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artmusicsouth
climber
VA
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Welcome to the Master!
I was first introduced to Gill as this anomaly that happened to do some climbing in Alabama for a brief time. There was a problem at the Boulder Field sin B'ham (now Moss Rock preserve) with two names, Vast Understatment or the Gill Problem. It really is pretty easy roof with a big jug on it but to my noobie eyes it was a prize. There was also talk of many problems put up by the master all along Shades Crest Rd.
Master Gill, if you are reading this I would love to see some photos from that time if you have them.
All the best,
Mark
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426
Sport climber
Buzzard Point, TN
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I second the Motion on Alabama photos. Did you ever make it up to the Citadel (near little river canyon), Mr. Gill?
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Bienvenido John!
See you at the crags?
Cheers, John Bachar
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Some comments in support of the "different planet" observation by Dingus.
Gill did his thing because he loved to do it. During his prime, he had no competition, no one really pushing him, and virtually no recognition for his achievements, at least partially because there were very few people who were capable of even understanding what Gill was doing, much less repeating it.
Those were different days. I think the analogy now would be to find someone in a remote area outside today's media circus, who, on their own and with no real connection to the outside world of climbing, was bouldering four grades harder than the current standard and climbing two grades harder.
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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John...Bob D here...welcome...you'll like here.
It kinda hard to understand just what John did when it came to climbing.
Using another sport as a reference...My thoughts...everyone else was running a 4:20 mile...John ran a 3:59 mile.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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The thimble in '63(?) ... with the shoes of the day ... solo ...over cars/ gaurdrails!
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jstan
climber
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John:
Welcome.
This place breaks out in a catfight on occasion, but ultimately, that is good. It shows we can survive even this.
Then there are the many times when people say the equivalent of, “You know, I had not thought of it that way. You could be right.”
Absolutely pure gold.
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jgill
climber
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Thank you very much for your warm greetings, fellow climbers. Makes an ol' codger feel real good! I'm particularly happy to see my 1960s bouldering companions, rgold and Oli, repesented here – outstanding climbers who, believe me, were VERY strong performers on the small rocks. And Bob d., John B., and John S., thanks for your welcome to the site. And, to the rest of you, my warmest regards. I'll try to contribute tidbits of the history I observed from time to time, at least what I can remember - before it all slips away!
For those of you into history of the sport of rock climbing, I recently talked with Oliver Perry-Smith's youngest son, Crosby, and learned a little about his father's life after Elbsandstein. I.e., after 1913. Plus a few more photos from that early era. You can read about this great pioneer American rock climber at: "http://www128.pair.com/r3d4k7/HistoricalClimbingImages1.html"
Thanks again!
John
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johnboy
Trad climber
Can't get here from there
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John, I saw your post on the other thread, and being pretty new here myself, never realized that this is your 1st time to the site.
Welcome aboard.
You stand out among giants in the arena of rock climbing and have motivated me since the 60's. Thanks.
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Curt
Boulder climber
Gilbert, AZ
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Hi John,
Your website is becoming THE definitive repository for the worldwide history of bouldering. When is the book coming out?
Curt
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prunes
climber
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Did you really chip the Flatiron at Devils Lake? who cares! Your routes at the lake are amazing for there time. The DLFA Salutes You!
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scuffy b
climber
The deck above the 5
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Welcome, John.
Is there a chance that you have the good version of your guide
to the Jenny Lake boulders?
I was there once with Sherman who had a copy.
We were successful on the Badille-like North Face of Falling Ant
Slab, and even fired off the East Face of Mount Fonda.
Most of us have never seen that classic guide.
Cheers
Steve m
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G_Gnome
Sport climber
Everywhere, man...
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I have one of those that I got from the ranger station in about 1985. I was so happy that I could actually do a few Jenny Lake problems.
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scuffy b
climber
The deck above the 5
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The one with lines like (paraphrased, of course)
These are big boulders...big enough to make their own weather
and
many an ant has lost his dignity, if not his life, tumbling
down the Badille-like North Face of Falling Ant Slab
If so, how about posting some tidbits?
You're taking binoculars to the Meadows, right?
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Nice to see you here, John.
Of course, this site may not offer the intellectual exhilaration of moderating such rc.com history threads as, "lynn hill hill topless photo what magazine."
(And nice job on the perry-smith interview-- the 10th really had a collection of interesting folks.)
Cheers
Kerwin
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jstan
climber
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Even sixty years down the road I keep running into people who were in the 10th or whose forebearers were in that Division during the War. The most recent was just last month. We need to search for the roll-call list for that group.
I read through the Perry Smith piece right away. A superb piece of work! It was like a window. A freshly cleaned and polished window.
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jgill
climber
Colorado
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Scuffy b : I wish I did have a copy of that guide. I only put together the original, in a cardboard cover. Chouinard did the part about "these are big boulders . . ." We gave it to the climbing rangers at Jenny Lake, and they secreted it somewhere. In the 1980s, I think, they ran off some zerox copies. I have no idea where the original now resides. Wish I did.
Dingus : I discovered Elephant Rocks about 1965, when I was teaching at Murray State. So, those photos on my site are from that era. I found no evidence of any kind of climbing having been done there - which, of course, doesn't mean there hadn't been any. I think I made a couple of visits.
Jaybro : Don't know which VD boulder you mean. And does the "gill boulder" mean Red Cross Rock at JL? If so, no TC allowed! As to your math abilities, who knows. Lots of brilliant people, even geniuses, are not very good at math. A little like a musical talent.
Artmusicsouth & 426 : Most of the photos taken in Alabama (1962-1966) are on my site. Go to Reflections & Commentary.
Prunes : Yes, I took the sharp, pointed tip off a fingerhold after cutting my finger on it. Bad form - even back in 1958 - and I still regret doing it!
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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John, by VD boulder, I meant that huge (~1 pitch) boulder in the main part of Vedauwoo. One of the chapters in Master of Rock starts with a a photo of you crimping on the initial holds, it's kind of a step above exposure, not hard to get on but hard to move off of. I've grasped the holds ...
The"Gill problem" is, I think, also a chapter starter in that book. It's right off the lower parking lot in main Vedauwoo, photo of you doing kind of a lieback while wearing a headband. I didn't try it till about '78 and the ground had eroded away beneath it. We attempted with a garbage can as cheater stone, as soon as the climber steped off it the spoters job was to qauickly move it away and then try to spot before the climber came crashing down, always a near thing!
edit,
"Gill problem" the one on the left
I will hunt up the photos, my copy of the book is in storage, 200 miles away from where I am right now.
Scuff, Chasbro has a copy of the Jenny lake guide, i think I'll try to get him to remember to run some off and down to us in Vedauwoo next week.
John, if you don't get a better offer join us in Vedawuoo the weekend of the 17th of this month or the week before. See the vedauwoo logistics, thread.
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jgill
climber
Colorado
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If you are referring to the full page photo on page 110 of the 2nd edition, that's me coming down after looking at the upper holds. That was 40 years ago on a visit with my wife and small child. If crash pads had been available (their appearance was still over 20 years away) I might have given it a try, although I can't remember what the landing was like. Is there a big gap between the two rocks? Seemed too risky at the time. Judging from what I've seen out at the Buttermilks I would guess this problem is now considered moderate (please don't tell me it's trivial!)
I remember that even then there was a stretch to get on the rock on that old aid practice boulder (the left-most photo you posted). Can't imagine what it's like now.
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