mr._happy

how about this one...?

david roberts also wrote a book called true summit, not really a climbing book as much as a research narrative, where he gives an account of the french annapurna climb from the viewpoint of lachenal, terray, and rebuffat. an interesting read if you've already read herzog's book. what's the kurt diemburger book where he goes to k2 in '86 with julie tullis? anybody read it?

must be gettin close....

now??

maybe this one...

i forgot about annapurna. that's another good one. haven't read the other two. btw, maurice, are you...maurice HERZOG?

so, the recent thread on climbing movies sparked memories of a conversation i had a few years ago at the climbers' ranch in the tetons. i was talking to a girl one evening, likely trying to get into her pants. she was a hiker and camper, but not a climber. however, she showed a definite interest in the 'romantic' notions of alpinism...man against the elements, pushing the limits physically and mentally, braving the furies of mother nature, blahblahblah...(turns out we were both english majors in college) anyways, she asked me if i knew of any classic mountaineering books, if there was such a thing as a 'mountaineering canon', so to speak. i can't remember what garbage came spilling out of my mouth at the time, but whatever i said it didn't get me into said girl's panties. but now that a few years have gone by and i've finally learned to read, there are a few books that i think should be on every alpinist's bookshelf. true stories of human courage, perseverance, and suffering(of course). i find a lot of these books inspirational. tell me what you think and add or subtract to the following list: the white spider-heinrich harrer(got me interested in alpinism in the first place; great and scary read) everest, the west ridge-tom hornbein(inspirational--includes the greats: hornbein, unsoeld, big jim and others) the last step, the american ascent of k2-rick ridgeway(another great story of americans at altitude; more heavy hitters like wickwire, roskelley, reichardt, ridgeway, and of course, big jim) everest the hard way-chris boningtonannapurna south face-chris boningtonthe shining mountain-pete boardman, anything else in the boardman-tasker omnibus(i love reading about the hard brit mountaineers of the '70's--bonington, scott, boysen, haston, whillans...those dudes were HARD) everest: alone at the summit-stephen venables(summited via the kangshung face, awesome read) and though it's pure fiction, the ascent of rum doodle-w.e. bowman is CLASSIC. i'm sure there are others out there i haven't read or can't find...opinions?

ditto that, littering is for sh!t-for-brains and morons(no offense to moron) DON'T DO IT, PLEASE.

moron's got me beat by a mile.

quote: Originally posted by pope:[QB]Even when time is tight and you've got a sinus infection...QB] pope, is your sinus infection better? a concerned mr. happy

welcome, sandra. cool pics on the homepage.

i'll help contribute to the 23 by 4:20 by adding this totally worthless post. heheh

thank you galssuncog for redirecting the post. thanks for the update jon, and GOOD LUCK to jim! even though i don't know him. cheerio,

thanks, i just shit myself.

quote: Originally posted by Zenolith: tex, are you bitter about being in texas? maybe you can find some of that good blow that georgie down there has. you better git back here. we have a date with JPG. that's the funniest damned picture i have seen in quite a while!

dude i thought this thread was dead. it's only illegal if you get busted

draws on the rear harness loops. passive pro--nuts, tri-cams, and small hexes--on the front loops, along with some free biners. cams on a shoulder sling. long slings round the other shoulder. the passive pro is small enough that it doesn't really get in the way; the cams can be swung around the back on the sling. cheers

good luck, jon, my thoughts be with you.

quote: Originally posted by pope: Trask, this sounds like a masterpiece. I think I shall have to rent it! pope, something tells me you'd like the eiger sanction. seems like your kind of movie. just a hunch.

quote: Originally posted by pope: Mr. Happy, you the man. There's just something about seeing one of the Whittaker twins in a wool sweater. thanks, but i'm not the man, Big Jim is the Man! it was a TURTLENECK sweater, too! not to rub it in, but i also scored an autographed copy of His book later that evening.

just returned from a conference in colorado; the conference lasted five days/nights, and for some of those nights there were evening keynote speakers, including gordon wiltsie, dave breashears, and yes, Big Jim Whittaker. so on the day of the night that Big Jim is scheduled to speak, i'm on the hotel elevator going down to the lobby, when the elevator stops on the fifth floor. being a young red-blooded american male, i secretly hope to myself that it's a hot young red-blooded american female ski-bunny or bunnies about to get on the elevator with yours truly. (the conference happened to be at steamboat springs, btw) imagine my surprise and heartfelt pleasure when the elevator doors opened and my gaze settled on the sight before me. nay, 'twas no bunny, bunnies, nor betties standing there, but yea, it was Big Jim Whittaker Himself, in all His Big Jim-ness! His enormous shadow fell into the elevator and shaded everything in its vastness. my jaw dropped; my heart stopped; i almost wet my pants. i could do nothing but stare, slack-jawed, as that awesome specimen of a man Big Jim took one earth-shaking step and strode onto the elevator. the car shuddered under the weight of His Big Jim-ness. i looked up at that great craggy head of His and wondered what the view was like up there. the first american to stand atop everest was wearing a grey wool sweater and grey slacks, and moccasins on those gigantic feet. i tried to croak out a greeting, but managed only a whimper which, at His great height, He surely failed to notice. we rode to the lobby in silence--He in all his greatness, and i in my meager corner of the the elevator. the doors opened and He strode off. my brush with greatness.

loaned a pack to a friend for a nepal trip. two months later the pack comes back with some kind of mysterious sticky white creamy shat all over the extension collar. and it WON'T wash out. friend "doesn't know" how it got there or what it is. neither do i.

quote: Originally posted by Dwayner: Peace, Mr. Happy-dawg. Just to show you I ain't offended, I've got somethin' special just for you : A SPECIAL CLIMBING WEB-SITE FOR MR. HAPPY!!! your pal, DwaynerP.S. the operational words are "climb aboard."

hey dwayner, sorry if i offended you. i certainly didn't mean to step on anybody's toes. just trying to be a little tongue-in-cheek. your posts make me laugh as much as the next guy. as lambone says, keep 'em coming.