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the albatross
Gym climber
Flagstaff
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Dec 29, 2014 - 04:05pm PT
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Climbing has been labeled with many titles. It is called anything from a sport to an art. We are Conquistadors of the Useless to borrow a beautiful title of an older climbing book. For such a “useless” activity, it has changed the lives of thousands. Usually for the better!
To some, climbing is purely physical. To others, predominantly mental. To a few, spiritual. It can be whatever you like it to be! For me and many others it is all of this put together. Climbing seems to be an excellent microcosmic analogical parallel to life itself.
I like to consider the first ascents I have done to be works of art much like a painting on a canvas or a sculpture in marble. They are experiences all of their own. Another language of expression. It takes a creative eye, the willingness to take an idea (or a dream) and put forth effort to make it a reality.
Oddly, the climbs seem to take on the characteristics of the first ascensionist themselves. Or is it the other way around? For me, finding, making and traveling new paths on the stone is the highest rung on the ladder of this silly game we play.
Words of Fly'n Brian McCray
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kk1982
Trad climber
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Dec 31, 2014 - 01:26am PT
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Thanks for sharing those words, Albatross. don't stop...
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Dec 31, 2014 - 04:25am PT
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Albert your love for Brian is an inspiration, keep it coming.
Thank you!
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the albatross
Gym climber
Flagstaff
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Dec 31, 2014 - 07:32am PT
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Thank you so much for the encouragement. It has made this snowy morning even more beautiful.
There is a joke that has been circulating around for years. Put yourself in a crowded bar and how can you tell who is involved with the climbing media? Well, obviously they will tell you. But if you are a wallflower like me, the easiest way to tell if someone is a media whore is to throw a quarter on the floor and run. Because there is likely to be a riot. I imagine if you tried that in Boulder or Carbondale they would have to call in the Colorado National Guard to restore order. Ha Ha!
Brian was well known for being "anti-media" particularly in the last 6-7 years of his life. Can you blame him? After all if you are feeding hungry mouths and they gnaw your hand to pieces it can become difficult to trust certain types of folks. But we need to remember that Brian has moved on and it is our obligation for those of us who knew him to share his stories, his life, so that his legend and spirt lives. Where else but ST can a community come together and share tales of such an amazing person? As just one example, there are posts here from Ron Puterbaugh and Eddie Begoon, two of Brian's earliest climbing mentors and friends, men that Brian wrote about with fondness and respect. (good stories to come soon)
I wish I could speak more specifically about the extremely technical aid ascents and big wall free climbs that Brian did, but the places we hung out are still relatively untainted by climbers. We felt that more climbers can only take away from the magic and dilute the experience. It's probably difficult for some to understand, yet we weren't climbing for points on Mountain Project or to sell our souls to the mags. We climbed for the unknown, for the adventure. For the fun of it!
Keep those stories coming this way. We owe it to Brian.
Wishing all the best in the new years.
Albert
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Dec 31, 2014 - 10:19am PT
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Marietta Uhden...
11/26/.2014 by Planetmountain
Marietta Uhden, born in 1968 in Munich, the highly talented German climber and important world reference point for sport climbing, passed away in the night between Sunday and Monday 24 November after a long battle against cancer.
Uhden travelled widely both to climb outside and to complete.
Between the years 1990 and 2005 Marietta Uhden played a leading role in climbing competitions, winning the German Lead Championship a staggering 10 times, winning the German Bouldering Championship twice and winner bronze in both the 1997 Lead World Championship in Paris and the European Championship in 2000.
Her climbs will certainly be remembered fondly also by the
Arco Rock Master spectators who always reserved a special applause to Uhden,
after having identified in the German a shy but hugely determined, ever smiling personality.
Uhden also found the time to climb superbly outdoors and as early as 1997 she repeated Happy Biceps at Austria's Schleier Wasserfall, an 8b+ that could easily be graded 8c.
