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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Cool thread Jorge-"I get stronger when I shake!" -Yabo quoted around the time of the Spiderline solo if memory serves. "Yerian Centurian, all hail to the power and the glory of the Burnouts of Gore!" drifts in from long ago.......
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Jude Bischoff
Ice climber
Palm Springs
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I have lost two of my best friends over the last 10 years. I think about them every day and wonder what the world would be like if just....
Yabo lived life large and beautiful. I never knew Yabo. One of my good friends was dating Yabo's girlfriends best friend the night the call came in that he had ended his life.
Do any of you care to share any insights as to what drove him to end his life this way? I guess the obvious is he was so in love with this women he could not bare to live without her.
Those of you that knew him, who was he? What was the essence of Yabo's being?
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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The shirt comes off...
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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That first shot of Yabo on Spiderline above is gold, just look at the smile on his face as he looks down at his bro's. Never knew him very well, just the legends.
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Bldrjac
Ice climber
Boulder
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I guess the best story I have takes place in the Valley.
One day Richard Harrison, Yabo and I decided it might be fun to quickly climb the North Buttress of Middle Cathdral Rock. I think we thought it might be a cool thing to do because not many people we knew had done it and it wasn't hard (5.10 or so). We left camp early and each of us had some gear. I had a pack with maybe a quart of water and something else, maybe a windbreaker or something. Richard had the rack and Yabo had the single 9mm rope we brought. Somehow, Richard and I let Yabo go in the lead ahead of us. BIG mistake!
The plan was to solo as much of the climb as we could and then ALL three of us agreed that we would stop when the climbing got sketchy and rope-up. Now, most of the climbing is pretty moderate, like 5.7 or so and there is enough 3rd and 4th class stuff for the climbing to not feel too difficult or spacey but back then the climb was pretty dirty and there was some loose stuff and I wasn't then (nor now) the most confident soloist.
So, Richard and I are soloing along together, chatting, he just ahead of me and together we watch as John quickly disappears above us. BUT, we had made this agreement that we'd belay whenever anyone felt like it, so we weren't concerned. Well, when that moment arrived and I needed that top rope neither the rope nor Yabo were anywhere in sight. We're like ten pitches up the route by now. We have to go UP. Richard was pretty cool and just walked it but even he wanted a rope to tie into. I sort of have this memorty of running into a layback crack that was shallow, steep and dirty but the rock was rough and I kept going up and down, up and down to get my courage up. Eventually, I think Richard just lowered a series of tied slings down for me and without embarassment I just pulled up on those to get by the crux. There was another short section higher up that Richard talked me through but when we fially arrived at the Cat Walk there sat John with the rope still around his back sitting there grinning for all he was worth!!
I don't think either Richard and I were mad, we were just glad to have done the climb and gotten away with our lives. When we asked John why to didn't wait for us he said, "I was having such a good time I forgot all about you guys".
When he moved to Boulder he and I hung out abit together and he was trying to get back into bike racing again. He never did feel like he fit into the climbing scene here and to me he didn't seem very happy here. He was a great guy and I smile whenever I think of him. He was definately an original and I do miss him. Like the sign under the freeway says, "YABO WOULD GO!"
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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there was a period in 80's Josh when I regularly shared a campsite w/ Yabo - we climbed together, drove to town for showers and stuff - back in my '56 Ford pickup. He was a legend then, easy to see why - champions have an aura, it was clear he was gifted and driven in a pure and powerful way - a higher frequency oscillation - the blood of a winner the mind of an artist - my sense of loss moves me to tears, his passing has become symbolic - I count myself lucky to have been a friend then,
for I am one of those who knew him and miss him and the wild clouds of chalk he left in the sky...
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Tahoe climber
Trad climber
a dark-green forester out west
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beautiful thread.
please post more if you can.
didn't know him, but I'm still, way inspired by the stories and pictures of yabo's life
-Aaron
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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My older brother took his life and I was as close to him as anybody. I can't figure it out. He had problems with our father. Yabo also had some issues with his father. I'm not saying that it's the cause, but it might have something to do with his psychological makeup.
When I was an aspiring climber back in the seventies, I would go to Castle Rock often alone to boulder. Many times I ran into this guy that was a truly amazing climber. I would kinda follow him around and learn as much as I could. Eventually we met and he showed me all kinds of technique. I only knew him as John. I never became a Yosemite local like John but did manage to climb a few valley routes. As the years went by I would run into John occasionally. He was a man of many moods. As for the shaking, that was a part of his style. He would often shake right before pulling off some unreal move.
