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ninjakait
Trad climber
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Oct 28, 2014 - 11:29am PT
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A true loss to the community. Good energy and thoughts sent to his family and friends!
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hashbro
Trad climber
Mental Physics........
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Oct 28, 2014 - 06:24pm PT
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I'll never forget sitting on a ledge with three of my early climbing partners, freezing our ass off, high on Tahquitz Rock in pitch darkness during the early winter of 1973. The fuzzy shape of Richard Harrison rappelling to us from above, was our savior. He (and the cluster of original Stonemasters) were coming to rescue us neophites after our serious miscalculation resulted in being nearly benighted.
Richard's calm, yet jovial voice cut through the wind at 7,500. "John.......is gonna belay you up.......ha, ha, ha, ha."
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Oct 28, 2014 - 09:25pm PT
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I only met Richard a couple of times. I was with Jay Smith at Shuteye Ridge a couple of days ago when he received word of Richard's passing. Jay climbed quite a bit with Richard and was really floored by the news.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Oct 28, 2014 - 09:48pm PT
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On one of my first trips to Josh with my cousin Ken and Jim Angione (1973 ish)we ran into some real climbers on the Dogleg at Josh. We were there to pass a Sierra Club Rock Climbing Section competency test so we could do the rad Sierra Peaks that required leading and belaying and rappelling. After that we headed out on our own.
I think it was the casual and animated dialog that caused us to drop our packs at the base and hang out. They were super cool and invited us to take a rope on the route. Although there were very few climbers around at that time. They might have been the only other party we encountered that weekend after we ditched the Clubbers.
This was my first encounter with the so-called Stonemasters. I was the only one of our group to take up the offer.
Here is Richard on that day. He went just before I did. I think I have a couple other shots from that day.
It's nice having my record book to refer to.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Oct 28, 2014 - 09:58pm PT
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OK, 3 more crappy shots from that day.
This one looks like Rick A. to me.
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Oct 29, 2014 - 12:31am PT
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We read about the climb Rock Warrior in mountain magazine (We being Dave Evans and I). It was described as "The best sandstone climb in N. America"......Richard was on the FA. Dave knew Richard, and we contacted him for info. We HAD to do this climb......being that it was the best sandstone climb in N. America and all..... Richard invited us to his apartment in Vegas and we drive over to get the beta. He drew us a topo of the climb and told us to take slider nuts on the climb (pre-TCU era). He was cool and we were thankful. The climb was awesome;..we climbed all the way to the top of the mountain;..climbing many easy 5th class pitches in the dark after the hard (and scary ) stuff was done.......it was a grand adventure and a most wonderful climb. Thank you, Richard;..for all you gave to the climbing community and the world...
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redrocker
climber
NV
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Oct 29, 2014 - 12:52am PT
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Todd,
That's pretty cool that you summited Black Velvet Wall via Rock Warrior. I don't think that gets done very often...to say the least!
I've never climbed Rock Warrior but my friend and climbing partner has led both Rock Warrior (10b R) and it's neighbor Sandstone Samurai (11a X). He thought both were awesome but strange as it sounds he thought Rock Warrior was the more serious of the two.
Remembering Richard and thinking good thoughts for his daughter.
Edited: to clarify that I intended no disrespect to the FAist's of Sandstone Samurai (Paul Van Betten and Nick Nordblom). Two guys who shared many adventures and first ascents with Richard and who know far better than I the real truth about anything that I pretend to know.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Oct 29, 2014 - 07:25am PT
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I talked with him a few months ago and he said he was not doing well, but I had no idea.
Richard was the real deal. This is very sad news.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Oct 29, 2014 - 08:01am PT
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Dave-I remember that day! Today, you need to walk a mile or so to experience the solitude we used to have right in HVC.
We all started climbing at the very end of the era in Southern California when the Sierra Club RCS monopolized climbing instruction, and had become very hierachical and rule-bound. It was good that we avoided it.
It should be remembered that Richard was a long time Yosemite "Rescue Team" member (what it was called before YOSAR) in the early to mid-seventies. Here he is on the far right, waiting for the helicopter for a rescue on the Salathe, with Yabo, Graham, Werner and others.
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Roots
Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
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Oct 29, 2014 - 08:19am PT
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Oct 29, 2014 - 10:31am PT
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Dave, Rick, Kevin, Spenser..... good stories.
