Imagine seeing this while climbing the Matterhorn

[gslater]

About 2/3 of the way through the video:

 

Looks fun

[Bill Slugg]

From my journal at Rosenlaui School in Meiringen, CH

July 1,1970:

 

"Today we proceeded to Grimselpass for more snow techniques. The area we were in seemed to be a practice area for the Swiss Army. We saw many puffs of black smoke and we saw where the rock and snow was blackened. Swiss jets flew in formation and singly through the valley and were so low that we were looking down on them. One flew right over us so low that the pilot waved to us and rolled over."

 

I now know they were the F-5A with attachment points for various unguided missiles, Sidewinders, extra fuel but had no gun and no fire control radar.

Edited March 13, 2007 by Bill Slugg

[sobo]

While it was not the Matterhorn, a similar thing happened to me back in my early climbering days. I had just topped out on the Gendarme (5.4) of Seneca Rocks (before it fell over in late 1987) and gave the obligatory "standing yodel" down to the visitors/touron center before anchoring in to the summit bolts (it was considered poor form to yodel after tying in) to belay my partner up.

 

Whilst belaying my partner, I looked down the valley and noticed a strange plume of smoke hanging in the air. I discounted it, and went back to chattering with my partner. A dull roar began to fill the air. I turned back around to witness what I believe to be a WV Air National Guard A-6(??) scream by below me so close that I could practically read the pilot's name on his helmet. He looked up at me, waved, peeled sharply away from the rock and shot up the valley, "gunning the engines" and splitting my eardrums as he departed. My partner was shitting his pants wondering WTF was going on up there, as the Gendarme was seriously trembling from the sound/shock wave. I was screaming unintelligible rantings about how cool it was what I just saw.

 

The Gendarme fell down a few years later. A sad day that was, indeed.

 

To acquaint readers with the Seneca Rocks custom of the Unanchored Standing Yodel particular to Gendarme ascents, refer to the photo below of Gaston Rebuffat in the Alps. The feeling of vertigo is mindnumbing...

 

[Bill Slugg]

Speaking of puffs of smoke at Seneca Rocks. We had some guys in the Penn State Outing Club were up on West Face of the North Peak in 1968 or 69 when they started seeing puffs of smoke around them and hearing gunshots. Seems the locals were having a bit of fun.

 

I stood on the Genderme many times. Always thought it was going to keel over at any minute.

[erden]

Seneca Rocks custom of the Unanchored Standing Yodel particular to Gendarme ascents

 

Stood on the Gendarme and yodeled, summer of 1986.

 

Has it been that long???

 

Erden.

[Skeezix]

I, too, stood on the Gendarme in the 80's. Those of you who have shared this nefarious pleasure please weigh in if you've had Buck Harper shake your tent to alert you that he was there to collect the camping fee in the Pavillion Campground...

 

It has, indeed, been that long.

[kevbone]

Great vid!

[Bill Slugg]

Yes, Buck harper, I remember him! Last time I was there was 1974.

There was a rickety old swaying bridge across the creek.

[lancegranite]

We had an extremely close flyby during a spring picnic on top of Tyestick point at Stevens pass.

The pilot clearly saw us as he flew by 200 feet away.

He dipped his wings as a salute.

[Skeezix]

Yeah...the rickety hanging bridge...potbellied stove in Buck Harper's General Store...The Gendarme Climbing Shop and it's owner John Markwell. I think I climbed there between '79-'81.

[sobo]

Just missed ya, Skeezix. I arrived "on the scene" in 1984 through 1988, whilst carving out a degree in civil engineering at Va Tech (then VPI & SU). I had made a couple of n00bie forays to Seneca in 1979-1980, before I knew WTF I was doing on the end of a rope. Damn near got myself killed both times. N00b!!!1 If you had met me back on my first trip to Seneca, you would have killed me too, no doubt.

 

I remember camping (perchance illegally??) along Roy Gap Road on the rocks side of the North Fork river back then, near the spring over by the south pillar, where the trail to the South Peak East Face cuts through. And I remember the old swinging bridge, too. That was in 1979-1980.

 

It probably got swept all the way to the Chesapeake Bay by the flood in late 1985. The following spring, me and my buds shifted our sights to the New River Gorge near Fayetteville, WV for the next several years. I never made it back to Seneca, as I graduated in 1988 and moved out here.

 

I still have one of the old business cards from the Gendarme in my rolodex at work. God, how I miss Seneca Rocks. As you opined above, "It has, indeed, been that long." :snif:

 

[Skeezix]

My brother graduated from Tech ...probably around '77 or '78. I grew up in Richmond and made quite a few weekend forays to Seneca. I'll try to find and post some pics. Need to get a scanner!

[G-spotter]

I would hope that if I ever climb the mighty summit of da Toof that there would be a puff of smoke on top

[Jedi]

Now a days, you don't see the puffs of smoke as John Markwell is taking out ground hogs with his sniper rifle. Then again, John sold the climbing shop to a couple who now runs it. Maybe John is still teaching sniping.

 

Jedi

[Bill Slugg]

Buck Harper claimed that the hand cranked telephone in his general store was the last one in the US. I never used it but I saw people make calls.

Edited March 26, 2007 by Bill Slugg