Layton Kor, the King has died

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o-man

Social climber

Paia,Maui,HI

Apr 23, 2013 - 12:28am PT

Layton, we first crossed paths on a construction site in Littleton, Colorado in December of 1978 where you were working as a brick mason.
I worked for the contractor and was delivering materials.
I overheard the guys on your crew call you by your first name and I started putting a few things together like: Layton/brick mason/tall/age?
I was very shy but I told myself” If you don’t ask him, you will forever wonder.”
So I walked over to where you were working and said,” Would your last name be Kor?”
You turned and said” Yes, Do I know you?”
I responded with,” No Sir, but I have done many of your routes in Eldorado, the desert, and Yosemite and I would just like to shake your hand.”
Then you responded” So you’re a climber, huh?”
You put your trowel in the wet mud on your palette and extended your hand. You gave me one firm shake and then picked up your tool and went back to your work.
It was one of those warm sunny winter days in December and it was about noon and I had my lunch box so I joined you and the crew for lunch on at the job site.
When I returned to my regular project my friend and fellow climber Deke Cook was there and I said to him, “I just shook Layton Kor’s hand!”

Years later I met you again at the International Alpine Schools climbing shop when it was right by the pool in Eldorado. Paul Sibley was running the show at that time. Any way you were in the shop and your book was on the shelf. I still to this day regret not picking up that book and asking you to sign it on the spot.
Sorry about this running on Layton but it’s been fun to relive that day when I met a real hero of mine.

Olaf -----you remember the past much better than I do----I did a lot of traveling in those days---the philippines.guam,Hawaii---wish I could do
it all over again.best Layton

sunnyside

Big Wall climber

earth

Apr 23, 2013 - 12:29am PT

Magnificence

sunnyside

Big Wall climber

earth

Apr 23, 2013 - 12:33am PT

Mountain's Majesty

sunnyside

Big Wall climber

earth

Apr 23, 2013 - 12:35am PT

Desert Solitaire

Curt

climber

Gold Canyon, AZ

Apr 23, 2013 - 12:36am PT

Agreed. Well said, Rich.

Curt

sunnyside

Big Wall climber

earth

Apr 23, 2013 - 12:37am PT

Gloria

krahmes

Social climber

Stumptown

Apr 23, 2013 - 12:46am PT

If the testament to a man is his deeds and his friends; this thread proves Layton Kor lived a great life. RIP. Condolences to his family.

sunnyside

Big Wall climber

earth

Apr 23, 2013 - 12:48am PT

Layton's Foot Steps

TomCochrane

Trad climber

Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay

Apr 23, 2013 - 01:01am PT

MisterE

Social climber

Apr 23, 2013 - 01:05am PT

Feel lucky to have met The Man a couple of years ago at Korfest.

RIP, and kudos to Ron O. for really stepping up to help a legend in his later years.

jabbas

Trad climber

New River, AZ

Apr 23, 2013 - 01:06am PT

My first issue of Climbing that I have is the August '83 issue of Layton leading on the Salathe wall in 1967. It is a superb image of his intensity.His spirit and energy are likely not to be witnessed again. He was everywhere on the rock and his routes are his karma. Peace be with you Layton Kor and your family and friends.

Jan

Mountain climber

Okinawa, Japan

Apr 23, 2013 - 01:40am PT

I would like to mention that Julia very generously volunteered to donate a kidney to Layton.
It didn't happen for various medical reasons, but she definitely inherited her father's generous spirit.

Camster (Rhymes with Hamster)

Social climber

Apr 23, 2013 - 01:40am PT

Thank you, Jim Brennan, for actually asking the right question here:

"Julia,
How exactly could one contribute ? Is there an address or bank that will take memorial donations, etc ? Your father's book is one of the most read on my bookshelf, truly a great source of spirit and imagination."

There are a few folks currently working on a donation site. Hopefully, I'll have an update tomorrow.

P.S. I've sold a few pics and am waiting on Arlan/Karen to okay a story to be sold. They will get all the cash from those, despite what a few crazies have emailed me.

Camster (Rhymes with Hamster)

Social climber

Apr 23, 2013 - 01:41am PT

Yeah, Jan, Julie is a wonderful lady. Just spent an hour on the phone with her. She's more upset than anyone. You are right. Her dad was HUGE in her life. And she's very, very sad.

Jan

Mountain climber

Okinawa, Japan

Apr 23, 2013 - 01:42am PT

Thanks Cam for organizing a fund site!

There are stories I would like to mention here and on other threads, but hesitate since I submitted them for your book which is now more important than ever.

Camster (Rhymes with Hamster)

Social climber

Apr 23, 2013 - 01:48am PT

Ha, no worries, Jan.

I'm not organizing the fund site per se. Just been talking to my friend Chris Archer about it and apparently he's working on it with some others. Hopefully we can all publicize it.

I just told Julie that besides a couple of really amazing interviews with a couple of guys that don't rank in the Boulder climbing world very much (notably Jack Turner the other day----man, amazing interview) Julie's interview was one of the best/most interesting I'd done. Passionate, concerned, connected. This is a woman that should've had more dad time than any girl I've ever met. And I have 2 daughters. Sorry, Layton, if I need to spend time with them, you're second fiddle, mate.

Jan, let's take this offline. Supertopo is notoriously ugly with people either dominating and pissing on a leg or being pissed upon. You've got my contact info. Best, Cam

crunch

Social climber

Apr 23, 2013 - 01:53am PT

RIP Layton.

The last few years had been a struggle, with all the health issues, and his horizons slowly drawing in. For a person with so much drive and enthusiasm, that was hard for him to take, for others to see.

He climbed and climbed until he was so adept, so skilled that he was admired. He liked to be as good as the best but did not like to be looked on a hero, so he quietly retired from mainstream climbing. It says something that when his health began to decline, forty years later, he reached out to the the climbing community for support. It says much about the climbing community that we welcomed him back, no questions asked, helped as best we could.

Big thanks to Stewart Green and Ron Olevsky for all they've done. Also Chris Archer, who has really stepped up in the last year or so to help.

My last conversation with Layton was two or three weeks ago. I caught him on a good day and he was really upbeat and optimistic, talking about visiting Boulder, seeing old friends. A nice note to part on. A shock that things went downhill so fast from there.