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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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May 23, 2010 - 09:38pm PT
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Great thread.
I blows my mind how many climbers have created successful clothing businesses.
This macho-sport and a bunch of guys who got really into sewing.
peace
karl
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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - May 23, 2010 - 10:48pm PT
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Spider: You've got "old nuts."
I suspect those boots are Galibier Vercors: which were the far more comfortable, hiking version of the Super Guides.
I am impressed that you have hung onto those boots all these years. Do they still fit, or have you "grown out" of them?
From 1980 to now: my feet have "grown" from U.S. size 8 1/2 to 9 1/2. This is apparently common with aging.
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RDB
Social climber
way out there
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May 24, 2010 - 12:00am PT
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
SoCal
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May 24, 2010 - 01:35am PT
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Fritz - I got those boots in '77. I never noticed until I shot them for this thread...they are in perfect condition. I could wear them hiking tomorrow. Very well made leather. Yes I still have about 10 nuts and a few biners from NW Mtn Sports, the early days.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - May 24, 2010 - 10:31am PT
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Dane: Thanks for the Galibier (I think) double-boot photos.
I think?? the black ones are the Hivernale. The pair I bought in 1971 were lower and a little softer at the tops, than the slightly later Makalu, which came in brown.
The Makalu photo ad shows two inner boots, but by 1974 they only came with one inner boot.
Is the axe a variant of the LaParade,imported by Robbins?? I can't make out the brand.
And of course another imported by Robbins item: Salewa crampons.
Thanks Dane!
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RDB
Social climber
way out there
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May 24, 2010 - 07:39pm PT
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You are welcome Fritz!
Yes the black ones are the old Hivernals just like the ones you are wearing in your picture on Cascade. Royal soloed Cavell in the Hivernal. The brown ones, which you sold me in '77, were the later Makalu.
I have a nice pair of Superguides as well. So sad I sold Fish my Haderers and Trappeurs for his rental fleet in the mid '80s.
When I was laid up in bed a couple of winters ago I spent too much time on ebay and replaced a lot of older stuff that I had used and then sold just for something to do. And it was fun.
The axe is one of Hammish McInnes first designs imported into the US by a S. Cal fellow who met McInnes on Rakaposhi. (post here on ST about the axe and Dick Irvin and pictures in the Chouinard thread of the axe and DR) Same axe/hammer that Don Jenson and our own Doug Robinson were so proud of bitd.
Royal Robbins was gracious enough to answer some questions for me last year about his 1st solo of Edith Cavell and mentioned the Salewas and Hivernals. He had said he used a LaParade but couldn't remember, the axe was metal though. Bit early for the LaParade by my calculations and it wouldn't be a far off guess that it might well have been an early McInnes like this one as it was the first metal axe and the time frames/availability are right.
Part of my gear wall..
From this thread...amazing just how small our community use to be.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=836643&msg=837109#msg837109
Thanks for the link and personal comments. Some good stuff there. We all could do worse with how we will be remembered.
"Pull out a map of the world and randomly stick a pin in a mountain range. Dick had probably climbed there. He was the mountaineering equivalent of Kilroy. No matter where you went, he had been there first."
"Although he was a member of the successful Gasherbrum I (Hidden Peak) expedition in 1958, he did not get the opportunity to climb high on the mountain because of the early success of the party. But Dick’s most remarkable expedition was the four-man attempt on Rakaposhi, 25,550 feet, in 1956. Dick, Bob Swift, Mike Banks, and Hamish McInnes tackled that giant with a budget of $5,000. It was an epic. Among other things, everyone fell more than 100 feet at one time or another. Somehow they reached 23,500 feet, a new high point, before having to turn back. Later, when Dick was asked how close they had come to the summit, he immediately replied, We were $5,000 short.”
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RDB
Social climber
way out there
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May 26, 2010 - 10:25pm PT
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Saw this and figured it was a classic..
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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - May 26, 2010 - 10:44pm PT
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Dane: Is that the Fred Becky "active gear wall??"
I was in a great climbing-shop today. Elephant's Perch in Ketchum has added a little "climbing museum" behind the front counter with photos and old gear. Dick Dorworth gave them some old army pitons from the 1950's, which immediately caught my eye.
Unfortunately, I did not have a camera with me. The army pins looked like "an evolutionary step" from the Euro pins to Salathe/Dolt/Chouinard pins.