After numerous other routes this difficult, including Le Must in the Verdon Gorge, Wassermusik at the Schleierwasserfall and Baby-Basher at Kochel,
In 2001 Uhden managed to climb one of the first female 8c's with her redpoint of Sonne im Herzen also in Germany's Kochel area.
With her premature death the world climbing community looses a great persona and an example to all.
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the albatross
Gym climber
Flagstaff
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Dec 31, 2014 - 02:49pm PT
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"Over the course of my years I have witnessed countless climbers posturing, puffing, pounding their way to the so called limelight of our honorable sport. Desecrating the very nature of the Human Spirit and the Rock itself. Everybody wants to be a hardman. Few care to step out of the herd, escape the corral and do the work necessary to find and climb new routes, actually take (not feign) risk, and most of all, behave with integrity and humility towards their fellow man."
"On the other hand, I have met many kindred souls and formed meaningful, truthful relationships with hundreds of climbers throughout this world. Some I've only briefly met and some I've known for years. Climbers as a whole seem to understand each other more than average. We are resourceful, authentic and earthly. I am thankful for all those I have shared rope, trust, adventure and danger with!"
All above text, except photo captions, was written by Fly'n Brian McCray.
I share these photos and writing with some reservation. Brian was a private person in most ways and we should cherish that aspect of his personality. At the same time his climbing accomplishments deserve recognition. His high end free and aid ascents in Yosemite, Zion, Alaska, Red Rocks and Asia should be noted and remembered.
More to come next year…
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cbburton
climber
Burbank, CA
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Dec 31, 2014 - 06:14pm PT
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It's more than wonderful to read through everyone's posts about Brian. I worked for Brian for a year or two, resoling shoes in his shop on Industrial Blvd., while he traveled around.
I have many fond memories of him coming back into the shop, after having been somewhere climbing some of the things mentioned earlier in this thread. All work would grind to an abrupt halt and we'd sit around talking for hours, and hours. I've never met such a 'humble badass' as Brian, although it wasn't until years later, after reading about his adventures (written by someone else) that I realized what he was out doing when he was absent from the shop.
There aren't any good words that I think accurately describe him, but he was an amazing human being. It still makes me incredibely sad that he's gone, but he is not anyone that I'll ever forget.
Thanks to everyone who has posted, and continues to post, in this thread.
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coolrockclimberguy69
climber
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Dec 31, 2014 - 06:28pm PT
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"What's it going to make us do up there?"
Brian and Ammon would say this to each other before going for a push on a big scary route. Always cracked me up and to this day every time I find myself looking up at a nasty-looking pitch, I ask myself "what's it going to make me do up there?"
Thanks, Albert and everyone else, for all the photos and stories.
edit: I'm also curious about that shot of young Brian atop what looks like Zodiac. Rigid stemmed Friends and Vuarnet Cat Eyes...mid to late 80s?
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rockgeir
Trad climber
Tucson, AZ
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Very cool to see all of these new stories and photos added! Thanks!!!
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the albatross
Gym climber
Flagstaff
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(I received this email last night and am posting at the request of my pal WJ)
Brian and my relationship mainly consisted of email correspondence. Through mutual friends and the email conversations we developed a mutual respect and understanding that first ascents in wild untouched places and the world of climbing media did not go together. We both had been burned in the past and understood the cost of glory for self-indulgence.
We met separate from climbing and always talked about someday sharing a rope together. Our mutual interest for wild places and new routes for the sake of the experience (not for a magazine cover shot) seemed to bond us even without sharing the experience of creating a route together. I have now come to understand Brian as a very talented artist and collector but to me he was a master at one art form. The art of creating a climb. Ascending something that before was thought impossible. From finding a line and putting in the thousands of hours of work to finally redpointing the crux or aiding the deathfall runout, he was a MASTER. Brian was one of, if not the most versatile and competent climbers of his generation. He knew and was comfortable on any type of stone from 5.13 to A5.
