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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 10, 2008 - 09:53pm PT
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Oops, can't edit the title. Should be "Septuagenarians."
Two pictures of Dick Williams (70) leading new routes in the Near Trapps. In the first shot, the pro is a pair of ball nuts. In the second shot, the belayer is Keith LaBudde (74).
I'm the damn baby when I climb with these guys...
Post up, Geezers!
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cliffmama
Trad climber
Noo Jerzee
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Aug 11, 2008 - 08:50pm PT
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Here are some pictures from a trip to Joshua Tree this past March 2008. I guess they didn't mind kids along on the trip because they let me come along (I'm "only" 45). I'm not sure if anyone else besides Dick is a Septugenarian, but these are fun pictures of some Gunks old timers anyway.
Dick Williams on "Crack Kills" (5.10c) on Stirrup Rock:
John Stannard:
Out to dinner - Joe Bridges, Barbara, Elaine Matthews and Dick Williams:
Out to dinner - myself (Jannette Pazer), Chris Cook, Ellie Hawkins, and John Stannard:
Another dinner out with Dick Williams, Tom Atherton and Joe Bridges:
Jannette
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Aug 12, 2008 - 10:05am PT
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Climb hard, play hard and here's Dick and Al DiMaria working hard!
This is the beginning on the rehab of the 'Welcome to the Gunks' trail, on the first day of work this season. We finished the trail the week before last, and in Williams' email to the crew, he noted that 200 man hours were spent on the project. He and DiMaria put in a large percentage of those hours.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Aug 14, 2008 - 12:06am PT
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Here is one of my heroes hard at it!
From On Edge the Life and Climbs of Henry Barber, Chip Lee,1982.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Aug 14, 2008 - 12:16am PT
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Sadly, we just lost one of the pioneers of Squamish climbing, Tony Cousins, a few weeks ago. He did the first ascent of Slab Alley, the first route on our Apron, with Jim Baldwin in 1961. He did a number of other first ascents in the 1960s, and later often climbed with his good friend Jim Sinclair.
Tony was only 70. He'd had serious heart problems over the last few years, including heart attacks and bypass surgery. He died while climbing, top-rope soloing a modest climb in the Little Smoke Bluffs called Sally Five Fingers, using an Ushba. He was found hanging in his harness on the rope. The memorial was on August 11th.
See the Vancouver Sun - http://www.legacy.com/can-vancouver/Obituaries.asp?Page=Notice&PersonID=115068276
Also the Squamish Chief - http://www.squamishchief.com/madison/WQuestion.nsf/SCnews/C379A7816D5F0A318825749E007D21B9?OpenDocument
(Rich: I can remove this if you don't think it appropriate. I didn't want to start another thread here just about Tony.)
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Curt
Boulder climber
Gilbert, AZ
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Aug 14, 2008 - 12:22am PT
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Stannard doesn't look too happy. Who was in charge of the seating arrangements?
Curt
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L
climber
The Outer Limits of my Inner Sanity
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Aug 14, 2008 - 01:08am PT
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Geezers Rule, Ritchie, if they have your sense of humor!
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cliffmama
Trad climber
Noo Jerzee
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Aug 14, 2008 - 06:02pm PT
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Stannard doesn't look too happy. Who was in charge of the seating arrangements?
I couldn't find any pictures from that trip with him smiling in them - I don't know why ... only John can answer that! Here's one where he's sort of smiling - could it be because he has a climbing babe in his arms? (Elaine Matthews).
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scuffy b
climber
Elmertown
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Aug 14, 2008 - 06:09pm PT
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Rich, I'm only 57 in a day or so. There's a line you've probably
heard thousands of times by now, I've certainly heard it enough:
I sure hope I'm climbing that well when I'm your age.
Dick looks great, not that I know him.
Thanks for the inspiring shots.
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Curt
Boulder climber
Gilbert, AZ
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Aug 14, 2008 - 09:50pm PT
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Elaine looks exactly the same as she did on the cover of Vulgarian Digest, except of course for the shirt...oh, and apparently being handcuffed.
Curt
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Aug 14, 2008 - 10:09pm PT
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Nice hat, John.
My first climbing partner, Bud, is going to be on Whitney next week and in Tuolumne the week after. He's 75. His partner is not much younger.
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Double D
climber
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Aug 14, 2008 - 10:18pm PT
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Right On!
"Old folks boogie, boogie we will
Cause you know...that you're over the hill
When you mind makes a promise that your body can't fill"
(Little Feat)
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Aug 17, 2008 - 10:31pm PT
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I saw Dick today and someone had tipped him off about this thread with his photos. I think he was a little embarrassed to have the spotlight cast on him.
But he did mention having taken a great photo when working on the "Welcome to the Gunks" trail, of someone leading the route while we hoisted a huge boulder along the cliffside trail. I told him to post it up, but he said he didn't know how. So I told him to send to me, and I would.
Here it is:
I asked him if I could make a fake screen name and pretend to be him....I thought that would be very funny to pull on you Supertopians.... He didn't refuse permission.....but he didn't give it either. So, I guess all I cam say os I am posting the photo for him, by proxy.
Maybe you all can hook him in and get him addicted to the internet.....
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Aug 17, 2008 - 11:30pm PT
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Yup, he's so shyyyyyyyyyyy!
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Aug 17, 2008 - 11:45pm PT
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In both photos, he seems to be dangling...boulders!
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Flashlight
climber
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Aug 18, 2008 - 12:56am PT
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I thought this thread was about these little ones...
In all seriousness...very cool thread! Here is my dad at 76 in the Hoover Wilderness a couple of weeks ago.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Aug 18, 2008 - 04:40pm PT
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Climbing with Tom Rohrer (age 72) in Yosemite last week:
Tom leading the second pitch
rapping off
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Aug 18, 2008 - 04:51pm PT
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Clint, in the second last picture Tom is using a rappel setup that I've never seen before. Looks like a brake bar of some kind on the rope above him (attached to his harness with a quicklink and wire???), but what is the gizmo in his left hand?
D
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Aug 18, 2008 - 05:34pm PT
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D,
Tom has a wide variety of rappelling devices, since he's a bit of a specialist in that department (he established the Nose rappel route, and estimates he has logged over 26 miles of rappelling).
The device in his left hand (middle device) on the rope is made by Ushba, but I don't remember the exact name. He bolted a nut tool onto it, so that he can control the handle more easily. It has a couple of cams on the inside, and an offset clipin point, so you can use the handle to stop. Yates has a similar product, which he showed me in the Mountain Shop, but I can't find it on the Yatesgear web page.
Usba "Kozlov Designs" device
Here is another shot of his rappel setup that day, although the Ushba is mostly hidden. The lowest device (blue) is a Petzl Stop.
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cliffmama
Trad climber
Noo Jerzee
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Aug 20, 2008 - 09:22pm PT
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nice doo-rag...
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