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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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spraying... it makes a difference if your dad is a tom cat...
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telemon01
Trad climber
Montana
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Longago- spray sometime about the FFA of serenity crack, I'd love to hear the story.
A partner and I climbed The Slide last fall. One of the cruxes on Serenity Crack, (10d on 3rd pitch?) was in perfect profile to our right the entire morning. Systematically, almost every party was hanging on their rope, trying to figure it out.
I climbed Serenity Crack 23 years ago. I remember getting to the top and looking up at Sons of Yesterday. Why we didn't keep going mystifies me. There were no lines, no crowds, no problems.
A few days later I led a runout single pitch in that same area. Fire Fingers? 10c? Anyone recognize what I am talking about?
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Jan 10, 2011 - 01:18am PT
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Thanks Peter - I look forward to your next piece where ever it may land.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 10, 2011 - 02:10am PT
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Ascent wouldn't touch my stuff with a bomb robot.
That's one of those statements that's both true, and not true. When we put out the last issue of Ascent the deal was "One man, one vote." Given that Allen and Roper had conceived, birthed, and raised Ascent to the point where it was the pre-eminent forum for climbing writing in the world, that they gave me a full, no-contest vote was probably the most amazing thing that ever happened in my life. Being asked to co-edit it was one thing, but being told "your voice is just as important as either of ours" blew my mind.
As it turned out, there was very little argument. Probably 80% of the submitted pieces got either three "Yes" or three "No" votes. End of story.
But the other 20%... Holy f*#k. I think that the three of us pretty much drank up the entire red wine output of Argentina for that year in trying to find resolution for that last 20%.
Each of us won a few and each of us lost a few. I think the one I'm proudest of winning was Dave Insley. Getting his stuff in, in the face of original No votes from my two friends was a great victory for dirtbag climbers all over the world.
But although both of them eventually came round to appreciating Insley's stuff, neither one of them would give an inch on you. This was a pair of guys who loved Sheridan Anderson, guys who had lived the dirtbag life themselves, but who looked at your stuff and said "What the f*#k is funny about some stupid rats dressed up like climbers? And anyway, she can't even draw."
Yes, the end result was that Ascent didn't publish any of your work, but it sure wasn't for lack of lobbying (and threats and bribes) on my part.
Ditto for Long Tall David Dornian. They thought his writing was reeeeally stooopid. “What the f*#k has this sh#t got to do with climbing?” was how they so delicately phrased it. And yet you and I both felt he was probably the best climbing writer of the time.
None of which is a knock on either Allen, Roper, Ascent, or the process we used to put the last issue together. Ascent stands unquestioned as the finest climbing publication in the English language, and may well be the finest in any language. But to be "perfect" instead of "finest", the last issue needed one or two of your stupid bad cartoons, and something -- anything -- from DD.
D
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Paulina
Trad climber
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Jan 10, 2011 - 02:04pm PT
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How many times have we heard the unplanned bivy "joke" from some macho mountaineer, or seen it in some second-rate comedy? Mostly with quiet acquiescence.
Peter, thank you for telling your very personal story. Maybe your sexuality was common knowledge among the inner circle. But you publicly coming out with your story may give a hopeful anchor to many others, maybe young aspiring climbers, who still have to hear a lot of bs from oldtimers and newcomers alike. And surely it will add more understanding and, as you say, a deeper friendship to the around-the-campfire chest-beating.
Homo Climbtastic and other clubs notwithstanding.
Cheers,
Paulina
PS My Alpinist #33 only arrived late last week and I read (most of) it over the weekend. A great issue!
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Paulina
Trad climber
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Jan 10, 2011 - 05:53pm PT
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Tami, I feel your pain. I think that somebody at the post office used to read my entire issue before actually delivering it (it always came unwrapped).
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BrianH
Trad climber
santa fe
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Jan 10, 2011 - 06:02pm PT
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My in-laws gave me a subscription to Alpinst. I'm looking forward to it even more!
