Request for stories about Valley climbs

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Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber

Appalachia

Aug 21, 2011 - 08:45am PT

Patio & Goodrich Pinnacle

I used to free-solo a lot of stuff in the 1970s. In Tuolomne I free-soloed the Great White Book about 20 times, often after a bunch of toking and often carrying an open can of Budweiser on the climb. I free-soloed the Water Cracks on Lembert. I also did a lot of free-soloing on glacier Point Apron. I even free-soloed and down-climbed the Grack in hiking boots. I always down-climbed the routes, although I used to carry a 50m rope on occasion. Down climbing really made you a much better climber. Here I am free-soloing Patio Pinnacle (no rope for the descent).

Also did a winter ascent of the Prow over Christmas 1983 with Bill Crouse.

Roger Breedlove

climber

Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Aug 21, 2011 - 11:20am PT

This is an old thread!

Here is my trip report on the first ascent of Freewheeling with George Meyers and Kevin Worrall. //Freewheeling: La Direttissima per Ora Dove, in b/w, Oct 1973// I found two rolls of B/W film we had taken. Ed scanned them for me and I wrote down everything I could remember.

Selfish Man, did Barry feel up to climbing his classic "Lunatic Fringe?" I think it is so cool that Barry has started climbing again.

Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber

Retired to Appalachia

Aug 21, 2011 - 11:32am PT

Holy crap, is selfish man Barry Bates?

Hey Barry, I remember watching you crank one-finger (one-arm) pullups in the back room at the Cupertino North Face store.

How you been crazy man?

Harry

steveA

Trad climber

bedford,massachusetts

Aug 21, 2011 - 11:48am PT

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1114340&msg=1114340#msg1114340

My story of soloing the Prow.

Roger Breedlove

climber

Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Aug 21, 2011 - 12:01pm PT

SLR, Barry posts under his own name and he lives outside of San Antonio. He climbs at Enchanted Rocks, close to Austin, where Selfish Man lives. This is a recent picture of Barry, I think.

Speaking of Lunatic Fringe, sometime soon after Barry had first climbed it, I casually rode down to Reeds with Dave Bircheff to climb it, assuming, wrongly, that I was more than prepared for such a classic 5.10. We only climbed with Hexs and Stoppers, so the protection was sketchy. The crack width was outside my sweet spot by a mile and I started melting, a long way from my last good point. Then the 'Watch me' calls could be heard thought out the Valley, with increased frequency and abject terror, followed by whimpering and gasping sobs as I downclimbed pulling my decorator protection and yelling “up rope” to Dave.

Finally at my good point, I regained by manly status and announced that it wasn't a good day for climbing and lowered off, never to return.

Barry and I have remained good friends.

Bridwell said it best: "I don't like to climb with Barry: he is too strong!"

selfish man

Gym climber

Austin, TX

Aug 21, 2011 - 08:50pm PT

Roger's information is precisely correct. We are lucky to have Barry around here in Texas and he is a strong and inspiring climber. But I'll shut up since he may be reading. The Lunatic Fringe photo was taken couple months or so ago.