On April 5th I took a fall rope soloing that resulted in a broken neck and a brain injury. After a month in the hospital and many more months of rehabilitation, I was struggling with the mess of ropes, gear, and rescue bolts drilled so they could pull me back from the void. Even though the most trained climber would hardly notice this mess 800 ft up in a place no one would look for it anyway, it was driving me crazy. I received a get well card from Brian and knew that he was the only one able to help. I sent a long drawn out email to him explaining that he was probably the only one around that could follow my route to retrieve the mess. He replied immediately and was making arrangements to go get my stuff this fall. I knew the A4 climbing and soft stone would be no problem for him.
5 months out from my accident, struggling to stay awake after 60 plus hours of watching my wife do the most hard-core thing I have witnessed, the birth of our son. We were in the hospital discovering a whole new big wall (having a newborn) when I got a call from Albert to congratulate me and to tell me some bad news. It seems Brian passed at almost the exact same moment our child was born.
Brian and I never did get to climb a wall together but we will forever be connected through this odd chain of events. Maybe it’s not so odd after all…
WJ
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Ogden, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 6, 2015 - 10:16pm PT
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"What's it going to make us do up there?"
It was actually: What are "they" or "is he" going to make us do up there.
The question was directed towards the first ascentist. We loved climbing routes that had a reputation of being hard and would cuss out the FAist (as a joke) for being so bold.
We really liked the clever and absurd Eric Kohl routes and cussed his name plenty, ha ha.
Been thinking about you a lot, Brian. Miss you bro!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, albatross... oh my, thank you for WJ's very very touching story... oh my...
and say, 'hey there ol' ammon' this eve...
prayers for brian's gramma... and family...
for this new year as it unfolds without him...
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the albatross
Gym climber
Flagstaff
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McCray wrote:
There are many problems that come to climbers especially when crags become "mainstream". Climbers are the most critical group (of each other) than any I have ever seen. Most of the labor and financial commitment of the development of climbing areas comes from probable 1% of the climbing population. The rest of the 99% of the climbing population sit back and pocket their own money and enjoy the crags. The 1% are open to the most harsh criticism available and generally get little appreciation. If there is appreciation there is certainly no support financially! This is a very selfish group and society as a whole that we live in.
I have said before that arguing ethics is like arguing opinions. It is endless and futile. My opinion is that about 10% of the 1% willing to go out and put up routes have no business owning drills. They don't understand aesthetics, quality, vision, etc. But who gets to say?!
I have experienced entire crags of mine chopped/ removed by climbers trying to please government offices. Squeeze jobs between my routes that were 10 feet apart (did they think I didn't see the holds in between the 2 lines?!). New crags I found with maps and months of driving and hiking with maps that were shared with a few in confidence in early development end up being sprayed all over. I go back and find people trying to send my projects before the other 60 routes at the crag are even bolted. My first trip down to Portrero around '95 I bolted a route down there at the Outrage wall after Kurt Smith and Jeff Jackson both gave me dissertations on chipping and hold enhancement. While trying to redpoint all I heard was what a terrible thing I had done. I could go on and on. Most work that you do in climbing will be meaningless and thankless!
My best advice will be to find a few partners that you can trust and respect and avoid as many others as you possibly can! Don't tell anyone where your new crags are. Avoid the media and online forums as much as possible. And do your best to have fun!
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Chippychopperone
Social climber
SLC, UT
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One of the best posts I have read in a long time.
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Burt
Social climber
Angelus Oaks, Ca
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Well it has been a while since I have dared to even read the thread about Brian. 139 days since getting one of the worse calls of my life. Actually a message on Facebook from Brian's girlfriend asking me to call her ASAP. I thought nothing of this... see my wedding was in a few weeks and getting Brian corralled long enough to get rooms booked, travel arranged, and dates correct was a job in itself so I figured Flo took the reigns on this one. "Kurt Burt... Brian is dead." 139 days, 2 hours, 7 minutes ago those words still echo in my brain.
