Let's welcome Jim Donini

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PhilG

Trad climber

The Circuit, Tonasket WA

Mar 28, 2007 - 12:57pm PT

Hello Jim
Long time since we clipped into the same anchor. One of my top ten cherished climbing memories was topping out on the LA chimney and J. Bragg had left a bottle of wine with the fixed ropes.
Most valuable lesson you taught me was how to cook a steak on a car dash board (not to mention how we obtained meat in those days).
Cheers! Here’s hoping we meet at some area in the near future.
Phil

crøtch

climber

Mar 28, 2007 - 01:07pm PT

The longer you wait to out yourself, the harder it becomes. Might as well do it now!

Welcome, Jim.

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber

Toquerville, Utah

Mar 28, 2007 - 01:15pm PT

OK Crimpie,
those photos beg for a "captions" contest.

How about;

1) "I knew I shouldn't have bivied with Bridwell after he'd been away from Peg for more than two weeks,..."
2) "I'm just going to run a little cold water so we can clean up the blood stains easier,..."
3) ",..so those kids couldn't get up squat if I didn't drag them up there,.."

Klimmer

Mountain climber

San Diego

Mar 28, 2007 - 01:39pm PT

Jim,

I have fond memories of taking a climbing clinic from you when you lived in Leavenworth, WA, back in the Fall of '80 or Spring of '81. We climbed up in Icicle Creek area over a weekend. At the end of the day of climbing you bought me my first beer (from a bar) in town. I think I inhaled it. I was only 18.

Sitting at the bar we talked about many of the diverse climbs you had done over the years. Some you had written up for National Geographic Mag. like your ascent of Torre Egger. Very interesting climb and history having found some of the human remains from the first party. I mentioned a wall climb you had done in Venezuela climbing a Tepui that I hade read about in "Mariah" mag. before it morphed into "Outside" mag. A particular picture shows one of the team members aiding with a squirmish face looking down toward the camera holding a snake. You laughed and told me the team had brought a bag of plastic critters for photo ops, and that was a fake snake. Classic. I would never have known. I couldn't believe it. Too funny.

You told me doing "Outer Space" on Snow Creek Wall up Icicle Creek like I had with a friend was pretty good and a classic climb for sure, going from chicken-head to chicken-head or using the crack. That you had known some climbers to get caught on the climb, or had never finished it. Thanks for the ego boost.

Later you invited my friend and I over to your house for a slide show. A rep. was there from a European boot company, and you shared your slides on your Latok I attempt. Many slides with fellow team member Jeff Lowe (Jello) were shown. We spent a very nice evening with your family.

I had a blast bouldering and cragging with you, and getting inspired. I'll always remember that weekend. Good times.

Not knowing it at the time, but learning so from the Mountain Shop later in Ouray, my family and I watched you putting up climbs just above the in-town famous Hot Springs just a few summers ago, while we were kicking back soaking. I went to the Mountain Shop to buy a copy of the guide afterwards. "No guidebook available. They are putting up climbs as we speak. And that was Jim Donini you saw climbing."

You are still an inspiration, pulling hard and doing very significant climbs. Please keep it up. I hope I can do the same, and age so gracefully and continue to do all the things that inspire me today. Never grow-up.

"Klimmer"
Glenn Simpson

(Edited for spelling and proper names)

Further edit: By the way, here is a really good recorded audio interview with Jim Donini, in 2000, broken into series of short segments:
http://uaf-db.uaf.edu/jukebox/denali/html/jido.htm

--- Made me think after listening, especially the use of radios, and cell phones in the mountains . . . Jim makes some very good points against their use.

Raydog

Trad climber

Boulder

Mar 28, 2007 - 07:19pm PT

Jim Donini is the living definition of the word Sportsman. Always candid, always real, a living legend and a really nice guy. Cheers Jim and welcome.

le_bruce

climber

Oakland: what's not to love?

Mar 28, 2007 - 08:01pm PT

Climbing at Frey outside of Bariloche, Argentina a few years ago. The first day, we climbed what seemed like one of the most obvious lines on the the most obvious formation, Frey itself, right next to the refugio. A long corner that led to a splitter handcrack out on the face, airy and clean. The name was odd, 'El diedro de Jim' (Jim's Dihedral). A real plum of a line.

Wondered who the hell from gringo-ville had the savvy to get that FA before the Argentines themselves, way back in the day, down at the toe of the hemisphere.

Aya K

Trad climber

New York

Mar 28, 2007 - 08:23pm PT

Hi Jim!
I'm glad you talked us into going to Indian Creek a few weeks ago - I had a blast, and I've got the scars on my hands to prove it!

I hope I get to try your salmon sometime!

Roger Breedlove

climber

Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Mar 28, 2007 - 09:47pm PT

I think this is one of the nicest trolls ever on ST. Such pleasant, heartfelt emoting, giving the geezer his due.

But...there is no Jim Donini posting. So what are we welcoming Jim to?

I'm gonna start threads welcoming all the folks I would like to post up. All those pals that sometimes read ST, but won't join in.

(By the way Chrimpster, Jim's expressions haven't changed much in 35 years.)

Raydog

Trad climber

Boulder

Mar 28, 2007 - 09:49pm PT

Cool Roger good idea. We could have some fun with that.

(I'm thinkin bad bad things)

bob d'antonio

Trad climber

Taos, NM

Mar 28, 2007 - 10:22pm PT

Jim is old...really old. There is a chance that he doesn't know how to use the internet.

Roger Breedlove

climber

Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Mar 28, 2007 - 10:29pm PT

I think maybe he died in 1979. Might explain why his expressions haven't changed. Jello might know.

climber

The Eye of the Snail

Mar 28, 2007 - 10:33pm PT

Welcome, Sir Edmund Hillary!

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber

Toquerville, Utah

Mar 28, 2007 - 11:00pm PT

No, no, he's alive! I just got a call from him. I don't know if he knows about the thread, but he might. He was hard to make out, sort of mumbling, but I made out something mildly menacing so perhaps the rumors of Bird were true.
Curiously then he said something about his dick not getting hard, and then that he was going to the airport.

(Probably more than a $7/hr security guard wants to deal with,..)

Roger Breedlove

climber

Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Mar 28, 2007 - 11:06pm PT

Welcome Don Whillans.

Hey Don, ST is a cool place for you to let fly with your smash mouth snide comments. We will all laugh and love you even more. Just post up—(that means get a bright young thing and dictate your comments. The BYT will enter them into a key board that broadcasts them to all the minds of climbers everywhere for all times. Cool technology.)

PS: Jim Dononi might show up. Ignore him. He’s a wuss.

Buzz

Raydog

Trad climber

Boulder

Mar 29, 2007 - 12:07am PT

welcome Rheinhold's Yeti...

bachar

Trad climber

Mammoth Lakes, CA

Mar 29, 2007 - 12:45am PT

DONINI FOR PRESIDENT!

Ammon

Big Wall climber

El Cap

Mar 29, 2007 - 01:20am PT

Hey Jim, welcome to The Taco.... You are a hero to many.

I didn't get a chance to say hello at the RRR.... and, maldaly, good to see you again. Cheers!

Conrad

climber

Mar 29, 2007 - 01:31am PT

In the early 90s Casimiro Ferarri would hang out in Chalten, Argentina passing judgement on aspiring ascencionists of Cerro Torre. He had the first ascent, therefore he was in the position to judge. Most everyone was deemed unworthy except for Jim. Being the first up the Egger and Italian, Donini was son in law material.

Your drive, fitness and humor is an inspiration to all.

Siete l'uomo.