I had a few meetings with John shortly before his departure. He seemed a bit detached and subdued, but that was one of his moods and I didn't give it much thought. If anything could affect John it was a pretty girl.
he will always be an integral part of my own character developement and I feel grateful to have interacted with such an unique individual. He is sorely missed. Wherever you are John, we love you brother...
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Nick
climber
portland, Oregon
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One winter night in 1980 Santa Cruz when the wind was blowing hard and the rain was coming down in sheets, I needed to head to the lab to prepare for an upcoming lab final. A knock on the door reveals Yabo standing on the doormat soaked to the skin and looking like death. " Can I stay here, I'm really sick" I let Yabo in looking as bad as I have ever seen him, he flops on the couch and goes into the shakes with a coughing fit. My girlfriends eyes are as big as saucers, because of the Yabo stories she has heard. I tell her he is not a bad guy, not to worry and I head out the door to the lab. She proceeds to wrap him in blankets, makes him an omelet and buys him some flu medication. From then on she was the " Angel of Mercy", he never knew her name.
Six months later, a car I was in on the east side burned to the ground. I had nothing. The plan was to thumb to the Valley and call my girl friend for a rescue. When she arrived that night I turns out she forgot her wallet and the tank is empty. As I moped around the lodge parking lot looking for help, Yabo comes up asked what's going on. I tell him my tale of woe. He has no money but, he will get me some. He proceeds to demand money from people hanging in the parking lot. " Got a buck, give it to me" As he hands us the money he collected " anything for the Angel of mercy"
Wish he was still around.
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cliffhanger
Trad climber
California
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From the net:
Climbing Free: My Life in the Vertical World - Lynn Hill:
"One night the crowd put downa stake of $5 to dare Yabo to make a nude moonlight solo of a route named North Overhang. The route is rated 5.9, and its trickiest section requires one to climb a section of a crack splitting through a nearly horizontal ceiling of rock. Not having a penny to his name, Yabo unhesitatingly took the meager bet, stripped, and set off up the climb clad only in rock shoes, a chalk bag, and a wool cap. Those on the ground heckled him as he swung baboonlike through the roof, and we shone our flashlights onto his bare, untanned rump. When he finished the climb, he down-climbed the other side of the overhang and returned to the ground, only to find that his clothes had been snatched and hidden by one of his friends. We laughed while he wandered stark naked in the cold desert air for a few minutes, but then he reached under a rock and pulled out another set of trousers, socks and a sweater.
'I might be crazy, but I'm no fool,' he said."
Also a story from the Stonemasters site.
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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I was there that night for the North Overhang free solo. We laughed so goddam hard!
One thing else - he didn't do it for $5 however - there was a slightly different "prize" awaiting him!
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Oh do tell, you tease
If I hadda guess ...
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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Good story Nick, say hi to Mimi and Kira(sp). Was good to see you last summer, I'll be up with Kelly, Nikki and Galen first week in August, see ya there?
Peace
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Nick
climber
portland, Oregon
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Bachar you refer to the Five american "Bills"? Damn that was funny.
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Ricardo Carlos
Trad climber
Off center, CO.
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Anyone remember watching Yabo and above mentioned young lady on Sentinel. They diapered for a time, Yabo said the rack was dropped so they borrowed gear from another party rapped to retrieve the gear. They burnt a fat one climbed back up returning gear as they passed the other party.
Maybe is was a skinny one I was in the lodge parking lot so
what did I know.
How about some of Yabo’s Falls.
As a nubie I loaned gear to Yabo. He was going for as speed accent of Triple Direct. Yabo as have others took the wrong crack that gets wet and spits climbers off.
As Yabo fell his rope hooked the rock keeping him from hitting a ledge.
Peter my climbing partner was not so lucky and hit the ledge collapsing his lung.
Seems Yabo ended up in a tree once or twice. In a semi controlled solo exit. One was Frustration on Suicide Rock the other in the Valley.
It was years before Yabo remembered the loaned gear.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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RE:
"As Yabo fell his rope hooked the rock keeping him from hitting a ledge. "
may be the definative "why didn't Yabo die miracle story", tree branches are understandable, but the details as I heard it on the above are really strange
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WBraun
climber
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So Warbler
How about that Yabo,
He was everyones Yabo
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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..way too funny.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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that's really great Blinny, one of the best
I think Yabo died owing me like more five dollar bills than I can remember...
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TwistedCrank
climber
a luxury Malibu rehabilitation treatment facility
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He got a few dollars out of me and maybe a smoke or two any time he asked for one. No biggie.
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