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PhilG
Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
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Got to agree with you about Givler, Rick. I can recall a trip to Granite Mountains, CA. Al did some routes that I doubt ever got named, rated or repeated. He didn't (like most of us) force his way up the rock. It was like he talked gravity into letting go.
What a tragedy to NW climbing when both Mark's and Al's climbing careers were cut short.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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So 'The Crew' was on its way up to the Enchantments. We stopped for
lunch at Snow Lake. Al says, "Hey, there's this cool little slab
route right over there. Let's go do it."
"Huh? Uh, well, sure!"
We go over there, I think it was actually called Snow Lake Wall, and Al
starts up this thing. It is smooth as a baby's bottom and totally
unprotected off the ground. There was something, a flake or a crack, a
ways up that he was aiming for. About 15' above the gnarly boulders at the
base Al gets very quiet as he tests this smear. No good. He tries at least three times and says "Next!"
Ok, I had a good four or five inches on him so I go. It wasn't a reach problem though so after I pretend to make an effort Al goes back up. You could have heard a pin drop on the other side of the lake as he eases up.
He suddenly screams and our collective heart leaps into our throats.
He slides back onto the last discernible knob and turns his face towards us and says with all seriousness, "I stepped on an ant!"
Then that crazy grin takes over his face and the hysterical laughter erupts.
"I'm done, who's got the pipe?"
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Younkin
Mountain climber
Utah
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Apr 11, 2010 - 12:30pm PT
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I never actually climbed with Al but I did climb Givlers Dome with Bruce Carson, its sad when the best go so soon, Jim
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and partner
Trad climber
Leavenworth, WA
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Apr 11, 2010 - 12:51pm PT
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Hi, folks. Hi, Don... remember our trip to climb Tantalus Wall, squeezed into the old MGB, with Diana? Well, I started in 11-worth in 1963. And started doing 'hard' rts there in 1966. Lots of climbs with my (briefly) protege, Bruce Carson, and walls w/ Al Givler. I have to laugh at the Lwrth guide. Like Poison Ivy crack. John Teasdale and I did the FA of that in late winter 1971. My wife, Diana is on the cover of the old (old) Beckey Town Wall guide, on a 5.10 off-width, long hair flying. Don, these were great times. Diana and I now have a place a few hundred yards north of Gretchen Daiber-Heath and Mike Heath... in 11-worth. This place was the crucible for Salathe, Lotus Fl Twr, Tien-Shan, Nose, many other 5 and 6 grade Yose climbs... and even solos in S. America; Diana to Dhalighiri, Pumori, Mt. Kenya, Everest, etc. etc. I remember sitting at the base of Generator Crack w/ Donini, telling him to go to Patagonia, if he felt Yose was climbed out. You are now in Brier, WA!? So is Karl Kaiyala! Young Don Harder, in Tahoe, Bryce Simon in Chico. We all stay in touch. It is great to see this post--- Thom Nephew and Ron Burgner are both still in touch... but Cindy Wade Burgner and Bonney both passed away from cancer. My Diana is now fighting brain cancer GBM grade 4. It's great to hear from the old 11-worth crowd. There is no greater exercise to strengthen the heart, than to stoop down to lift up another. My best to all. DAVE DAILEY
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Apr 11, 2010 - 01:33pm PT
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Very sorry to hear about Diana's struggle. For those who don't know, she is another of the legendary hardwomen climbers from the Pacific NW. Very close to having been the first American woman to summit Everest. And, look at her floating 5.10 offwidth...
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jeffw
climber
portland, or
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Apr 11, 2010 - 02:32pm PT
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just read through this entire thread. i started climbing in 1984 when i moved to seattle and leavenworth was where i did my first routes. so many cool pictures here of the people who were the big names back in the day. awesome.
