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Tamara Robbins
climber
CA
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Aug 12, 2009 - 07:47pm PT
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though this is not the most accurate thread for this, it's where I was! I had encountered the posts on old Ascent issues, and wanted to offer my efforts at recirculating climbing literature of the past. I've put in substantial time over the years archiving Climbing, Climb, Ascent, R&I, etc. and would be happy to share these in whatever form! I'll be traveling to Modesto in the next month, and could scan and send then. Let me know what would be of interest!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Aug 12, 2009 - 08:01pm PT
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Do you have "Cutting Canadian Capers", from Summit magazine of the 1960s? That is a cool article; maybe hard to find, though. Steve Grossman seems to have a good collection of Summits, so he may have it.
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Tamara Robbins
climber
CA
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Aug 12, 2009 - 08:02pm PT
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BTW, Bad Climber, I can say with complete and total assurance that the last thing Royal (my father) has is a "monster ego". Perhaps you have misread or mistook information about him... ? though not a climber myself, I do have a bit of insight into the nature of the beast - and feel safe saying that generally climbers (especially the most renowned) LACK a monster ego. When Dad, et al were excelling at climbing, it was far from a coveted "profession" - not much in the way of fame and fortune to be sought there! Regardless, I look forward to hearing your reaction to "To Be Brave", and hope you enjoy the read!
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Tamara Robbins
climber
CA
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Aug 12, 2009 - 08:06pm PT
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I don't know exactly what's in the archives from here (Moab) - but will check for that when I'm at the homestead in a few weeks. I can say with certainty that the collection of Summit issues is extensive!
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Bad Climber
climber
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Aug 12, 2009 - 08:38pm PT
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Tamara et al: I look forward to reading the book. As I said, I really enjoyed the Rock Craft effort and expect this to be even better given his greater perspective on everything with the passage of years.
Re. ego: I think going up to chop Wall of the Early Morning Light speaks for itself. His encounters with Batso are infamous. Still, I hold no personal ill will against him. He has always been a climbing hero of mine--as was Batso! :) This book will certainly be part of my library.
BaD
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Brian
climber
Cali
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Aug 12, 2009 - 08:45pm PT
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If I recall correctly, RR told me that he used to jump trains hobo-style as a kid. He told me that he once tried to jump from one train on to a train going in the opposite direction, in his words "an intelligence test that I failed." I don't know if those stories are in any other collection of his work. He told me the stories after a slideshow years ago. Maybe some of those train-jumpin stories are in the book?
Brian
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Tamara Robbins
climber
CA
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Aug 12, 2009 - 09:12pm PT
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Train hopping? You betcha! Hence the tracks spliced in.... :)
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Aug 12, 2009 - 09:13pm PT
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I would love to read a "single volume" autobiography of RR"s life. He was an amazing climber who blazed a trail still being followed by contemporary climbers. But let's put things in perspective, Royal's major contributions to climbing covered a decade and a half. I haven't seen any biographies of Einstein, Ghandi or Churchill that spanned six volumes.
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Tamara Robbins
climber
CA
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Aug 12, 2009 - 09:15pm PT
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BaD: BTW, I believe all accounts of the W.ofEML contained Dad's ultimate respect for Harding's line and humilty about the whole endeavor? Perhaps I'm mistaken?
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Tamara Robbins
climber
CA
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Aug 12, 2009 - 09:20pm PT
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I want to be clear that I am NOT speaking on my father's behalf... but from what I know, the multi-volume format has more to do with a new and interesting "approach" than anything.
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jstan
climber
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Aug 12, 2009 - 10:32pm PT
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It is a great time when a seminal figure still lives. That way there can be new exciting discoveries every day.
The truth? It may be 100 years before we really can view things in a way that stands the test of time.
We need to be patient.
I know that is asking a lot from a climber.
But there it is.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Aug 12, 2009 - 10:53pm PT
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I for one (of many) am truly looking forward to reading this book.
I really appreciated what he said at the Bachar memorial and am intrigued to see what else he has to say, considering all the stuff he's done and places he's been.
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Gene
climber
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Aug 12, 2009 - 10:56pm PT
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I'm glad you came to our campfire, Tamara. Stick around please.
gm
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Aug 12, 2009 - 11:10pm PT
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Thank you Tamara for your unexpected contributions here. How fun it is to hear from Royal and Liz’s first child. I was with your father quite a bit before, during and just after you were born...much to say there. What was it, 1971? It was a huge moment for him and it took him many months to get ready for you, their first birth.