The kind of guy that Brian seemed to most was sometimes the farthest thing from the guy that I knew. His brash behavior, tell it like it is mouth, and ridiculously confident climber was sometimes left far behind we where together. I've seen him back off pitches, or walk away without a word about a subject he was so versed in, and even bow out of an altercation just because. We have spent countless nights looking up off the portaledge laughing about the stupidest things, or weeping over there serious ones. We fled the pull of the earth as we climbed higher into unknown territory, getting a few moments of relief from the everyday grind of life. I look at myself today, and like most of you that read this would give anything to be back in that simpler time, when life was just easier. The Kurt Burt and Brian show was that time for me. Now it seems so foggy, so damp, so real. He is gone... 139 days. I hate time. She is a cruel bitch that is slowly making Brians memory fade, and in so making my days seem brighter, and with less doubt.
Well here is the story that Fitz Cahall wouldn't run about Brian in his article about the mythical man. He called me for a story about Brian, and this is what I gave him. He wanted something about climbing, something about who he was... I laughed and told him this is who he was.
Listening to the stupid heart monitor beep was really getting old. I wanted to yell but it just hurt too much. The night before, a nurse decided that I needed more meds then my body could handle, and to make a long story short, after they got me settled down I had to have a monitor for a few days just to make sure I was ok... so beep, beep, beep, it went. I was into my 3rd week at a Trauma center in Las Vegas, after a 50 foot ground fall. Broken from head to toe, and still unstable in the spine. I was being tube fed, but on the cusp of getting real food and hopefully able to at least roll over. I was broken, completely broken. I had to ring every time i had to sh#t, then a half hour process as the lifted me ever so slowly to slide a bed pan in, then enema me so I didn't push... my pelvis couldn't handle the strain they said.
Todays was particularly rough, my stomach seemed 4 times the size of normal. I tried to sh#t, I got the enema, I just laid there flat on my back while multiple people watched me struggle naked from the waste down. I wanted to punch them all, I was mother f*#king Kurt Burt. I can do it myself and instantly I would succumb to the pain. what seemed like hours for them to decide what to do about my distended belly my dear friend walked into the door. Brian. It was time for his daily visit. He had my rope and gri gri at his shop and was trying to figure out why it didn't catch... but before he could relay his findings a nurse came in and told me their diagnosis... gas. I literally was in tears, feeling like my stomach was about to pop, and you tell me I have gas? I told the nurse, "trust me if I had to fart I would have!" she laughed and said it was because of my position, flat on my back is why, they needed to roll me over. A small crew came in and without a pause the nurse ordered Brian to help out. She told him to hold my hips and no matter what, do not let go. He jumped up and seemed eager to help me out. They cradled me so gently, and slowly rolled me over. As I got to my side it got real, it got real fast. The amount of gas the started to flow out my ass was insane, like I felt like I should have been tied down. Now picture this, Flyn' Brian McCray who at that time was on his way to being one of the best all around climbers of our day, known as the tough guy in climbing, standing in a hospital room holding his climbing partners hips, only a thin fabric gown keeping his body from my ass and now the gown is flapping... this went on for what seemed like minutes. I kept apologizing, but the gas kept coming... When they rolled me back over, I could't look at him without laughing. God we laughed, it hurt to laugh, but I couldn't stop. We laughed about this for years to come.
He did what he had to do, and that is who he was. He wanted to help me, and fix my problems in any way that he could. He gave me some brutal talks, and when my first marriage was dissolving, never letting me take the easy road and blame others. I talked to him just a few nights before he died, he sounded so good. He asked about my kids, about my bride to be, and we talked for a bit. He ended our conversation in a cryptic manner, and I firmly believe he was telling me goodbye. He was making sure that I was ok. In the time when most see it as his most selfish hour, he was still out there making sure that his people where going to pull it off.
