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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Aug 23, 2009 - 11:26pm PT
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Yup - I still keep up with Wendell and I'd side with Chiloe that it is Wendell in the lead on the shot up there. Wendell was taller than Mike and rail thin back in those days. But, someone took the picture and knows!
Here he is about 10 years ago with daughter #2.
Edit: I'll ask Wendell
Edit#2: Here is what wendell recalls!
"Mike,
Great to hear from you!! Whoa blast from the past! Of course I remember
Larry [Hamilton-mb], lots of great climbing followed by beers at his place in Eldorado
Springs.
The photo is me on a free ascent (I'm pretty sure but it could have been
a failed try) of Jules Verne. I'm on the lead and Mike Gilbert is belaying.
My fingers are sweating just thinking back! It was quite a day.
Hope you and your family are doing well. We should get together sometime.
Later - Wendell"
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Aug 24, 2009 - 12:44pm PT
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Mike, that's a happy shot of Wendell. I've lost touch with him over the years, but from what
I hear he's done impressive things with his life. He came through New England many years
ago en route to a winter season chasing big storms in P3s, out over the Gulf of Maine. For
science of course (prolly settled down a bit since then).
Back in the day ... Wendell on the Yellow Spur in 1978:
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Aug 24, 2009 - 12:48pm PT
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Of course I remember Larry [Hamilton-mb], lots of great climbing followed by beers at
his place in Eldorado Springs.
Just to complete the circle, the place mentioned is that same (recently Caylor-occupied)
trailer. Leslie and I always had a case of Old Milwaukee on hand, for post-climb rehydration.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Aug 24, 2009 - 02:02pm PT
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No disrespect to Mr. Nuss as he was an amazing climber, but, Jimmy Newberry took the shots and he contends that it was Mike on lead. In support of that it should be noted that Mike was a blondie and the belayer certainly is not. I am more than willing to admit I am wrong but I sent a note to Mike to see what he remembers.
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Aug 24, 2009 - 02:19pm PT
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I will keep tuned in for the latest version of "As the Verne Turns"
Philo, I guess I got it wrong. That's unfortunate because I took a trip up the "Icefield Parkway" from Calgary to Jasper, in the early 80's (the most spectacular piece of highway I know of) and made a stop to pay homage to Scotty at Edith Cavell on our way up to our backpacking trip to Mount Robson. The thought was there, I guess I was just at the wrong place.
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Aug 24, 2009 - 02:37pm PT
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Don't want to side track a great thread too much with the photo ID question mark!
Like many of the older climbing folk out there, I was captivated by the incredible images of wunsch out on the face with the sketchy gear. I'm in awe of everyone who was out there at that particular cutting edge in Boulder at the time, Mike G. Wendell, Jello and the rest!
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Michael Gilbert
climber
Ouray, CO
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Aug 24, 2009 - 07:15pm PT
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Michael Gilbert here, and that is definitely Wendell on the sharp end. I'm also pretty sure that it is the third (or so) ascent; as I recall, Roger Briggs led the second.
Also, my brother died approaching the N. Face of Kitchner, not Edith Cavell.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Aug 24, 2009 - 07:20pm PT
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Thank you Michael I stand well and fully corrected on the Jules Verne debate.
I miss Scotty all the time.
Welcome to the TacoStand.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Aug 24, 2009 - 09:19pm PT
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It could be a new Taco record that this who's-in-that-picture question brought out
three definitive new voices, folks who know.
And Philo, the answer is not as simple as "Wendell." As I remember things, both
Michael and Wendell tried to lead the big pitch on that day. The black-and-white
Climbing magazine photo actually shows Michael on the sharp end, while the two
color photos upthread are of Wendell. Wendell was the one who broke through,
though obviously it was a great day for them both.
Anyway, the lead changes leave plenty of room for onlooker confusion.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Aug 24, 2009 - 09:54pm PT
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Well Chiloe that would be one explanation for Newb's confusion. I could think of a few others though I would probably just be blowing smoke.
The one thing I hope doesn't get lost is just how monumental those early ascents of Jules Verne really were. A huge step up in boldness and commitment that rocked our world at the time. Still rocks mine! You all were so totally amazing.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Aug 24, 2009 - 09:59pm PT
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You all were so totally amazing.
Pretty sure that I was never amazing. Tom, Wendell and Michael would back
me on that one! :-)
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Aug 24, 2009 - 11:15pm PT
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Yes Michael, thanks for the correction. I too think of Scotty often, it's good to hear from you. I only met you a few times and I'm sure you wouldn't remember. The past always brings up both fond and sad memories, it is the way of life.
