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Brian
climber
California
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Jun 21, 2012 - 12:09pm PT
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I agree with many of the folks mentioned above, so I won't repeat them. However, here are two real contenders for inspiration:
(1) Craig Demartino. Listen to Episode 11 over at the Enormocast (http://enormocast.com/); and be ready for sweaty palms and teary eyes. Absolutely un-be-fecking-leivable.
(2) Supertopo's own, late Paul Humphries was pretty damn inspiring.
Not to derail the train from folks mentioned above like Rebuffat, Terray, Long, Muir, et al. However, sometimes the below the radar folks are the real inspiration.
Brian
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TwistedCrank
climber
Dingleberry Gulch, Ideeho
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Jun 21, 2012 - 12:20pm PT
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Climbers are more than the sum of their climbs and to be an inspirational climber is to be more that a just climber.
Doug Scott
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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Jun 21, 2012 - 12:26pm PT
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i'm sorry but edlinger pulling through at the world comp in snowbird where heroes had failed, that sent me into delirium extraordinaire. had there been a stadium handy i would have destroyed it gleefully, might have considered self- immolation. i don't know, most other feats i have handled with aplomb ... tip o' the hat to doug scott for the ogre crawl
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Gary
climber
"My god - it's full of stars!"
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Jun 21, 2012 - 12:28pm PT
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What k-man said.
Sometimes you only know a climber by the climbs they establish. I've walked away from many climbs inspired by the thought of what went into doing the first ascent of the climb. After leading a classic, whether it is a famous classic, or something out in the middle of nowhere that never gets climbed, it's great to feel that you're now some small part of that climb.
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Jun 21, 2012 - 12:41pm PT
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Of course, for me, it has always been John Gill,
and then a group of individuals roughly equal in stature,
Chuck Pratt, Tom Higgins, Royal Robbins, Layton Kor. Though
each of these inspired in such a different way.
In a more global sense, I would think of Walter Bonatti
and Buhl.
No one can have such a list of inspirations without including Bachar,
but there are those who are inspirations as people, regardless of
their climbing, such as Rich Goldstone and Jim Perrin....
How about a category for tenacity: Bob Kamps. How about photographer: Tom
Frost. How about boldness: Colorado's David Breashears was the best
free climber of his day in the mid-1970s (I met him in 1974, and
in 1975 he free soloed Perilous Journey, but not too much later he
injured his spine, cracked it, and took up mountaineering... then did
four ascents of Everest).
How about not only raw talent and ability but humility and purity of
spirit: Peter Croft, Alex Lowe, Rick Accomazzo... (I could make a
long list here...)
That this largely California forum always seems to want to leave me out
of these kinds of lists, well, I think some of us know that we
have inspired people through the years and, and we don't get
lifetime achievement awards or win the Best Spirit award at
Telluride, our books aren't sold out, we haven't participated
in rescues and saved lives..., etc., to no effect. Doug Robinson,
you know your writing has reached some hearts. I wish I could
measure what Master of Rock did for world climbing... Who knows?
Whatever we achieve I hope we will not be lost by virtue of
somewhat superficial forum opinion list. I think if we inspire
one person to do better, or we
enrich someone's life by some artistic thing we do, then
we are on the right road and are blessed, as we bless others.
There are countless, endless people who have touched
us in the more important, quiet ways. I just received
a few old classic photos of Tobin
Sorenson, and what a beautiful spirit that little guy was!!
He didn't have to be a grand and
great climber to touch us, though he was. A lot of strength
rolled up into that small, tight frame....
I think almost every individual, if we look deep enough, has
something important and/or beautiful to offer. And the contribution
of a less-known climber is, in my opinion, of no less
importance than the wild exploits of the master climber. Otherwise
the only people seen to be of value are the
super stars, and often it's the modest climbers who are every bit as
valuable spirits... and are not to be compared. This was
the tradition I grew up in. When I was a nobody,
a young aspiring, talentless kid, older wiser mentors took me under
their wing and made me feel important. That was the best place
in the world to be, with a few friends who cared. I was of
value to them. They paid attention and took care of me. They
guided me through experience, so that I might begin to develop
an artist's appreciation of it and become sensitive to it, even
though I had no way yet to conceive of any of that yet and
had no idea of my own value or importance.... I had that same
twinge of gratitude when Jim McCarthy announced at Jeff Lowe's
award ceremony that I was the poet laureate of American climbing.
I felt I was in the company of an individual who knew his way
around the world but cared more about others than himself,
something which might be a measure of its own, were there a way....
So for these various reasons I quite hate these comparative
lists, because the tendency is
to negate everyone else but those on the list. The true spirit
is be large enough to have an open heart to all, to embrace
the weak with the strong and the least with the greatest. I have
been powerfully inspired at times by some young lad or lass I have
taken climbing who has transcended his or her own fear and
limitations, who was filled with the supreme resplendence and
happiness of being in some supernally striking environement,
on some gorgeous climb, with a friend.... That's one of the
profound experiences of climbing, and relative to all levels of
ability, to learn and grow, to expand the mind and exercise
imagination....