139 days seems like so long. In 139 days I don't call his phone everyday anymore, but I do listen to a few voicemails that I just happened to save almost everyday. His website still haunts my bookmark bar, and I do click on it just hoping to see the little green symbol telling everyone he is resoling again. I flip through our topos and stare pictures of routes that we climbed, and they seem like they where just yesterday. He was closer to me then anyone ever has been, so losing him left a hole that I can't seem to fill. I apologize that I don't get on here more and tell the world about how much fun he was and what a good time we had, but I can't. It just literally crushes me. I have my demons and am in battle as I type this, just 10 days ago I walked up to the base of the leaning tower hoping to solo a route. I hiked my gear stood at the base and wept. I just couldn't pull free of the ground. I have a ways to go, but I'll get there. Who knows, maybe in another 139 days I will be spreading his ashes somewhere that meant something to him.
Kurt Burt
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Burt
Social climber
Angelus Oaks, Ca
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Jan 12, 2015 - 03:53pm PT
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This picture I just found... It was my birthday and my girlfriend had a big surprise party for me and my grandfather (we share close birthdays). Understand Brian, he hates social events and always said his friends where burdens... then he would smile and snicker. Anyways the party went off without a hitch and it was truly a neat experience to have so many people show up to wish me well. Well about a hour into it there was a knock at the door. Brian walked in. He walked up to me and gave me the warmest embrace. He told me his obligation as my friend has exceeded its boundary line and now this was going to cost me. We talked for hours about my schooling and my family. As he left he leaned over and told me that he missed our adventures and that we need to get out and have some fun. He told me that I had something that most don't... I had heart. He used to tell me I climbed so well for a fat Mexican with a full time job and a family. He used to joke and call me "the best worst climber in the world, now imagine if you actually dedicated yourself to climbing?!! You'd be unstoppable!" We cheers Mufuddy, and thanks man!
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the albatross
Gym climber
Flagstaff
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Jan 12, 2015 - 04:53pm PT
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Kurt thanks for sharing those stories. I know the two of you did many adventures together, lots of significant first ascents in the desert. It is going to be cool to see those posted here.
Grief is perhaps one of the toughest aspect of living, it has helped me to share parts of Brian's life with the world. I have noticed several nice obituaries in some of the climbing mags online it would be cool if people linked those to this page as we add to Brian's astonishing legacy. There is no doubt in my mind (and lots of other people) that few individuals have had the combination of high end free climbing combined with the skills of cutting edge aid. Brian's talent should be recognized and honored by us.
Stich thanks for sharing that quote from the guidebook.
More tales from the crypt:
What was the first route you put up? Why put up a new route? What did that feel like?
First route I put up in Zion was Stigmata on Issac. New routes provide a sense of adventure and problem solving found nowhere else in climbing. We ran out of water and were pushed to our limits so we felt pretty rough. After the pain wears off there is a sense of accomplishment like an artist would feel in completing a painting.
Why are first ascents more attractive than repeats?
Are they? If they are why are first ascensionists so un rewarded, un respected and criticized? First ascents always require more work, commitment, suffering, labor, hardware, time, etc. I guess if some people think they are more attractive it is the slight consolation given to the new router
What does it take to put up a new route in Zion?
Time, hopefully and sense of style and a vision for lines. Thats the same for everywhere really so I guess in Zion you just need to be willing to get a bit more dirty
What were you looking for in new routes in Zion?
Nice aesthetic lines with a high level of difficulty. I don't think a single route of mine has been repeated there so I may never get to talk to someone who appreciates the routes
Who else was very active during the time you climbed in Zion?
The locals (Draper, Bird,French, Brody, etc) were busy with some things but nobody seemed to know what anyone else was doing. I hadnt met those guys yet. By the time I got there the earlier FA hardmen were gone. I think the scene has largely been dead since but Zion is relatively small and rock is soft. Hard aid can only be so hard because of the soft rock.
Were there any unique ethics or techniques developed to deal with the soft rock or other unique features of the area?
