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fareastclimber
climber
Hong Kong & Wales
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R.I.P. I am shocked and surprised.
Long live.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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John Bachar was as Todd Gordon put it on the phone tonight to me...."the best climber in the world for ten years."
Dan and I watched jb climb back in the day, talked with him and had fun with him .... he was like the Roger Federer of tennis today. John was awe inspiring and had an amazing impact on his sport. Yet as good as he was he was nice to our family and most he met. Attitude with real genuineness.
But if awesome climbing were John's only gig on this planet it would not have been enough for him. Read his posts. They contain so much more than fantastic climbing by a God gifted athlete that took these gifts to the max.
He deeply cared about the ethics of his sport. At the time of his death John was working on pulling important truths from these ethics and incorporating them into seminars that could be taken to the corporate world teaching them to work on the ethics of integrity and hard work coupled with vision.
Obviously John, like all of us, was not a saint. We all have faults. But the Dude was stellar. He cared....for People, the purity of the rock and his Tyrus. Peace forever John. Know our life paths crossed for a reason ....see ya in the heavenlies. lynne
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divad
Trad climber
wmass
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For all of you who knew John, I am deeply sorry.
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tarek
climber
berkeley
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came in late and am stunned for what this means for and about climbing. To me-when I started climbing in 1985-Bachar more than any other climber represented the inherent power of climbing in all readings of the word, from his training to his ability to paint himself on a landscape where no human seemed to belong untethered.
Condolences to his family and to his ropemates and fellow travelers.
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jsavage
climber
Bishop, CA
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Oh man. The inpsiration he gave me will never die. Thank for that John, you are a gift.
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Prod
Trad climber
A place w/o Avitars apparently
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Just got to my office to find this! What a sad thing to read. My thoughts will be with his family and friends today.
Prod.
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Craig Smith
climber
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Very sad. There is no doubt in my mind he had a major effect on UK climbing. A truly inspirational climber and an ikon.
RIP
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
way, WAY out there....(OMG)
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Wow. I've been trying to process this, but it ain't workin'.
I didn't know John for as long as a lot of folks, but I counted him among my friends. Now my heart aches, for him, for ya'll, & for me, too. I've got no words.
Kirk Bland
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IanA
climber
Durango, CO
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My stomach sank the second I hear the news. I just climbed with John on the 27th a true inspiration to all! I will always remember the great effect you have had on my life. You will be missed! Condolences to family and everyone he touched with his life.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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F!*k.
This is awful. I only knew John a little, but he was a great guy to hang out with. He will be sorely missed by his friends and family and the have my greatest condolences.
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Dropline
Mountain climber
Somewhere Up There
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We'll be honoring John's life here today by throwing a thoughtfully chosen stone far out into the surf.
Long live the spirit of John Bachar.
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Delhi Dog
Trad climber
Good Question...
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Ah shit!
RIP John.
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Gunkie
climber
East Coast US
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F'n sh1t, I cannot believe this.
I met JB in the Gunks around 1987. He was soloing Never Never Land [I mean, just playing on that thing] while one of his friends was trying to lead it. He would down solo to point out the huge 5.10 buckets, then climb up, over and back up.
I was leading a 5.8 to the right and playing that I was really desparate and trying to clip this sh1tty 1/4" bolt [Wonderland]. He saw this and started laughing a lot. I thought, "oh sh1t, did my stupid antics cause Bachar to fall??!!" Never in a million years.
And we talked to him afterwards. Remember, this was juat around the time where he was still blowing minds with his solos and pretty much world famous. And he was an unbelievably nice, approachable guy.
He was a hero.
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Mazzystr
Gym climber
Homeless...
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This is awful news. I hardly know what to say.
I have been in awe my whole climbing career, my whole 6yrs. The story of Rap Music, the Bachar-Yerian, the Half Dome day of free soloing in J-Tree, and on and on, story after story.
I am amazed by John's life story. I wished to be like that and not a boring mid-western kid of the auto industry. His life story reads like a massive tome, family, friends, accomplishments. He lived life to the fullest and was an inspiration to me to do better.
My sincerest condolences
/Chris C
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Nick
climber
portland, Oregon
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John was the most graceful focused climber I have ever scene.
The climbing world has lost a great mentor.
Rest in Peace.
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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Just heard the news...
I"m totally shocked, speechless, and very sad. John was more than an inspiration to us he was the guiding light. Now what?
Deepest sympathy and condolences to family and friends....
This totally sucks.
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BillO
Boulder climber
Whittier, CA
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Although I can't claim John as a friend, he was and always will be a legendary and inspirational climber.
My condolences to all his Family and Friends.
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Dell
Trad climber
New Paltz, NY
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Oftentimes luminaries have no idea of the impact they have on those with whom they come in contact, however brief. Such was the case with John.
I vividly recall struggling with one of the Water Cracks on Lembert in the early 1980s when John happened by. He stuck around and called up words of encouragement--not beta, that wouldn't have been his m.o.--and I finally pushed through whatever issue I was having.
After my partner and I got back down the three of us talked a while, just chatting among the pines and the granite. Despite being only seven years older than I, John had this centered quality that was almost otherworldly, and yet he was so down to earth! That he would even spend part of a sunny afternoon with a couple of random teenagers...I was in high school and yet I felt like I was in heaven.
John, thank you for helping me become a rock climber.
cheers
Dell
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