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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 4, 2012 - 01:41am PT
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This almost instantly dropped out of sight. I'll bump it once for those who might be interested and who missed the first few seconds it was visible.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Great find Rich!
Thanks for posting it up.
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Fletcher
Trad climber
Fumbling towards stone
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Thanks for finding that. Will take a look when I have a bit of time.
Eric
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ncrockclimber
climber
The Desert Oven
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The video is great. It has some interesting footage of contemporary climbing, but the stuff on the Conns is awesome. What amazing people.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Bump for 2013!
I hope to visit with Jan sometime this summer.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Feb 18, 2013 - 05:41pm PT
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Conn Bump...
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Feb 18, 2013 - 08:39pm PT
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I just ordered the Jewel Cave book: wish I had done it while he was alive. When I was a teenager, I read more caving than climbing literature, but caving lit sure isn't as common.
dar
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 18, 2013 - 08:52pm PT
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Joel Hagan has posted a 1955 Appalachia article by Herb about ascents of the South Tower of Spire 4 and the Conn Route on the Outer Outlet. I've linked to Joel's scans below.
The consensus grade (among five climbers who contributed) for the South Tower route on Mountain Project is 5.9. Only one climber called it 5.8 and no one gave it the 5.7 it used to be back in the day. I've done it several times, usually in combination with the Conn's best achievement, the East Face of the East Gruesome, which is a bit more than a grade harder than the South Tower route (we called the East Gruesome route 5.8+). If the South Tower is really 5.9 (which, sorry to say, I doubt, although I wish it was true) then the East Gruesome would be 5.10 and a really fantastic achievement for the Conn's.
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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Feb 18, 2013 - 09:05pm PT
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I think a friend and I did the second ascent of the South Tower in perhaps 1957, after reading this stimulating article. Wonderful days. And,yes, I wore a loose fitting pair of Cortinas and it felt like 5.9!
;>)
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Jimmer
Trad climber
Orland Park, IL
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Mar 27, 2013 - 02:36pm PT
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Actually, the first articles about the Needles were earlier in Appalachia magazine:
The Conns were amazing people and climbing pioneers. They blazed a trail for the rest of us!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 25, 2013 - 01:54pm PT
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Bump for Herb and Jan...
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
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Dec 25, 2013 - 02:21pm PT
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Thanks for bumping this.
Incredible climbers, explorers, and just a wonderful history, and love story. Great to see couples so in love and staying together their entire lives and doing all the adventure together. That's the dream isn't it?
Inspirational.
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DWB
climber
Madison
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Jun 23, 2014 - 01:18pm PT
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Is Jan Conn still alive?
Thanks for the thread. Every time I'm out in the black hills I try to tick off one more Conn FA route.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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May 20, 2015 - 10:20am PT
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Rich and Michael- Thanks for posting those reprints from Appalachia!
Jan is very much alive and going strong despite losing her beloved Herbie.
I got her life story recorded just last year with Paul Piana sitting in to help with the route details. It was a delightful interview and she is an amazing climber.
Fred and Heidi Knapp gave me a copy of Lindsay Stephens' excellent guide to their Needles routes.
Please support Sharp End and Lindsay and buy a copy of this wonderful book.
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