I eventually starting using large 7/16” x 2 1/2” rivets/ machine heads in 2” holes for placements that required a hole to be drilled. Before that people including myself used hooks, beaks, pins, heads, etc. All of them were less than desirable over time. Free climbing has improved and people have climbed harder cracks. On Stigmata and many of my routes I climbed free a lot 5.11-5.12 amidst the aid pitches which I dubbed “hybrid” climbing. Most aid climbers dont free climb that hard so I think harder new routes can be done on sight like this.
What are your thoughts on the 'creative scarring'' Olevsky technique used on Prodigal, Touchstone, Spaceshot, etc.?
I think its a “cop out”. If that was a good technique we would just chip holds to make hard free climbs 5.9. Those placements were likely going to get worn larger after subsequent ascents anyway
What do you see for the future of Zion climbing?
As I said, Zion is relatively small and limited. Most significant lines are done. Some few new ones will get added by the ambitious few. The parks are getting more and more crowded due to the Park Service's amusement park mentality. Rules and regulations increase constantly. Most climbers nowadays and good little boys and girls and prefer to play in cultivated playgrounds. The few who are not like this are constantly ducking and dodging and will explore further into obscurity and isolation.
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Burt
Social climber
Angelus Oaks, Ca
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Jan 12, 2015 - 09:25pm PT
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ohhh Stigmata.... my first ever FA and got to do it with Brian... I will have to pull that one out of the confines of my mind... It really needs to see a second ascent. These are pics we took when we got down after hydrating in a really rancid water hole... including puking in the water... then drinking more.
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Keystone
Trad climber
Page,AZ
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Jan 15, 2015 - 02:46pm PT
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It was something along the lines of “This is f*#king bullsh#t. Why did I ever agree to follow you idiots?” Brian screamed from several hundred yards below us.
“Well if he had ACTUALLY followed us, he wouldn’t be lost right now.” I grumbled to Albert. “Why would he take off on his own if he has no idea where he’s going? If that as#@&%e keeps yelling at me I’m out of here!”
A week earlier, Albert and I had negotiated the convoluted dirt roads of the remote Paria Plateau, then hiked a mile or so from road’s end to the edge of the Vermillion Cliffs (VC’s) and after a few failed attempts finally located the top of the “Albatross”. That evening we called our rope gun Fly’n Brian and excitedly told him of our grand plan to access the upper half of the route from the top rather than hiking the grovel trail from the bottom, and he agreed to try it. The morning of our descent, Brian had slept in as usual, then woke up, slammed a Red Bull and like a bat out of hell, loaded his pack and blazed a trail in the direction of the route. We shouldered our packs and tried to keep up but didn’t catch him until he had made the same mistake we had made a week earlier and cliffed himself out. When Brian finally post holed up through the sandy talus to reach us he made sure to insult us with a few more profane gems and my only thought at that point was, Fly’n Brian McCray was a f*#k and I would never go climbing with him again.
An hour later I hung from the rap line with five gallons of water dangling from my crotch and some of the most butt puckering exposure I had ever experienced. The pig I was supposed to bring down still lay on a ledge above us because I didn’t have the balls to ride it down the wall. Brian had already been to the bivi ledge two raps below me and had jugged back up to see what was taking me so long. There were two ropes on the anchor so Brian was able to climb up beside me.
“Where is the haul bag?” he barked.
The exposure had gotten the best of my bravery and “I’m f*#king terrified Brian,” is all I could muster.
He looked me in the eyes, confirmed my ineptitude and began belly laughing. The cloak of intensity he had been wearing fell away and underneath a smile of understanding and concern beamed.
“Don’t worry man you’ll be fine. Just trust the gear,” he said in a comforting voice and off he went to retrieve the bag.
In that moment I saw the wonderful soul of Brian McCray.
