Jan Ebeltof

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hobo_dan

Social climber

Minnesota

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 2, 2009 - 09:08pm PT

Having a home brew and thinking of some friends.
Jan in an era of bare brick, raw wood and and a wilingness to roll a number and share it with anyone within reach
Here's to you buddy

Redwreck

Social climber

Echo Parque, Los Angeles, CA

Sep 2, 2009 - 09:56pm PT

Loving these stories, thanks for sharing them.

Looy

Social climber

Plaistow, NH

Sep 27, 2010 - 05:10pm PT

I worked with Jan at Midwest Mountaineering for five years from '78 to '82. He was a great, warm guy, and customers and his coworkers liked him. His partner (wife?), Sally, was a sex therapist. I spent a lot of time ice climbing with him at the brickyards in St. Paul, and at McCafferty's afterward. Had a great trip to Devil's Tower in his VW bus, driving overnight both ways. The alcohol's grip over the years was sad to observe. I can still smell his pipe -- Balkan Sobraine was his blend. And I pity the plants he drowned with the dregs from his mug of coffee and whisky. I recently ran across a photo of him. I'll scan it and put it up.

hobo_dan

Social climber

Minnesota

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 27, 2010 - 08:35pm PT

looy I'd like to see a picture of Jan
I thought Sally was a real class act-I remember her station wagon -Midnite Blue I think was the name.
Jan told me this story about her daughter going with him to Salt Lake City (to ice climb?) and he was crashed at some low rent biker hang but the daughter was able to deal with it all no problem.
Sally told me that Jan proposed to her a couple times and she said no and that she proposed to him once and he said no-the human condition. Go figure.

rottingjohnny

Sport climber

mammoth lakes ca

Sep 27, 2010 - 10:51pm PT

Didn't know Dick Wildburger but i'm heading to vons in search of buffalo meat....rj

hobo_dan

Social climber

Minnesota

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 31, 2010 - 07:22pm PT

Bump on New Years Eve

hobo_dan

Social climber

Minnesota

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 23, 2011 - 09:34pm PT

I had a student of mine ask me if she remembered her from the beginning of the year- She was a new girl from the East coast, new city, new school and she didn't have a friend in the world. I remembered, and I asked her why she was asking?
She said "that was really hard"
But she surfaced, in her own way- part grace part desperation that only a teenager can possess. Six months later. As we talked she was surrounded by her friends-a really nice group of kids and in my opinion she had chosen well.
I told her to never forget it, so when she meets the next new kid she makes sure to welcome them.

In Minneapolis there was only one climbing store- and like a lot of provincial situations the society tended toward the exclusive- if you can imagine such a thing in the midwest concerning climbing of all things, but we all have a tendency to hoard, do we not?
A wheel was coming to town to give a slide show- might have been John Bragg talking about Patagonia? Been a long time but I remember (or at least I think I do) a terrible picture of someone holding up a leather boot with the remains of Toni Egger still in it.
I was on the outside looking in. Envious of the commeraderie and not quite sure how to get my foot in that door.
Jan was in the thick of it and he saw me, dragged me to the stores refridgerator, gave me a beer, and brought me in to a circle of a bunch of misfits, losers and characters that came to be my friends.
Funny how it all comes and goes

hobo_dan

Social climber

Minnesota

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 21, 2011 - 06:45pm PT

just another bump for an old friend I was thinking about today
A Jan quote " I'm in search of the perfect Onion Ring"

survival

Big Wall climber

A Token of My Extreme

Dec 21, 2011 - 06:59pm PT

Hobo, I like your style man. Just quietly revisiting your old friend from time to time.......

We all got us some demons.

hobo_dan

Social climber

Minnesota

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 2, 2013 - 07:27pm PT

It's about that time again--appropriately with a little too much wine coursing through the veins and some late 70's Neil Young running round my head

..........Old enough now to change your name.......

Capt.

climber

some eastside hovel

Mar 2, 2013 - 08:20pm PT

Nice dan-I very much would have liked to meet Jan.I can tell we would have hit it off.Sorry I didn't meet him.Proud bump.

hobo_dan

Social climber

Minnesota

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 2, 2013 - 08:26pm PT

He does deserve it- He so embodied the climbing spirit of the 70's:
anti-establishment, out of control, but still hanging on to that wave, drugs are taking him over the falls, and damn it he had to leave.
Goodness sakes but how the times change

and now more Neil........"you got a thousand points of light for the homeless man.......
Keep on rocking in the free world

pjschlick

Social climber

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Mar 5, 2014 - 10:44am PT

I knew Jan very well and climbed with him in our local place at Taylor's Falls. Yes, he always had a pipe and spoke almost in a mutter. He was laid back, and a really nice guy.

I am indebted to him for giving me his job at the University of Minnesota where he taught rock climbing as an elective class. He brought all his gear which the school had bought for him to Midwest Mountaineering and asked me if I wanted the job. Of course I took it!

Did you know Jan took tap dancing as a kid?! We took a folk dancing class at the University together, along with Sally and Pat. He had incredible feet!! It cracked us up when he told us his mom made him take tap dancing classes. I mean the guy had happy feet.

What I remember most about climbing with Jan was one sling, two biners, one rope, no back up, and we were off and climbing. Everything was simple with him. He exuded a quiet confidence, support and ... yes, I can still smell his pipe, see him slip a little something in his coffee at work, and push his curls away while he muttered. I am sorry he died of alcoholism. I wish I was more surprised.

Is Craig still alive? I see a post from his son, who was a baby when I left Minneapolis. So sorry to hear about A.L.S- horrible disease. I remember Craig and Cindy, and I knew Cindy before she married Craig. There were only about 4 of us women in the late 70's who climbed then. Later, a few more came into the picture. Craig and Cindy were like little darlings, both petite, pretty, good climbers- Other characters,Deutchler! Climbed with him too. The most literate renegade of the bunch. The most infectious giggle. Scaled the IDS building and was arrested before reaching the top- hilarious! He also helped me with my classes when they were big. God, he was funny! I still have his backpack up in my attic that he gave me after he went to the Dolomites. I can't remember if I traded anything for it. Thanks for the thread- I've enjoyed catching these nostalgic snippets- So sorry about Jan.. and possibly Craig.

hobo_dan

Social climber

Minnesota

Topic Author's Reply - Nov 26, 2014 - 07:18pm PT

tapestry. Thanksgiving eve. Thanks to everyone who shared
Tap dancing and Jan seems like such a dis connect.
i love bumping this once or twice a year-it's like fishing you never know who will surface on the end of the line-sure makes it fun and it's nice thinking about old friends who've moved on

Jon Beck

Trad climber

Oceanside

Nov 26, 2014 - 08:00pm PT

Thanks for bumping, first time read for me, it is a great thread, very moving. Never met your friend but I am thinking about Jan tonight, he was a good man.
Happy Thanksgiving Eve