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em kn0t
Trad climber
isle of wyde
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Jan 10, 2011 - 06:14pm PT
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Tami
PM me yer address & I'll Fed-Ex ya my copy
Edit: but ya gotta send it back when yours comes!
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TMO
Trad climber
Puyallup, WA
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Jan 12, 2011 - 11:10pm PT
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Certainly a FULL VALUE read Peter, I couldn't put it down! We need more from you sir.
Quite the representation of Supertopians, Mighty on Logan in winter, Tami on wankers and sprayers, Donini and blue Camalots AND Basket Case. Surely there is more.... who am I missing?
Troy
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Jan 13, 2011 - 12:19am PT
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Tami your visuals are overwhelming.
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TMO
Trad climber
Puyallup, WA
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Jan 13, 2011 - 12:22am PT
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Well dang me for a fool! I hadn't a clue.... Thanks fer catchin' me up Tami, I have always admired his work :)
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LongAgo
Trad climber
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Jan 13, 2011 - 02:15am PT
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tele-
Very short story on Serenity: Pratt said it was nice, new free crack. Went with Chris Jones, all went nicely until last pitch which seemed pretty hard in old shores (Krons) with no rubber toes to go in crack, so used mostly fingers and small edging flakes outside crack. Told Pratt we did it all free and he said WHAT? Only free part was first pitch (ending to the side - still done that way??). Second, final pitch had not gone free. He tried it few days later and said, nope, no could do, so thought 5.11 was fair rating. Since then it slipped to hard 5.10, I guess. Whatever, nice rock, place, view..
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Anastasia
climber
hanging from a crimp and crying for my mama.
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Jan 13, 2011 - 02:42am PT
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Nice!
Excellent writing!
AFS
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scuffy b
climber
Three feet higher
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Jan 13, 2011 - 06:49pm PT
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Hey, Thanks for the story, Tom.
I was just wondering, because Pratt's notes in the 67 Ascent have it
done by Sacherer and Fredericks in 65, which was news to me (I hadn't ever
seen the 67 or 68 Ascents until recently).
My memory was always you and Chris Jones, which I guess is what was in
Roper's green guide.
I have this idea that the first pitch would really have been the crux at
some unknown time before your free ascent, because it must have started out
so absolutely impossible before the scarring.
It seems to me the third pitch (present crux) is not so drastically altered
from its original condition.
This could be a delusion of mine, of course..
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Jan 16, 2011 - 01:49pm PT
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I keep reading great articles in this issue, not that other issues aren't great too...
the reach across the span of time, from J.D. Hooker to E. Frechou, the span of objectives from The Grand to the TBP, and the poignancy of Haan's story, and the remembrance of Dave Thomson...
thanks to Alpinist for persevering with their vision.
--- and as we read in the wonderful quick story of SLCDs we find a reference to a Bridwell comment in Climbing in 1978, the piece: "Friends: A look at new technology in climbing-- Response," Feature Climbing 51, page 23.
Anyone care to post that to us (and maybe the Feature would be interesting too!) and Letters to the Editor [(issue)page]: (51)36, (52)36, (55)42, (57)38,42. I would but, alas, my collection doesn't go back that far.
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Jan 16, 2011 - 02:03pm PT
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still havent seen peter's article-- my issue isnt here yet
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Jan 16, 2011 - 02:04pm PT
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Nope. Alpinist will publish me. Happily, in fact.
Ascent wouldn't touch my stuff with a bomb robot.
He he he.
Alpinist 3, as usual, is filled with the most wonderful offerings. Even Tami 'toons no doubt delivered by "return magazine requested" bomb robot.
Peter your piece was courageous and told with brilliant sensitivity. Thank you for sharing. I too look forward to more of your work.
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Jan 16, 2011 - 04:37pm PT
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Sound like R2D2 got yer mag 2u.
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telemon01
Trad climber
Montana
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Jan 16, 2011 - 09:42pm PT
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Thanks for the story, Longago-
good work
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