jon Posted March 13, 2003 Posted March 13, 2003 There was a medium sized article in the PI today on John Roskelly. I guess him, his son who is an RMI guide (who is 20), Jim Wickwire, and Dick Bass (who is 71!) are going to climb Everest this spring from the Tibetan side. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/112239_roskelley13.shtml Quote
plexus Posted March 13, 2003 Posted March 13, 2003 An orginal article ran in the Spokane paper a few weeks ago that was a better read. I say it when it came over the AP wire and still have it in a folder at work. Quote
dalius Posted March 13, 2003 Posted March 13, 2003 jon said: I guess him, his son who is an RMI guide (who is 20), Jim Wickwire, and Dick Bass (who is 71!) are going to climb Everest this spring from the Tibetan side. Jim Wickwire has a tendency to brag about how everyone he climbs with seems to die on him. For some reason he seems to get off on this. Hope these guys don't die because of his bad luck. Quote
catbirdseat Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 I have never heard of Wickwire "bragging" about the partners he has lost. How could he recount a long climbing career without mentioning death? These new partners could indeed die because high altitude climbing is dangerous, not because of Wickwire's "bad luck". Quote
dalius Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 I just got that feeling from reading a bit of his book, "Addicted to Danger". He talked a lot about how hard he was, how a lot of partners died on him, and how he can't keep a marriage together. It might have been just me, but by the tone of his writing, he seemed to be bragging about these things. I could be totally wrong about the guy, and in that case I'm the real loser here and I eat my words. But, he seems like a grade A loser. "Addicted to Danger", what a fucking stupid title anyway. If that's why the guy climbs, I feel sorry for him. All this being said, to his credit, the guy has climbed shit way harder than I'll ever climb. He's very talented. It just really turns me off when talented climbers are cocky and conceited. The best climbers out there, IMHO, are those that send the *sickest* climbs and make it seem like no big deal, another day out for some fun, ho de hum humble. I don't care how hard somebody climbs, if they have a stupid ego then that makes them an Uber-Loser. Utmost respect to the humble ones... Quote
Dwayner Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 That article says that the Roskelly boy would be the youngest feller to climb Everest Here's an article about a 15 year old Sherpa kid who did it in 2001: Youngest Everest Summit-Dude The article says that the previous record was a 17 year old back in 1974 and that the present record-holder lost 5 fingers during his first attempt in 2000. Quote
JoshK Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 Yeah, he wont be the youngest, that's bad reporting. Quote
chelle Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 Probably just another case of needing to label something to get attention. Could be the youngest American I guess but who cares it's still a big mountain and people who climb it have acomplished something even if they're not the first, youngest or oldest. Quote
jon Posted March 14, 2003 Author Posted March 14, 2003 dalius said: I just got that feeling from reading a bit of his book, "Addicted to Danger". He talked a lot about how hard he was, how a lot of partners died on him, and how he can't keep a marriage together. It might have been just me, but by the tone of his writing, he seemed to be bragging about these things. I could be totally wrong about the guy, and in that case I'm the real loser here and I eat my words. But, he seems like a grade A loser. "Addicted to Danger", what a fucking stupid title anyway. If that's why the guy climbs, I feel sorry for him. All this being said, to his credit, the guy has climbed shit way harder than I'll ever climb. He's very talented. It just really turns me off when talented climbers are cocky and conceited. The best climbers out there, IMHO, are those that send the *sickest* climbs and make it seem like no big deal, another day out for some fun, ho de hum humble. I don't care how hard somebody climbs, if they have a stupid ego then that makes them an Uber-Loser. Utmost respect to the humble ones... I think you've totally misinterpreted the purpose of his book. Climbing is dangerous. He is addicted to climbing. Thus he's addicted to danger. I mean come on. He is still married to the same woman from college. I think the point is that after he has lost all these friends on expeditions and came close many times to losing his family, he still kept climbing. I think the reason he dwells on the fact that he has had a number of partners die is that it bothers him. How can you call it bragging? There are actually a lot of books out there that people write for themselves, used as a form or rehabilitation of sort, it just happens that people like you and I buy them. Quote
dalius Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 jon, maybe you're right. It's really not fair to judge this guy from whatever few chapters I've read from his book, it's just that that's all I've got to go on. If he's not the guy I've formed an impression of in my mind, then more power to him. Quote
youngprofessor Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 (edited) Hey Dalius, Your diatribe on Roskelly, Wickwire, or whomever, well, it’s totally weak. Why don’t you head back to Chicago with your photo bag, and try cleaning up your act. Crap laden opinions like yours are totally not appreciated, at least by me. You spew out rotten suds about the guy…and I KNOW you wouldn’t have the guts to say that kind of stuff to his face. If you’re not willing to do that, then take your blanky home, suck your thumb, and whack off a little, and maybe then you'll feel better about yourself. Edited March 14, 2003 by youngprofessor Quote
