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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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Jul 22, 2009 - 02:46am PT
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Anders,
Have not heard about the public memorial service yet.....
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Anastasia
climber
Not here
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Jul 22, 2009 - 04:09am PT
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I heard that it was on the 27th, but alas... I have no detail beyond that.
Hugs,
AF
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jul 22, 2009 - 05:23am PT
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Memory
Bachar was bumming in his van outside the Ahwahnee Dorms when Brenda Lugo lived there. Probably 1981 or 2.
I was incharge of the dorms at night so I always let his unofficial presence slide cause I was a climber and Brenda was a friend.
Still it wasn't alway easy cause Bachar would play his sax in the van and it wasn't low key. Folks complained (and his initial talents with the sax weren't on par with his on-sight ability either. The Sax he learned the hard way, but he learned it)
Still, even though the company hated climbers back then, they knew better than to go up against Bachar! Some people have a personal power that opens doors for them that would slam on the fingers of somebody without it.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jul 22, 2009 - 05:02pm PT
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno
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Jul 22, 2009 - 05:32pm PT
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I heard the 27th too, Ana. Faint rumblings tho, really. I've booked the time on my calendar as spent in Mammoth that day. If it changes, so will my calendar, I suppose.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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Jul 23, 2009 - 01:27am PT
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So this jb Dude was doing his thing in Jtree while Brenda was there building a human pyramid of people with the folk after the climbing day was over. Brenda was beauty and fun. He focused. Like his bro said in the John Bachar dvd....jb was ocd or some brand.....but it worked for him.
Just another story from the past. Prayers with all of you that love him. Peace.
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sunnyside
Boulder climber
boulder
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Jul 24, 2009 - 12:28am PT
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Posted a bit on Mountain Project a while back. John was brought up again in conversation at our local hangout last night, an old valley friend and I talked about the good times back in the valley when we were teenagers. We talked for hours and remineced on those days, the history is astounding when looking back and one could attempt to articulate, on and on.
I recently discovered a primo chunk of granite in Boulder Canyon, Colorado and naturally named it after the great man. John was always an inspiration to us and will be missed. For those who'd like to see the Bachar Block, it is posted on Mountain Project in his memory.
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Gobee
Trad climber
Los Angeles
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Jul 24, 2009 - 11:11pm PT
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BACHAR-A-GO-GO
Sorry, for repeat, I thought it got deleted. But I like the new route name?
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Jul 25, 2009 - 01:26am PT
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If I can get the energy sometime soon I've have to relate the first ascent of White Rastafarian by JB and I when we were kids. Or when we went on a western states bouldering expedition - 35 years ago. We had Ament's Master of Rock book and we tried to visit every photo we could featured in that book. You should have seen JB on some of those problems. He was something to behold. Even Gill was amazed when we hooked up with him for the Grand Tour.
So many memories . . .
JL
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Damian C
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Jul 25, 2009 - 02:45am PT
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The first climbing photo I ever put up on my wall was of JB on White Rastafarian... it'd be so good to hear those stories, John.
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S.Leeper
Sport climber
Austin, Texas
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Jul 25, 2009 - 10:00pm PT
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Just a reminder of the good people we have lost of late..
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hooblie
climber
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Jul 26, 2009 - 08:22am PT
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sending this up with john in mind
it has such a soulful plea for connection, a reach and glide that ascends like smoke right thru the scrum and embroidered contraindication.
coltraine's "dear lord"...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCb2f7FesaY
after a couple of rounds in the sweat lodge, drawing air through a spray of sage, my voice yields a bit and
humbly offers a range of tones that frame this melody. the grace notes and rhythm inhabit my own auditorium,
but the tears flow on cue.
i only heard our john blow in the early days, when he just aspired to play the beauty that he heard.
he never quit working to wrap his fingers around perfected expression.
i think the quest softened his touch, left room to recognize the humor in an earnest struggle.
we watched the empathy seep in and now he's on his way. y nosotros tambien compadre
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Jul 27, 2009 - 03:45pm PT
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so sad. so many of us gone ahead. don't know what to say anymore.
