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oldguy
climber
Bronx, NY
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This thread seems to be getting some recent traffic, so I'll add a few tidbits. I posted earlier about RR's I-12 & I-13 climbs. Remember, that was still in the days of klettershue.
And thinking about Indian Rock, I once did a fun no-hands traverse on the little boulder to the left of the stairs behind the water fountain. The traverse starts pretty far left and goes right. The hard part is getting your foot on a hold you can't see because your head is plastered to the rock, and then you have to balance over onto it. If you can manage all that it is then a walk off. Royal and I used to work on it, and I'm not sure he ever made it.
One more little piece of news. I have finished and published my book, Going Up. Pat Oliver (Ament) wondered at one point if I was going for perfection. He should know that perfection is the enemy of the good. The book's good, could be better given another ten years to work on it. Anyway, for now it is only available through my website: joefitschen.com. I would appreciate it if all of you would spread the word. Better yet, buy the book and read it.
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Ahh, this is great news. I will be one of the first takers, and
yes one can overwork things in a quest for perfection. Many of my
books and articles are loaded with places and passages
I look at now, with so much more experience, and realize I
could have greatly improved. But sometimes one has simply to
let go. Some of my writings were like journal writing, full of
rough stuff and imperfections, but there is a value to such stuff,
perhaps especially when it has a kind of spontaneity. Sometimes
that good, relaxed feel can be killed by too much work....
I know Joe's book, at its "roughest" will be art of the truest sort
and will be the perspective of one who truly was there.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Randy Hamm introduced me to the place. He liked it there as well.
I remember Randy! I remember you, Mouse, in the Valley, but I wasn't aware you played at The Rock as well. We must have crossed paths there too, I guess, sometime during my four years (fall of 1969 - June of 1973) at Berkeley.
John
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Apr 29, 2013 - 01:16pm PT
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Here is a rare image. Just got it from my sister. I am completing I-12 unroped. Only a couple people ever unroped the climb. You end up forty feet off the deck. It was about 1971.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Apr 29, 2013 - 09:42pm PT
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Yeah there is a critical side cling you step over left to reach. You are working above the void while traversing from the notch. The hold is a hidden slot around a bulging rib; you feel it flex, yes, as you cram your tips in it. Long ago it was larger and broke off somewhat. That was before my time namely before 1963. Once you access the side cling, you pull into a kind of two-move lieback on it to gain sloped handholds. You are overhung a bunch when you do this and feet are slopers too. A suddenly exposed mind rattler this route, good to have at a practice rock. Exit is also slopers and not very positive either. There is some real risk and the fall is not acceptable.
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Apr 29, 2013 - 09:47pm PT
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great shot peter.
several years ago, i headed off to do that and didn't. i'd want to tr (and prolly clean it) first.
prolly deathzone. at least w/o pads. or worse.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 29, 2013 - 11:13pm PT
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Beautiful photo Peter! Did your sister take it? That's right around when we were climbing most together, but I don't know that I remember that day. Your hair length looks about right and even stikes chords of recognition of blasts from the past, but I think I would have guessed 1970.
Dar
ps in edit: I can't tell if you're wearing modified EBs or ???.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Apr 30, 2013 - 12:10am PT
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Darwin, I am wearing really new PA's there. Not a great choice for a slopey friction-foothold type of route.
This photo was taken by Jim Crooks. You remember him of course. Older guy in his late sixties, close friend of Bruce Cook.
It turns out he even knew my uncle up in Seattle long time back. Jack Stangle (Stangl) the painter/artist/papermaker. Jim was a wonderful presence at Indian Rock, as we have all said in past threads. He was a retired advertising exec from Seattle, married to Afton Crooks who was Exec. Assist. to the Chancellor and a friend of my mother's. Jim had been climbing for decades by this point. I think it started in the Northwest.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 30, 2013 - 01:21am PT
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I've been meaning to repost these from another thread where I didn't upload or link them correctly: http://www.bigstupid.org/Valley_IndianRock_70/
I've selected out the Indian Rock ones. All these are circa 69-71.
There was a period '68-'70ish that Luke Freeman, Matt Pollock and I went up there almost daily after high school. We/I heard the Robbins falling off of I-12 story, but I can't remember if it was from Vandiver, or before. Justice Drake, maybe?
Peter and Galen
This is just around the corner from I-12. Although it's not the highball that's I-12, I remember thinking about how I would want to bounce if I came off. That's me. Luke took the photo and Peter cleaned it up a bit.
Peter Amy Steve and ??
Amy Mike and ??
Ben Borson, Lynea(???) and ??? (edited)
Ben Borson on Water Course. I sure wouldn't mind hearing from him again if any of you are in touch. (edited)
This is from the Valley, but I just can't bear not to post it. Luke Freeman
Then back to the topic of the thread. One of my dearest friends to this day came off higher on Water Course wrong back in 69 or 70 and broke her back and ankle (being cold sober). She quit climbing after that, but went on to do awesome very remote river trips in Alaska not to mention a slew of travel adventures including climbing Mt Elgon in Kenya.