dalius Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 youngprofessor said: ...take your blanky home, suck your thumb, and whack off a little, and maybe then you'll feel better about yourself. I feel better already! Thanks yp! Quote
youngprofessor Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 Ahhhh....the feeling of release. Now go out and climb sumthun....Roskelly is. Quote
cracked Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 I thought Addicted to Danger is Wickwire's book? Quote
dalius Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 cracked said: I thought Addicted to Danger is Wickwire's book? It is. I was never referring to Roskelly. Quote
Dru Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 I am waiting for the first cc.com autobiography to come out Addicted to Horsecock Quote
pindude Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 Here's all the "Generations on Everest" expedition poop I'm aware of... The official Web site just got up yesterday: http://www.generationsoneverest.com/ The original article appearing in the Spokane paper on Sunday, Feb. 12, that Plexus referred to, is at the following source: http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=020903&ID=s1299686 Since the Spokesman-Review requires one to register and I know some don't like to do that sort of thing, I've copied the article below. Appearing in the S-R the same day was another article by Rich Landers on the Roskelley-Spokane 1980 Makalu climb that was picked in the current AAC Journal as one of the most significant climbs of the last century. From this page, there are links also to a great series of articles on the climb printed back in 1980: http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=020903&ID=s1299687 Happy reading, but get out and climb! --Steve Reynolds ------- Everest: Lifetime chance for Roskelleys Father, son plan family affair on the world's highest peak Spokesman-Review Rich Landers Outdoors editor Spokane County Commissioner John Roskelley, once America's premier high-altitude mountaineer, plans to join his son on top of the world. Roskelley, 54, announced last week that he will combine his vacation with a leave of absence this spring in order to accompany his 20-year-old son, Jess, on a climb of Mount Everest. "This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for both of us," Roskelley said. The effort would require about two months of travel and cold, grueling work, taking Roskelley away from Spokane roughly from March 20 through May 20. Everest climbers gamble to hit the narrow window of spring weather patterns Ð between the forbidding cold of winter and the monsoons Ð that might allow climbers to reach the 29,035-foot summit. Almost as formidable is the effort and expense to secure a coveted permit to climb Everest from one of the adjoining countries. Permit costs alone range up to $70,000. "Anymore, it takes a lot of money and a lot of backing to get one," Roskelley said, noting that his opportunity is bittersweet. The permit had been secured last year by Ed Hommer, 46, of Duluth, Minn., a double amputee who had drummed up considerable corporate interest in his climbing prowess and ambition to scale Everest after a failed attempt two years ago. Jim Wickwire, 63, a Seattle attorney and climber who has joined Roskelley previously in the Himalayas, had suggested that Roskelley might want to join them. Since he's no longer climbing professionally, sponsored expedition invitations no longer come knocking at Roskelley's door. But while training with Wickwire in November on Mount Rainier, Hommer was killed by rockfall. "Wickwire was devastated," Roskelley said. "At that point the expedition was off. It had been Ed's trip. "But then Wickwire got the blessing of Hommer's family, and decided to go on with it rather than waste the permit. He'd dedicate the climb to Ed's memory, and Jess and I would go along." Also joining the team is Dick Bass, 73, owner of Snowmass Ski Area in Colorado, who gained fame as the first person to reach the so-called Seven Summits, the highest point on each of the continents. The four climbers will likely have to share total remaining expedition costs of up to $60,000. "That's steep, but by Everest standards that's a bargain," Roskelley said. "A guided climb costs more than that per person." Roskelley said he's not concerned about the 50-year age spread between the four team members. "Jim is putting together a strong team of Sherpa climbers and there will be another American team on the north side with us," he said. "We'll all be working together." The north side of Everest requires more technical climbing than the more commonly scaled South Col route pioneered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Roskelley, still highly regarded for his Himalayan experience, has continued to travel abroad for short spurts in recent years to lead trekkers in regions such as Bhutan. He and Jess climbed Stoke Kangri, a 20,187-foot peak in northwest India four years ago when Jess was 16. A graduate of Mt. Spokane High School, Jess is taking the semester off from the University of Montana in order to finish Everest preparations. But his training started long ago. Climbing has become his passion, said Jess, who's been guiding climbers on Mount Rainier for two seasons. "In winter, I can't wait for a chance to go ice climbing," he said. "In Missoula, I love football, but if I have a choice between going to a game and going climbing, I'd rather take the time and do something that makes me better at what I want to do. "As a guide, I'm learning more about getting along with people and taking care of others," he said. "But it also puts me near other good climbers where I've learned so many things about techniques." Getting a shot at Everest is huge, he said. "To me, it's like a skater going