4 of my heroes, stories, anyone?

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426

Sport climber

Tobacco Spit, Obed

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 27, 2005 - 10:51am PT

Jaybro-

Do you have any old stories on gnarl wide you could cntl V w/o infringing copyrights?

All my old R+I's are gone....

Last time I saw Dan I had just stumbled down from Mescalito alone(had to go to work next day, partners bivied up top) at 9:50 pm and raced around the loop to get to the store before it closed. I still had on my kneepads and was "wallified". He was right in front of me in line-after seeing me, he totally chuckled, telling me, "you stink, mang, what did you just do?"

He invited me to come back for his "rad jump" but ultimately I was too chickenshit after a Forresthill jump with him one time.

...

Got the call a couple weeks later.

He was a helluva bassist, among other things.

Fresno Days

climber

Las Vegas

Jul 28, 2006 - 12:56am PT

I attended college with Walt Shipley, we stayed in the same campus dormitory in my last semester, Fall 1976, at California State University, Fresno. He lived down the hall from me on the same floor.
Walt was subdued at time. He could also be intense, and sometimes zany, too. And even in his college days he was obsessed with rock climbing. He even tried to find ways to scale the outside of the three-floor dorm to get to the roof.
He also demonstrated his flexibility and rock climbing movements he had in the dorm's hallways . . . stretching and contorting himself in positions where he was able to scale a wall in the dormitory hallway.
Walt was very intelligent and would get angry about "f**king up" a test [his words, not mind] by getting a "B" grade on it. If I am not mistaken, he was studying in the field of engineering at Fresno State.
I recall his roommate, an Asian-American whose name escapes me right now, would get fearful of Walt when he got bent out of shape about his academics. One time Walt came into the room and the roommate heard Walt's angry tone, so he hid under his blankets. I was told that Walt spoke out loud, saying how pissed he was, for blowing a test, then pick up a rock climbing hammer and threw it on the roommate's bed. The roommate let out a yell when that happened.
His dorm room was arranged with all sorts of rock climbing gear. He would set up a hanging sling in the middle of his room, with some cross-beam supports on the celing, and suspend himself off the floor of his room to take an occasional snooze, or to relax.
I recall one time he wanted to cook something in his room, so he used the portable stove he used for his overnight outings. He had some problems when he spilled the fuel, not only burning a hole in the carpet, but also burning his hand, too.
But his love for rock climbing overcame the handicap he had with his bandaged fingers; he was rock climbing less than two weeks after burning his hand. I remember some of my friends commenting about the danger he was putting himself in with getting his hand infected by subjecting it to that kind of abuse.
Walt also liked to socialize with others on the dorm floor when it came to smoking a Turkish Water Pipe, better known as a "Bong" back then. But he substituted Pot for tobacco. I recall getting into a discussion with him how he should use warm water in the Bong to add moisture for a smoother smoke. He told me that was wrong, that using cold water was better to cool the heat of the smoke.
The last I heard of a "Walt Shipley" was back in the 1980's when the Soviet Army was occupying Afghanistan. The CBS Evening News ran a filmed piece of the Jihad resistance fighters taking on the Soviet forces. Dan Rather, at the end of the film piece, said the film was provided by a freelancer by the name of Walt Shipley. Could it have been the one and the same? Probably.
I realize I rambled on quite a bit about Walt, but he certainly left a indellible impression on me for the 16 week semester. I will also remember the baggy trousers he wore, with lots of pockets in them, that he also used when rock climbing. Thanks for your time and forum to allow me to share some reminisces of a very unforgettable character in my life. And to think that was 30 years ago!

telemama

Trad climber

midpines

Jul 28, 2006 - 02:41am PT

TR, I know what you mean, Walt had that charm thing goin on. But he broke many hearts. I think his women thought they could tame him. But I also think the fact that they couldn't was what they loved about him. I was a young, very innocent, 19yr old when I first met Walt. Over the years, I heard all the crazy (and some crude) stories about him, but to me he was always polite and sincere.
From my perspective as a climber... He was rad! The last time I saw him at the campfire in Tuolumne he had just soloed some crazy gulley... I think around Conness??. I remember thinking, "Wow, he's still up to that stuff." Somehow, I guess I thought he would have been settling down. (Hmm. "I think his women thought they could tame him.") Needless to say, I was impressed and glad he was the same old Walt...But eventhough his climbing was over the top, he could still get that gleam in his eye when I told him about some 5.9 I had lead...He was a special spirit...love to you, Walt.
Thanks for reminding me of a friend.
Marci
P.S. I know there are many heartwarming, belly rolling stories about this man!!