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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Jul 24, 2011 - 07:50pm PT
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Da_Dweeb
climber
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Jul 24, 2011 - 09:50pm PT
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Matt
Trad climber
primordial soup
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Jul 24, 2011 - 11:35pm PT
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not sure i get the dog reference(?) as i have had them all around me since i was 1 yr old and have 2 great ones right now..., but hey man, whatever makes it easy for you to get by is fine with me, glad to help!
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Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
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Jul 24, 2011 - 11:57pm PT
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Matt, I don't get the context, but The Family Dog produced awesome psychedelic posters in the sixties in San Francisco, utter classics of the genre.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
or some such
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Jul 25, 2011 - 12:07am PT
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We dig the Dawg. Oh, yes. Doubly so. ;-)
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wildone
climber
Troy, MT
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Jul 25, 2011 - 02:50pm PT
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Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus! I love it!
He's the man!
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sac
Trad climber
Sun Coast B.C.
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Jul 25, 2011 - 03:00pm PT
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hmmmmmmmm....
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Prod
Trad climber
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Jul 25, 2011 - 03:19pm PT
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Looks like this thread is tapering off....
I am looking forward to hearing the stories of the SA as well as the history behing the root. Could be cool as a colabortive project, but if that does not work out then I'll read both.
Prod.
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Jul 25, 2011 - 03:25pm PT
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YAWN
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FreeClimberDude
Trad climber
CA
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Jul 25, 2011 - 05:01pm PT
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So what happened up there?!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jul 25, 2011 - 06:24pm PT
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Getting sleepy Philo?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jul 25, 2011 - 06:55pm PT
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Come on on stinkeye be fair, apples vs. apples. Were not talking about Colorado or Cali climbing, we're talking about a single climb, and an aid climb at that.
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Human Pack Mule
Big Wall climber
Southern California
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Jul 25, 2011 - 07:39pm PT
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Jensen and Smith?
What else HAVE they been up in the last quarter century?
Maybe the real story is how the most effective way to deal with persecution is to move on, prove by example that you are greater than the petty accusations.
I find myself in a relatively unique position. Allow me to explain...
I am unable to give an exhaustive account of Smith and Jensen's lives since they finished Wings of Steel, but what I can tell you is that they have each made a very positive impact on my life. My account may shed some light on why they may not have been as prolific and some people would want them to be, or expect them to be, but I have no illusions about changing people's minds about anything.
My name is Adam, and I've known Mr. Smith since 1992 or so. He taught high school Algebra to me, along with Physics (and lab), a couple of computer courses, was my high school class faculty sponsor for two years, and I climbed with him while he sponsored the school's Rock Climbing club (which he helped start).
He didn't really talk about Wings of Steel much, other than to say that he had done the climb, with whom, when it had happened, and that there was a book about it (which I first read in 1997 or 1998, I think).
It wasn't until the summer of 1995, I think it was, that I really heard the Wings of Steel story.
If I recall correctly, Mr. Smith and Mr. Jensen had been wanting to do another climb of El Cap for quite awhile, but their schedules being what they were, hadn't had an opportunity to do so. They were finally able to schedule a trip to YV that summer to scope out El Cap and see if there was a route there (they had a generally specific area they were interested in).
I volunteered to go along and Pack Mule for them. I had never been to Yosemite, much less The Valley, and wanted an opportunity to see it! This was not without complication, however, because the plan at that time was for Mr. Smith to drive up to Santa Barbara to Mr. Jensen's place, and then drive up to Yosemite from there, with a week's supplies, with potential for buying more supplies in the area. The complication centered around Mr. Jensen's car -- a 1988 Nissan 300ZX. Anyone familiar with those cars knows that they don't have a back seat, they have a back "ledge".
This did not deter me, and I convinced them that I would be willing to contort my (then, I'm about 5" taller now) 6'2" self in whatever pretzel-like shape I had to in order to accompany them.
This was the first time that I met Mr. Jensen. It was during that 7 hour car drive and subsequent days that I first heard about the Wings of Steel story in all of its Wings of Steely-ness (I also got to listen in on their discussion about Mr. Jensen's thesis, which he was in the latter stages of completing, if I remember correctly) along with some rather interesting mix tapes.
Given everything that I have read and heard about this since, they gave a very accurate and truthful accounting of what went on. If I had to estimate, I've read 99% of the posts on SuperTopo about Wings of Steel (including every post in this thread), and I haven't read or seen anything that was inconsistent with what they told me and showed me first-hand.
Through it all, I got the sense that they were more disappointed with YoSAR and some of the other locals than anything else. Disappointed that people would choose to treat them (complete strangers) that way. The pretentiousness of the locals, the condescending attitudes, the sense of entitlement. The obvious and laughable double standards.
Am I biased? You bet I am. Not as a climber though, but as a friend and human being. I was shocked and disgusted that people could act like that in a supposedly civilized and organized "sport", much less in a national park. And you can make any excuse you want to, but in the end it's still just an excuse.
An excuse to be rude to another human being. An excuse to be mean. An excuse to be disrespectful. An excuse to be evil.
The irony of these small-minded bigots claiming to hold themselves to such "high" ethical standards [for climbing of all things], and then turning around and crapping on human dignity is both sad and pathetic. There are no ethics there, only selfish convenience for what suites them and their need(s) to sate their egos.
To me, that's what it all boils down to. People who have proven themselves to be of such obviously low character and personal standards that are intimidated and upset by a couple of people who, in my opinion, have high character and standards and have proven so over and over again.
