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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Joe
Wonderful post. I'll certainly look forward to more of
your tales. Thanks for putting it up.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Great post.
We have a new opportunity, via the net, to collect the stories of first ascents and subsequent epics big, small, and inbetween.
I'd encourage the old and mid-timers who have first ascent stories to write em down and include the culture and issues of the times so future generations can make sense of the evolution of our sport.
Peace
Karl
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martygarrison
Trad climber
The Great North these days......
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Clint, never climbed in them. My first climbing shoes we RD's I think....could have been PA's. When EB's came out I thought I had died and gone to heaven......
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 3, 2008 - 01:25pm PT
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We were wearing Kronhofers at the time. I never liked the Spider of later years. When Robbins came out with his "Galabier Robbins" boots that is what I used. My theory contrasted with the staus quo. I felt with the "Robbins" I could max out the surface area which is critical of pure friction. I also had a chronic sprained rt ankle and enjoyed the comfort and support.
We used to do a bit of night time "buildering" on the UC Berkeley campus back them. Especially after a Sun evening dinner of the Sierra Rock Climbing session. Amply lubricated with cheap red wine we would venture out and climb. I remember one embarrassing encounter when we were "busted" by the UC police as we were making the leap from the roof of a ticket booth to a wall. They found our gallon stash of wine under Roper"s car, poured it out in front of us and commented, "you guys really drink this sh#t! "They called my mom and I got in some serious trouble at home. My parents took away my climbing shoes and I was not allowed to associate with the likes of Roper for some time. Since I was working part time at the Ski Hut, I just bought another pair and rendezvoused with Roper several blocks from my home whenever he could "borrow" his moms car. All seems quite funny and innocent by today's standard.
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
Redmond, OR
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Your Mom took your climbing shoes!!!!!!
Now that really pisses me off!
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martygarrison
Trad climber
The Great North these days......
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My parents forbade me from climbing. Started when I was 15 so I just hid the climbing shoes and went "backpacking" every weekend in the valley.......They didn't catch on until I was 18 or so.
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 3, 2008 - 02:07pm PT
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Ah, but you never want to mess with a wee Welsh lady when she is fighting mad. Let it settle for a spell. She had a heart of gold and was quick to forgive. Took a bit longer to forget.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Supertopo is on a roll! These historical threads are the best.
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BBA
Social climber
petaluma ca
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If you read Clint's forum you'll see discrepancies between what Joe says and what I (BBA) said. OK, for the record Joe is always right. The problem with history is it isn't like science where you can replicate the experiment to find out if something is true. Once it's done that's it, but with history then you have all these people telling stories. Since we elect s---heads for president, it's obvious that majority rule means nothing as far as truth is concerned.
Related to the climb, the reason for the "pendulums" was one of my probably unsuccessful attempts to make fun of climbs that used them, especially the way some people wrote them up. They were not pendulums, more like tension traverses as one can see by how seriously Calderwood took it in Joe's photos. We had great fun on a nice, warm day in the Valley. Those were the days.
For shoes I had Klettershuh, a brand of German climbing shoe with suede top and a Vibram like bottom. They were not so hot for friction but not bad for edging. I was lucky in that my feet were very wide and this gave more square inches of friction surface available. On the Apron one flopped the foot on any spot that looked promising and went for it.
When I cruise the Supertopo I see a lot of cool stuff. Someone should make a book of it. They should include photos of me.
BBA
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scuffy b
climber
On the dock in the dark
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Bitchin'
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 3, 2008 - 08:29pm PT
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You have just been exposed to classic BBA
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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And how Guido!
Now Bill Amborn is posting up!?!!
(I see he's made three other forays into the super topo jungle so far...)
This is getting richer by the moment.
You guys have to know, we all live for this stuff here on this forum.
From time to time we sink into the doldrums.
Then, as providence might have it, guys such as yourselves show up.
I assure you... we are not worthy.
But we are all ears.
Roll it out boys!!!!!
OUTSTANDING.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Joe and BBA, Great thread and a wonderful story.
We love it and yearn for more!
Thanks again,
Bruce B.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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Read it all. It's really ALL been said on this Thread.
Enjoyed every moment. Thank you and god speed. Lynnie
Pretty Darn !!!!Incredible. Peace and Joy, Always.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Bump for Joe.
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crankenstein
Trad climber
Louisville, CO
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Most excellent history! Much appreciated from the far reaches of lurkerdom.
More please!
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Double D
climber
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Great post Joe and thanks for the lens into the era.
Kletter shoes on the apron?... Ho man that's way hard core!
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John Morton
climber
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Nov 15, 2008 - 12:30am PT
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Not to pick nits, but ... Klettershuhe (German for "climbing shoes") were all those gray suede things with lug soles. There were several brands, but what Bill had were probably Zillertals. Your choice at the Ski Hut was those or Spiders. Spiders were stiff and had Vibrams, but Zillertals had Marwa soles with slanty lugs, softer for a better smear. Kronhoffers had slanty lugs too, a different brand. I think you had to send to Gerry or Holubar in Colo. for Kronhoffers.
John
Just remembered I have nearly mint K's in the basement. They still look elegant to me, with those one-piece uppers.
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BBA
Social climber
petaluma ca
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Nov 15, 2008 - 01:18am PT
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The klettershuh I had were first bought in 1958 in LA and did not have heels. They also had rather coarse suede tops, not as elegant as those in the picture above. I must have got some more when in Berkeley but don't remember if I mailed off for them or what. I never changed to another style.
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murcy
climber
San Fran Cisco
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Nov 15, 2008 - 01:39am PT
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guido and bba, THANKS and please, more, more, more!
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