to the Olympics," he said. "It's been a goal, and to have it come with a chance to climb with super experienced climbers who have all been there, I think I'm going to learn a ton." John Roskelley said he's always known there would never be a perfect time in his life to leave home for two months once he entered public service. "But the opportunity isn't going to be there when I retire," he said. "I think I'd mortgage the house or whatever for this chance. "Jess totaled his car recently, so that was an unexpected but timely influx of cash from the insurance. He won't have a car, but we'll save even more money because we can cancel his insurance for awhile." If all goes as planned, the Roskelleys would leave March 20, fly to Bangkok and then to Katmandu. "We'll drive to the border between Nepal and Tibet and then drive several more rough days to a base camp," he said. From then on, the climbers would be on foot, making camps up the north ridge, which was in the news in 1999 after climbers found the body of George Mallory. The British climber and his companion, Andrew Irvine, may have been the first to climb Everest in 1924, but they perished on the peak. Roskelley attempted the north ridge with Wickwire in 1993, but they were turned back by monsoons that dumped snow every day. "Before we could get a long enough stretch of weather, our permit ran out," he said. "On this expedition, each one of us has a goal, the summit. But like all Everest trips, a portion of the team might get to different heights, depending on health and all the other variables. A single person can continue with the other team or with Sherpas." Roskelley said Jess has become a good climber who's up to the challenge. "I'm happy for the chance to go with him because I hope I can teach him to acclimate properly and help him learn not to run up too fast," Roskelley said. "That's what happens to all young, strong climbers. That's usually when they get in trouble." Roskelley knows the insidious nature of high altitude sickness. In 1981, he was stricken with cerebral edema while on the Cassin Ridge of Mount McKinley, even though he had climbed several higher peaks with no altitude problems. "It made me go blind for several minutes at a time," he said, noting that he had to make an emergency descent with his partner Jeff Deunwald, a Spokane veterinarian. "I made an error. I didn't drink enough fluids. We got hit by a five-day storm and that's when I got it. That's part of the game you've got to learn. "In 1983, I had pulmonary edema on the west ridge of Everest. I was ill to start with and too stubborn to go down and clear it up at a lower altitude. Illness changes the chemistry in the body and makes you more susceptible." Roskelley's Spokane climbing partner, Kim Momb, had to help him off the mountain. Roskelley made another Everest attempt in 1984. "I didn't have any altitude sickness, but I was going without oxygen and it got incredibly cold. I got to 28,000 feet, but my hands and feet were freezing. I knew I might be able to make the summit, but I'd probably loose my fingers and feet doing it, so I turned back." Now he wants to haul this payload of experience for his kid to tap. "I feel I have the ability to mentor him a bit," he said. Roskelley said he won't accept any salary beyond his vacation time from the county. "I'm not going to take advantage of county taxpayers," said the commissioner, who was first elected seven years ago. He said he keeps in climbing form with occasional weekend mountaineering and ice-climbing trips. "Jess and I climbed a nice rock route up Ojibway Peak in the Cabinets last summer," he said. "I have the strength to climb the big mountains. I know I'm not as fast as I used to be, but the technique never leaves you. "I still have all the experience. It won't take long to get back in the saddle." But the mountain is still the wild, untamable horse, he said. "No matter who you are, when you're on the big peaks, there's always a little luck involved. You only make the top if everything comes together." Jess Roskelley says he's ready, and so is his dad. "I've been running with dad every day and I can tell you he's super strong," he said. "It's going to be like going with another 20-year old, but he's your dad. "Some kids might think doing things with your parents isn't as good as doing things with friends, but I've always looked at my dad as one of my greatest friends." Quote
kakeandjelly Posted March 17, 2003 Posted March 17, 2003 My wife and I are reading this book now, about 3/4 of the way through and at first we thought the same thing as you. after a bit though, He talks about maturing and after he is there for Marty's death he sure seems to cool out a bit. I still think he is a bit cocksure, but he seems pretty bad ass. I think it is true that he has improved (attitude) with age. BTW, how old is he now? any body know the date that the story ran in the Spokane paper? Quote
To_The_Top Posted March 17, 2003 Posted March 17, 2003 kakeandjelly said: My wife and I are reading this book now, about 3/4 of the way through and at first we thought the same thing as you. after a bit though, He talks about maturing and after he is there for Marty's death he sure seems to cool out a bit. I still think he is a bit cocksure, but he seems pretty bad ass. I think it is true that he has improved (attitude) with age. BTW, how old is he now? any body know the date that the story ran in the Spokane paper? Roskelly? 54. he Quote
cracked Posted March 17, 2003 Posted March 17, 2003 But Roskelly wasn't on that expedition if I remember right. That's Wickwire's book you're reading. If I'm wrong, please enlighten me. Quote
cracked Posted March 17, 2003 Posted March 17, 2003 Hah! I knew it! Addicted to Danger is the autobiography of Jim Wickwire, not Roskelly. They're both old. Beckey? He's prehistoric. Quote
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