Anyway, the next summer, I went back to Yosemite with them. They put up another route, though I would imagine the details of it are far less exciting than Wings of Steel. And I am not going to give the name of the route, because I have no idea whether or not someone will see they put it up and go out and try to destroy it for no other reason than they put it up. I hope you all re-read that last sentence and think about how utterly sad it is that I have to think about that kind of thing.
Another student of Mr. Smith's was set to on the climb with them, but decided not to go a couple of days before they were to start. If I knew why, or had thoughts about why he chose not to go, I don't remember.
I helped to hike all of the stuff up to the base of that climb (thus my username), and while they asked if I wanted to go on the climb with them, I decided not to because I felt I wasn't experienced enough. Over the years I've wrestled with that decision, and while I wish I had gone even now, I believe I made the right choice, funny as that may sound.
Anyway, I met them at the summit a few weeks later and helped haul stuff back down, along with several other former students of Mr. Smith's (they had graduated a couple of years prior to the climb, but kept in touch and showed up to help). A day or so later, Mr. Jensen got married (I got to go, yay).
So to answer the question, what have they done? They grew up (matured), got married, had kids, made friends, continued to climb (put up a new route on El Cap in 1996), inspired, guided and taught kids, and they live life the best they can.
They climbed other routes on El Cap after WoS to, I think, to try and show that they were skilled climbers and could do anything that anyone else could, but ultimately it didn't make any sort of a difference. So they decided to climb and live for themselves again instead of trying to appease some nebulous ethical standard that they would never be able to reach because of the prejudices that existed (and still exist).
Smith and Jensen are very busy people. They have to schedule things months in advance, sometimes years. They don't have time for regional slide show tours, national book signing events, or whatever else you expect of them.
The Internet has allowed them to reach a great many people with an economy of time and money. That's good, because their side needed to be heard.
There are plans for a climb next summer (which I hope to be a part of in one form or another).
In the end, I feel I am a better person for having Mr. Smith and Mr. Jensen in my life. They are my friends and they have taught me a lot -- everything I know about climbing, and about being a better person; holding themselves to the high standards that they held (and hold) for me as I was growing up.
You'll note that I refer to them both still with the prefix of "Mr." throughout most of this post. My parents taught me it was a show of respect to address someone with "Mr", "Mrs", or "Ms", and while I've been told that I may address them by their first names, I choose to show them respect in this way. I suppose my parents were old fashioned that way, but I dig it.
A & K: Congratulations on completing Wings of Steel. I am relieved that someone finally repeated it. When I talked to Mr. Smith after reading the press thing by Pete, he seemed relieved as well. Finally. Finally. After all of these years. I have been wanting someone to repeat it for years, and I think it's safe to say that Mr. Smith and Mr. Jensen have been doing the same, but for far longer.
Pete: Thanks for having an open mind about all of this, and for sticking up for my friends when I wasn't able to do so, and in some ways, better than I could have.
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Hawkeye
climber
State of Mine
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Jul 25, 2011 - 08:21pm PT
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a most excellent post packhorse...
The irony of these small-minded bigots claiming to hold themselves to such "high" ethical standards [for climbing of all things], and then turning around and crapping on human dignity is both sad and pathetic. There are no ethics there, only selfish convenience for what suites them and their need(s) to sate their egos.
bravo, you are correct. and this is precisely why the story does need to be told and it was exacerbated by the Big Wall Book referenced earlier.
In the end, I feel I am a better person for having Mr. Smith and Mr. Jensen in my life. They are my friends and they have taught me a lot -- everything I know about climbing, and about being a better person; holding themselves to the high standards that they held (and hold) for me as I was growing up.
i wonder if anyone has ever wrote this about the shitters?
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jul 25, 2011 - 08:59pm PT
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"If I had to estimate, I've read 99% of the posts on SuperTopo about Wings of Steel (including every post in this thread), and I haven't read or seen anything that was inconsistent with what they told me and showed me first-hand."
Concur. I hear this again and again from a variety of sources. Great post, thank you.
You remind me of my friend Steve DeMaio, who put up a bunch of hard routes in Ontario and out in western Canada. He used to climb with his high school teacher, Jim Fothergill. Even years after high school, I would hear Steve's cheerful voice echoing off Mt. Nemo:
"On belay, sir!"
And his partner would say, "It's OK, Steve - we're not in school any more. You can call me 'Jim'."
Say there Human Pack Mule, you, um, wouldn't happen to be around Yosemite this fall....? (HINT)
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ZachW
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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Jul 25, 2011 - 10:12pm PT
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So uhhhhh, how was the climb?
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Da_Dweeb
climber
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Jul 25, 2011 - 11:44pm PT
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In the end, I feel I am a better person for having Mr. Smith and Mr. Jensen in my life. They are my friends and they have taught me a lot -- everything I know about climbing, and about being a better person; holding themselves to the high standards that they held (and hold) for me as I was growing up.
Adam, I've said it before, I will say it again. I deeply admire your writing skill. It's a privilege to read this, as this is also the first time I've heard your thoughts on the climb, and your own experience. Thanks for sharing, my friend. <3
Outside in the cold distance,
a wild cat did growl.
Two Riders were approaching.
The wind began to HOWL.
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Jul 25, 2011 - 11:50pm PT
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yea, did we ever hear anything from Ammon about the route?
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Da_Dweeb
climber
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Jul 25, 2011 - 11:54pm PT
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Lambone, he's working on it. My understanding based on previous posts is that an article is in the works, likely to hit a major publication at some point in the hopefully not too distant future.
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