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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Apr 22, 2010 - 12:21pm PT
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Steve, Betty Woolsley is another of the top female climbers of that period, most active, I think, few years after Miriam Underhill and Elizabeth Knowlton--who participated in significant new routes both east and west. I really should have included her in my previous post. I think that it is particularly interesting how many active and highly capable women climbers there were, at least in the northeast, during the 1920s and 30s, but then the numbers, and position near the cutting edge, dropped drastically from the '40s through to the late '60s (Bonnie Prudden being a notable exception). I have no doubt that general social and demographic trends throughout society were key contributing factors for this state of affairs, but it is noteworthy nonetheless. By the late '60s, at least in the Gunks, women climbers were again becoming more numerous and more active in climbing (and leading) harder and new routes. There were the "Vulgarian" women such as Gerd Thuestad and Elaine Matthews, and a bit later Patti Crowther and Cherry Merrit (Austin)were all climbing particulaly well--leading on to Barbara Devine--who really was in a different league entirely--until a young woman from SoCal arrived in the Gunks.....!!!!
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OldEric
Trad climber
Westboro, MA
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Apr 22, 2010 - 12:54pm PT
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Another name that from that in between era that Al mentions that I think is noteworthy is Jan Conn. Probably not recognized so much on her own as she was a early example of "Bradgalina" - answering to "HerbandJan".
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EdBannister
Mountain climber
CA
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Apr 22, 2010 - 01:07pm PT
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I remember going to see Mike Hoover and Bev Johnson (they were married) at their home in Eagle Rock, dropping off some gear as they prepped for another trip to Antarctica. Bev was checking out her Gyrocopter which she would fly, and film from at the same time. She was zipping around the yard showing me stuff, and wanted to show me the thick, prebent poles on her noth face tent.. HER noth face tent, a giant half pipe upside down that could be set up in 110 mile and hour wind. It was her design and North Face, had been so cool to build it for her. Bev was so enthusiastic about leaving for the trilp. and all the shots they would get with the second Gyrocopter with longer range... all told as she speedily hobbled aroung the yard in her plastic ankle foot orthosis bracing a recent fracture.
That, was Bev.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 22, 2010 - 05:53pm PT
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Al- I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Bonnie Prudden in three sessions totalling ten hours. The highlight was a four hour session with Dick Williams talking all about her Gunks days. I will get into some more detail on the Gunks thread.
Two other women climbers were mentioned by Bonnie, Ann Gross and Maria Millar. Do you know much about these two gals?
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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Apr 23, 2010 - 11:52am PT
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Steve, I really don't know anything about either of those 2 women other than that they were amongst the Gunks climbing community of that era--and that Maria has one of the more popular Gunks routes named in her honor. I'll be fascinated to read the account of your interview with Bonnie Prudden. She undoubtedly was the most significant female climber in the Gunks until Barbara Devine arrived 20 years later. By the way, I hear through the grapevine that there will be another Gunks reunion--the 75th anniversary of climbing there--over Columbus Day weekend. It would be fantastic if Bonnie and some of the other women could show up and, maybe, make a presentation similar to the Vulgarian panel last time.
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BBA
Social climber
West Linn OR
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Apr 24, 2010 - 10:34am PT
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I ran into the name of Mary Ann (Corky) Matthews in the Mt. Starr King register as the leader of a couple of Sierra Club trips up there in 1966-1967. I also saw Mary Ann Corthell went up Starr King in 1953, and Mary Ann (Corky) Corthell is in the YCA site. Then there are references to just "Corky" with no last name on Supertopo. These are all the same person. Barry Bates said in his welcome thread, "Corky (Mary Anne) Matthews, who climbed in Yosemite during that period, was one of the people who taught me to climb, so it didn’t occur to me that Bev’s climbing was anything unusual for a woman to do." So Ms. Matthews was one of the early climbers, and she had a bent for teaching others. She stayed a long time having credit for a Valley first ascent, John's Other Chimney, in 1953 with John Ohrenschall, and she led trips and taught others. Bill Amborn
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Double D
climber
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Apr 24, 2010 - 11:45am PT
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Clint, thanks for posting the story on Margaret Young. I had the privilege of going to high school with her son Collin and climbing Mt. Shasta’s Whitney Glacier with her in late ‘76 and she was a “rock.” This was after several drought years and the ice was a translucent-blue that was almost impenetrable with tools requiring an acute balance. She was so strong that I didn’t even realize that she had cancer.
She was truly an amazing woman in the history of North American climbing.
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bmacd
Trad climber
Beautiful, BC
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Apr 24, 2010 - 02:32pm PT
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 27, 2010 - 07:45pm PT
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Al- When Fritz first went climbing with Bonnie, he readily recognized her talent and remarked "it looks like we have another Maria Millar."