Everyone else, just wait for the book. They have published this themselves of course, so keep that in mind. There will be plenty to talk about when we can all read it. There will be more there than you anticipate. He is going to try to interpret what he has lived through.
I am sure he has done a good job. He may attempt to rewrite some history; he may not. That would be tempting.
The guy could be the best friend you could ever hope for; he also could be a wretch----even Ament has indicated this a few times in his biography. The main thing was he always was trying to figure everything out anew and it wasn’t easy back then. I am also very grateful he came to the John Bachar memorial.
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Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast
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Aug 13, 2009 - 01:32am PT
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To Be Brave...
Royal was a Boy Scout (started climbing in the scouts)... it's from the scout law -
"A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, BRAVE, clean, and reverent."
Seems more like a summoning up of some courage to do something heroic and daring, not braggadocio. There was also moral courage to be different and climb clean. But maybe that's a stretch? Dunno.
Royal is rad.
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Todd Eastman
climber
Bellingham, WA
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Aug 13, 2009 - 02:06am PT
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Tamara, thanks for putting in your thoughts. Your dad set a high standard and shaped the way many of us tried to climb. A game needs rules and he helped write the book.
Best to you,
Todd
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WBraun
climber
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Aug 13, 2009 - 02:15am PT
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Tamara
When I first started climbing around in Yosemite I always wanted those blue Royal Robbins boots made by Galibier after only having Sears work boots as climbing shoes.
Anyways one summer in Tuolumne everyone I saw wearing a pair of those blue boots I would first think it was Royal.
Never did see him.
Until one day that summer I was hitchhiking some where, forgot where, and a VW bus stopped and the guy said get in.
It was your dad ......
Bridwell told me how Royal eliminated bolts by lowering off a ledge because the pins were in the bottom back and you couldn't haul standing up. I thought that was so stupid and so cool at the same time that I employed this method on a new route myself once.
I wouldn't care to much about what others think about your dad if I were you. He's your dad and that's all that matters.
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Aug 13, 2009 - 04:07am PT
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Wow, Little Tamara
I was living with your mom and dad in Modesto when you were born. Royal was off on a "work" trip to Europe and I was the defacto dad while LIz adjusted to being a new momma.
Good on you, stick up for the OL' Boy. You have two very creative and powerful parents and irrespective of the climbing parameters, you were fortunate to be raised by the likes of Royal and Lizard. We could all be so lucky?
As far as the Wall of the Early Morning Light saga and the second ascent by Royal and Lauria, enough has been written and it is well documented as to the difficulty and the respect the endeavor entailed.
Perhaps someday we will get a chance to meet again, " although I would probably not recognize you."
cheers
Guido
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Roxy
Trad climber
CA Central Coast
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Aug 13, 2009 - 10:34am PT
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Right on, bump for the brave - the only thing better than a climbing thread is a thread about a climbing book!
At the moment I can only think of Marcel Proust whose autobio was done in volumes - maybe Dostoevsky ? - anyow, can't wait for the book to arrive...
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Aug 13, 2009 - 12:20pm PT
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As far as the issue of “how many volumes are we going to see from this man” and how perhaps no past giants of any sort have gone to six volumes, Pilgrims, you are neglecting the great Le Roi Jones (Amiri Baraka). He issued his “Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note” in 1961. V. funny title of course and it was just his first coyly titled collection of verse. But seriously, I think it is the default listing template of the apparently “vanity” publisher, “Pink Moment Press”. (Not at all clear what else they have published by the way....) The second volume is “Fail Falling” which I would guess is going to be more on his fun arcane and cryptic theory that we let go rather than actually simply fall (yawn).
If nothing else, let me assure you the man has had a lot of fun being alive!!
For the herpetologists amongst us: here is Chris Vandiver and RR about 1972-ish. Take a close look at it. Vandiver was quite absorbed by and with RR.
And next is RR beheading a Matilija Poppy out in the desert north of Kelso, 1970/71 winter when he and I were on a kind of road trip that hardly involved climbing but was all about RR trying to get his mind around the fact his wife was pregnant.
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