powerful memory. The Yosemite community has had some big losses over the last several years, then Jim and unthinkable recent events.
Condolences to all.
Rick
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