I hope that Bonnie came manage a visit to the Gunks gathering this Fall because she is a wonderful person and you would certainly enjoy meeting her. I will be seeing her very soon to try some further encouragement.
A panel of Gunks Gals would be awesome! Great idea and it might help my sales pitch! Otherwise a Fritzfest would be grand enough.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Jan 23, 2011 - 11:18pm PT
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Liz Holley never climbed but she knows more climbers I'm sure than any other woman in the world! And more climbers are scared of her than any other woman in the world. i only met her once, but she's a real character.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jan 23, 2011 - 11:24pm PT
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Just upthread, but long ago, Bruce asked about Alice Purdey. Alice is alive and well and living in Burnaby with Fred Douglas. She spent many years as a community health nurse, particularly in the Smithers area and then in Nepal, southwest of Kathmandu. But she's been living back here now for some years, and is more or less retired. She's still very active in the outdoors, particularly through the BCMC, but also has two grown and married children, and at least one grandchild.
Glenn (Tricouni) ahd Hamie (Hamish) could say much more about Alice's feats during the 1960s, when she was perhaps Canada's leading female climber.
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Apr 12, 2011 - 09:09pm PT
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I'm gonna jump in here at this late date to mention an almost completely unknown woman climber: Anne Carrier (now Anne Raubach, my wife!) We met in 1980 in Cleveland, Ohio on a business call to a client. I got invited to go out to a local area called Hinkley (site of an annusal buzzard festival!) for some toprope climbing and bouldering after the business call. She showed a lot of real promise and at that time considered herself a "Gunkie" or Gunks climber. She moved to Boulder in March 1981 and we became good friends and regular climbing partners. That Summer, I introduced her to the joys of Eldorado Canyon, Boulder Canyon, and the Lumpy Ridge. Her first Lumpy Ridge climb was Osiris, and after I hyperextended my left shoulder on the first lead, she took over the lead with my coaching. It was her first-ever experience with hand jams and was lots of fun. I felt better after a while and resumed the lead for the cave exit. Our list of Boulder and Estes Park Classics grew to over 35 climbs that Summer and we took a trip to Yosemite that August.
In Yosemite she really blossomed into a pretty fearless leader on some classic runout climbs: Grack Marginal and Grack, Right Side. We also bagged The Surprise with the 5.10a thin crack finish...the site of her very first whipper.
I plan to at some point post an appreciation thread for her, as she is now terminally ill with Huntington's Chorea (Huntington's disease is a neuropsychiatric disease characterized by deterioration of the brain and associated motor skills).
By the late 1980's Anne had become the leading woman climber in Fremont Canyon with the first (as far as I can determine) female ascent of "Gleaming the Cube," 5.12a. She abruptly quit climbing in 1992 upon the death of her Father.
More to follow...
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Gene
climber
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Apr 12, 2011 - 09:20pm PT
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BDC,
My thoughts and prayers are going out to your wife and you.
g
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Apr 12, 2011 - 09:39pm PT
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Gene-
Many sincere thanks! Actually, Jan suggested this as a way of honoring my wife and her accomplishments as a rock climber. Anne also was a successful Bugaboo climber with a female-led ascent of the Kain route on Bugaboo Spire.
Her better accomplishments were in Fremont Canyon and Joshua Tree. She managed a no-falls toprope ascent of Butterfly Crack on Trashcan Rock in 1885, a real accomplishment for a "reach-challenged" climber. (She's only 5'0" tall). Did an early female ascent of "Dillingham Blues," 5.10c, at Fremont, too. She and Kelly Moore were working on a Route that Kelly later finished with another partner after she had to deal with her Father's terminal illness. They had completed a first 80 foot lead to a sling belay on "Rogue Warrior," 5.12b.
Gene-
I received your second message, and for some reason I can't respond through my personal e-mail; thanks and that's just the way I feel about her.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Apr 13, 2011 - 09:25am PT
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I'm looking forward to seeing some climbing photos of Anne as well.
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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Apr 13, 2011 - 09:53am PT
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Great addition Roger, post some shots of your wife if you have any older shots! Prayers will be with her and hope the two of you are still enjoying a life of love together!
Peace
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Apr 13, 2011 - 11:53am PT
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Jan and Ron-
Thanks for the very kind comments. here's one that I was able to scan from an old kodacolor print. Everything else is on kodacrhrome slides that need to be digitized. I'm presently going through 20 boxes of slides and viewing 6 carousels to find some GUD stuff.
Anne had enormous upper body strength in those days, and could do 22 pullups at a set. It really offset her height disadvantage.
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