Dresden-Classic Steve Roper Ascent 1974

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mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Oct 24, 2012 - 03:11am PT
More from Mountain mag. and other parts of C. Europe.
I apologize for not having the first page of the article, which deals with Oliver Perry-Smith.

http://www128.pair.com/r3d4k7/HistoricalClimbingImages3.1.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Perry-Smith
Brian in SLC

Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 24, 2012 - 11:22am PT
Great stuff!

High on my list of places to visit. I've run into Czech and Dresden climbers in Italy a few times and they always speak well of both sides of the river.

Supposed to be an enormous amount of towers...a hit list might be near impossible to put together!

I have the Chouinard poster with BA leading barefoot...the pilgrammage would have to include trackin' him down for an autograph (photo by Barber too!).
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 15, 2013 - 10:15pm PT
I got Kurt Albert crossed up with Berndt Arnold upthread though I bet Kurt climbed here.
Fat Dad

Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
Mar 16, 2013 - 12:32am PT
That article about Henry Barber in Dresden was in the first edition of Climbing Mag I ever bought. I get bummed when I think about Dresden though.

In 1985 I applied to go on a climbing exchange to Dresden with the AAC, which was being organized by Ad Carter. The following summer, not hearing anything and just graduating from UCLA, I used the last of my cash to travel to Paris for a month to study French at the Sorbonne. I get back to LA and find this letter waiting for me saying I'll be part of the exhange and I need to be in Europe in two days. My parents never told me the letter had come. Had I known, I just would've stayed over there and taken the train. Out of cash and no way I could be in Europe in two days, I had to call Ad Carter and tell him the bad news. He was so pissed!
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Nov 10, 2013 - 05:06am PT
Bump
Blakey

Trad climber
Sierra Vista
Nov 12, 2013 - 11:45am PT
There's some wicked stuff in these tales.

A worthy Bump!

Steve
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 23, 2013 - 10:35pm PT
Bump for webbing nuts!
Lasti

Trad climber
Budapest
May 26, 2014 - 09:55am PT
More Sandstone BUMP
Lasti
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
May 26, 2014 - 10:13am PT
So much has been made of the climbing style in Dresden...how pure, how bold....let us bow down and give homage.
It would be truly remarkable if they transported that style elsewhere....NOT SO!
Albert and Arnold's routes in Patagonia are anything but. Royal Flush was a multi day effort with fixed ropes and bolts at EVERY belay and on every pitch, sometimes next to cracks.
When questioned about this, and I paraphrase, they said that they wanted to make it a route that would be "comfortable" for people to repeat, one that would not require bringing so many cams. Christ...Fitzroy is a magnificent mountain not some little sandstone spire in a dreary part of Germany.
If you develop weird ethics and police them with religious vigor can't you respect other areas that are really significant?
F10

Trad climber
Bishop
May 26, 2014 - 10:24am PT
I remember reading this when I was in the 12th grade.
For some reason the photo and statement "strapping on a device best left to a porno flick" made a lasting impression on me.
Even more so was the impressive climbing.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
May 26, 2014 - 04:12pm PT

Echte Elbsandsteiner: Bernd Arnold - Wege nach Innen
[Click to View YouTube Video]

At Steve's wish...
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Sep 2, 2014 - 05:48pm PT
bump for the Elb

Andrew Barnes

Ice climber
Albany, NY
Sep 2, 2014 - 10:41pm PT
From Steve Roper's original article (at the top of the thread):
===
"It is often pure joy to watch the septuagenerian climb, a half-century of
technique behind him, every move precise and thoughtful, but then I feel
sad when I watch once-powerful arms quiver with the strain of a pull-up.
But, god, if I could climb like that in 2014 ... .
===
Great article, and appropriate for us in 2014 ... .
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
Sep 3, 2014 - 04:15am PT
When Steve posted this article, it actually gave me some hope! And here I am, in the Dolomites...with RAIN, RAIN, and still more RAIN! Mother Nature is a bitch.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 3, 2014 - 08:36am PT
The sun is always shining in the Calanques...LOL

I had the wonderful experience of climbing with Fritz in the company of John and Ila Rupley in the early 70s around the same time as Roper's visit. I had similar thoughts about him as I watched him artfully work around the lack of raw power in his arms.

On the drive back down to Tucson I asked Fritz what would happen if he couldn't climb anymore. He drew a slow, deep breath and with an utterly piercing look into my young eyes stated firmly "Ven I cannot climb, I vant to die."

It was a poignant glimpse into the depth of his alpinist soul and I will never forget it.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - May 8, 2015 - 11:04am PT
Bump for 150 years of wild climbing history!
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 25, 2016 - 02:38pm PT
Merry Christmas Bump...
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 21, 2017 - 06:31pm PT
Bump for the bold...
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 18, 2018 - 09:57am PT
I recently had the opportunity to sit and go through the entirety of Ascent magazine with Roper and Steck and this article came up of course as Steve's experiences here were unforgetable.
Messages 41 - 59 of total 59 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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