Worse yet! Above the pins in the museum: were old "rigid-shaft" Friends. I still have some on my rack!
Old!-----I feel Old!
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RDB
Social climber
way out there
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May 27, 2010 - 02:04pm PT
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No clue on what he uses these days Fritz. But can tell from the picture the Terro adze hasn't seen much use as the original tape and rubber grip is still intact. The Grivel pick behind maybe some more. I did see him a few months back with a gaggle of young women around him at a small presentation Colin did. Just hope I look that good at 87!
Picture was used in the NY Times article.
more here:
http://www.rodmarphoto.com/category/portraits/
Dude is still getting after it. "Old" is only our preception, right?
I dropped a box in the mail for you yesterday.
Look for another as the originals in hand are better than pictures:)
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oldguy
climber
Bronx, NY
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In 1969, Royal, Charlie Raymond, and I were on our way to Alaska in Royal's old VW bus, and we had to stop at every climbing store on the West Coast (there weren't very many) so Royal could pedal his wares. Later, I thought the RR's were great because I had a real problem with ingrown toenails, and EB's and the like were impossible. In the eighties, however, I hadn't been climbing much but spent a summer in Laramie, and conned Paul Pianna into taking me on some climbs at Veedavoo. The only shoes I had were my old RR's that I thought would be fine at my level of conditioning. As I was following Paul up a slab, however, the sole of one shoe peeled back to the heel. I finished the pitch but was somewhat embarrassed.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 5, 2010 - 07:03pm PT
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Old Guy: I just re-read Royal's AAJ article about that 1969 trip to the Kichatna's. Quite the trip description: in the typical brief AAJ report style.
You dudes did some amazing climbing in the Kitchatnas. Three first ascents, where the previous two expeditions had managed to do only one first ascent between them.
Question for you? I have a memory of one of you sneaking a quote about the weather on the trip through the censor at a climbing publication.
The quote, as I remember it, was: "The clouds rolled in like smegma."
Does that bring out more memories?
Thanks for posting up the RR retail and shoe memories!
Ray Brooks
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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 7, 2010 - 11:45pm PT
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Steve!!
Woohoo!
First thread of mine: that has ever been bumped from "ST oblivion”-------- by you!
I was just at Outdoor Retailer show, and apparently Royal did not attend the show for "Royal Robbins."
I am still begging for someone to scan and post any Mountain Paraphernalia catalogs?
If you have one and don’t have a scanner------I will be glad to scan and return.
Let me know!
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Keeter
Mountain climber
Durango, CO
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Aug 25, 2010 - 06:26pm PT
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Ray, I have most of the early catalogs as I worked on their production from 76-83. I'll try to get around to scanning some images for you this Fall when things slow down. I think I still have some of my original photos for the ads as well, but those might be a little trickier to find. Boxes of photos that aren't digitized, awaiting some downtime which is always used up with useless climbing and skiing.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Oct 10, 2010 - 07:56pm PT
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Fritz suggested I put these images up here as well as that carabiner thread on Bedayans. These are Peck pitons. Royal was importing Peck hardware back around 1970 and later I suppose. I worked for him off and on then and bought a bunch of hardware over time from him. These are Peck pitons, pretty rare I think. I have a few more. They weren't that great in Yosemite granite but I imagine for Isles cragging they might have been incredible.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 11, 2010 - 12:09pm PT
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Peter: Thank you for posting those Peck Piton photos. I just looked at the 1972 OFF BELAY article I posted on the first page of this thread.
The Peck pitons were stainless steel. Yours seem to have weathered the years in pretty good shape.
Here's a enlargement of the old photo in the article, showing the six sizes Royal imported.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Oct 11, 2010 - 12:17pm PT
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Nice Peck ad! I have a couple of the shorties somewhere...
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Keeter
Mountain climber
Durango, CO
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Oct 16, 2010 - 09:49pm PT
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Fritz, here's the first installment from my collection of MP and Robbins catalogs. This entry is all taken from the 1978 wholesale catalog. More later.
Although the ski spoiler is shown on the Ski Montagne boot, it was no longer being imported by this date. You'll also note the absence of the RR Yosemite. It was discontinued a year or so previous. I'll try to find some of the original info on that one, it has a surprising story. Next up will be LaPrade and Alpelit axes and crampons.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Oct 17, 2010 - 05:34pm PT
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Great thread!
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