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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 18, 2013 - 05:37pm PT
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Fritz Bump...
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Feb 18, 2013 - 05:55pm PT
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Thank you Steve.....some climbing history that ISN'T about Yosemite!
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Feb 18, 2013 - 06:05pm PT
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Great history here. Thanks, I missed it the first time around.
Weissner and Underhill were my old school heroes when I first started learning my climbing history.
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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Feb 18, 2013 - 07:18pm PT
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It was fun in the 1950s to come across traces of FW in the Needles of SD.
;>)
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Neesh
Trad climber
Connecticut
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Feb 19, 2013 - 03:44am PT
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Every time I climb one of his routes I think about what he had when he made the FA, inspiring
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Feb 19, 2013 - 05:05am PT
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hey there say, steve....nice to see this bump, :)
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Feb 20, 2013 - 02:47pm PT
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A bump.
Fritz and I went out to Stoney Point on what I remember as being his first Stoney Point experience - in the mid-70s. He wanted to climb some friction - some face climbing, but nothing to exposed. I took him took to Spencer Slab - he loved it.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Feb 20, 2013 - 03:39pm PT
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I'm not sure if any one saw the mountain profile of K2 in a couple recent issues of Alpinist. They go into good detail about Weissner's near successful climb in 1932 (right year?). Thinking that the Bottleneck was not safe, he cramponed up the rock next to it, which no one else has even attempted. Absolutely hard core stuff. One just shakes one's head in wonder.
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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Feb 20, 2013 - 03:43pm PT
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Fat Dad--1939.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Feb 20, 2013 - 07:43pm PT
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Thanks Alan. I knew the year sounded wrong.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Feb 20, 2013 - 08:24pm PT
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I wrote a short paper on Weisner's ascent of K2 in college. I still cannot think of a more impressive ascent in mountaineering history. technically not a success I suppose and sadly there were men of much lower ability and perhaps character involved who created problems and ridiculous controversy regarding Weisner's actions.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 25, 2013 - 01:53pm PT
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Heroic Bump...
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Ibex
climber
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Apr 26, 2014 - 06:01pm PT
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A great man, indeed. Thank you all for posting this info.
As I am heading to K2 this summer I try to understand where exactly Wiessner ended up. In the following photos / drawings it is suggested that he traversed left all the way to the so-called "hockey stick couloir", at the end of which Kukuczka and Piotrowski found it hard climbing a 30m final rock barrier. I very much doubt that Fritz traversed so much to the left, but if he did (and if he really reached 8380m) then history should be rewritten, because Jerzy may have met Fritz's steps...
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Ibex
climber
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Apr 26, 2014 - 06:17pm PT
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The last photo above is taken from Ed Viesturs' book, and I do not know if the line on it was drawn by Wiessner himself. In any case it seems unclear to me whether this line fits with his description below:
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Apr 26, 2014 - 07:40pm PT
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I was in the Gunks in 1973 with my gf and her girlfriend. Fritz was there and he volunteered to take the ladies on a popular 5.6 so that I could climb with the boys. Heather, my gf, reported that Fritz led the first pitch with no pro and set up his belay on a spacious ledge. He then belayed Heather who on reaching the ledge was greeted with a big smile as Fritz continued to belay her right into his waiting arms. The same friendly belay was given to Heather's rather startled friend. Fritz was a mischievous 73 at the time.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Apr 27, 2014 - 12:36am PT
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He did a bunch of classic 6's, 7's and 8's at the tower and the needles in the 30's. He must have been one tough dude. Was one of my heroes and still trying to repeat some of his routes. He found and climbed the biggest spires in the Needles that still command respect today. Most of them are wide cracks that are very sand bagged for the grades given today. Many of the spires probably didn't even have a road anywhere near them.
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Ibex
climber
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Apr 27, 2014 - 06:26am PT
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Great, but you do not seem to be answering my questions :-)
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little Z
Trad climber
un cafetal en Naranjo
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Apr 27, 2014 - 07:06am PT
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Jim, you beat me to the punchline. That frisky Fritz is the one I remember from climbing at the Gunks in the mid 70s. Always energetic and outgoing, doubly so if there were young chippies in your group. He was quite the inspiration. A lover of life, lived large.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Apr 27, 2014 - 07:49am PT
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Ibex I had a great book on the subject, but think it got loaned out to someone along the way. I always thought it was amazing how far he got that long ago. Quite the tragedy ensued I hope you have much better luck.
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