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ikellen
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Jul 28, 2009 - 10:10am PT
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I happened to cruise through rc.com today and got to read the horrible news. I know I'm about a week late with this, but it's still a shocker to hear.
I had the pleasure of spending a day climbing with John back in 2007. I had met him through the gear shop I had then worked at, and even though I held him to be somewhat of a climbing celebrity, he was surprisingly down to earth, even to a then 19 year old ski bum who had trouble mouthing the words "nice to meet you". I was starstruck to say the least.
I sent John an email later that day essentially admitting my awe at being in the presence of someone whom I considered a true legend. On a whim, I left my phone number at the bottom of the message. Two days later I randomly got a call from a number I didn't recognize.
"Hello?"
"Kellen?"
"Yeah, who's this?"
"It's Bachar"
I probably almost lost it right there, but awkwardly made my way through a phone call that ended with us planning on going climbing later that week. I hung up the phone and immediately called all my climber friends from back home and gloated as if I had just played one on one with Michael Jordan.
Going climbing with Bachar was intimidating for me, but at the same time one of my most treasured climbing experiences. I was in decent shape at the time, and told him I'd be game for anything 5.10, and maybe I'd chance a 5.11 or two. 4 routes later my arms were begging for a break, and Bachar was just warming up.
After flailing out on a somewhat tough 10c route, I had to lower off after 4 bolts and sheepishly admit defeat to what was problem John's solo warm-up. We pulled the rope leaving 4 of John's draws on the route. I felt somewhat embarrassed at flailing out in front of a man that I held so highly, but more embarrassed that I left his gear up there.
I sat somewhat silently at the base of the route, hoping that I wouldn't be forced to try to flail my way through the route again so we wouldn't have to leave gear. It was then that I watched john drop his harness, chalk his hands, and immediately start to ascend the route in his signature free solo style. I watched in awe as the living legend lived up to everything I had imagined, easily sending the route and collecting all the gear I had left up there.
I was amazed and in awe, and at the same time felt somewhat pathetic for my poor effort in comparison to the walk in the park I had just witnessed.
I never got to climb with John after this, as he suffered his tragic car accident seemingly almost weeks afterwards. However, it was a true pleasure to witness this man work his trade, and an even greater pleasure to have known him and been able to spend time and pick his brain about all the legendary ascents I had read about in books and magazines.
While I am no deep close friend of John's, it still saddens me that the climbing world has lost a true icon of the sport, one who embodied adventure and challenge in every route he climbed. Some may have questioned his motives and purpose, but it is no question that he contributed more to climbing and the people who got to climb with him in his 52 years of life than most of us will collectively in our lifetimes.
R.I.P good sir, hope there's long splitters and clean granite in heaven.
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AlexReinhard
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Jul 29, 2009 - 12:22am PT
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We had just interviewed John about a month ago. The day we were scheduled to reach Mammoth, the brakes to our VW Van burned out and I had to call John to see if we could reschedule. I expected him to be a prima donna and decline the interview because of his reputation as an outspoken climbing god. John was just like "no problem come on by tomorrow". He told us he had burned out the brakes on his vw years ago too.
John's frankness made for one of our most interesting interviews. He wasn't hesitant to use profane language either, which was awesome. He gave us beer too! After the interview he left us in his house alone to pack up our equipment because he had to go climbing.
I put together some footage of his interview posted here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY1SealpQ4w
Thank you for telling us your stories John. RIP.
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Jobee
Social climber
El Portal
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Jul 29, 2009 - 12:58am PT
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Alex,
Thank you.
John Bachar was and always will be my friend.
The footage brought much peace; John Long and Peter Croft ...Wow!
Sincerely,
Jo Whitford
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