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Allen Hill
Social climber
CO.
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 9, 2010 - 11:40pm PT
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You guy's were all there for sure. I certainly remember meeting Pete Croft and you under the Cookie. I seem to remember you guys where living in the parking lot in a white van. I could be though. I have a weird memory of a day that only a seventeen boy could have; there were two pasty British girls in bikini's sun bathing on the big boulder just off the old road. I almost died from the cold on the Nose a few days latter. Skinner showed up with Lisa someone who wore nylon jogging shorts so extreme that the teenage boys in camp four slept on their stomachs for weeks.
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Allen Hill
Social climber
CO.
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 9, 2010 - 11:54pm PT
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Tami,
Its been many years and many beers since that trip, thus my memory is suspect and certainly sketchy. Thanks for the the good luck notion. It'll be a fun film I hope.
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Allen Hill
Social climber
CO.
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 14, 2010 - 09:04pm PT
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Shameless final bump. I promise.
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KM
Mountain climber
Milan
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Feb 17, 2010 - 12:22am PT
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> Allen Hill wrote:
>
>I've spent two days with Chic last fall in Banff. His interviews are >hilarious. Great story teller.
>He's also given me all the Eiger Sanction stills to use. Great guy. Thanks >though.
>
Do you have any scanned photographs ? I am documenting the locations and making-off "The Eiger Sanction" on a website. I would be pleased to put up any you photographs you want to put up. I am particularly interested in any photographs with a background of some sort, but any photographs will do.
http://mitteleuropa.t35.com/filmlocations_eiger_sanction.html
Much thanks,
Kurt
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Wee Jock
climber
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Jul 11, 2010 - 02:42am PT
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Hi Allen
I spent quite a bit of time at the Vag instructing at ISM 1975 - 1979 along with Blythe Wright and Bev CLark (1975,1976),Dougal (1976), Dirty Alex MacIntyre (1977), Pete Boardman(1978) and Pat Littlejohn (1979). Even married one of the Vag receptionists ... My email is svislaymist@yahoo.com
Gordon Smith
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Allen Hill
Social climber
CO.
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2010 - 03:07am PT
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Gordon, wow I've been meaning to run you down. Blythe brought you up in 08 shortly before he died. Thank you so much for finding this obscure thread. Your literally the fourth piece of good news regarding this thing in so many days. Anyhow twenty hour's shot thus far. I'll email tomorrow. Thanks!
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Storky
Social climber
Noosa,Queensland,Australia
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Jan 16, 2011 - 12:08am PT
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Hi there!
I received an inquiry today about one of our artists and co-incidentally the sender used the prefix "vagabond" to his email address. Subsequently I reflected on 64-65 at Club Vagabond, Leysin. It is with great fondness that I remember my first experience of spectacular alpine grandeur; (Les Dents du Midi and the valley), in my first visit to the Vag in the autumn of 64. I was working in London at the time as a bartender at the Zambezi and Barkston Clubs in Barkston Gardens, Earls Court, as also as an engineering designer at Hilger and Watts in Highbury. I had traveled to Europe on the the advice of my Perisher Valley (NSW) ski instructor Johnny Mueller, to become a ski instructor myself. Whether he suggested it out of getting a bit narky about me having a eye for his newly wedded gorgeous wife or that he thought I had genuine skiing attributes worth developing, I guess i'll never know. Anyway it was through the brief stay at the Vag that I heard about work prospects from Alan Rankin. I returned to London for about 6 weeks, gave notice to my employers, packed my bags and returned to the Vag in December. I promptly found work nearby as a domestic at Chalet Rhodania, a private school, under the watchful eye of Madame Dupont. I bought a fabulous set of giant slalom skis from Albino Viecelli and proceeded to practice four hours a day for the entire winter on the surrounding peaks. It was a fabulous winter, snowing seemingly every night throughout the season; constant deep powder. I returned to the Vag every night for a beer a "Martels" (half the price and just as good as Couvosier), and a block of Swiss chocolate. As mentioned elsewhere I noted that one could never tell the difference between the staff and the visitors at the Vag! There was a restaurant up the hill above the Vag near the Grand Hotel. I got so rotten drunk in elation, on red wine up there shortly after my arrival, that mountain rescue had to sled me down the trail to safety much to the laughter of onlookers. Shame on me! Nevertheless, Madame Dupont had me chaperone her girls to the Grand Hotel which was run by Club Mediterrane. A New Zealander called Bill waited table and taught English at Chalet Rhodania. Later in the season 2 Canadian boys from Vancouver Island helped in the kitchen. I understood one of them came from a family in the furniture business on Vancouver Island however details fail me. In those days I was never quite sure who was on the mountain trails; if they were from the Vag or the American School. What I do know though is that there were some absolutely crazy Americans who did particularly dangerous cornice jumping on La Berneuse sur Leysin. On leaving Leysin I went on to spend another 16 years on the Continent. I trained at Obergurgl under Prof. Hoppichler at the Bundessportheim in 65 and 70 and taught skiing at Alpbach, at Sport Ecke Augsburg, and at Lenggries for 13 years part or full-time. My main job however was as an engineer with Hq USAREUR and US Special Forces; finally with Feodor Burgmann in export. Fond memories of the Vag will remain with me. There are some photographic details on the "History" button of our gallery (STOCKROOM) website www.youngmastersgallery.info
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jan 16, 2011 - 12:32pm PT
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Outstanding recall Storky! And now Wee Jock as well! Paydirt!
