Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Dick Erb
climber
June Lake, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 14, 2010 - 09:13pm PT
|
When Eric Beck and I went up to do the second ascent of the south face of Mt. Watkins, the pitch that scared me the most was one that Pratt described as a jam crack at the limit of his ability. I was hoping it felt that hard to him because they were so wasted by heat and dehydration. A few pitches below this an accident ended our attempt.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=778437&msg=978220#msg978220.
Returning several months later with Madsen, I chose to lead the pitches I hadn't led previously, and he ended up with the pitch. It is now rated 10d. There were no 11's in that Valley at that time. Jim took off from the belay and was quickly out of sight. He paused just long enough at the crux to call down and say, "I don't know if I can do this pitch", then went right up it.
|
|
Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
|
|
|
Jan 14, 2010 - 09:23pm PT
|
That is a very telling and cool story about Madsen, Dick. In hanging around Jim and Kim and Loyd a few years later, his free climbing skills never came up.
|
|
Dick Erb
climber
June Lake, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 14, 2010 - 09:33pm PT
|
Jim could be a mellow guy but he did have a temper. There is a story I remember, but I can't remember who told it to me. It may have been Tom Hargis. He and Jim had done a route on Half Dome, and were descending. Jim decided to walk down the slabs without the cables. Some where a ways away from the cables he had to stop and work out a move. There were a couple of young guys hiking the dome that saw him out there not moving, and started gooning him. Stuff like, "Hey show off, your not as brave as you thought. gettin' scared eh." This got Jim's dander up, and he told them he was going to rip them limb from limb, or something like that, and started traversing back toward the cables. The guys took off and Jim went after them, chasing them for miles with a big pack of gear on his back before he finally cooled off enough to let them go.
|
|
Dick Erb
climber
June Lake, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 14, 2010 - 10:40pm PT
|
Eric and I arose in the predawn darkness of Camp 4 to get an early start on some climb. Eric had one of the few cars among the climbers there and we were going to give a ride to Schmitz and Madsen. Jim was up but Kim was still in the sack. Madsen declares, "Time to get up". Kim groans, "It's still night". Madsen, "The birds are singing". Schmitz, "They've been singing all night". Enough, Madsen grabs a picnic table and hurls it into the air. Stuff is flying all over the place. Kim rolls over and says,"If that's the way you feel then I'll get up". So Eric and I hang out for awhile while they get their act together, until Jim comes over and tells us that they can't go now. He is going to have to stay and deal with the folks whose stuff he broke like that record player over there on the ground.
|
|
MH2
climber
|
|
|
Jan 14, 2010 - 11:07pm PT
|
He paused just long enough at the crux to call down and say, "I don't know if I can do this pitch", then went right up it.
That's the spirit.
|
|
guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
|
|
|
Jan 14, 2010 - 11:24pm PT
|
Dick
Just read the write-up on Eric dislocating his shoulder on Watkins in 67. On a free ascent with Eric of the Regular Route on Phantom Pinnacle around 1961, we got into a similar episode with "the" shoulder. I think he was leading the first 5.9 pitch when it popped out of place. I not sure if it was his first dislocation but it was my first experience and I recall how difficult it was physically and and how painful it was for Beck to reposition the shoulder.
Admirably, he was able to climb the rest of the route and handle that strange set-up getting into rappel from that exposed position near the small tree at the top. Hardy soul!
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Jan 15, 2010 - 09:28am PT
|
Another gem of a thread being lovingly faceted by friends...Awesome!
|
|
Shameless Yahoolihan
Trad climber
west malling, uk
|
|
|
Jan 18, 2011 - 06:37pm PT
|
Don't know if this is true or not, but it was said that when Schmitz and Madsen were doing the East Face of the Column, they discovered they were both too thick for the Harding slot. So Madsen freed the outside. If so, it would have been (and still would be) an incredible lead.
|
|
steveA
Trad climber
bedford,massachusetts
|
|
|
Jan 18, 2011 - 07:28pm PT
|
Funny I never noticed this thread:
I was a newbie in the valley. It was a long time ago, but I remember one night, Schmit and Madsen came by my campsite. I was immediately struck by the intensity of these 2 guys. I still remember it 40 years later. There was a certain energy that these 2 guys radiated which was kind of unique.
|
|
MisterE
Social climber
Cinderella Story, Outa Nowhere
|
|
Bump for the memory of Jim.