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Apr 30, 2013 - 02:23am PT
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And thinking about Indian Rock, I once did a fun no-hands traverse on the little boulder to the left of the stairs behind the water fountain. The traverse starts pretty far left and goes right. The hard part is getting your foot on a hold you can't see because your head is plastered to the rock, and then you have to balance over onto it. If you can manage all that it is then a walk off. Royal and I used to work on it, and I'm not sure he ever made it.
i loved that little no-hands traverse and had it pretty well wired...i tried it more recently with Tom Higgins and couldn't touch it...
bitd i heard that Royal had soloed I-12 and so played around myself, but was never willing to go for it
but did do the one to the left
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Apr 30, 2013 - 02:32am PT
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Darwin and Peter,
Thanks for posting those pictures. They bring back my happiest memories of Berkeley.
Ben Borson was the first person I met at Indian Rock when I was a freshman at Cal in 1969. He gave me a private tour and dazzled me with his ability. It's been over 40 years since I've seen him. Another denizen of that time that I haven't seen or heard from in many decades is Eddie Litton. Anyone know what happened to him?
John
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FredC
Boulder climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Apr 30, 2013 - 10:33am PT
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Wow Peter, to folks who h, ave climbed that route that photo makes you want to chalk up! You look really relaxed right there. I 12 has gotten very lichen-covered over the years since then. I have toproped it in the last 10 years for sure. I never really considered doing it unroped.
Ben Borson started coming around again some years ago. I believe he had been working at UCSF in molecular biology and he went back to get a law degree. Nice combination. He was much heavier than when he was active in the early 70s but he could still do his little left hand undercling route on watercourse. Scott Frye dubbed that climb the "Borson Boulder Bonus" problem.
I was thinking about Ed Litton just yesterday because I was riding my bike. I got a really cool Pogliaghi in the early 80s from a guy at Velo Sport and Ed painted it for me. He was a bike builder for a while around then.
One guy from those days has surfaced lately, do you guys remember Charlie Loo? He was really skinny with big hair and he shook while doing really hard routes on watercourse. He climbs in the Berkeley climbing gym sometimes. He is now Charles because he is 43 years older now. He is climbing well in the gym.
In the past year my junior high school photo identification surfaced after many years and I am about 80% sure that young kid behind Peter and Galen looking intently at their arms is me at age 15-16.
Fred
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 30, 2013 - 11:18am PT
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Fred,
That would be awesome if it's you in the Peter/Galen photo. I just searched around for Ed Litton online and found he has a bike shop in Richmond, LITTON CYCLES. It's his voice on the answering machine.
I'll correct my spelling of Ben's last name. I just noticed on the Rubidoux thread that rmuir pointed me to borsonlaw.com when I asked about Ben.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Apr 30, 2013 - 11:30am PT
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Fred, I thought the kid was a young Peter Mayfield and so I sent PM the image some years ago. He says it wasn't him, so you may be right.
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patrick compton
Trad climber
van
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Apr 30, 2013 - 11:30am PT
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This may have been covered already but I remember hearing, I think from John Sherman, that in the mid 70s an attractive woman in the house used to vacuum naked with the blinds open. Urban myth?
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Ben Borson
Boulder climber
Orinda, California
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Apr 30, 2013 - 11:50am PT
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Dear Indian Rock Denizens:
It has been a long time since I heard from anyone. Darwin was kind enough to send me a message today. With gas prices so high, I've found it more difficult to get to IR. Perhaps when my sons are financially independent, I'll get back there. Life in Orinda is good. We moved there in 1998 to get out of the fog in SF A few years ago, I did some trad climbing with Ward Little, and have "pinched plastic" in the gym too. Unfortunately, that resulted in some long-term problems with a foot. (General advice: don't push it!). Nonetheless, I get outdoors a bit (hiking etc.). Very relaxing. For anyone in the area, pleaea feel free to call or write.
Best regards,
Ben Borson
(925) 360-3420
bborson@borsonlaw.com
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Apr 30, 2013 - 01:58pm PT
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Fred,
Charlie posts here as clu. Thinking of Charlie reminds me that I also haven't seen or heard from Bill Fujimoto since around 1973 as well, when he was still driving Deerslayer. Ironically, while Bill took a few trips with me in my Ford Fairlane, I never got a chance to ride in Deerslayer with him, but I've owned seven BMW's since I last saw him.
John
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FTOR
Sport climber
CA
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Apr 30, 2013 - 02:47pm PT
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altman and i painted that house way back when. probably wishful thinking more than urban myth knowing sherman.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Apr 30, 2013 - 03:22pm PT
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Ni kidding FOTR.
Sherman is a really fun and very good writer though. His kooky guide to american bouldering is really not a guide so much as a fabulous travel memo. A lot of us have read it cover to cover, as an account.
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