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Lionheart
Trad climber
Brier, Wa.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 23, 2010 - 04:42am PT
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Hi Dave,
Yeh, I remember the MGB and Diana doing the gear-shifting for you. Bruce and I did our 1st aid climb together up at Squamish; an earlier trip I think. We spent all day doing Big Daddy Overhang. It was only 2 pitches long. He was skinny enough to slide thru the slot and drop a rope over the last 20' for me to jug. It was getting dark and we didn't want to turn it into a G5. The next thing I know he's doing the 1st hammerless ascent up the Nose w/Chounard!!!
Remember our nightly rock toss at floating tin foil in the Squamish cave? The next night a very angry skunk screamed at us for that and making too big a fire. I was sure you's get sprayed...just the same, the fright was so fierce, I don't think you ended up smelling too good anyhow. Fun times. Hang in there Diana...prayers for you. Say "Hi" to Tom and Ron for me. Condolences.
Shall keep an eye out for Karl and fire y'off an e-mail one of these weeks. Great to hear from you again. -DL
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RadDad
climber
Thorp, WA
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May 22, 2010 - 04:10pm PT
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I thought I might add a few pics too!
Best regards, Doug
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Chief
climber
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May 22, 2010 - 06:04pm PT
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Still planning to make Gustav's Sunday June 6 (via Bozeman/Missoula) for beers and a good schooling with Donini, Mighty, Ghost, mazama Rick et al.
Any chance Julie will grace the event with her regal presence and gentle our otherwise savage condition?
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karmaseattle
Trad climber
wa
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May 22, 2010 - 10:39pm PT
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Dave - Very sorry to hear about Diana, My thoughts are with you... I was in you physics class in 1987 and 88 and very clearly remember Dianna's Everest Trip. What an inspiration! I also remember you had a couple of busted of feet/ankles from a fall and taught us while hobbling around on crutches. Your slide show from your Pumori trip was awesome! You're a big reason why I started climbing 20 years ago!
Take care and hopefully I'll run into you sometime in Leavenworth!
Scott Brainard
Lake Forest Park, WA
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Chief
climber
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An old Jello Tower favorite
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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An old Jello Tower favorite
EBs? Check
Chalk bag big enough to bivy in? Check
Swami? Check (no wussy harness for this dude)
Muscular torso on display? Check
Over-the-shoulder sling with almost no gear? Check
But wait... Those pants... They're not lycra, but they look almost like proto-lycra. The Frostback Judge deducts points for that, Perry, bringing down your score from a perect 10.00 to 9.90.
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MH2
climber
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Frostback Judge?
Moving the clock forward but still Leavenworth
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Chief
climber
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Ghost, good old cotton, I swear.
Is that a retrobolted Free Lunge we're looking at?
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bmacd
climber
Relic Hominid
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I retired my whillans harness the day after I saw Chief leading Exasperator in one. The tie in ritual with the swami was cool, I still have mine.
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MH2
climber
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Is that a retrobolted Free Lunge
Rock N' Rattle, FA Dean Hart and Randy Atkinson, 1987
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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SOS!!!! The hosers have jacked our thread!
;-)
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Oh but I was so much older then;
I'm younger than that now.
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MH2
climber
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MH2 -rattlesnake rock?
I seem to remember doing a gear route there in 82 that was lost in a wave of the future that is now in the past.
Or vice versa.
Rattlesnake Rock isn't abundantly supplied with gear opportunities.
But, speaking of Old Leavenworth Climbers, sometime in those early 80s I did a gear route on Rattlesnake's neighbor Piton Tower, with Darryl C if I remember rightly, and there was a summit register which included entries for Fred Beckey and "Fred's girl".
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bmacd
climber
Relic Hominid
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Two times, Mugs Stump award recipient, pulling down another Leavenworth classic test piece as a teenager.
http://www.mugsstumpaward.com/winners.html
The Mugs Stump Award is given annually to climbers attempting alpine climbing objectives that exemplify fast, light and clean tactics. The awards are a tribute to the late Mugs Stump, one of North America’s most prolific and visionary climbers, who died in a crevasse fall in Alaska in May 1992.
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