Renaming Route(s)

[Don_B]

It's hard for me to believe but over 20 people that I have shared a rope with have died in the mountains. Fortunatly I was never present during one of these accidents. In spite of this I routinely take my children on hikes and climbs. During these trips I keep my friends memories alive by sharing stories about them. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that the kids prefer nordic skiing and hiking/running to climbing.

Memorials at the base of climbs are a difficult issue. I well remember friends who made significant contributions to, for example Index, yet few today have any knowledge of them or their climbs. They never wrote any books but Dave, Al, Bruce, Donn, Katherine and others will never be forgotten by those of us who knew them. Perhaps it's enough for us all to remember that people die climbing, to keep the fragility of all of us in mind and to enjoy and revel in the freedom we all find in the mountains.

I believe the best memorial is an annual Kropp climb of Rainier. Pick a date to meet at the White River Campground, bike there alone, climb together and bike home with new friends who share a common love.

[erden]

quote:

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Originally posted by Don B:

I believe the best memorial is an annual Kropp climb of Rainier. Pick a date to meet at the White River Campground, bike there alone, climb together and bike home with new friends who share a common love.

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There is something in this suggestion that is very attractive...

 

Erden.

[mattp]

I am not a bike rider, and my bike has two flat tires. But I might just fire the thing up and ride to White River for a memorial like this.

[iain]

I'm in you guys, that's a great idea. (but a long ride from Portland each year, I'm no Kropp). Any PDX folks want to give it a shot, let me know.

 

-Iain

[Off_White]

Don, your post really struck me. I was tallying up my roster of lost ones earlier today, and was thinking that seven seemed like a lot. Its an odd thing, because we tell ourselves stories about how safe it is, a matter of sound judgement, that prudence and caution will insure a good outcome. Fact is I have lost far more of my peers to climbing than any of the other catastrophes that stalk the imagination: plane crash, car accident, cancer...

[Geek_the_Greek]

My two cents:

 

Don't rename the route. Route names, other than the descriptive, are whimsical pieces of absurdist art, one of the accepted means of self-expression for first ascentionists. I reckon (guess) that Göran would not particularly want to violate that tradition.

 

I think the memorial idea is ok, but maybe a bit heavy-handed right at the base. The classiest and most evocative climbing memorial I have seen is Memorial Ledge on the Squamish Chief. Not everyone sees it - just climbers, usually those who go out of their way a bit to go there, to see a beautiful place. I don't know if the Coulee has anything similar (somewhere obscure on Agaltha tower? Somewhere on top of the Mesa?), but maybe something could be found, maybe somewhere a bit special, or a place Göran particularly enjoyed. On the other hand, I certainly wouldn't be offended or bothered by a plaque or carving at the base.

 

For what it's worth, I've climbed the route, but am out of state now and won't be able to look at the carving for a few months, likely.

[remlec]

imho, renaming a route in an oscure pile of rock (in the world view)does little for the memory of a truly world class adventurer. i've come across far too many memorial plaques and the like. most i haven't the faintest idea who or why they were paid homage. in a few years, this route renaming would be the same. wouldn't it be way cool if there were something more global say, starting a term movement like "kropping" a route or adventure? Hans Dulfer hasn't been around forever yet every alpinist knows of him from a dulfersetz rappel.

[fleblebleb]

Memorial: Bike to Rainier, climb, bike back home. Pick a good date in high-season.

 

Easy enough to be doable/reasonable, burly enough to be taken seriously, obvious reminder of Göran's best known adventure.

 

Keep a register of the people who finish, as a climbers' tribute to a climber.

 

Somebody said something about a dulfersitz and not having ideas about what could be named for Kropp. Go Kropp Rainier.

 

In fact you could go Kropp whatever mountain you like.

 

In Swedish (and Icelandic) kropp means body, so Kropping a mountain has the dual meaning of climbing the mountain by muscle power - couch to couch.

 

Seems fitting.

 

Reading TR's of Kropped Cascade peaks next summer would be way cool.

[fleblebleb]

quote:

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Originally posted by fleblebleb:

In Swedish (and Icelandic) kropp means body, so Kropping a mountain has the dual meaning of climbing the mountain by muscle power - couch to couch.

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I mean, dual meaning of muscle power climb and Göran homage.