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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 20, 2011 - 03:09am PT
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The next person who orders will get not only the
DVD of "The Disciples of Gill" but my new CD of
original songs.
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 20, 2011 - 02:22pm PT
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As younger climbers we often try to make comparisons
between the good climbers, and finally we realize
such comparisons aren't very wise or insightful. It's
better to view people as individuals, to see their gift
to us almost the way we view artists of the Renaissance.
They come from different times, different eras, different
backgrounds and circumstances, and different desires
and styles. They set before themselves different goals.
Time passes, and one really can only be judged by their
own period in history. Who is to say, for example,
that if the best climbers of the fifties were born today
they would not step right into the present consciousness
and be equally outstanding? With so many rock gyms and
so much competition, and the way climbers today virtually
inherit the knowledge and consciousness of present advances,
people now become very strong very fast. No one today, though,
is as far ahead of his (or her) time as was John Gill.
Strangely calm and masterful, Gill went about his training
and his climbs. He could do a one-finger (one-arm) front
lever. He could climb a rope to the top of a tall gym in
3.8 seconds. If you want to compare yourself to him, try
those things alone. Not to mention his one-finger pull-up
on either of the first two fingers of either hand.
He was a self-taught gymnast, a significant fact itself, and, as I
understand, could do a slow butterfly mount on the rings
(where you start in a hang and slowly pull yourself up into
an iron cross...). John never did push as hard as climbers
do today. He would find something that intrigued him and
perhaps work at it for a few hours or a couple of days at
most. I can't even imagine what he would have done had he
wanted to push his abilities. Climbers go about visiting
his boulder routes and repeating them, in some cases so as
to feel they are in a league with Gill, yet some fail to realize
how easily he put up most of these. They were fairly relaxed
little achievements, just right for his sort of play and
meditation. Many of his later routes were done after he had
injured his elbows and then later detached his bicep. So he
was climbing at a considerably lower level from about 1975
on. Even then, the best climbers are humbled to sense his
abilities in these routes that were fundamentally moderate
for him. But Gill's gifts went far beyond
strength. His balance and footwork were genius, and his no-hands
routes were a challenge to repeat using feet and hands. Royal
said it well in Reardon's film about Bachar, speaking of Gill,
"We were playing at bouldering in California, but here was
the real thing." Gill could have been some
kind of ego freak, you know, a snob, self-centered, and
instead was and remains one of the most gracious and humble
climbers on the planet. To have all those attributes, ability,
technique, strength, humility, and character, all those together,
and to be the intelligent spirit he is,
truly make John one of a kind.
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jstan
climber
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Apr 20, 2011 - 02:53pm PT
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Thank you, Pat.
I don't need to add this caution directed at the young ones, but I will.
You can tear your hand apart with those one finger moves.
It will probably not fully recover,
ever.
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 20, 2011 - 04:00pm PT
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Sherman's dad is named Gill?
Thanks, John. Yes I see a lot of this one-finger
in the hole pulling on sport climbs, and I too
can attest to the need for care. I tore the big
tendon on my left middle finger and never could
climb as well again, or rather never could use that
finger very well. My right side of the Red Wall,
for example, became about three grades harder...
just that "little" difference proved not so little.
Tendons in fingers just don't heal very well...
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 20, 2011 - 05:01pm PT
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When I was young I felt invincible. How very
wrong that proved to be...!
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2011 - 12:57am PT
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Watched some old footage this evening of Kamps
and Gill playing volleyball in the Black Hills.
How fast these sacred days fly away, on wings
of time.
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2011 - 06:20pm PT
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First to order after this reply
gets a free copy sent to the address
they stipulate, for a friend...
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Apr 21, 2011 - 08:22pm PT
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i actually like the shorter lines.
jstan was
the first one i saw
doing it on the st.
it makes bigger blocks of prose much more readable.
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jstan
climber
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Apr 22, 2011 - 01:15pm PT
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Text and speech both depend upon
timing.
"We were playing at bouldering in California, but here was
the real thing."
The last three words from Royal's comment completely sums up John Gill. A pause allows our minds to rest at the point of impact.
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 22, 2011 - 03:03pm PT
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Yes I get to typing and forget what I'm doing.
Sorry for the lack of spacial paragraph breaks.
I'll try to do better. Sometimes I simply start
typing, and the last thing on my mind is
the appearance, when I'm thinking about whether
or not I am being coherent.
I too don't like big blocks of type, but usually
when I start to read I can tell whether or not
it will be a block worthwhile or not... and then
if it is
I don't mind the format...
We had an immediate winner on the last invitation, so I'll put it
up again. The next person to order "The Disciples
of Gill" dvd will get a second copy free for a friend
(presumably)...
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adikted
Trad climber
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Apr 22, 2011 - 09:38pm PT
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Pat...I have watched the Film repeatedly and love it everytime...I love the bouldering scene at the end...your HARDCORE for sure....keep up the good energy....Inspiring...
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 23, 2011 - 01:01am PT
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Thanks so much. I have been surprised at how well
people like that last section... it simply worked
out...
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 23, 2011 - 08:53pm PT
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I am hoping to finish the second film about Gill today,
if all goes well.... It feels as though this one is
kind of like my rite of spring or something -- very
techical and much more difficult to put together than
the first one...
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 24, 2011 - 12:51am PT
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Getting close... Had to crash and burn a bit...
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 25, 2011 - 12:07am PT
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Had dinner today with Nate McKnight, who
used to climb. He could do one-arm pull-ups,
but he is a big guy and says his finges were
so weak the one-arms didn't help!
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 25, 2011 - 07:44pm PT
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Upward and onward...
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 26, 2011 - 01:21pm PT
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Today, today, if all goes well, I will
finish my second Gill film. Cross your
fingers, those who care.
Today I heard from a great old friend,
Gordy Ryan... who has been a drummer
for some major bands, toured with
the Dead and others... a rich
involvement with music... he and I
climbed quite a bit in the '60s.
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Apr 26, 2011 - 01:33pm PT
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good news, hope it goes well to the finish.
the very end is always such a grind-- all these last, little niggling things you hoped would take only a few moments that end up dragging out and then multiplying.
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The Lisa
Trad climber
Da Bronx, NY
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Apr 26, 2011 - 04:59pm PT
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Glad to hear the film is receiving its finishing touches, Pat. Looking forward to seeing this one!
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 27, 2011 - 01:50am PT
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Thank you my friends, Kerwin and Lisa and
all. I crashed and burned today, so I
didn't finish, yet I made some good progress
here and here. The last scene, what I call
a scene, has about 400 clips in it... or
such, quite a little monster... just to
make something that will look simple... when
it's done...
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