Royal Robbins: “This importing business is a real can of ---

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Fritz

Trad climber

Hagerman, ID

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 17, 2010 - 05:59pm PT

Keeter!

DUDE!!

Finally a Mountain Paraphernalia catalog!

I really appreciate you doing the "pain in the butt" scans and posting.

Thanks you, and thanks to everyone that posts up info!

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Oct 17, 2010 - 06:09pm PT

I was surprised to see Keeter's catalog with the Galibier "Spoilers".
I always knew them as "Rigid Rands".

Fritz

Trad climber

Hagerman, ID

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 17, 2010 - 08:52pm PT

Reilly: Cool spoilers! I had forgotten that Galibier made "factory spoilers" for their tele-boots.

As I mentioned up-thread: by the late 1970's, Asolo's newer leather tele-boots were taking market share from Galibier.

I'm guessing the Galibier factory-spoilers were an attempt to take some market back.

Keeter

Mountain climber

Durango, CO

Oct 17, 2010 - 11:16pm PT

The Contact shoes were our last attempt at a modern shoe from the makers of Galibier. They utilized a softer sole than the PA, RD or RR. It had a small heel (I can't remember why, unfortunately) and a grid pattern under the instep, just in front of the heel. This grid pattern was used on the Super Guides and Makalu of that season as well, replacing the well-known Jannu sole. The leather uppers of the Contacts were unlined. The toe shape was less than ideal for me, so I continued to use the RR Varappe for a couple of more seasons.

Regarding the Galibier ski boot spoiler, it was molded and buckles provided by Le Trappeur, oddly an early competitor to Galibier SG and Peuterey with their "Pro" boot. The Spoiler actually came out way before Asolo was making tele boots. I had the spoilers in Alaska on St. Elias in 1975 along with Ski Montagnes, Rossi Haute Routes and Marker FD-TRs.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Oct 17, 2010 - 11:31pm PT

I got my 'Rigid Rands' in probably '74 or '75. I wore them over my
Peutereys and did a bunch of often solo descents in the Cascades on my
K2 Holidays with Silvrettas. Having skiied on Marker turntables with
72" longthongs the Silvrettas didn't seem that unsafe. It didn't matter
on some of that stuff anyway as a fall of any sort woulda been real bad.

I was a little late to the telemark party - hard to teach an old dog.
The Rigid Rands worked great on those Asolos.

The olde dawg. In fact, a bona fide UW Husky Dawg letterman!

Brokedownclimber

Trad climber

Douglas, WY

Oct 18, 2010 - 12:04am PT

I recall the RR Varappe as being the best fitting shoe that I've ever owned. They would have been truly great if they had a "stickier rubber." It wasn't until the La Sportiva "Mariacher's" came out that I again had a shoe that fit my narrow feet and to profile.

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Oct 18, 2010 - 12:23am PT

Narrow French last...

Keeter

Mountain climber

Durango, CO

Oct 18, 2010 - 12:20pm PT

Yeah, we were on the West Face of ST Elias initially, kept getting stormed off. Multiple days in a snow cave up high while being raked by slides. Abandoned the West side and traversed around opposite, facing Logan where the rest of our party was able to join us. Long story.

Yes, as far as I can recall, the Contact series were the first to use a shaped rand (not just a parallel strip). If we could have convinced the French to use the stickier Spanish rubber being developed (not an easy task) it might have amounted to something.

I am unable to upload photos to this site from here, I'll post more later

Keeter

Mountain climber

Durango, CO

Oct 18, 2010 - 10:06pm PT

Here's a couple more catalog page shots. Reilly, I think I recognize the pack in your "Ski Spoiler" pic, it's a JanSport Greatsack from about 1975. I have a green one in my office.

I'll upload the info on the LaPrade and Salewa gear later.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Oct 18, 2010 - 10:09pm PT

Good eye, Keeter! That was a prototype I was testing while I still worked
for REI - HaHaHa! Actually, REI hadn't started making their own yet so I
guess it wasn't a conflict of interests; damn!

Keeter

Mountain climber

Durango, CO

Oct 19, 2010 - 12:28pm PT

Yeah, I actually sewed some of those protos. Took 9 production ones to SE Alaska in 75. I worked with JS before I moved to Cal and then again in the 80's and 90's

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Oct 19, 2010 - 12:43pm PT

Keeter, small world, eh? I shoulda gone to work for Jan and Murray - they
were cool. I'll bet they're nicely retired now, LOL. I wonder if you sewed
the dome tent proto Dusan and I took up Rainier in January of '76? We got
in a good blow. The weather station at Crystal Mt recorded 105 mph and we
were 4000' higher than them! That tent took a beating but stayed together-
two of the three poles broke but didn't shred the sleeves.
If you did sew it, Thanks!

EDIT:
Fritz, I can't believe I forgot Skip - senility is so embarrassing.
He was the prototype guy who I dealt with.

Fritz

Trad climber

Hagerman, ID

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 19, 2010 - 02:21pm PT

Small world time indeed with Jansport. I have known the other Jansport founder Skip Yowell, since he traveled the Northwest selling Jansport packs, in the early 1970's.

I haven't seen him for years, but ran into him at the SLC Outdoor Retailer show last January and got to BS for a while. I emailed him links to some of my ST yarns and he sent me his fun book.

The Hippie Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder & Other Mountains: How JanSport Makes It Happen

Skip? You out there lurking? Maybe you fellows can do a Jansport history thread on ST.

Keeter

Mountain climber

Durango, CO

Oct 19, 2010 - 11:44pm PT

Yeah, I had a hand in the proto domes. Murray had the idea, Jan made the patterns and did most of the sewing and I came up with the flexible pole systems. If you read Skips book you'll see that about half the pics are mine. I did a couple of climbs on Rainier with Dusan, including the Nisqually Direct in the early 70's. Still have a poster in my shop with Dusan in it. Murray became a surveyor in North Central Wash and Jan is selling real estate. Neither came out that well financially with JS as most of the original money was borrowed.

I still have one of the originals in a special Eddie Bauer stuffsack of all things.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Oct 20, 2010 - 12:22am PT

Wow, I'm dissillusioned JS didn't pay off for them. I remember my first
visit to their offices - they were soo impressive! Bigger than Big Jim's!

Wish I hadn't sold that proto when I was dirtbagging it in Europe.

RDB

Social climber

way out there

Oct 21, 2010 - 02:51pm PT

Great picture.

Fritz

Trad climber

Hagerman, ID

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 22, 2010 - 05:34pm PT

Biwell boot treatment-----be gone.

I found an old box and tube of Biwell boot treatment today, that I must have taken with me from my retail store back in the mid-80's. As I mentioned upthread: Robbins imported it, starting in the mid-70's.

I wondered if anyone had taken over importing it. Appears it was available in stores until 2007. No dealers that I can find, carry it anymore.

It's OK. I've beeen using NIKWAX for years.