|
|
CaNewt
Mountain climber
Davis, CA
|
|
John Howard and I were sitting at Degnan's having a beer shortly after lunch when Madsen and Schmitz walked up. We started to kid them as they said that they were going to climb the East Face of Washington Column that day. Their reply was, "We already have!" Then we just bought them a beer. If I recall, Jim couldn't fit in the Harding Slot and did climb the outside of the crack. Must have been summer of '68?
|
|
Steve Hickman
climber
Norwood, CO
|
|
|
Jan 12, 2012 - 11:00pm PT
|
I was there- - the lone ranger along with Lloyd and Jim and ??? I was supposed to depart the next day with wife Janice and babies Don and Jeff for new assignment in Rocky Mountain NP, but put that on hold. We (Camp 4 and rangers) got wind of the situation and shared concern for Pratt and Fredericks and impending mean weather forecast. Swedland was particularly anxious. So we walked in (rain) all night from somewhere below Crane Flat with mostly lots of rope. Got situated under the shelter rock on top of El Cap and pretty soon it was beginning to get light. Lloyd and I went to a spot above the route with a nice protective overhanging roof. We rigged some anchors and Madsen loaded himself with a ton of rope / anchora / some hot thermos stuff / dry gear and a NPS radio. We (Lloyd and I)actually checked his rigging and rap system-- rope up through a biner and across two biners and back down. Pretty standard approach with one overhand know at end (n0 biner). Jim backed off and rapped down a single perlon, then got started to set another anchor- - the rope made a wierd jump and he screamed "what the fuuuucccckkkkk- - we heard him bounce/hit a couple of times and froze in brief traumatic shock. Lloyd grabbed the radio and called park dispatch and said-- simply- - "Madsen fell" and- - as sort of an snticlimatic comment- - a practcal suggestion to send some people up to the base to find him. Comment later in Camp 4 was that he "landed on his feet". Rather useless info. Lloyd and I regained composure, pulled up the empty rope with shiny compressed squeezed knot at the end. NPS flew some people and rescue gear to the top, including Schmitz, who remarked that it would probably happen to him some day. The weather was not bad as predicted abd the helicoper was able to fly by Chuck and Chris and determine that that they were in fine shape and needed no assistance. I think after they topped out they recalled a disturbance in the force as a UFO whizzed by. I checked out with the Superintendent, Chief Ranger, et al- - somebody gave me a pint of good whiskey in case it would help and I headed off for Colorado. We probably should have encouraged him to have a bigger knot or carabiner at the end of the rope, but we didn't. Steve Hickman, retired in southern AZ.
|
|
Steve Hickman
climber
Norwood, CO
|
|
|
Jan 12, 2012 - 11:30pm PT
|
I just wrote about being the lone park service ranger when Madsen fell-- but I don't see it in the replies. Lloyd and I were at the top of the rope and last to see Jim alive as he went down,
|
|
pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2012 - 12:30am PT
|
thank's for posting steve.
what a sad story.
|
|
fsck
climber
¯_(ツ)_/¯
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2012 - 12:36am PT
|
epic thread
|
|
Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2012 - 01:41am PT
|
Wow, Steve - thanks for sharing.
|
|
Dick Erb
climber
June Lake, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 13, 2012 - 09:26pm PT
|
Steve Hickman, Good to see you here. I remember Michael Covington telling me how helpful you were when he broke his leg. I was glad to see Stich's post right below yours. Indeed, sometimes talking to Madsen was about as useful as talking to a locomotive.
|
|
PhilG
Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2012 - 11:23pm PT
|
Steve:
Thanks for posting and adding to the history of this meaningful thread.
|
|
Hilt
Social climber
Utah
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2012 - 11:29pm PT
|
What a horrible thing to remember and a wonderful way to honor his memory. May the best of us and who we are never be forgotten.
|
|
guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
|
|
|
Jan 14, 2012 - 12:17pm PT
|
Yo Steve
Good to see you back on ST.
In many ways you were always the "Lone Ranger" back then. I remember a wild night in Camp 4 when we were all a wee bit toasted, how unusual, singing and partying away with some of the Brits, Mick Burke and crew, and "the Rangers" came over to hassle us and you dove across the fire and tackled one and they went ballistic until they realized you were their boss. That was pure gold.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!