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steele
Trad climber
CA
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Jun 21, 2012 - 01:24pm PT
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Meissner or Bonatti in worldwide sense. Robbins for pushing free standards, Bridwell for pushing aid limits, Beckey for 1st ascents, in America. Honnold for his free-solo exploits right now.
My personal favorites:
Peter Croft--Astroman, Rostrum, El Cap, Half Dome, Hulk--all in good style.
Lynn Hill--Nose free in a day!
EC Joe--2nd ascent of Voodoo Chil' @Needles with him, my first multi-pitch.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
merced, california
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Jun 21, 2012 - 02:01pm PT
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"It's more about how folks do what they do."
k-man nailed it.
The New York wunderkind, Ashima, has such FUN doing what she's doing.
That is inspiring.
It's about spirit.
Touche, k.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jun 21, 2012 - 02:15pm PT
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I can't answer that historically, so I'll answer it for me: Chuck Pratt. His climbs, and his manner of climbing made him the climber whose climbing I most wanted to emulate. Robbins may have been more influential to me, but Pratt, because he was closer to my height, and had a certain purity of climbing, inspired me more.
I have to add a few bouldering inspirational figures too, though: JoGill, Tom Higgins and Ben Borson. John Gill's article in Summit showed mw how far a skilled practitioner could advance, and it was also the first time I realized that bouldering was an activity unto itself, and Borson and Higgins were my local examples of how it was done well.
John
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OldEric
Trad climber
Westboro, MA
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Jun 21, 2012 - 03:53pm PT
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Since the question more or less asks for a subjective opinion there can be no wrong answer. Inspiration is in the eye of the beholder. Having said that I will add that - for me - an inspirational climber is one who has accomplished something besides just climbing - either a balanced life or greatness in some other field (preferably an intellectual one because - lets admit it - climbing isn't exactly intellectually challenging) as well as made his mark on climbing. That eliminates a lot of the names upstream. Also I want it to be an all rounder if possible - that eliminates more of the usual suspects. I'd respect, admire and be inspired by someone who has arranged his life to be able to support significant climbing time without basically being a bum and/or depending on handouts when things get rough - there go more luminaries.
So who does that leave us with? Fritz, Hans (not Hollywood), Yvon. Many more lesser well knows.
Here's a name that I'm sure no one else will come up with - Shockley. Climbed at a decent standard for the day. Won the freaking Nobel Prize for what is probably the greatest scientific break through of the 20th century (rivaled only by splitting the atom), alienated millions of people with his raciest attitudes... Maybe Lester Germer is a safer choice.
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Matt
Trad climber
it's all turtles, all the way dooowwwwwnn!!!!!
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Jun 21, 2012 - 06:04pm PT
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Bachar
Hill
Harding
Sharma
Honold
In that order
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slodog
Trad climber
ontario canada
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Jun 21, 2012 - 06:56pm PT
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Fred Becky-Peter Croft-Greg Child-Doug Scott-
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Jun 21, 2012 - 09:54pm PT
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I have admired many individuals who climbed at lower
grades but pushed themselves perhaps farther than those
who were at the top grades, individuals who had no
special gift but were driven by love and happiness and
made fine strides relative to their own beginnings and ability.
I should have listed my friend Barry Bates, when I refer
to those who were excellent climbers but especially fine individuals.
So much grace and composure....
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Jun 21, 2012 - 09:56pm PT
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Moses.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Jun 21, 2012 - 10:24pm PT
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Did anybody mention me yet?
BWA HA HA hahahaaaa!
Well, The Brave Little Toaster thinks I'm inspiring, so I'll take it.
I'm going with Joe Brown and Jello. Super bad in their day and technology, humble and down to Earth.
And then there's Guido, who inspires me on a whole completely different level
that has little to do with climbing.
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hoipolloi
climber
A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi
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Jun 21, 2012 - 10:31pm PT
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Randy Leavitt - is one guy who has done it all. From hard sport climbing, to hard walls in the biggest mountains in the world. 5.14 + A5
Warren Hollenger + Grant Gardner - those guys put up routes on the Captain that have turned everyone else away. (Warren has also been around the world, putting up wild shit)
Mark Synnott - he has been to every destination I dream of going to...
Alex Honnold - yeah, so he is in the 'now,' but that guy seems to be able to climb anything, and make it look so incredibly easy.
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Dave Davis
Social climber
Seattle, WA
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Jun 22, 2012 - 12:21am PT
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Cassin
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ron ray
climber
seattle
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Jun 22, 2012 - 12:40am PT
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Has anyone mentioned Fred Beckey?
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Ol' Skool
Trad climber
Oakhurst, CA
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Jun 22, 2012 - 01:05am PT
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Second the motion for Hugh Herr- for getting off the mat and returning to climbing long before there was a culture which encouraged such things from people in his situation.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
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Jun 22, 2012 - 01:25am PT
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There are arrowheads on top of these 800 foot Towers in Africa. Thousands(!?) of years old. T'was on the Tube. Easiest way up was modern 5.9
History has been going on for a while....
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Jun 22, 2012 - 05:03am PT
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Obviously they shot a rope over the top.
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