I always remember Richard as a larger than life figure. He was exactly the sort of climber I wished I could be, Strong, Confident, Wise and very friendly to all.
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AKDOG
Mountain climber
Anchorage, AK
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Oct 29, 2014 - 12:49pm PT
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Condolences to Richard’s family and friends
Back in the mid 1970’s while still in high school a friend and I were camped out in Humber Park learning to climb. It was mid-week, Humber Park was deserted, and Richard shows up in a VW bug full of climbing gear (at least up to that time more climbing gear than we had ever seen outside of sport chalet). As no one else was around and Richard was looking to climb, he talked me into doing Revelations with him. I think the hardest thing I had done previously was probably 5.8, and I was more than a little nervous, that this was going to turn into a sht show, but Richard assured me it would be no problem. The climb went great we swung leads and he gave great encouragement and advice. After the climb Richard told us a few stories about climbing in Yosemite, which was one of our goals. I am sure it didn’t mean much to Richard, but to a young kid learning to climb, getting to climb with one of the climbing gods was a real boost. With new confidence the next day my friend and I did Serpentine and the climbing bug was set.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Oct 29, 2014 - 01:44pm PT
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Roots-those RH stamped carabiners bring back a lot of memories. When we started, Richard acquired a rack of pitons and then nuts long before John or I ever got one (I am not sure John ever got one :)) and I recall when he first stamped them with the RH. On the subject of climbing gear, I will tell again later the story of how Richard and John invented the first curved stopper in Richard's basement.
Great stories, all. Please keep them coming. As several have mentioned, Richard lived for the moment and the next climb, so I doubt that he told Lisa very many of these stories. Collecting these old tales and photos is something we all can do for Lisa and the family.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Oct 29, 2014 - 06:06pm PT
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This isn't an entirely positive story but...
I don't know the whole story here but Mooney mentioning the VW bug brought it back.
Richard had an unfortunate incident after rebuilding a VW engine. Somehow while the engine was being moved into position it slipped off the floor jack and landed on Richard's hip. It hurt him pretty bad.
After recovering he always had a limp. But, the amazing part was it had very little influence on his climbing ability. He still cranked like a mutha' and proceeded to up his climbing potential for many years after.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Oct 29, 2014 - 06:38pm PT
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Thanks for reminding us Warbler. A great shot and check out Yabo's glasses but maybe more important check out Richard's rack.
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Magic Ed
Trad climber
Nuevo Leon, Mexico
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Oct 29, 2014 - 09:36pm PT
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Talking about Richard's swamis, now's the time to tell you all a little known tale.
One afternoon Richard, Wendell and I set out to attempt the ffa of Iron Man. A bolt had been placed at the crux but no one had managed to climb past it.
We all know that Richard was the ultimate trad hardman but like the rest of us he did embrace sport climbing to a certain extent and picked up some bad habits--one of which would save his life that afternoon.
After Wendell and I had both failed Richard went up for a go and when he fell we heard a strange whipping/popping sound, followed by a meek "Lower me down, slowly!"
It seems that when he tied in, Richard missed his swami completely and was tied in only to his chalk bag belt which burst upon impact. When he fell he instinctively grabbed the rope and managed to hold on to the knot while Wendell lowered him.
I have a great slide somewhere of Richard standing on a ledge moments after this close call. The expression on his face is priceless.
Btw, this event occured at roughly the same time that Lynn Hill took her famous big fall after failing to complete her knot.
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msiddens
Trad climber
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Oct 29, 2014 - 10:44pm PT
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RIP to an early hero
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Bad Climber
climber
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Oct 30, 2014 - 06:29am PT
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I never met this rock hero, although that shot of him on the Cookie is one I spent a lot of time looking at. I never did get good enough to climb that route, although I did get up Wheat Thin a couple of times. He was at his greatest just as I was getting into the sport. I first climbed in the Valley as a teen punk in '77. I was always on the outside edges of the heroes wandering around at that time. I'd see Kauk and Bachar across the parking lot, so ripped and intimidating. My friends and I would go off to our own low-grade adventures, wondering what it would be like to climb like they did.
Keep the stories of the great Richard Harrison coming!
BAd
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Roots
Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
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Oct 30, 2014 - 08:02am PT
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Roots
Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
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Oct 30, 2014 - 08:04am PT
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Warbler - Richard told me that some of the smaller pitons I just posted a picture of were used on the 2nd ascent of the Mushroom.
Wonderful stories, please keep posting.
Thank you
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