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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 10, 2010 - 12:53pm PT
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I bet that he used his own footprint, too! LOL
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jul 10, 2010 - 01:06pm PT
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Martin Boysen, who knew Don well, told me the Yeti thing was a complete fabrication designed to pull in sponsor money for future trips.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 13, 2010 - 10:23pm PT
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Sheridan's spoof from Joe Beige Meets Godzilla, Mountain 31.
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mark miller
Social climber
Reno
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Jul 13, 2010 - 10:29pm PT
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I'm struggling to endure the Whillian's book and Messiers book,,,,,I'm going back to G Meyers Yosemite climber, after every Freaqkin chapter.....I hauled the plumbing cart to work-everyday, or I left my partner and summited.......BS.....Gawd damn what happened to real folks? Fulkin Euro's......
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 18, 2010 - 03:41pm PT
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Don negotiating a tricky bit on the way to the Lost World!
I can't wait until I have a chance to read Hamish's account. Just got it!
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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"... So I 'it 'im."
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Jul 13, 2011 - 07:35pm PT
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I couldn't say enough good about my friend Whillans and my friend Jim Perrin. These are the real spirits. Whillans and I hit it off from the
first time we climbed, in fall 1966, when Royal brought nuts to Eldorado and made me use them on Ruper and try to use them on harder... In England, with Whillans, I laughed so hard my stomach almost cramped. Jim's book is like everything he writes, just simply good. There are errors, but what book doesn't have them? It's a deep look at a true icon... Donini (I use this name, so as not to confuse you with Perrin), Don would buy almost anyone a beer. It was how far into it you could get, and into the conversation, before he recognized you were full of b.s. At the national conference, Don and I were in the nearby bar where he bought me my first "Shandy," a lemonade drink with a splash of beer, and we overheard two climbers debating whether mental ability or physical ability was more important in climbing. Don blurted, "What if youuu don't 'avvve either?" The house came down.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Jul 13, 2011 - 08:05pm PT
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He seems to have become a sad and somewhat bitter character in later life, almost self-destructive
A very common human condition......
Doesn't happen to everybody, but nobody could accuse Whillans of being the Lone Ranger on that front.
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Jul 14, 2011 - 11:40pm PT
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Whillans was never sad or bitter, in my experience, and not
in later life. He was always solid and positive. His health
wasn't great, because he smoked and drank too much, and he
died in his sleep, but few
could outdo him in his prime, as a physical athlete... He was
quite impressive even in much later years when he and Brown
teamed for a reunion climb in Wales, one of those vertical testpieces.
I'm trying to think of the name, Cemetery Gates, possibly, or
one of those off right of Cenotaph Corner... It was a pleasure
to watch him make those moves and joke about being a bit out of
shape... when most men that age could hardly get out of their
rockers...
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Jul 16, 2011 - 12:13pm PT
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Thanks for that, Dingus. That was a magic day, with
Whillans and Robbins, fall 1966....
My last images of Whillans are from England, when he
was crowned "beauty queen" at the National Conference.
He and Dennis Gray and others dressed up as women
and did a hilarious fashion show, with a table of female
judges. At one point Whillans backed up toward the judges
and lifted the back of his skirt...
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Gypsy
Social climber
Usually behind the camera
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Feb 20, 2015 - 02:33pm PT
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Ooh just saw the post above this one. Patrick Oliver--didn't you climb El Cap with Randy Hamm?
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TYeary
Social climber
State of decay
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Feb 20, 2015 - 02:34pm PT
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Cirque...
TY
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 22, 2018 - 10:10am PT
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Bump for fun. Gotta figure out a way to get rid of those PhotoF*#ket watermarks...The OPs are easy enough but psat that they are a real bummer.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Dec 23, 2018 - 07:07am PT
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Lot of good Whillans stories and insight in Bonningtons Boys. a Must read INMOP. He certainly got screwed over by bonnington and it seemed to cause some bitterness but the screwing also seemed self inflicted to a large extent....
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Dec 23, 2018 - 10:12am PT
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 23, 2018 - 10:31am PT
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That is priceless! And not a trace of "toxic masculinity". LOL
Back in the seventies when streaking was all the rage Whillans was giving a talk when a streaker made the scene. As the story goes Don didn't miss a beat and said "Well I'll be buggered...and so will he if I catch him".
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FRUMY
Trad climber
Bishop,CA
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May 12, 2019 - 09:56am PT
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