Great and inspiring project Allen! Keep us posted!
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DrillSargeant
Social climber
Bellevue, Washington
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Jan 17, 2011 - 05:10pm PT
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I went to high school at Leysin American School from September 1971 to June of 1973. I went there to ski but got subverted to the dark side. Dougal Haston used to come down to the school and give us mini slide shows of his exploits. Sometimes he'd bring his friends with ... Chris Bonnington, Martin Boysen, Don Whillans... the whole crew. Sure made an impression on me!
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steveA
Trad climber
bedford,massachusetts
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Jan 17, 2011 - 05:53pm PT
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I spent some time there in 1970. Boy, there sure was some heavy drinking there! I tried to have a conversation with D. Haston one night but it was so noisy, I couldn't hear a word he said-plus we were all pretty drunk!
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Allen Hill
Social climber
CO.
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 12, 2011 - 03:45am PT
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bump
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Mar 12, 2011 - 12:38pm PT
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Kurt--
Very nice job on the Eiger Sanction website. Very useful resource.
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KM
Mountain climber
Milan
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Mar 20, 2011 - 05:12pm PT
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>Kurt--
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>Very nice job on the Eiger Sanction website. Very useful resource.
>
Thank you very much for the encouragement. There is a lot of work involved. I will put up whatever details any person can remember. Just email it to me. I try to include every subject. Every one is now very old and this will be the last opportunity to track each other down.
George Kennedy's memoirs come out in the Fall and I am trying to record everything he can remember about the movie.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Mar 20, 2011 - 05:23pm PT
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Allen, at the January 2010 Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, Chic Scott did a presentation on the making of the Eiger Sanction. Clips from the film, interspersed with his stories and photos. Ask him about it. He has many other stories from Leysin and the IMS, too.
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Bruce Berryhill
Trad climber
Tulare California
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Mar 20, 2011 - 06:36pm PT
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I was there in 1966 and 68. I camped at the rock quarry up the road from the Vag. I was introduced to the Vag by my teacher and mentor Charles (Charlie) H. Knapp. He made annual summer pilgrimages to the Vag throughout the 60s and 70s, first being guided by Harlin and later by Haston, Boardman and Livesey. I climbed the Sphinx with Dougal and he also taught me to lead on the smaller cliffs. The lessons proved valuable to the initiation of my life long climbing career. Haston introduced me to EBs and I went to Liverpool to purchase my first pair. I used these in my earliest years of climbing in Yosemite Valley. I remember some pretty wild parties and lots of heavy drinking at the Vag. I returned to the Vag in 1983 just to see it again and to reminisce.
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Allen Hill
Social climber
CO.
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 20, 2011 - 08:35pm PT
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Anders, I actually have Chic on film. I spent two days with him. He interviews really well. He also gave me all the pictures to use in the film. I've interviewed a good chunk of the crew from the film. Even Annie Haston who hung around the hotel during the shooting. She died last year sadly. She was a sweetheart.
To all of you who have shared stories, thank you. The film is on hold right now because of money issues. Hopefully I can raise the remaining funds in the next few months. It's how it works. My last big one, "Jump!" took five years and nine trips to the Czech Republic. It was worth it. Anyhow I'll be writing individual emails when the time comes to start back production. Thanks again!
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Mar 20, 2011 - 08:40pm PT
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Sell some DVDs of jump to raise dough.
Id love to own a copy
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Mar 20, 2011 - 08:51pm PT
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I quite liked "Jump". It was at VIMFF a few years ago.
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