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Tom Gries
Trad climber
Olympia Washington
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Aug 25, 2009 - 01:44pm PT
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Boulder climbing partners. My first was Mike Munger. He and I learned the slow hard way - on our own. He went on to do some pretty darn gnarly stuff and probably still does. I tried to hook up with him this summer but didn't quite manage to ... Dudley C. was my 2nd consistent partner and I loved climbing with him. I remember Duncan F. giving the two of us some crash courses in crack climbing techniques before our first Yosemite excursion in '71. Dud (rightfully) 'graduated' and went on to climb with the likes of Duncan, Jim E. and Chris Reveley - the more dedicated ones. Speaking of Chris R. - there was an under-rated, under-acknowledged all around climber. "Chiloe" was one of the most versatile and interesting people to climb with and generally be with. I recall the Old Mils at the trailer with fondness. His aid and mixed climbing days were awesome, but I'm glad he found the error of his nailing ways to become a PDG free climber too. Mike G. was one of the stongest and most competetive Boulder climbers I had the pleasure of knowing. Sometimes that energized me and sometimes that's not what I sought. Wendall was (almost) always the most calm and elegant climber. Also liked him for his diverse interests. I am still disappointed that he did the lion's share of planning our Denali trip and was then unable to go with the rest of us. I remember Kevin Jackson as an unheralded boulderer who, after only a few attempts, climbed over the Kloeberdanz roof without lunging for the lip (back in those days)! I enjoyed hitting the low ones with him, and sometimes "the Jims". As much as I liked the Boulder area and front range crags, I grew to love even more doing high mountain routes (altho' not the more extreme ones). Anyone know who's credited with the FFA of the NE face of Pingora and when that was done? Ah - the good old days!
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Aug 25, 2009 - 02:43pm PT
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There are a lot of stories underneath that short post, Tom.
By way of further introduction, here are a couple shots of Tom BITD, on
the first free ascent of Kor's Door on Longs Peak (1974). Historically,
that FFA fit in as (a very minor) part of the 1974 breakthrough applying
Boulder free climbing standards to routes on the high peaks.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Aug 27, 2009 - 11:39am PT
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Chiloe, you may not believe that your climbing skills measured up to the hotties of the day but if nothing else the incredible photography of yours and the historic moments you captured puts you in the amazing category in my book.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 27, 2009 - 11:48am PT
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Chris Reveley
Now let's hear more ...
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Aug 27, 2009 - 12:34pm PT
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Yep, how many times have we all (except for Chiloe, Tarbuster, Todd Gordon and the pros like Chris. Phil et al.) kicked ourselves for not taking more photos back then? Chiloe has an amazing collection.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Aug 27, 2009 - 12:40pm PT
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So to get back to the OP let's talk about how truly amazing Roger Briggs was and still is. Plus a little shout out to Dan Stone, an old friend of mine who I initiated and taught what little I knew about climbing to. What a strange reward for the mentor's student to leave the teacher in the dust. That kid could CRANK!
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Aug 27, 2009 - 12:49pm PT
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Hey Mike. There are remarkably few pictures of me climbing as I was always the one taking them. As a dirtbagger I didn't own a camera and was always using my partner's. So all those shots ended up in other people's collections. There is one pic of me that I would dearly love to get a jpeg of. It was on I Can't Believe It's a Girdle in Joshua tree. It was right after major reconstructive surgery and I was mugging for the camera, wearing my oh so fashionable beret and using my approach cane on the wild dike traverse of the second pitch. There were several folks who shot that scene as it was rather humorous. But I never got a copy. Maybe someone out there in TacoLand knows about it and could put me in touch with the shutterbug,
My admiration for Chiloe's photography is boundless.
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local
Social climber
eldorado springs
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Aug 27, 2009 - 01:02pm PT
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Sometime in the mid to late 70's I belayed Reveley on the first free ascent of the Obelisk, or the "Big O", as he called it. He had been thinking about it for some time, and when he heard that the Yosemite boys were on their way out to snag the 1st, he called me up to go, presumably because no one else was available at such short notice. I picked him up at the Boulderado after his shift in the restaurant, and we headed up to the Park in the afternoon, me with my jumars hidden in the bottom of my pack and Chris with hollandaise sauce splattered all over his pants. We made a quick stop on the way for bivi supplies; quarts of kefir and oreos. I can't remember where we bivied that night, but we got to Broadway pretty early, and it was typically grim and cold. Chris led the climb completely free and clean, no hangdoging, and no bs; at a couple of points yanking fixed pins out of the crack and tossing them over his shoulder into the void. After each pitch, we'd hold the rope into the corner, the dihedral overhung both ways. On the last pitch, Chris put on the most impressive show I've ever seen in the mountains. He stuffed his left side into the crack and powered up with only a single tipped out tube chock and a couple of little wires on the left wall. None of it would have held even a short fall. I remember the crack as being super smooth and cold, with ice lurking in the back. I was incredibly relieved when he pulled over the top to the ledge. He laid up there gasping for ten minutes or so before he brought me up. I was glad I brought the jumars.
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