I am a pansy. I hate big walls. They scare the sh#t out of me. I prefer boulder fields, splitter crags and well spaced bolts. I vowed never to return to the VCs but when Albert convinced THE Fly’n Brian to come out and partake in them, I had to be part of it. Not part of it in a climbing sense but more as a spectator who earned his seat in the peanut gallery with his Sherpa skills. Watching such an amazing athlete perform his craft was one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to do in my climbing career and even better was that I got to become his friend. I’m a huge sports fan and I do not exaggerate when I say I would have turned down Super Bowl tickets to watch him climb. What impressed me most about his climbing was not his technical prowess but how he tenaciously attacked a route with a complete lack of fear. Once, throughout the crux of the Dog and Pony Show (A4+), we had a full on conversation about the guiding business I was attempting to create. It was mind boggling to me that there were something like a dozen beaks and a death whipper below his stance, yet he chatted nonchalantly with me about the unimportant detritus of my life as if we were sitting on the sofa. Through eight years in the back country of the VC I never once saw Brian hesitate. Once he committed there wasn’t a moment of wasted thought or action, there was one direction and it was up. When he would wake up in the morning (always the last one) he would piddle around a bit, participate in some idle banter, then in an instant he would put on his cloak of intensity and change from an inquisitive, politically incorrect, irreverent , brutally funny person to a fearless machine with only one speed…. FAST! I saw several times when the intensity resulted in a pissed off partner. When Brian pushed the “Play Button” he had no filter and could cut like a knife, which resulted in a few of them vowing to never to climb with him again but when the day was over and the climbing turned into rest, he would snap out of his hypnotized state and return to his harmlessly fun nature. Like a drunk sobering up he would come to the realization that he had gotten out of line and I saw him on more than one occasion show remorse. Those that could forgive him and see that “Oh, that’s just the way he is. He’s harmless,” became his friend and got to know what a great person he was. I was lucky enough to be one of those people.
If you even knew him superficially you knew that he hated the climbing media with a passion! There was at least one diatribe dedicated to this subject on every trip we took. When we first started climbing the VC my plan was to write about and photograph our exploits so that I could achieve my dream of being published in Rock and Ice. Brian made me realize how vain this dream was. Almost everything Brian did was Rock and Ice worthy yet you rarely read about it (and if you did, it wasn’t fully endorsed by him). He climbed simply for enjoyment of creating new routes and trying like hell to get to the top of them and no more. He was a humble man. To articulate how humble and uninterested in trophies he was, I would like to tell you about Brian’s battle to free climb the Albatross. For eight years or so he threw himself at this route and despite many, many attempts he could not overcome the pump of the crux Splitter pitch and would fall short of the chains. Then, on a warm December day I photographed him passing his high point. I screamed up at him like a fanatic at a basketball game. He was finally going to send it! I stood up and paced back and forth, wringing my hands nervously and wishing him to the chains. I didn’t know who was going to be more excited about it, him or me. But then he slowed, sputtered and slumped onto the rope a cheater stick from success. I was dejected. Brian lowered, cleaned his gear and then passed the sharp end to his partner. His partner flashed the pitch and went on to get the first free ascent of an incredible line that Brian had invested so much time, money and soul into. I felt like my favorite team had just lost the big game in the final seconds. When I finally moped my way back to base camp I expected to see a depressed climber but instead found the opposite. With a satisfied sigh, all he had to say was, “I’m glad it’s been done,” and that was it.
So now I sit at my computer and wrestle with my conscience. If you would have told me a year ago that I would be posting stories about and photos of my climbing hero/friend, THE Fly’n Brian McCray, in Supertopo I would have punched you in the lips. I wonder what Brian would want me to do. I have come to the conclusion that he would be OK with this thread because those that have posted here are doing so out of love, respect and a desire to document the history of a rare human being. I miss you my friend!
Kyran Keisling
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redrocker
climber
NV
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Jan 15, 2015 - 08:50pm PT
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Outstanding Kyran!
Great writing and a wonderful tribute to your friend.
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